212 Letters to the Governor and Council

April 25

On Monday Morning I was Releived by another Company and
After dismissing my Guard and the Remainder of my Company
untill 4 o'clock P. M then to meet Arm^d and accouter^d and attend
for further Orders. I was put under arrest for the following
Charges — first for not Repairing with my Company when not only
the alarm was Given but when I was Ordered thereto by M^r Hamil-
ton — The Second Charge for being Drunk while on Duty.
To the first Charge I Plead that Being officer of the Main Guard
and having a Prisoner in Custody Charg^d with a Capital Crime, and
having no Subaltirn to assist or Relieve me, I thought it inconsistent
with my duty to Leave my Post. But I Immediately Assembled the
whole of my Company off Guard and had them Drawn up Arm^d and
Accoutered at the End of the Guard House & Kept them there under
Arms untill the Troops which form^d the Line at the Alam post were
discharg^d when I dismiss^d those of my Company not on Guard untill
they should be Called on Again.
The Second Charge I utterly Deny having not taken any more
Liquor of any Kind than was necessary for the Support of my Con-
stitution on a Hard Tour of Duty — but it may well be suppos^d that
want of Rest and being Fateigued might alter my Phisiognomy.

April 25
Red Book
No. 30
Letter 105

[H. Hollingsworth, Head of Elk, to His Excellency the Governor
in Council.]
And please your Excell^cy & Honours Your favour of the 20^th
I received at Talbot Court House and that of the 10^th with the order
here on my return at Talbot I met with Col^o Blain with whom I con-
fered according to your order, am sorry it was not in my power to
do more for him in the way of provisions, there being very little col-
lected, and no returns made me by the Commissarys Except M^r
Williams, Blake & Voorhees, M^r Williams provisions are all thats
collected consumed by the Marquesas Troops, M^r Vooreheeses claimed
by the Lieut of Kent for the recruits and Malitia, M^r Blakes salt pro-
visions gone over to your Honours, the Flour and part the wheat I
had ordered on board two Shallops in Corsica Creek to go to the
Head of Elk (waggons not being to be had) but the Enemies Ves-
sels coming up the Bay has induced me to take M^r Blakes opinion
and order it up Chester River to the Head, to be there stored or sent
to Col^o Blains order in the Delaware, this I was obliged to do as it
was not possible to get waggons to remove it by Land, those in that
neighbourhood being sent to Philadelphia for Arms and Amuni-
tion, could get two only to remove the Flour from M^r Hemsleys Mill
to the Vessels at Corsica, have now sent down Ten from the Head
of Chestei to assist to remove the Flour, and then to be at the order
of the Honourable Council of this Shore, who I have requested the
commissarys to make their Returns to, (and to hasten their collec-
tions) the waggons that are now going down with the Arms and