This deponent, upon being asked by the said Atkinson whether, at the time of the conversation between them, above related, there was not a great noise and hubbub among the people present, answers that there was.

This deponent saith, that he does not know that all the people who joined the said Atkinson, as aforesaid, had red cockades, but that most of them had.

The deposition of William Dashiell, taken before the Eastern Shore branch of the Council of Safety of Maryland, at Talbot County Court-House, on Friday, the first day of December, 1775, in the presence of Isaac Atkinson, who, being duly sworn, deposeth and saith: That he was present at a meeting of Captain George Day Scott’s Company, at the lower ferry on Wicomico River, in Somerset County, some time in September last, in order to choose officers, agreeably to the resolves of the last Convention. That the drummer was ordered to beat to arms; and upon his beating to arms, part of the Company filed in under arms and went through part of the exercise. That Isaac Atkinson, now present, had been, before that time, a Sergeant in Captain Scott’s Company, but did not then join those who were drawn up as aforesaid.

That a dispute arising between Thomas Brumfield, a private in Captain Scott’s Company, and the said Isaac Atkinson, Thomas Shiles, the Adjutant to the said Company, ordered the men to ground arms, which they did; and Mr. Shiles went up to the said Atkinson, with whom about one-half of the Company, that had mustered formerly under Captain Scott, had separated themselves from those who were under arms as aforesaid, and asked him what he was after; whether he intended to raise a Company to join the common cause of America, or to oppose the resolves of the Continental Congress and the Provincial Convention; to which the said Atkinson answered, that it was not to join but to oppose the Congress and Convention, for that he did not like any of their proceedings, or any thing they had done; which this deponent cannot certainly recollect. That thereupon, George Whitear stepped up, and told the said Atkinson that if he gained his point, it would not be with honour; by which expression, “gaining his point,” this deponent understood the said Atkinson’s endeavouring to get part of Captain Scott’s Company to choose him for their Captain. That the said Atkinson thereupon put his hand in his pocket, and offered the said Whitear to lay him a doubloon that he would, by that day week, have three hundred or five hundred men (which number of the two deponent cannot certainly say) to join him in his opposition. That this deponent told the said Atkinson, who appeared to him to be in a passion, that he would be sorry for the expressions he had used that day; and that the said Atkinson, without making any answer, turned about and walked away to his Company.

That some time about ten days after, this deponent was riding the road with the said Atkinson, and having been informed that the said Atkinson had denied he had made use of the expressions above related, at the meeting at Wicomico Ferry, deponent asked the said Atkinson if he had denied it; and the said Atkinson thereupon said he did not remember that he had made use of the said expressions.

This deponent, upon being asked by the said Atkinson whether any of the said persons who joined him with different coloured cockades than black, had formerly been of Captain Scott’s Company, saith he cannot say, having himself been for some time prevented from attending the Company by sickness; but that several of those who had been of Captain Scott’s Company did join him, (the said Atkinson,) and that a great many of them had since come back, on Saturday last, to Captain Scott’s Company. That, after Atkinson left the Company at the ferry, many of the people that had joined him enrolled in Captain Scott’s Company, though they did not muster in his Company till Saturday last; but this deponent has been informed that, after their enrollment in Captain Scott’s Company, they mustered under the said Atkinson.

This deponent further saith, that he never heard the said Atkinson say any thing disrespectful of the proceedings of the Congress or Convention, but at the meeting at Wicomico Ferry, as aforesaid, though he hath had frequent conversations with the said Atkinson upon that subject, before the meeting of the last Convention, but that he hath had no conversation with him upon the subject, since the last Convention, but as above stated.

This deponent, being asked by said Atkinson whether there was not much noise and disturbance among the people at the time of the conversation and transaction at Wicomico Ferry, above related, saith there was a good deal of disturbance and confusion among the people, which he believes was occasioned by their different sentiments, some desiring to choose Captain Scott, and others the said Atkinson, for their Captain.

The deposition of George Ayres, taken before the Eastern Shore branch of the Council of Safety of Maryland, at Talbot County Court-House, on Saturday, the second day of December, 1775, in the presence of Isaac Atkinson, who, being duly sworn, deposeth and saith: That some time after the Association formed by the last Convention came over to Somerset County, and this deponent believes in September last, he was riding the road with Isaac Atkinson, now present, and a conversation arose between them, concerning the said Association; that the said Atkinson told this deponent he (Atkinson) did not approve of it, and that he should not sign it, and that he had the opinion of as knowing a man, and a man of as great property, as any in the County, to go on in the manner he was then in; that immediately after, the conversation was broke off, by other company joining them.

This deponent saith, that he did not at that time understand, nor did the said Atkinson explain, what he meant by “the manner he was then in;” but, from the said Atkinson’s conduct afterwards, he imagined the said expression was in reference of the said Atkinson’s purpose to raise a Company.

This deponent saith, he was present at the meeting at Wicomico Ferry, mentioned in the depositions of Thomas Shiles and William Dashiell, taken yesterday, and having been told that the said Atkinson had ordered the men who appeared for him that day to bring sharp flints in their guns, he went up to the said Atkinson, and asked him what he meant by ordering his men to appear with sharp flints in their guns; to which said Atkinson answered, he intended to shoot, as a huzza, at the breaking up of his Company.

This deponent, being asked by said Atkinson what he hath heard him say at any time respecting the dispute between Great Britain and America, saith, that he hath had frequent conversations with the said Atkinson upon that subject, and that the said Atkinson hath always expressed his opinion to be, that it was a religious dispute and a Presbyterian scheme; that these conversations have been both before and since the last Convention.

This deponent saith, that at the first forming of Captain George Day Scott’s Company, the said Atkinson enrolled in it, and was chosen one of the Sergeants thereof, and often attended the musters of said Company, before the new regulation, and contributed to the purchase of colours and fife for the said Company; that the said Atkinson hath mentioned to this deponent his opinion, that the present dispute between Great Britain and America was about religion, and was a Presbyterian scheme, before his enrollment in Captain Scott’s Company as aforesaid; that this deponent never heard the said Atkinson speak against the interest of America, otherwise than by speaking against the proceedings of the Convention.

The deposition of Littleton Ayres, taken before the Eastern Shore branch of the Council of Safety of Maryland, at Talbot County Court-House, on Saturday, the second day of December, 1775, in the presence of Isaac Atkinson, who, being duly sworn, deposeth and saith: That soon after the Association formed by the last Convention was brought over to Somerset County, this deponent was at Wicomico Lower Ferry, in company with Isaac Atkinson, now present, and sundry other persons; that several persons then present had just been reading the said Association, and in conversation about it, the said Atkinson said he never would sign it, and that he would protect any set of men that would not sign it. That the said Atkinson did not say how or in what manner he would protect them, but that this deponent did suppose he meant to protect, by arms, any persons against whom force should bo used to compel them to sign. That this deponent was