where constant attendance will be given and due care taken of all goods, wares, merchandise, and other things committed to my charge, upon the usual and customary commissions, according to the nature of the things sold, or trouble attending the sale.

JOSHUA LORING, Auctioneer.

RICHARD HENRY LEE TO GENERAL WASHINGTON.

Philadelphia, October 8, 1775.

DEAR SIR: A ship, in seven weeks from London, brings us pretty perfect intelligence of the infernal designs of our Ministerial enemies, as you will see by the enclosures in Doctor Shippen’s letter. I believe they are the most perfect that could be obtained, and so may be much relied on. God grant that our successes at Boston and in Canada may disappoint and thereby ruin these fatal foes to the liberty and happiness of the British Empire.

My love, if you please, to General Lee, Mifflin, and Griffin, and my other friends with you. May Heaven preserve you, and give your Army success in the most glorious cause that was ever contended for by human nature.

I am, dear Sir, your affectionate friend and obedient servant,

RICHARD HENRY L EE.

ELIZABETH CITY COUNTY (VIRGINIA) COMMITTEE.

At a meeting of the Committee of Elizabeth City County and Town of Hampton, October 9, 1775, present: William Roscow Wilson Curle, Henry King, Cory Selden, John Tabb, Jacob Wray, Worlich Westwood, John Cary, William Armistead, and Miles King.

Mr. Joseph Selden being summoned to appear before this Committee, to give an account of the business which had lately induced him to wait on Lord Dunmore several times, on board the Ship William, appeared, and informed this Committee that he was sent the first time by his father, to pay about twenty Pounds due his Lordship, from the Clerk of this County, since last October; and that on another time he went on board to pray his Lordship would discharge him from the custody of Captain Squire, who had seized him, in his passage to Norfolk, with others, when going on his own private business. Upon which information, this Committee being satisfied with the young gentleman, ordered him to be discharged.

ROBERT BRIGHT, Clerk.

CÆSAR RODNEY TO CAPTAIN THOMAS RODNEY.

Philadelphia, Monday, October 9, 1775.

SIR: On Friday, about eleven o’clock at night, Doctor Kearsley, of this City, was seized, by order of the Committee of Observation, for having wrote letters to England, injurious and destructive to us in the American contest, and wicked with respect to this City, and is now confined in jail, together with one Brooks, who came here with Governour Skene, Mr. Carter, an apothecary, who was in partnership with Mr. Spikeman, and one Mr. Snowden, all of whom were aiding the Doctor in his plan.* You must know Kearsley has been a considerable time since marked out as a thorough-paced tory; for which, together with his having insulted the people, he was (since I came to Town last) carted through the streets. But the offence for which he is now confined is thus circumstanced. On Wednesday last, a ship sailed out of this port for London, in which Mr. Carter was going passenger. A few days before she sailed, young Dewees, son of the Sheriff, went to pay Dr. Kearsley some money, and coming suddenly into his room, found him and Carter together, with a bundle of papers before them, which they hustled up in seeming confusion. This, with Kearsley’s tory character, gave Dewees suspicion, and he accordingly informed a few of the Committee, who kept the matter secret, let the ship sail, and the passengers go down to Chester, by land, to go on board. On Thursday evening, which was the day the passengers went, a small party was sent down to Chester; they stayed there that night incog., and saw the passengers go on board next morning. They then immediately pushed on board, seized and examined Mr. Carter, who, in a little time, told them that there were several letters from Dr. Kearsley and Mr. Brooks, and one from Mr. Snowden; that he had the charge of their letters, and was concerned with them in the plan they had concerted, but that the letters were then in the custody of a woman, down in the cabin, and that she bad them concealed in a pocket sewed to the inside of her shift-tail, where, in fact, they soon after found them, and came back to Town, (leaving Carter, as they had promised, upon his making a discovery of the whole matter, on oath, before Mr. Graham, at Chester,and then seized the authors. The letters were to Lord Dartmouth and other Ministers of State, but under cover to Mrs. Macauley. The substance and design was, pressing their sending to Philadelphia five thousand Regulars, on which condition they would engage five thousand more here to join them, provided the royal standard should be also sent in, and Kearsley appointed to bear it; for that great numbers of those who now wear cockades and uniform were hearty in the Ministerial cause; that the rest were a pack of cowards a; for that he (Kearsley) had made above five thousand of them run by snapping a single pistol at them, &c. They had with them, for the use of the Ministry, one of J. F.. ’s plans of Delaware Bay and River, whereon they had described the place where the chevaux-de-frise were fixed. Besides these, and many more villanous contrivances, they were taking home the outlines for a print, to be struck off in London, showing Kearsley’s late exhibition in the cart, going through the streets of Philadelphia with the mob, some of whom he undertakes particularly to describe, to wit: Bradford, &c, &c, many of whom were actually not there, and he every now and then, by snapping bis pistol, made them run, &c. His abuse of the Congress, Committees, &c, in his letters, is intolerable—such as Rebels, &c.. After the Committee of Safety had examined them and the contents of the letters, they sent a pilot boat down the river to overtake the ship, to bring up Carter, and to search the box of letters, and to bring all of them that they supposed to be from or to suspicious persons. This boat reform

