Militia within this Colony shall, at all times that he acts on duty, at any Private or General Muster, appear armed in the following manner, that is to say: every County Lieutenant, Colonel, Lieutenant-Colonel, and Major, with a Sword; and every Captain and Lieutenant with a Firelock and Bayonet, and a Sword, and three charges of Powder and Ball; every Ensign with a Sword; every Sergeant and Corporal with a Sword and Halberd, under the penalty of twenty Shillings; and the said fines to be levied by a Court-Martial, and appropriated to the purchasing Arms and Ammunition for the use of such as are not able to procure the same.

And be it further ordained, That the Soldiers shall be allowed six months after enlisting to provide themselves with Arms, and in the mean time shall bring with them such Arms as they have, under the penalty of five Shillings, to be inflicted by a Court-Martial; and that all Arms of the Militia shall be exempted from executions or distresses, and all Officers and Soldiers shall be exempted from arrests in civil cases, during their continuance at, going to and returning from Musters.

And be it further ordained, That if any exempted Miller or Overseer shall presume to appear at any Muster of the Militia or Minute-Men, or in any muster field, on the day on which such Muster shall be appointed, the party so offending shall forfeit and pay twenty Shillings, to be assessed upon him by the next Court-Martial, upon a certificate of the offence to them made, by the Captain or chief officer present at such Muster, or the information, on oath, of any person whatsoever, and levied, accounted for, and appropriated in the same manner as the other fines ordered by the Court-Martial. And that all fines and penalties incurred by infants or servants, for breach or neglect of duty in any particular service by this Ordinance required of them, shall be paid by the parent, guardian, or master, of such infant or servant; and if the breach or neglect of such servants is not occasioned by their master’s influence or direction, then the fines incurred by them, and so paid by their masters, shall be repaid to their masters, by the further service of such servants after the times they are bound to serve are expired.

And be it further ordained, That if any Collector, appointed by a Court-Martial, shall refuse to collect the fines imposed by such Court-Martial, after having undertaken the same, he shall forfeit and pay one hundred Pounds; and if any Collector refuses, or unreasonably delays to pay all fines by him collected to the Receiver who shall be appointed by a Court-Martial, he shall forfeit and pay double the amount thereof.

And be it further ordained, That the several Militia Officers to be appointed, before they enter on the execution of their office, shall take the following Oath, to be administered before the Committee of the City, Borough, or County, to wit: “I, A B, do solemnly swear that I will be faithful and true to the Colony and Dominion of Virginia; that I will well and truly execute the office of County Lieutenant of the County of . . . . . ., (or the office of . . . . . ., as the case may be,) according to the best of my skill and judgment. So help me God.”

And be it further ordained, That every County Lieutenant, Colonel, Lieutenant-Colonel, Major, and Captain, at the time of holding every Court-Martial, and before holding the same, shall take the following Oath, which shall be first administered by the next in command to the presiding officer then present, and then be by him administered to the rest of the Officers, to wit: “I, A B, do swear that I will do equal right and justice to all men, according to the Ordinance of the General Convention by which I am appointed to this office. So help me God.”

And every person accepting a commission in the Militia who shall neglect or refuse to qualify himself to act under the same, by taking the oath before mentioned, at the next meeting of the Committee of his County, City, or Borough, after receiving his commission, every such person shall forfeit and pay the sum of five Pounds.

And be it further ordained, That the fines imposed by this Ordinance on the Chief Officer for not enlisting the men in his County, and on the Commanding Officer present in the County for not appointing General Musters, shall be to the use of the County, for providing Arms, and shall and may be recovered before a Court-Martial.

And be it further ordained, That all Officers failing to attend a Court-Martial shall be subject to the same penalties as the Chief Officer for not appointing General Musters; provided, if no Court-Martial is held immediately after the next General Muster, then by the next succeeding Court-Martial.

Provided, always, That nothing in this Ordinance contained shall extend, or be construed to extend, to the inhabitants of the City of Williamsburgh, or Borough of Norfolk, so as to oblige them to muster or serve in the Militia out of the said City or Borough; but that such inhabitants shall be enlisted and trained within the limits of the said City and Borough, in the same manner as is directed by this Ordinance, but under a Colonel, a Major, and the necessary number of Captains and other Officers, all of whom shall be nominated by the Committees of the said City and Borough, respectively, and commissioned by the Committee of Safety. And the said Militia Officers, as well as Soldiers, shrill be liable to all the penalties before directed to be inflicted on the Officers and Soldiers in the Counties, either for neglect of duty or misbehaviour, in any respect whatsoever, to be adjudged by the Courts of Hustings both in the said City and Borough, without whose orders and directions neither of the said Militias shall at any time be obliged to march out of the said City or Borough.

And be it further ordained, That the Commanding Officer of the Militia of every County, of the City of Williamsburgh and Borough of Norfolk, shall appoint so many Patrollers as he may think fit, under proper Captains, who shall receive a reasonable allowance for their trouble, at the laying of every County levy.

And be it further ordained, That all Quakers, and the people called Menonists, shall be exempted from serving in the Militia, agreeably to the several Acts of the General Assembly of this Colony made for their relief and indulgence in this respect.

And be it further ordained, That if the Officers and Militia should at any time be called out into actual service, they shall be under the same rules and regulations, be subject to the same penalties, and shall receive the same pay, as are appointed, prescribed, and allowed to and for the Regulars, and their Officers.

And be it further ordained, That the Court-Martial of every County, City, and Borough in this Colony, shall appoint some person, not being a member of such Court, to receive all the Militia fines inflicted by this Ordinance; who, before he enters into the execution of his office, shall give bond, with sufficient security, payable to the members of the said Court, sitting at the time the same shall be entered into and taken, and their successors, with condition for the due payment of all moneys that shall come to his hands by virtue of his said office, which bond shall not become void on the first recovery, but may be prosecuted and put in suit from time to time, by and at the cost and charges in the law of any party or parties injured, until the whole penalty therein mentioned shall be recovered. And if any Receiver hereafter to be appointed shall fail or delay to account with the Court-Martial, or to apply the money by him received as he shall be directed, after deducting at the rate of five per cent., which he shall be allowed for his trouble by the Court-Martial, then, upon motion or complaint made to the County Court, or Court of Hustings of the City of Williamshurgh or Borough of Norfolk, respectively, by any Officer or Soldier of the Militia against such Receiver, such Court shall give judgment and award execution against him and his securities, their executors, or administrators, for the same, and cause the money to be appropriated to the uses directed by this Ordinance, in such manner as the Court-Martial shall appoint; provided, that such Receiver and his securities, their executors, or administrators, have ten days’ previous notice of such motion.

And be it further ordained, That this Ordinance shall, by command of each Colonel, be publickly read at the head of his Regiment, as soon as the same is embodied and formed, and once in six months thereafter, under the penalty of one hundred Pounds, to be paid by such Colonel, for every neglect; and the same shall also be publickly read at every meeting of a Battalion of the Minute-Men in each District, and at every General Muster, by