532 Letters to the Governor and Council

October 23
Red Book
No. 30
Letter 45

nails, pay waggonage, Freight, Baggs, and a number of other things
which nothing but my pressure has kept alive, shall as soon as the
circumstance will at any rate admit of it make a sale of some wheat
or Flour, unless furnished, by your Excellency & Honors, as the red
money wont do unless to pay a part of the Tax, and we in this
County have been so eaten up by the Army, that we have certificates,
enough for that, and should I offer to force it, a depreciation must
be the consequence, the people are now calling on me daily with their
certificates for pasturage and Forage furnished Col^o Yeates and the
Army at your request, as this is a matter a Little out of the common
road of my first appointment, shall be much obliged to your Excel-
lency & Honors to be enabled to discharge it as I am kept near one
half my time unhappy by duners and detained and delayed in my
other business, Hay and short Forage is another matter which I am
at great difficulty for, Colo. Yeates calls on me for it, and says he has
a right to do so, I have no mode of making payment, as the sheriff
flatly refuses taking my Certificates for Forage in discharge of Taxes
(nor will the commissioners direct him) of course the post must be
without Forage unless I stake my private fortune for it, which I
have done for above one thousand pounds and am now dunn'd for
the money.
Inclosed you have the subscription paper sent me with such Sub-
scribers as I could collect, shall send of a messenger to-morrow to
wait on each commissary of this Shore in his County for their Re-
turns to the last of this month, by which messenger I shall further
enjoin it, that their prospect for a month to come be containd (as
near as may be) which as soon as obtained shall be sent you, this I
must do by Messenger express, as should I leave this place to go this
Tour (as you were pleased to recommend) every thing must stop
here, and I am confident of doing more essential service here, then
it is possible for me to do any where else, the few Mills below that
can grind will be kept going and the cattle will be slaughtered, and
salted no doubt, as it requires little Skill to cure meat to keep one
month only, which is the present mode (as tis immediately wanted)
M^r Tilghman 4^th and the Special Council will I am confident, yield
every assistance, and the very first Hour that the Service (here) will
by any means admit of it, I will certainly (like the poor widow) add
my mite to their Indeavours I am very sorry to write such a long letter
but I have so many subjects to Touch on, so many difficulties to en-
counter, and so little in my Head or hands to do it with, that I flatter
myself your Excellency & Honors will Indulge it, and Look on it as
the weak efforts and struggles of one desirous to do good, though
much Hobbled in difficulties, from which pray Assist to Extricate,
Gentlemen Your most devoted & Most obed H^ble Serv^t