434 Letters to the Governor and Council

August 21

in any Class, But was keept back till the last of the Clases being
drawn, to supply any deficiency that might happen in drawing the
first Clases. I had Findley struck out of the Class and one Jacob
Vermillion put in, and the class drawn again, the lot fell on Nicho⁸
Watters & W^m Virmillion as I was informed that Waters was a
young single man who had some dependance, I appointed him as the
person to go, without any peique or partiallity, as I dont know that
I ever saw or heard of the young man before. There was a Case of
nearly the same kind hapened in Clasing the Upper Battalion, in
Class N^o 13 Tho^s Devin Williams was Drafted with a man who was
an indented servant, Over Age & a Cripple, this I knew nothing of
till a few days before the Drafts were to appear at Marlbro. Williams
complained that he had not an Equal chance with other men unless
the Class was drafted over again, as the person drafted against him
was Exempt by Law in more instances then one; As I thought his
complaint reasonable, I told him I would have the Class drawn over
again for one man in the place of the person who was Exempt by
law, But that he must stand as one of the Drafts himself. I Accord-
ingly had that Class drawn again, the lot fell on Isaac Walker a
young single man, Had the lot fallen on a marryed man, Williams
would have been appointed as the person to go, being the most able
man in the Class.
But as it was a fixt rule with me where a maryed and single man
was drafted in the same Class to send the single man. I therefore
appointed Walker as the person to go into service. The Difference
Between those two Clases is this the Draft in the Upper Battalion
was made some time before the Error was Discovered, that of the
Middle Battalion was discovered at the time of Drafting, which I
endeavoured to rectifie before I went any farther on. In the first
Clases this spring I drew 3 of them over again owing to Neglect
of the officers in returning men on there rolls that were not fit for
duty, one of those men as well as M^r Walker refuses to go into
Service as they were not drafted the first time; I find there are vari-
ous opinions with respect to the Legallity of drafting the second time,
As to my own part I always thought it unreasonable that the State
shuld loose a man by the Negligence of the officers in returning men
unfit for Service. If I am wrong I shuld be Glad to be set right;
I have Ever Endeavoured to do Everything in my power for the
good of the American cause, and shall While I am able, continue to
do so, But really people differ so mutch in opinion, Especially in
matters that concern themselves & their own connection, in which
they are very apt to ingrose to themselves the sole right of judging,
that a man had almost as well be a pack horse, as a Leiu^t of a County.
I this day had the petition of Basil Shaw put into my hands, he was
Drafted against another Marryed man who had a Wife and Chil-
dren. & has been out in the service of his country, and is a very in-