390 Proceedings and Correspondence

April 10
Liber No. 78

p. 121

[Council to Special Council.]

The enclosed Copies of Letters this Moment received will inform
you of the Designs of Gen^l Clinton to take Post at new Castle on
Delaware If that Event takes place and the Enemy maintain their
Superiority in our Bay all Communication between us both by Land
and Water must cease; the Situation of your Shore will be truly
alarming, the plundering Parties of the Enemy assisted by the dis-
affected among you (who are always ready to demonstrate their
Enmity to our Government) will rob the Inhabitants of their property
and practise every Species of Cruelty and Barbarity; being under
this Impression and feeling the Distresses in which the Inhabitants
of your Shore may be involved, we are anxiously solicitous that
Measures should be taken to prevent those Evils and suggest to your
Consideration the Necessity of immediately disarming and Securing
all those Persons whose Conduct induce you to Suspect them of
Disaffection to the State and the Propriety of removing immediately
all the public Stores which will not be wanted on such Emergency to
some place of Safety on this Shore, and the driving all the Stock
which may be in Danger of falling into the Possession of the Enemy
to Places of Security on the western Shore. If any further Measures
can be devised that will be in any Manner Serviceable to the In-
habitants of the Eastern Shore we will most chearfully adopt them
and do our utmost to carry them into Execution and request you
would communicate whatever you are of opinion will contribute to
our Defence and Security.

Ibid.

[Council to Col. Richard Barnes.]

We have given John Alien Thomas Esq^r orders to receive one
hundred Stand of Arms with Accoutrements compleate, all the small
Cartridge Boxes, two quarter Casks of Musquet Powder five hundred
Gun Flints and five Quires of Cartridge Paper, which is every thing
that can possibly be spared and which is your full proportion. You
will remove all the Horses, Stock and Provisions from any Neck,
Shore or Island within your County where [you] think there is any
Probability of their falling into the Hands of the Enemy and if the
Inhabitants of St. Georges Island should refuse to remove and you
should think their Continuance there prejudicial to the State, you will

p. 122

also have them removed to the main. We hereby empower you [to]
take such Vessels with their Hands, Carriage Horses and other Draft
Cattle, Geers and Drivers as you may judge necessary, and proper
for the Service of the State to perform Carriage mount the Militia
to go on Expresses. Every Person who comes from the Enemy should
be secured and should be sent under Guard to this Board with such
Evidence as you may be able to procure against them to be given
in on oath.