224 Letters to the Governor and Council

May I
Red Book
No. 30
Letter 97

safe at the Head of Chester from every River with the flour, shall
be down in a few days and employ them on any other Service that
they can be usefull in (if any) as the Head of the Bay is now clear
of the Enemies Cruisers this day received eight good fat Bullocks
of M^r McBryde Commissary for Summerset County which is the
only provisions received here since my last returns, Col^o Yeates com-
plains loudly for want of Forage which I have ordered M^r Baruch
Williams to purchase who says he has no money, and if he buys on
Credit it will enhance the price, an order in his favour would be very
usefull. I have wrote to the several County Commissarys to be par-
ticular in hastening their collections, forwarding their provisions, and
meeting me with their Returns at your City at the Setting of the
General Assembly.

May 1

[Ja Hutchings, Annapolis, to the Governor and Council.]

I attend your Board in obedience to your warrant arresting me
for having gone on board the Enemie Ship and for obtaining two
of my Negroes from the commanding officer without Your Excell^ys
and the Councils Leave in writing I did not know that your Board
alone was invested with the Power to grant Permission to the Citi-
zens of this State to go on board the Enemies vessels, but from the
convenience and the Practice heretofore I really thought either the
Special Council for the Eastern Shore or the County Court or Lieu-
tenant of any County could give Licence in their Discretion as the
Special Council was not sitting I sent a Letter to the honble William
Paca Esq^r one of the Members soliciting the Favour of a Flag to
go on board the Enemies Ship for the purpose of recovering my
Slaves, but as M^r Paca was from Home my Letter was not received
by Him; Application was afterwards made to the honble William
Hemsley Esq^r Lieutenant of Queen Anns County for Permission to
go on board the Enemies Ship to Endeavour to recover my Slaves
which he declined to give. By the advice of a Gentleman of the Law,
I made application by a Friend to the Court of Queen Annes County
for Leave to go on board the Enemies Ship to Endeavour to recover
my Slaves the Judge of the Court informed the Gentleman by whom
I applied that my Application was proper and regular, and that He
wou'd bear Testimony of its being open and public to the Court while
sitting. I beg Leave to assure your Excell^y and the hon^ble Council,
that I meant no contempt of nor Inattention to your Authority; and
that any Error I may have committed was altogether the Effect of
Ignorance of the Law. Many Slaves have lately been recovered from
on board the Enemies Ships as I have been informed, and that with-
out a Flag from your Excell^y and the hon^ble Council. No particular
Favour was shewn me by the giving up of my Slaves any Persons
Slave had Liberty to go a Shore. M^r Kerrs Slave was permitted to
return to His Master unsolicited by me upon my Honor I knew not
that his slave was on board til I saw Him in the Canoe. It wou'd