390 Letters to the Governor and Council

August S

County he lives among who is all the field officers &c I received from
you a letter Informing me that you had appointed a Special Court for
the Tryal of the prisoners on this Shore, but you did not mention
when or whare it Satt, so that I Could not send Sturgis and the other
prisoners. I rote you by way of Talbot Court house Informing you
of this omition but have not Rec^d Your Answer to that letter, which
Inclines me to think you have not Rec^d my letter & I am Sorry to In-
form you that on this day week at night the prisoners Broke Goal
and one of the Gratest Vilians Reyle Slocom, has made his Escape,
the others have given themselves up and Can be sent to their tryal
when ever we know when & whare the Court is to sitt to try them. —
We have made up our select Militia and have Draughted our Militia
for our Quota for the Two Battalions, and they now wate Your Ex-
celencys Command, together with sum few three years men that the
Last Draught have found as Substitutes, and them nor those Draught
that was Ordered to march, when I was at Annapolis Can be sent
forward for want of money to pay their Bounty &c. As money is so
very scarce that we Cannot Colect the 4 p C' to pay them
I have my hopes we shall get Slocom again as he Can't posably
get to the Enemy, as our Barge has drove them Gentery entirely from
our sound Capt Walley has taken two prizes but, what they have in
I know not.
We have a very fine Barge Built at Salisbury that mounts Two four
pounders & Rows with thirty two Oars, and I am afraid that Every
thing is so very dear that the Subscribers will not be able to fitt her
out as they Intended, and sum of them have Desired me to mention
her to Your Excellency, and if you have not Contracted for all the
Barges you want Wheather you would purchase this Barge, if you
are Incline to treat for this Barge and will Drop me a few Lines I
will Communicate it to the Subscribers and send you her Dementions
Cost &c.

August 5

[Henry Dennis and Zedekiah Walley, Worcester County, to
Gov. Lee.]

Col^o Joseph Dashiell informed us that he had a Warrant against a
M^r Robert Pitt of Accomack County in the State of Virginia for
carrying on a secret correspondence with the Enemy which he re-
quested we would endeavour to apprehend with a number of Others,
which he also had warrants for: M^r Pitt getting information of this
by some means or other voluntarily delivered himself up to Col.
Corbin Lieutenant of Accomack County and engaged his honour to
appear when called on by any Officer of the State of Maryland for
Tryall, We can assure you that we think M^r Pitt Innocent of the
Charge as he has frequently been in company with us when on duty
at alarms and shewed a sincere disposition to repell every hostile in-
vasion expected from the Enemy.