January 1-December 31, 1781 519

which has made Cattle fit to slaughter very scarce, I have no prospect
of geting any Liquors: red money has almost ceased Circulating
hard money is the General Cry;

October 11

[H. Hollingsworth, Head of Elk, to His Excellency Thomas S.
Lee, Esqr.]

And please your Excellency and Honours Your Letters of the
24^th of September the 9^th of October I received and immediately
sent of an Express with the necessary directions to the Several
Comm^yrs of this shore to have the orders therein executed, fully in-
tending to follow as soon as the messenger returnd or as soon as I
had accomplished my design here which was to get the Wheat col-
lected and collecting in this County to Mills where it could be Imme-
diately Manufactured and to borrow all the flour I possibly could on
state account knowing there was none below. The difficulties which
now offers in supplying our Army with Flour presented themselves
to me as fully six weeks ago as now which I did myself the Honour
of advising your Excellency of in my Letters of the first 15^th and
25^th of Septemb^r and every means in my power has been useing ever
since to prevent it, but being confined to this place where only wheat
can be manufactured at this dry season, I have been obliged to do my
business below by letter and with much difficulty have done a very
little here, for want of vessels to forward the wheat from the County
commissaries, and I must say have been much disappointed in those
I obtained, to give you a detail of which would be rather disagreeable
at present, shall therefore only inform you of my present prospect
which is that I have been able to borrow about 200 Barrels of flour
half of which is delivered the other half making, I had not one bushell
of wheat (at Mills that could grind it) on the 15^th of September so
that the wheat I have since received must go to pay for the Flour
borrowed, unless I can borrow again, I could get wheat in plenty here
I believe I could get it ground into Flour as I am determin'd to insist
on those Mills that have water shall grind nights and Sundays, but
this I must stay here to look to myself, otherways it will not be done,
therefore I must intreat that you dispense of my going the Tour
through the Eastern shore at present, as I can do more good Essen-
tial Service here in one week than in three any where else this being
the only place at present that business can be done at, and should I
leave it the business would not go so well; must therefore Intreat that
such of the wheat as cant be manufactured below be sent me here, and
the vessels shall be either returned for more wheat or Loaded with
flour for the Army — heretofore the Vessels has been so taken up by
the Troops and stores that this business has been much retarded,
every thing in my power has been, and shall continue to be done and
as soon as the Service will admit of it shall immediately visit the
several Posts on the Eastern shore,

October 11
Red Book

No. 30
Letter 46