182 Letters to the Governor and Council

April 12
April 12

said to be destined for the Delaware Bay & to take Post at New
Castle or Wilmington this came in a Letter from Ez. Foreman Esq^r
to Col^o Benjamin Chambers of this Town yesterday

[Rob. Geoghegan, Nicholas Ridgely To M^r James Brice, Lieu, of
Anne Arundel County]

Inclosd You have two Commissions which we have thought highly
necessary to send in as we Canot hold them any longer Consistent
with the Principles the Lord has Blest us with therefore beg you will
take them in we look upon it that it will be an Imposition on our
Countrymen if we should hold Commissions & knew at the same
time our Concience would not allow us to Act in the Office, so Sir as
You see we make a Matter of Concience of holding an Office in
which we are sure we cant Act in as men holding such Offices should
do, therefore beg you will Excuse us — Not but we wish Sucksess
to our Country & hope to se it in a Prospereus and Peacable State —
O may the Lord Bless our distressed land with Peace & Grant that
the Inhabitants thereof may live in Brotherly Love and Union is
the Prayer of Sir, y^r h. S^ts.

April 12
Red Book
No. 32
Letter 50

[James McHenry, Baltimore, to the Council]

I beg leave to claim an indulgence which I am informed you have
granted to some gentlemen of this State serving in the Army, but not
provided for by any particular resolve of Congress. In this, I ask
only for past services, but not for any of a very recent date, or
future.
Understanding that you have liquidated the depreciation of the
pay of your officers, and that the certificates given them upon this
occasion are equivalent to specie in the payment of confiscated es-
tates; and having some intuition to risque in this line, I shall take the
liberty to furnish you with my account, stating the periods of my
service in the American Army, the pay still due me, with the distinc-
tion of offices I have held, as soon as I shall obtain the proper vouch-
ers from Head Quarters. What I have to request of the honorable
council in the mean time, is, an assurance from them of settlement,
and that I shall not, in case of purchasing any confiscated property,
be pushed for the specie proportion of the money before I can pro-
cure an adjustment of my account.
I shall write by the first opportunity to the Army or as soon as I
receive your answer.

April 12

[Robert Pain Davis to His Excellency Thomas Sim Lee Esq^r]

I Receiv'd from you a Commition appointing me first Lieu-
tenant of Captain Samuel Watkins Company of Militia in the West
River Battalion as it Dont suit me to serve in that office, I Beg to
Resign.