* October 6, 1775.—About six, was called to the Committee room, where were twenty-nine Members, some of whom, by information, had been down to Chester after some letters, which they were informed were going to England, in the possession of Christopher Carter, who had baen partner with.... Spikeman, in Market Street; which said person they found, and then recovered the letters by throats of detaining ing and bringing him up to Town. And after recovering said letters, in two parcels, (one of them directed to Thomas Corbyn, and the other to Mrs. Macauley,) and taking his qualification to the whole of them, and of whom and by whom he received them, they then discharged him, and brought the letters which were now read; and as they appoared to be base and cruel invectives against the liberties of America, and calculated, by wicked men, to inflame the minds of the people in England agains the Colonies in general, it was directed that, three of the authors be immediately taken into custody; which was immediately put into practice by securing Doctor Kearsley, James Brooks, and Leonard Snowden, (Quaker,) a brewer in Pemberton Street, and they were confined, under a guard, in the State-House, until next morning. A seal was also put on the Doctor’s desk, and a guard placed at his house; all this done by eleven o’clock.

N. B. James Brooks was taken up at the Doctor’s, and Snowden at the Doctor’s street door.

October 7,—Notices called the Committee to meet at ten. Accordingly I went and met them, there being about seventy Members. After some time, being met, report was made that there was reason to apprehend that there were a great number of inimical letters on board the Snow Patty, bound to London; upon which, a Sub-Committee was sent down, in a pilot boat, to examine and bring them all up that were suspected, and also all persons on board that were suspected. This being done, a resolve was brought in by three of the Committee of Safety, from the Congress, dated the 6th instant, ordering that all suspected persons that were found to act inimical to the rights and liberties of America, that fell under our discussing and notice, should, by us, be delivered over, for trial of their offences, to the Committee of Safety, they only being invested with that power, and not we; we having no right to hear or determine any case of that kind.

This produced a warm debate for some time, and at length, upon motion seconded, whether the present papers, relating to Kearsley, Brooks, Snowden, and Ordale, Minister of Burlington, in the Jerseys, should, by a Committee appointed, be carried to the Committee of Safety, for their sole judgment and determination, the same motion was carried by a majority of the whole, except one and myself. Past two, the Committee broke up.

October 8.—About two, was brought to Town Christopher Carter, with a number of letters from on board the Black Prince. He was put into prison, where the three beforementioned ( Kearsley, Brooks, and Snowden ) were sent by the Committee of Safety, last night, till further examination.

October 9.—Went, at ten o’clock, to the Committee at the Philosophical Hill. Staid till twelve; in which meeting fifteen Members were chosen to assist the Committee of Safety in the trials of Doctor Kearsley, Leonard Snowden, J. Brooks, and Christopher Carter, whose trials then came on before the Committee of Safety and those fifteen Members at the Lodge Room, and continued till just dark before finished.

N. B. The four persons, beforementioned, were conveyed from prison, and back there again, by a guard of Associators, not less than fifty, with drums, fifes, &c, &c.

Oct. 24.—Near six, this morning, Dr. Kearsley and James Brooks, under a guard of eight of the Light-Horse, left this City for the different jails allotted them in this Province.— Marshall’s Remembrancer.