January 1-December 31, 1781 433

have Merchant flour made except in three Mills of Frederick County,
until lately when I undertook of my own accord to write to the Com-
missaries of Frederick and Washington Counties to have as much
of the Wheat then unground as they possibly could manufactured

into Merchantable flour and sent to this place as speedily as in their

power, but Col^l Price writes me that he is not able to forward the
flour for want of money to pay the carriage and that he had wrote
you to the same purpose, and it must be still more difficult for Col.
Rawlings to forward his as the carriage will be nearly equal to the
value of the flour. Pray direct what is to be done as I fear it is now
souring in the Mills
M^r Dallam sent a quantity of flour lately to the Head of Elk by
my directions and the greatest part of it was refused by the Conti-
nental Quarter Master as being soured and unfit for use. He in-
formed Col. Hollingsworth and M^r Dallam that he could receive no
flour but such as would pass as Merchantable. If that is the case
what is to be done with the Meal & Midling.
I am oblidged to purchase all the Meat now Issued at this Post
from the Butchers and am not able to raise money to pay for it, the
season will not admit of killing Cattle even supposing we had them
as the Issues is not equal to consume a Beef while it would keep good.
M^r Griffith tells me he has not received any directions from you
respecting the seizing or purchasing of cattle.
As soon as it is in my power to collect the returns of the flour and
other Provisions del^d the continent they shall be forwarded.

August 21

[Jos^a Beall, Lieu^t P^s G^s Cty Prince Geo^s C^ty to His Excell^y
Tho^s Simm Lee, Esq^r]

I receiv^d Yours of the 14^th instant respecting the Draft of Nich^s
Waters this day. At the time of making out the Clases for the
Middle Battalion, when we were making out Class N^o 4 some person,
but who I dont remember, said that Walter Findley was Entered on
board a vessell to go to sea, But as I had had reasons of the same
kind offered in Clasing the other Battalions, which I was convinced
was only to Evade the Draft; And as no Vessell could at that time
get out, without the utmost risque from the Enemie, I included him
in the Class.
At the time of Drafting this Class the lot fell on Sam. Club (a son
of Mathew Clubs a poor man who had been Drafted in the last Clases
and been at considerable Expence in procuring a Substitute) and
Walter Findley; on Findleys being Drafted, several persons Avered
that he was then Entered and on board a vessell at Alex^a that was
to sail next day as Mathew Club had no Chance of keeping his son
who was but a lad to help him to Labour, and there being 3 or 4 men

returned more than the 20 men in a Class, who at that time was not
28

August 3i