Letter of Transmittal. xxxi

ceedings for this period show that Charles Ridgely and Joseph Watkins did
actually head an armed force in Baltimore County to prevent such enlistment.
Sharpe also quoted Daniel Dulany and Edward Dorsey, two of the leading
lawyers of the day, to the effect that enlistment of servants was probably
illegal (Archiv. Md., xxx, 105-13; 154-5). The question of the enlistment of
servants seems then to have been dropped, but not until armed resistance on
the part of prominent planters in Baltimore County and elsewhere had resulted
in actual conflict with the recruiting officers (Archiv. Md,, vi, 461, 462, 467,

473).

The Lower House also resolved that the passage of a revised law to prevent
the export of provisions and arms which might reach the enemy was unneces-
sary, and passed an act continuing in effect the existing law for one year.

In reply to an address of the Lower House that it had come to a determination
in regard to the various matters urged by the Governor in his recent message and
was now ready to consider any other recommendations that he might care to
make, Sharpe, September 2Oth, sent a message to the Lower House urging the
passage of an adequate militia law which would give officers power to compel the
militia under them " to march and serve in Defence of their Country," and to
discipline and regulate adequately the militia in other ways.

The Lower House on September 2ist, after objecting by a vote of 25 to 18
to a resolution requesting the Governor to communicate his further views on
what measures should be taken to advance recruiting and the defence of the
Province, proceeded itself to formulate plans. Resolving that funds be made
available for the purchase of arms and ammunition, the House on September
22d requested the Governor to submit a detailed statement of the quantity and
character of arms and other military supplies now in the Province. The reply
of the Governor, in addition to giving a detailed report and list of the arms and
ammunition available, which he added had been reduced by five hundred small
arms lost at the Battle of Monongahela on the Braddock expedition, gave an in-
teresting picture of general conditions in Maryland. He stated that the white
population numbered 108,000 and the negroes 46,000 which, it is to be noted,
was almost as high a proportion of negroes to whites as there was to be found
at any time in the history of the Province. He estimated that of the whites,
26,000 were able to bear arms, but that with the Roman Catholics, civil officers,
and servants exempted, not more than 16,500 men were available, and that
of this number one-third had no arms whatever, and that many of the remainder
had arms scarcely fit for use. He added that the militia as a whole was undis-
ciplined and could not be compelled to serve for want of an adequate militia law.
Of completed fortifications there were none deserving of the name, although