January 1-December 31, 1781 539

People by some means or other the whole amounts only to about
£1250 for hire of Teams and that is due to near 300 Persons If your
Excellency should think proper to order that Sum to be sent me of
the new Money by the Bearer it would be Confering a Particular
favour on me and I can Venture to say it would be Serving the
Public much, as Individuals would be much Readier to Serve in
future, I would also Beg that you will if Possible order some money
to be sent me for the Line of Express as I am unable otherwise to
keep it going.

I hope you will Excuse me for being: Troublesome necessity
Urges me to Write as such a Number of Creditors Threatning to
Commence Suits for there money, and indeed some has already
Done it.

October 29

[John H. Cromwell, Cecil County, to Governor Lee]

I find in the publick papers an advertisement setting forth the
Sale of all the Estate of James Russell & Com^a merch^ts in London, on
the 10^th Day of November next on the premises, part of the Land ad-
joins Land of mine & I am very desirous of becoming a purchaser ;
and being Administrator of John Ham^d Dorsey Late of Balt^t
County Deceased I have Lodged a very Considerable sum of Money
in the Office under the Act of Assembly to pay the Debt Due from
said Dorsey's Estate to Great Britain & he Owing Others I am
Called on to Settle the Estate which if not Done I shall become a
sufferer & as I have no way to Extricate myself from this Difficulty
or to Embrace an Oppertunity of purchasing Land which might be
of Considerable advantage to me as well as some Little to the State,
but by applying to your Excelency & the Honorable Council for per-
mission to Attend said Sale & Liberty to settle my Accounts, I have
taken this method of making my Application hoping you will take
the above into Consideration and grant my request which will be a
great advantage to me & Cannot be a disadvantage to any one & To
the community at large. I am besides all this Deprived of the sight
of my family being almost thirty miles Distant and have never seen
them since I Left Annapolis Except on my way here not having it
in my Power to bring them to this place, on acc^t of it being put into
the hands of a man for a term which is not yet Expired — resting on
Your Excelency & Honors Goodness to relieve me from such Diffi-
culties & hardships.

October 30

[Joseph Ford to Gov. Lee.]

Your Excellencies favor by Coll^o Forrest with Eight Hundred
Pounds of the last emission I received and am sorry to find that I
have made contracts that should be thought inadmissable by your
Hon^ble Board but as my Instructions were not against Tobacco con-
tracts I thought they might be admitted of unless unreasonable and

[October]