260 Letters to the Governor and Council

May 30

very deficient (provided the supply is to come from this State) as you
are well acquainted with the situation of the Southern Army, and
of the importance of forwarding the Stores and the inability of in-
dividuals to attain this end when Public support fails, the whole scene
of business now being confined to an expencive land transportation,
on an assurance I shall meet every assistance from your Hon^r board
to reduce business to order and efficacy, on this presumption I hope
your State of these several circumstances to the Gen^l Assembly, and
view it my duty to give you the facts, there is the utmost want of
teams and draught horses, repeated applications has been made to me
for these articles from this and the Delaware State, called for as pro-
portionate supplies, estimates of which I have transmitted to you,
there is at present of Cloathing and other Stores wanted in the South-
ern Service, near a hundred loads ready to go forward, the want of
which occasions much uneasiness with the troops, I am destitute of
forage, horses, or teams, except such as is worn down in the Service
and for want of food, these circumstances not being spedily remedied
it will be impossible to pass any kind of Stores, thro' the State, the
present unhappy situation of our paper credit and the reduced situa-
tion of Public Posts in other States renders it absolutely necessary
to do some business by impress, modes of Classing teams in such
Counties as is convenient to business and calling into service by rota-
tion is practised in some States, this measure so far as I can learn
has given Sattisfaction, a number of inhabitants in this County has
requested me to mention it as a regulation desireable by them

May 31

[J. Bolton, Chester Town, to Gov. Lee.]

All the Provisions of Meat I have been furnishd with to serve out
to the Troops is entirely gone. I wrote to M^r Voorhees the Comis-
sary of Provision, who came here on Tuesday & told me he had sent
me all he had, & that he had no money to purchase more. M^r Th^s
Smyth the Collector is in the same scituation. I have applied to sev-
eral Farmers for Meat but none of them will let me have any on the
Credit of the State except one man who let me have two Sheep &
Doct^r Scot has promiS^td me two or three more this week; but have
no prospect of any more unless I had hard money to pay for it, for
the State money has quite lost its Credit here; some have offerd to
let me have what they could spare provided I would give my Bond
to pay them in Specie in two or three weeks, but I have not the hard
money nor any way of procuring it in that time.
As there is a Plenty of Flower & more wheat still to manufacture
if that was made into super fine Flower & sent to Philadelphia it
would sell for hard money, on the Credit of which I might procure
some meat, but that cant be done immediately & know not what to
do in the mean time. If the Draughted men were sent to the Camp
it would lessen the number & the Regulars would be easier provided