20 Journal and Correspondence.

December 13
Liber No. 78
p. 308

[Council to Andrew Buchanan Esq^r Lieu^t Baltimore County]

We are informed that a very great Number of British, German and
others who are Prisoners of War, taken at York, are at this Time in
Baltimore, passing and repassing in perfect Security. We conceive
the Interest of the Continent and this State in particular, injured, in
permitting these People to be at large; by securing and confining
them, we may relieve, by Exchange, many of our truly deserving and
distressed Countrymen from the loathsome Prison Ships and Gaols
of the Enemy; We must Therefore request you to examine particu-
larly into the Subject and give the necessary Orders for their being
secured and sent under Guard to Frederick Town to be delivered to
Col^o Rawlings.

Ibid.

[Council to M^r Thomas H. Ridgate.]

Yours of the 8^th Instant we have received. We cannot give the
Price you ask for Salt, as it is considerably more than it is sold for
any where. If you will take 150^lbs of Tobacco per Bushel, you will
deliver to M^r Reeder the Quantity he may want.

Ibid.

[Council to James Calhoun Esq^r]

We received a Letter this Day from M^r George, requesting us to
forward to him 40 Bushels of Salt to replace the like Quantity which
he was obliged to borrow for the Public; we therefore request you
to supply M^r George with that Quantity as soon as you possibly can ;
he adds that Salt may be had at Alexandria.

Ibid.

[Council to Joshua George Esq^r]

We have directed M^r Calhoun to furnish you with 40 Bushels of
Salt and, as he has the Means of procuring it, in his Hands, you may
rely on receiving it.

Ibid.

[Council to Honble Robert Morris, Esq^r]

We have thus long delayed answering your several Favors of the
6^th 16^th and 26^th July, 5^th Sept^r Oct^r and 17^th Nov^r under an Ex-
pectation that we should have soon been in Capacity to give the Infor-
mation you are so desirous of obtaining, and of replying particularly
and satisfactorily to those Parts which appeared to us the most im-
portant; but meeting with greater Difficulties than we foresaw in the
Enquiry, and finding that we are yet very far from being possessed
of the Materials necessary for answering all your Views, we can no
longer delay such general Information as we have in our Power, as

p. 309

well to satisfy you that we have not been so diffident in complying
with the various Demands made upon us, as you may have conceived,
as to rescue the State from the Suspicion of Inattention to the Requi-
sitions of the great Representation of America. — We derive much