1776.] OF THE PROVINCE OF MARYLAND. 101

charging of fire arms, beating of drums, or by any other means
whatsoever, shall occasion false alarms in camp or quarters, shall
suffer such punishment as shall be adjudged.

23. Any officer or soldier who shall without urgent necessity, or
without leave of his superior officer, quit his platoon or division,
shall be punished according to the nature of his offence.

24. No officer or soldier shall do violence, or offer any insult or
abuse to any person who shall bring provisions or other necessaries
to any camp or quarters; any officer or soldier so offending, shall
suffer such such punishment as shall be adjudged.

25. Whatsoever officer or soldier shall shamefully abandon his
post in the time of an engagement, shall suffer death immediately.

26. Whatsoever officer or soldier shall shamefully abandon any
post committed to his charge, or shall induce any other persons so
to do, shall suffer death, or such other punishment as shall be ad-
judged.

27. Any person of or belonging to the said forces, who shall make
known the watchword to any person who is not entitled to re-
ceive it, according to the rules and discipline of war, or shall pre-
sume to give a parole or watch word different from what he received,
shall suffer death, or such other punishment as shall be adjudged.

28. Whosoever of or belonging to the said forces, shall relieve
the enemy with money, victuals, or ammunition, or shall knowingly
harbour or protect the enemy, shall suffer such punishment as shall
be adjudged.

29. Whosoever of, or belonging to the said forces, shall be con-
victed of holding a treacherous correspondence with, or of giving
intelligence to the enemy, either directly or indirectly, shall suffer
death, or such other punishment as shall be adjudged.

30. If any officer or soldier shall leave his post or colours, at the
time of an engagement, to go in search of plunder, he shall suffer
such punishment as may be adjudged.

31. If any commander of any post, intrenchment, or fortress,
shall be compelled by the officers or soldiers under his command to
surrender it to the enemy, or abandon it, the offenders shall suffer
death, or such other punishment as may be adjudged.

32. If any person shall use menacing words, signs, or gestures,
in the presence of any court martial, when sitting, or shall cause any
disorder or riot so as to disturb their proceedings, he shall be pun-
ished at the discretion of such court martial.

33. To the end that offenders may be brought to justice, whenever
any officer or soldier shall commit a crime deserving punishment,
he shall, by his commanding officer, if an officer, be put in arrest;
if a non-commissioned officer or soldier, be imprisoned till he shall