of the Council of Maryland. 491

[Council to Gen'1 Washington.]

We were honored with your Letter of the 17th Instant, and have the
Pleasure to inform your Excellency that the General Assembly have
passed a Law to raise two Battalions of Militia to be composed of
thirteen hundred and forty effective Men including non-Commis-
sioned Officers to serve until the 10^th Day of December next, the
State of Maryland Sensible that it is of the utmost Importance to
check the farther Progress of the Enemy and to expel them from
every Port of the united States are determined to make every possible
Exertion for the Succour of the State of Virginia, and to reinforce
the Army under Gen^l Green, they have appropriated £200,000 to be
immediately struck on British confiscated and forfeited Property
aided by private Subscriptions and Associations to the sole Purpose
of carrying on the Present Campaign with unremitting Vigour, and
we flatter ourselves such is the Spirit of the People here, and their
opinion of the Necessity of driving the Enemy from the Continent
that nothing will be left undone that can be accomplished. The Militia
as soon as they are raised and equipped shall be marched away by
Detachments in the Manner your Excellency has advised; we have
ordered three Volunteer Troops of Militia light Horse about seventy
in Number to join the Marquis and expect they are with him by this
Time.

June 29
Liber No. 78
p. 205

Saturday 30 June 1781

Ordered that the western shore Treasurer deliver to John Muir
sixty hh^sd of Tobacco to be delivered over to Col^o Samuel Smith to
be by him expended in procuring Cloathing &^ca and accounted for.

June 30
Liber C. B.

No. 24
p. 97

[Council to Thomas Sprigg, Esqr.]

We received your Letter of the 21^st Instant and are very much con-
cerned that our directing the special Court to be held at Frederick

June 30
Liber No. 78
p. 205

Town should create any uneasiness among the People of your County,
we are sensible there are many as good Whigs in Washington as in
any County in the State, and can assure you they are much mistaken
in ascribing our Determination to a Distrust in them or an opinion
that an impartial honest and well attached Jury could not be got. The
Difficulty of keeping so many People confined in your County until
they could be taxed and the Ease and Convenience of the Judges of
the general Court who live very remote from Hagar's Town are the
only Motives that governed our opinion, for we candidly confess we
do not discern the Advantages which the Whigs suppose or seem
to think would accrue to the County from holding the Court there
nor did we suppose it was desired by them we much applaud their
Spirit and Activity in detecting such a dangerous and nefarious Plot

p. 206