440 Letters to the Governor and Council

AugUSt 22

[Indorsed:
"Application
of James
Russel
a Draught
from Kent
County to
be Dis-
charged."]

August 23
Red Book
No. 23
Letter 120

I do hereby testify that the above mention'd James Russell is
draughted in the Militia which are to serve until the 10^th of Dec^r next.
William Henry.
23^d Aug^t 1781

[John Stewart, Lt Col. to Gov. Lee.]

From the example of other Officers I am induced to request that
you will be pleased to order a Marquee to be made for the Field
Officers of the first Regiment which I have the honor to command
I should not have made this application but that I see other Offi-
cers applied, with whom I am equally installed.
I therefore hope my request will not be thought extravagant.

August 23

[William Bordley, Chester Town, Kent County, to Gov. Lee.]
(Fav^d by Capt. Kemp.)

I have lately receiv'd Several Letters from you, two of which re-
late to the forwarding the recruits to Annapolis, those raised in con-
sequence of the Law passed last October, have been long since at
Annapolis & that part of the Law empowering the Lieutenants to
excuse any indigent person drafted, who has a wife & children, we
have nothing to do with, having hired recruits for three years. Your
appointment as purchaser of cloathing I have receiv'd with an en-
closed Law to seize all articles suitable for that Purpose. The difi-
culty of purchasing without any thing to purchase with, must be
very apparent to your Excell^cy & to seize those Articles from Mer-
chants, who have very few goods & nothing else to depend on, will
prove their ruin; yet I am fully convinced of the necessity of sup-
plying the Soldiery with cloathing; & was it in my power to forward
this business with any degree of Propriety, I would undertake it, not-
withstanding I am of opinion, that Leiutenants of counties are very
improper persons to execute Laws of this nature; should you think
it necessary to have seized the few goods in our Town, you will please
to appoint some other person for that purpose, as I am already fully
Employed.
I have enclosed a list of the recruits obtain'd by virtue of the Law,
passed last Session, & have engaged Cap^t Kemp to carry them to
Annapolis in his Vessel from our Town, the drafted men are en-
deavouring to procure substitutes which I will send with all possible
dispatch, those who do not get recruits may be very dificult to collect
i few of them are poor men with Families. The 27^th battalion have
furnished their proportion of select Militia, the 13^th battalion is
Classed for the Purpose of Drafting. M^r George Hanson who was
appointed collector of horses refused to Act, he being Lieut in the
troop of light horse, had not time to execute the Law — on his refusal,
[ appointed Cap' George Hartshorn who has been very unsuccessful