of the Council of Maryland. 207

Little I have to Live upon if your Honour is not so good and the D
gentlemen of the Council as to take it in Consideration and assist me
in paying the Doctor for if your honours thought fit to send me to
hospital Again I had Rather Die than go their again you may think
that I Drink so that I Cannot be Cur'd but I Declear that I never Do
Drink any Spiritual Liquor Since I had this misfortune the Doctor
sais he Can Cure me in A very Little time to put me in A salivation
and all the Doctors in America Cannot with out So Sir I never
Desire any other assistance from the United States if your honours
is so good as to help me that way and Sir please to send me A Letter
whether you will or Not for I am Not Able to Come to you Sir
Doctor Roberson is to Do it whether you send me Any word of assis-
tance or Not but I had much Rather if y^r honour thought proper to
help me A Little for I shall be obliged to pay the Doctor all my self
Sir if you please send me word soon

December 20

[Jesse Hollingsworth, Alexandria, to Gov. Lee.]

Sir I Arived at this Place this morning to Breakfast, Aquainted
Colonall How of your Design, But he told me that his & Cap^t Cona-
ways Brigs have gone to See, Cap^t Yellot has Been Very busy this
Day Preparing to Go Down the River, But thinks his situation at
Present Rather Precarious, as most of his People have Gon for Bal-
timore By land, No more then 13 now on bord out of 30, so that
Capt Yellot thinks he Will Bee Obligd to Act on the Defensive But
if Any thing in his Power to Scare Or take the Enemy in the Bay,
as he goes up he Will Do all he Can With Safty to him Self and
Vesell, But there Seems nothing here to Bee With him he Leaves
this Place Without fail To Morrow Morning, if the Winde Dont
Prevent

December 21

[Jno Dorsey, Baltimore to Gov. Lee]

Sir I received by an express this morning your Excellencys letter
of yesterday informing of the Enemys Privateers being in our Bay.

In answer to your Excellencys request I beg leave to inform that
the Schooner Nautilus being Loaded, is now Shipping her men for
the voyage, and will, I hope, be ready to proceed down the Bay in
company with any other armed Vessel w^ch your excellency may be
able to get. As to the Fox so much work has and will be necessary
to repair the damages received in her last voyage that I do not expect
she will be ready before the middle or last of next week to move
from this on any occasion; when, as she will be also Loaded, I will
chearfully consent to her cruising a few days in the Bay in company
with other vessels so as not to loose the convoy of the other vessels
now in this Port bound to the Havana.
M^r Stephen Steward, with whom I have had some conversation on
the subject, tells me he will fit out and man the Porpus for the pur-

December 21
Red Book
No. 126
Letter
No.69