for that purpose, shall elect and choose their proper Officers, by ballot, who shall be appointed and commissioned by the Delegates of this Province sitting in Convention, or at any time when they are not sitting in Convention by the Council of Safety in the name of the Convention.

That the said Companies in Frederick County compose one Battalion; those in Baltimore and Harford Counties jointly another; and those in St. Mary’s, Charles and Prince George’s Counties jointly another; and that to each of the same Battalions there be one Colonel, one Lieutenant-Colonel, two Majors, one Quartermaster, and one Adjutant, appointed and commissioned as aforesaid, by the Convention or Council of Safety.

That as soon as conveniently may be, after the Officers to the said Battalions on the Western Shore are commissioned, eight men be draughted from every Company of the said Battalions, to compose one Company of Light-Infantry to each Battalion; to which Company the Convention or Council of Safety shall, as aforesaid, appoint and commission one Captain, two Lieutenants, and one Ensign; and the Captain of each Company of Light-Infantry may appoint non-commissioned Officers thereto.

That all the Officers of the said Minute-Men rank according to their commissions and the dates of priority thereof.

That the Minute-Men be exercised two days in every week, and that for one of those days each of the Non-commissioned Officers and Privates be allowed two shillings and six pence common money.

That each of the said Battalions in Frederick and Baltimore and Harford Counties, be exercised in Battalion, at such convenient times and places as shall be appointed by the Field-Officers of the respective Battalion, every of which times being accounted as one of the two days of exercise, And that the said other Companies of Minute-Men exercise with some Battalion of Militia, at the times of their being exercised in Battalion, in their respective County, and as to this purpose, be subject to the commands of the Field-Officers of such Battalion.

That until other arms are provided, the Minute-Men exercise with their own firelocks; but that as soon as others can be provided by the publick, each Colonel have delivered to him firelocks with steel ramrods and bayonets, cartouch boxes, worms, priming wires and brushes fitted thereto, and flints, sufficient for his Battalion; and he shall deliver to each Captain in his Battalion sufficient for his Company, who shall deliver and distribute the same to his Company; receipts of all which deliveries shall be given, the men being answerable to the Captains, the Captains to the Colonels, and Colonels to the Conventions, for the return of the said Arms and Accoutrements in good order, unless prevented by unavoidable accidents.

That the Companies of Minute-Men not so joined in Battalion, be armed and provided, and the Captains and men of those Companies responsible for the return of the publick Arms and Accoutrements, in the same manner as the men of the Battalions are to be armed and provided, and their Colonels, and they, are as aforesaid responsible.

That every able-bodied effective freeman within this Province, between sixteen and fifty years of age, (clergymen of all denominations, practising physicians, the household of his Excellency the Governour, Minute and Artillery Men, and such persons who from their religious principles cannot bear arms in any case, excepted,) as soon as may be, and at furthest before the 15th day of September next, shall enrol himself in some Company of Militia, in the following form, to wit: “We, whose names are subscribed, do hereby enrol ourselves into a Company of Militia, agreeable to the Resolutions of the Provincial Convention held at Annapolis the twentysixth day of July, 1775; and we do promise and engage, that we will respectively march to such places within this Province, and at such times, as we shall be commanded by the Convention or the Council of Safety of this Province, or by our Officers in pursuance of the orders of the said Convention or Council, and there, with our whole power fight against whomsoever we shall be commanded, by such authority as aforesaid. Witness our hands this . . . . day of . . . . 1775.”

That each Company of Militia consist of such Officers as are recommended by former Resolutions of the Convention, and of about sixtyeight Privates.

That each Company already formed, if it now is, or before the 15th day of September next shall be made up to fifty Privates, or upwards, and shall have subscribed the said form of enrolment, shall confirm their election of Officers already made, or elect others in their stead, by ballot, as they shall think proper; and that Officers be so chosen for all Companies which shall be hereafter formed, as recommended by the said former resolves; after which confirmations and elections, and before the first day of October next, each Captain of Militia shall transmit a roll of his Company to the Committee of Observation which shall be appointed for his County, who shall, as soon as may be, transmit a memorandum or certificate of the names of the Captain, Lieutenants and Ensign, and of the numbers of Noncommissioned Officers and Privates, to the Council of Safety; in order that commissions may issue in the name of the Convention to those Officers; which shall be done by the same Convention or Council of Safety as aforesaid.

That no Company shall exceed the number of seventy-four Privates, or consist of less than fifty; and if a greater number than seventy-four shall be enrolled in any one Company, then the enrolment of any after the first sixtyeight effective Privates shall be deemed void, and such shall enrol in some other Company; and if a number of men shall be enrolled not amounting to fifty Privates, besides sufficient for Non-commissioned Officers for any one Company, they shall not be considered as a Company; yet the local circumstances of some neighborhoods may make it very inconvenient for a full Company of Militia to meet weekly for exercise at one and the same place, in such case the Officers may appoint two places, at each of which a several part of the Company may be mustered, not oftener that three times out of four; so that every fourth time at least the whole be mustered together.

That no Company be permitted to choose Officers before a sufficient number of men be enrolled to make up fifty Privates, besides Non-commissioned Officers.

That after enrolment in pursuance of these Resolves, no man be permitted to leave the Company in which he shall have been enrolled, without the consent of his Captain in writing.

That the Committee of Observation in each County make diligent inquiry after, and transmit to the Convention or Council of Safety, the name of every able-bodied effective freeman as aforesaid, in their respective County, if there shall be any such, who shall not enrol himself either as a Minute or Artillery Man, or in the Militia, according to the preceding Resolves, to the end that the Convention may take order therein; against whom no further proceedings or measures shall be taken, but by the future order of the Convention.

That the Committee of Observation for each County shall divide the Militia of their County into Battalions or Companies of Light-Infantry, each of which Battalions to consist of such eight Companies of Militia as the same Committee shall appoint; and the same Committee also assigning to each Battalion one Company of Light-Infantry, which Light-Infantry shall be armed in such manner as the Council of Safety shall direct; and that to each of the said Battalions there be one Colonel, one Lieutenant-Colonel, two Majors, one Quartermaster, and one Adjutant, who shall be appointed and commissioned by the Delegates of this Province sitting in Convention, or at any time when they are not sitting in Convention by the Council of Safety in the name of the Convention; which Officers shall rank and marshal the Companies of their respective Battalion.

That every Company of Militia be exercised one day in every week, and that every Battalion of Militia be exercised in Battalion at such times and places as the Field-Officers of the Battalion shall appoint, not oftener than once in every month, nor seldomer than once in every two months; the day of exercise in Battalion being accounted as the day of exercise for that week.

That the Colonel of every Battalion of Minute-Men and Militia shall employ a skilful and able Adjutant for his Battalion, who shall train and exercise the Battalion, and the several Companies thereof, according to the directions of the Colonel, and shall receive for a month of thirty days sixteen Dollars; and that the Companies of Minute-Men not formed in Battalion, as to the purpose of being trained and exercised by the Adjutant, be esteemed as a Company