every furtherance and support which our abilities and respective situations will admit of, to whatever may contribute to preserve or promote the honour of your Majesty’s Crown, and, what are inseparable from it, the peace, good order, and prosperity of our fellow-subjects.

May the wisdom of the Supreme Disposer of events guide all your Majesty’s Councils; may the enemies of freedom and mild government see and correct their fatal error; and may the crown, with undiminished splendour, flourish upon your Majesty, and in your illustrious House, till all human empire shall be no more.

BALTIMORE COUNTY COMMITTEE.

In Committee, November 13, 1775.

It appearing that the price of Salt has been extended beyond the limits formerly fixed by this Committee, and that much uneasiness has been thereby occasioned among the people; the Committee therefore are induced to take the same under consideration, and, after allowing a storage and loss of measure equal to so bulky and wasting a commodity, do recommend it to the venders not to sell the same above the rate of four Shillings per bushel; and if any higher price has hitherto been given, the purchasers are desired to call on those from whom they bought it for the overplus; and if any sellers refuse to refund, then to complain to the Committee, who do resolve, that if any sellers refuse to comply with the requisition, that then they shall be immediately published as enemies to their Country.

The Continental Congress having recommended that adventures be made for procuring Arms and Ammunition, and it being necessary that a particular Committee be appointed to superintend the loading:

Resolved, That Messrs. Samuel Purviance, John Smith, William Buchanan, Benjamin Griffith, Isaac Griest, Thomas Gist, Sen., and Darby Lux, be a Committee for that purpose, and that they be on oath to keep their proceedings secret.

The following Letter was laid before the Committee:

“Monday, November 13, 1775.

“GENTLEMEN: This day I came down to give my answer (agreeable to my promise) why I don’t choose to act as a Committee-Man. My first reason is, that my appointment was only by fifty or sixty; secondly, the polls were not closed agreeable to the Resolve of the Convention; thirdly, as I am well convinced the former Committee broke the Convention Resolve in regard to the purchase of powder, and some of them sold their goods for more than resolved by the Convention; and as some of those gentlemen are now on the Committee, and whenever I attended I always found a majority of the Committee, then attending, for looking over the advantages taken of nine-tenths of the inhabitants of this County. If ever I was to be appointed as a Committee-Man, I should choose to act on oath, and that every one should who acted with me.

“I am, Gentlemen, yours, &c.,

“CHARLES RIDGELY.

“N. B. I desire my reasons may be recorded.

“To the Gentlemen sitting as Committee-Men for Baltimore County.”

In Committee, November 20, 1775.

It is the opinion of this Committee, that such persons as have quantities of Salt by them, ought to retail the same immediately, notwithstanding any verbal contract or other agreement before made for it. It is further the opinion of the Committee, that all persons holding quantities of Salt, and refusing to retail the same as aforesaid, ought to be published and looked upon as enemies to the liberties of America.

Ordered, That the same be published.

GEORGE LUX, Secretary,

RICHARD HENRY LEE TO GENERAL WASHINGTON.

Philadelphia, November 13, 1775.

DEAR SIR: I must beg leave, at the beginning of this letter, to apologize for any incorrectness, as I write in great haste. Indeed, the hurry of business is such here, with many of us, that we have little time for the ordinary offices of life. You may be assured that I will do Colonel Reed all the service that I can in the way you desire.

We have a ship here, in six weeks from London, that brought the original letter of which the enclosed is a copy. It is from a well-informed, sensible friend, and may be relied on. All the other letters from London join in confirming it to be the fixed determination of King and Court to leave undone nothing that they can do to compel implicit obedience in America. One very sensible letter, that I have seen, mentions that General Amherst had recommended (and ’twas said it would be executed) to remove the Army this winter from Boston to Long-Island, in order to get amply supplied by ravaging New-Jersey, New-York, and Rhode-Island. Should this be attempted, I suppose you will be furnished with an opportunity of giving them a genteel parting salute; and, besides, I should suppose that a winter favourable for us would expose them to ruin, from a timely, strong attack of superior numbers, on that naked island. It seems that immense stores of Indian goods are sent to Canada, in order to bribe the Indians to an early and vigorous attack on all our frontiers next spring. God grant that Colonel Arnold’s success, and Montgomery’s, may frustrate this diabolical part of their infernal plan, against the common, natural rights of mankind.

We hoped, here, that the surrender of Chambly, with the military stores there obtained, would speedily procure the reduction of St John’s; but no accounts are yet come of this wished for event. After Lord Dunmore, supported by the North-British Tories, had long committed every outrage at Norfolk, unopposed, (our people not having arms or ammunition until lately, ) his banditti at length attempted Hampton, where they met with the chastisement you will see described in the part of Dixon’s paper enclosed. The Lieutenant Wright there mentioned has been since found dead on the shore, a bullet having been placed in his body before he jumped overboard. We have not yet heard the consequence of their next intended attack, but it seems a very heavy cannonade was heard there the next day. If the devil inspired them to come on shore, I make no doubt but we shall have a good account of them. I have a very particular reason for entreating that you will inform me, by return of post, what number and what strength of armed vessels could possibly be procured from the ports where you are, to be in Delaware-Bay, if Congress should desire it, by the middle or last of December, at furthest. Two or three vessels, of tolerable force, issuing from hence, may effect a stroke or two of great consequence to us at that season. We have certainly four thousand weight of powder, and a very considerable quantity of osnaburghs arrived in Virginia, from Eustatia, for the use of our little Army, consisting of about two thousand men, now at Williamsburgh and Hampton. Be pleased to let General Lee see the letter from England.

I heartily wish you every happiness, and all the success the goodness of your cause deserves; and I am, with great esteem, dear Sir, your affectionate friend and obedient servant,

RICHARD HENRY LEE.

P. S. Congress has ordered five hundred thousand Dollars to you, as soon as they can be signed. The Continental and Virginia Commissioners have just concluded a treaty of firm friendship with the Ohio Indians, * and those

* WILLIAMSBURGH, November 18, 1775.—Dr. Thomas Walker, one of the gentlemen appointed by the Convention to treat with the Indians, is returned to this City, and informs that all the different nations, who attended the treaty, are peaceably disposed, notwithstanding the endeavours of several persons, from Fort Detroit, to set them against this Colony in particular. Mr. Walker has brought with him a young Indian, (son of the famous Bawbee,) to be educated at the college.

The OTTAWA Chief’s † Reply to a Speech of the Commissioners, condoling him on the loss of his Father, who was killed some time ago in a war with an INDIAN Nation, (with the TAWAS,) ended not long since with the total extirpation of the Tribe, and thanking him for his kindness to young FIELD.

Fathers: From the information I had of the commandant of Detroit, with distrust I accepted your invitation, and measured my way to this council-fire with trembling feet. Your reception of me convinces me of his falsehood, and the groundlessness of my fears. Truth and he have long been enemies. My father, and many of my chiefs, have lately tasted of death. The remembrance of that misfortune almost unmans me, and fills my eyes with tears. Your kind condolence has lightened my heart of its heavy burden, and shall be transmitted to my latest posterity.— (A string.)

Fathers: I rejoice to hear what I this day have heard, and do assure you it shall be faithfully delivered to my nation. Should you want to

†Shegenaba, son to the famous Pontiack, and the preserver of young Field.

*