266 Letters to the Governor and Council

June I
Red Book
No. 27
Letter 87

Philad^a I must bind myself for payment, they will not trust a State,
that her own Merchants refuses Crediting & Considering every Cir-
cumstance, the Enemy pushing thro: Virginia already in the very
Heart of it our Situation therefore precarious, Superabundant Crop
in the Ground, I say under these Circumstances No Man will take
pay in flour at so distant a Day as Sept^r even Suppose the utmost
Certainty of being paid then. I presume the Clothing is wanted
Immediately to Compleat the 500 Men, No time ought to be lost In
Philad" on equal Terms with other Merch^ts I could Certainly pur-
chase Goods at least 25 p^c lower than here, but would not the Delay
be a greater Loss than the Advantage of price, I presume it would.
Three weeks would at least be lost. Clothing necessary for a future
Day might be look'd for. At present our Necessities I conceive are
such as will oblige us to be less aconomical than expeditious
If the following plan can be adopted I imagine the Clothing may
be procur'd Viz. a Quantity of good Tobacco to be put into my
Hands, & an Order for flour to be deliver'd Sure on the 15^th July
sufficient to purchase Clothing as p List IncloS^td & to pay all Ex-
pences of Transportation from the Mills, which the Commissaries
say they Cannot do,

An Estimate of 500 Suits of Cloths & funds necessary.

500 Coats made up

at £4

£2000.

. — .. —

500 Vests

1

500.

1000p^s Linen Overalls

10/

500

500 Hats

7/6

187.

.10.. —

500 Black Stocks

2/6

62.

.18..—

1000 Shirts

20/

1000

. — .. —

500 p^r woollen Stockings

15/

375-

. — .. —

1000 p^r shoes

10/

500.

. — .. —

500 Blankets

40/

1000

. — .. —

500 Knapsacks

S/

125-

. — .. —

£6250.

. — .. —

Transporting 4000 Bb^les flour at

3/9

750

£7000.

. —— .. ——

4000 Bbles flour each 2^d w^t N.

30/

£6000

200 Hhds. Tobacco

100/

1000

£7000

or 500 Hh^ds Tobacco £2500

3000 Bbles. flour 4500

£7000