engagement; and to declare to you, that if you transgress again, you will be committed a close prisoner to the common jail."

After which Mr. Dunn was dismissed.

Mr. Jonathan Scott gave an information of a very serious nature, desiring to be authorized by this Congress to prosecute a further inquiry; whereupon it was signified to him that the Congress did authorize him accordingly.

Mr. President laid before the Congress an information upon oath, taken this day before Thomas Bee, Esq., touching a quantity of Ammunition being taken by force of arms, by Patrick Cunningham, from a detachment of Rangers.

Ordered, That Colonel Thomson be summoned to attend.

And he being introduced into the Congress, delivered in an Affidavit made on the 6th instant, by John Joseph Witner, before John Purves, Esq., relative to the taking the publick Ammunition, by Patrick Cunningham. And,

Colonel Thomson declaring that the Ammunition taken, was sent by the late Council of Safety, to be distributed amongst the Cherokees; and that Lieutenant Charlton commanded the detachment from whom Patrick Cunningham took the Ammunition stated in the information and Affidavits,

Ordered, That Mr. Arthur Middleton, the Rev. Mr. Tennent, Mr. Ferguson, Capt. Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, and Mr. Salvador, be a Committee immediately to take into their consideration the above information and Affidavits, and to report thereupon. And

Ordered, That Lieutenant Charlton be immediately put under arrest, and brought to Charlestown; and that Mr. President do issue orders accordingly.

Ordered, That Mr. President be desired to write to Captain Pearis, informing him that the Ammunition sent to be distributed among the Indians has been violently taken by Patrick Cunningham, in contempt of publick authority.

Ordered, That the Committee at Dorchester be directed to supply the Troops there with a proper quantity of Powder and Ball in their Cartouch Boxes; and that the President do issue orders accordingly.

Ordered, That the Secretary do now proceed in reading the Journals of the late Council of Safety.

And the said Journals were read accordingly to the 13lh of August, inclusive, page 140.

Ordered, That the further reading of the said Journals be postponed.

Mr. Arthur Middleton, from the Committee to whom was referred the consideration of the two Affidavits relative to the seizure of the publick Ammunition by Patrick Cunningham, reported thereon.

And the said Report being taken into immediate consideration, was amended and agreed to, as follows:

Whereas information, on oath, hath been made and laid before this Congress, that on or about the 3d day of this instant, November, at or near a place called the Ridge, in Ninety-Six District, Patrick Cunningham, Henry O'Neal, Hugh Brown, David Reese, Nathaniel Howard, Henry Green, with sundry other persons, about sixty in number, did, by force of arms, rob a certain wagon in the service of the publick, feloniously taking therefrom a quantity of Lead, and sundry kegs of Gunpowder, containing about one thousand weight, intended as presents for the Cherokee Indians; and that the above persons, having first disarmed a party of Rangers, who escorted the said wagon, did violently carry off the said Powder and Lead, to the great loss and damage of the publick, in violation of the publick peace, and in open contempt of the publick authority; thereby exposing the frontier inhabitants of the Colony to the depredations and horrors of an Indian War. And whereas there is an absolute necessity of crushing such dangerous attempts to destroy the peace of the Colony, by bringing such atrocious offenders to condign punishment:

Resolved, That the bodies of the said Patrick Cunningham, Henry O'Neal, Hugh Brown, David Reese, Nathaniel Howard, Henry Green, and their aiders and abetters, ought forthwith to be apprehended, and under a strong guard conveyed to Charlestown, to be tried for their offences; and that every endeavour ought to be used to recover the Gunpowder and Lead, feloniously, in violation of the publick peace, and contemptuously, taken as aforesaid.

Ordered, That Colonel Richard Richardson do forthwith assemble and march six companies of the Rangers, Captain Ezekiel Polk's company of Volunteers, draughts of Militia from Col. Richardson's, Col. William Thomson's, Colonel John Savage's, Colonel Thomas Neel's, and Colonel John Thomas's regiments of Militia, and with such Troops pursue such instructions as shall from time to time, by order of the Congress, or the Council of Safety for the time being, be signified to him by the President.

Ordered, That Mr. President be desired to prepare proper instructions for Colonel Richardson, to be laid before the Congress to-morrow morning.

Adjourned to nine o'clock, to-morrow morning.

In Congress, Wednesday, November 8, 1775.

The Congress met according to adjournment.

And the Journal of yesterday was read.

Mr. President laid before the Congress the draught he had been desired to prepare of Instructions and Orders proper to be given to Colonel Richardson.

Which being immediately taken under consideration,

A motion was made, That the Pay of the Privates in the Militia, to be employed under Colonel Richardson, be augmented to ten Shillings currency per day,

A debate ensued; and the question being put, the Congress divided.

The yeas went forth; for the question 51, against the question 49.

So that it passed in the affirmative.

Resolved, That the Pay of the Militia Privates, to serve under Colonel Richard Richardson, be augmented to ten Shillings per day, during the time they shall be in actual service.

And the said draught of Instructions and Orders being gone through, and amended, was agreed to in the words following:

By order of Congress.

To Colonel Richard Richardson.

SIR: There being a necessity of assembling six companies of the regiment of Rangers, Captain Polk's company of Volunteers, and draughts of Militia, to act in the interior parts of this Colony; and you being the eldest field officer now ordered upon this service, of course the command of the detachments upon this service vests in you. And hereby you are ordered to draught from your regiment of Militia, including Militia volunteers, and to demand of Colonel William Thomson, Colonel John Savage, Colonel Thomas Neel, and Colonel John Thomas, or the commanding officer in each of those regiments (including Militia volunteers) present, respectively, and they, and each of them, are hereby ordered to supply you with such numbers of men, with their officers, to be draughted from those or any of those regiments, in order to act under your command, as you shall judge necessary.

On the 3d day of this instant, November, Patrick Cunningham, Henry O'Neal, Hugh Brown, David Reese, Nathaniel Howard, Henry Green, and sundry other armed persons unknown, did, in Ninety-Six District, cause and raise a dangerous insurrection and commotion, and did, near Mine Creek, in the said District, feloniously take a quantity of ammunition, the property of the publick, and in contempt of the publick authority: Therefore, you are hereby instructed and ordered, with the troops aforesaid, or any part of them, to march, and to act in such manner as you shall deem expedient, to seize and to apprehend, and with those troops or any part of them, you are hereby ordered to endeavour to seize and to apprehend the bodies of Patrick Cunningham, Henry O'Neal, Hugh Brown, David Reese, Nathaniel Howard, Henry Green, Jacob Bochman, alias Jacob Bowman, together with their aiders and abetters in the taking or carrying away, or detaining, or secreting, or using and expending the ammunition aforesaid, or any part of it: And having apprehended the bodies of the said offenders, or the body of any of them, such