January 1-December 31, 1781 317

as Enough has been provided In a manner more Agreeable, I trust
my request will be Granted, and I flatter myself its needless to men-
tion that the proprietors of the Goods in Question have on all Occa-
sions Contributed with pleasure as far as their ability would permit
to the public Service had the Goods been here wou'd have sold them
with pleasure for the purpose intended, but the manner they are Now
Situated, it will be attended with manifest disadvantage holding them
from us, request your attention to this business and hope you'l Excuse
the trouble Given you — the letter herewith please forward M^r Camp-
bell first Conveyance, by post, if None other offers the packet by a
safe & private hand

June 26
Red Book
No. 27
Letter 106

[H. Hollingsworth, Head of Elk, to His Excellency, Thomas Sim
Lee, Esqr, In Council.]

And please your Excellency & Honours Flattering myself (ere
now) that the Legislature has fallen on some mode to enable their
Servants to execute their orders, from which consideration duty
obliges me as one of them, to acquaint your Excellency and Honours
of my situation, circumstance and necessitys, at the time I had the
honour of being appointed by the Honourable Legislature to super-
intend the collecting, cureing & delivering the specific supply of pro-
visions of the Eastern shore, it did not appear to me (nor do I be-
lieve it did to the Honourable Legislature) that I was to handle any
money, or have any thing to do with the expence of forwarding the
provisions, this I understand was to be done by the County commis-
sarys, they were to forward their provisions to me, and were to pay
all freights waggonage &c — had this continued to be the case I should
have been happy in receiving no money, as I should have wanted none,
or had very few disbursements, a little coopering, cask nails, and a
few trifleing expenditures, would have been all that I should been at,
but as the case now stands tis very difficult, I am to be at the expence
of forwarding all the provisions from Snow Hill upward which tis
not in my power to do without being enabled by your Excellency &
Honours, the last Brigade of waggons that I sent down refused to
go unless I would pay them in something permanent, I thought Corn
an Article that the state could easiest furnish and of course engaged
to pay them six bushels of corn p day by which a considerable saving
was made to the State, as waggonage then here was from 157 to
17/6 p day (hawling private property, and be paid once a week) I
acquainted your Excellency & Honours of this, and understood it
approved of £500 State money was sent me to defray the expence
of this Service, it did no more then pay for their forage, while on the
service I contracted with M^r Tilghman (through M^r Abram Falioner)
for two thousand Bushels of Corn, which I promised myself would
assist to defray the Expence of this hauling apart of which I re-
ceived and as Col^o Yeates was in great difficulty for forage, and I

June 26
Red Book
No. 30
Letter 87