Second Lieutenant to Captain Scott’s Company at the first forming of it, and is now; and that between the time of the conversation with the said Atkinson, above related, and the time of the new enrollment, the said Atkinson (who was a Sergeant in the said Company) did not attend the muster so constantly as many others did, though he thinks as constantly as he used to do before.

This deponent saith he was present at the meeting at Wicomico Lower Ferry, mentioned in the depositions of Thomas Shiles and William Dashiell, taken yesterday; that several men that had not been at Captain Scott’s Company, (he thinks about eight or ten,) appeared there with red cockades in their hats, and that part of Captain Scott’s Company appeared with oak boughs in their hats. That the drummer was ordered to beat to arms, and did so; and thereupon, part of Captain Scott’s Company, about twenty or thirty men, filed in under Captain Scott on one side of a road, and that those with oak boughs in their hats, about seven or eight, drew up with the men who had red cockades, on the other side of the road, with the said Atkinson. That Captain Scott stepped up to Atkinson, and asked the people in what he had offended them, that they should then refuse to muster under him, as they had formerly chosen him their Captain. That what answer Atkinson made, or whether he made any, deponent cannot certainly say, as the Company presently crowded in about them, and there was great noise and confusion.

This deponent saith, that among the Company that joined the said Atkinson, there was not many guns, and he thinks not more than six in the whole. This deponent saith he has heard of said Atkinson’s mustering about fifty or sixty men, four or five times, since the transactions above related, but never was present at any of said musterings; but that he bath seen the said Atkinson and some men (it may be about six) passing along the road with guns, and understood, but not from Atkinson, that they were going to muster under the said Atkinson.

This deponent saith, that when the said Atkinson was before the Committee of Somerset County, and under examination upon the present charge against him, a number of men (he thinks about thirty) assembled at the Court-House of Somerset County, where the Committee sat, with short clubs in their hands, and that when said Atkinson came out of the Court-House, near fifty people crowded around him, and the said Atkinson said a day must be appointed, and they must fight it out; that the said Atkinson made use of the same expression as he came out of the Court-House, and deponent thinks, but is not certain, before the Committee also.

This deponent, being asked by the said Atkinson whether he ever heard him say any thing against the proceedings of America, or disrespectful of them, saith he never did, except the expression of his dislike to the Association, and that he would not sign it.

The deposition of William Stewart, 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, at the instance of Isaac Atkinson, who, being duly sworn, deposeth and saith: That he was present at the time of the meeting at the lower ferry at Wicomico, mentioned in the deposition of Thomas Shiles; that there was great noise and confusion among the people then present, insomuch that he could not distinctly hear or understand much that was said, and does not now remember what was said. That some time before that meeting, he was on board a sloop of the said Atkinson’s, with the said Atkinson, to buy some salt, and that the said Atkinson asked this deponent what he thought of the Association; to which this deponent said he did not know well what to think of it; but that as every body was signing it, why should they stick out. That the said Atkinson said he doubted it was a Presbyterian scheme, though he believed this deponent was an half-way one, slapping this deponent upon the shoulder, and said he would not sign the Association unless he was forced.

This deponent saith, that in a subsequent conversation with the said Atkinson, at Atkinson’s own house, the said Atkinson mentioned his doubts that the present measures were a Presbyterian scheme, and that he hath heard him express the like doubts at other times.

DEFENCE OF THE REV. JOHN SCOTT.

Somerset County, Maryland, November 27, 1775.

SIR: I have had the mortification to hear, more than once, within a few weeks past, that I am represented to the publick as an enemy to American liberty, and the chief promoter of those unhappy political dissensions which lately prevailed in this and Worcester County; but have not been able to discover where those reports, false and malicious as they are, originated.

I am therefore reduced to this method of calling upon my accusers, whoever they are, to stand forth, or to lodge an information against me with the Provincial Convention, or Council of Safety, where they shall always find me ready, upon the shortest notice, to attend them. Meantime, as I have the greatest reason to believe that no such publick accusation will ever be exhibited, and that I shall not be indulged with so favourable an opportunity of vindicating my conduct to my countrymen, with whom I profess entirely to coincide in my political creed, I hope the honest indignation I feel at being most insidiously attacked by private enemies, as well as my ardent desire to retrieve the good opinion of the publick, will excuse my inserting the following depositions.

JOHN SCOTT.

The deposition of Levin Carey, being of full age, taken before me this day; who, being sworn on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God, saith: That on a certain Saturday, about three months ago, this deponent applied to the Rev. Mr. John Scott for his opinion, how he approved of Stephen Horsey’s intention to raise a Company, by virtue of a commission to be obtained from the Governour, and to have nothing to do with those who were mustering agreeable to the resolves of the Continental Congress. That the said Mr. Scott said he apprehended the Governour would grant no such commission, and that he would advise him to decline such an undertaking; and in consequence of Mr. Scott’s advice, he, this deponent, and many others, on hearing Mr. Scott’s sentiments, changed their resolution, and never after mustered upon the plan proposed by Stephen Horsey. And this deponent further saith, that the Rev. Mr. Scott requested he would make him acquainted with the time of their next meeting, for that he would attend such meeting, and endeavour to convince them that they were doing wrong. And the reason why he did not give Mr. Scott the information required, was, because he, this deponent, at the instigation of the said Mr. Scott, had left the Company, and never joined them after. And this deponent further saith, that, during his conversation with the said Mr. Scott, Isaac Atkinson came up, joined in the discourse, and said the major part of the people down his way were of the same opinion with Stephen Horsey; that he understood people in general were so, and particularly the people of Dorset: on which the said Mr. Scott advised him to desist from such schemes, and join in the common cause, and not set up his judgment against those of superior knowledge; that he, the said Mr. Scott, advised him to attend the meeting for choosing a Committee; on which the said Atkinson said he wanted no Committee, nor did the people in his neighbourhood, for they apprehended it was a Presbyterian scheme; that he, this deponent, says, that during the whole conversation, the said Mr. Scott disapproved of their schemes, and advised the said Atkinson and the deponent to unite with the Continent in support of the common cause of their Country. And further this deponent saith not.

Taken before me, the subscriber, this 25th day of November, 1775.

JOHN ADAMS.

Whereas a report has been most falsely and maliciously propagated, that the Rev. John Scott advised Joshua Hitch to join in a Company, said to be raising in opposition to the resolves of the Provincial Convention, by Matthew Cannon; and, further, that the said Mr. Scott dissuaded the said Joshua Hitch from signing the Association: In order to falsify these base assertions, came before me the said Joshua Hitch, and made oath on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God, that the said report is spurious and false, and that the said Mr. Scott stood never justly impeachable with said slander, having never been consulted by the said Hitch on the occasion: And further says, that he, the said