Ordered, That Mr. Hynd Russell be appointed Clerk to the said Committee.

A Petition of James Turner and William Terry was presented to the Convention and read; setting forth that, by directions of Colonel Armistead Watlington, then commander of the Militia of Halifax County, they were ordered out with a party of soldiers to the assistance of the inhabitants of North-Carolina, to suppress the Insurgents at Cross-Creek; that they were on duty five days, and then discharged by the Commanding Officer at Hillsborough, and praying, in behalf of themselves and the men under their command, to be allowed such reasonable pay as their services shall be found to deserve.

Ordered, That the said Petition be referred to the Committee of Publick Claims, and that they do examine the matter thereof, and report the same, together with their opinion thereupon, to the Convention.

Ordered, That Mr. Burwell be added to the Committee of Privileges and Elections.

Mr. Gray, from the Committee appointed, presented to the Convention, according to order, an Ordinance to amend an Ordinance entitled An Ordinance for establishing a mode of making Tobacco Payments during the discontinuance of the Inspection Law; and the said Ordinance was read the first time, and ordered to be read a second time.

A Petition of Samuel Boush was presented to the Convention, and read; setting forth, that some time in the month of December last a Negro man slave, named Mercury, belonging to him, was apprehended for felony, and soon after, by a Court of Inquiry, held by Colonel Charles Scott and his associates, sent to Williamsburgh to be tried by the honourable the Committee of Safety, but that before such trial the said slave died, and praying such allowance for the said slave as shall be thought reasonable.

Also, a Petition of Samuel Boush and Goodrich Boush, Executors of Samuel Boush, deceased, setting forth, that some time in the month of December last a Negro man slave, belonging to the estate of the said Samuel Boush, deceased, fled to Lord Dunmore, and was soon after taken and sent to Williamsburgh, but before trial died, and praying an allowance for the said slave.

Also, a Petition of Arthur Boush, setting forth, that some time in the month of December last Harry, a Negro man slave, belonging to him, fled to Lord Dunmore, and was soon after taken and sent to Williamsburgh, but before trial the said slave died, and praying a reasonable allowance for the said slave.

Ordered, That the said several Petitions be referred to the Committee of Publick Claims, and they are to inquire into the matter thereof, and report the same, together with their opinion thereupon, to the Convention.

A Claim of William Smith, for a Negro man slave, who was shot for refusing to surrender himself to the Troops when required, was presented to the Convention, and ordered to be referred to the Committee of Publick Claims, and they are to report the same, together with their opinion thereupon, to the Convention.

It appearing to this Convention that the contributions raised in the different Counties for the purchase of Powder, Lead, Flints, and Cartridge-Paper, according to a Resolution of a former Convention, have been found ineffectual to answer the purposes thereby intended,

Resolved, therefore, That it be recommended to the different County Committees to restore to the people all such sums of money so contributed as now remain in their hands undisposed of.

Adjourned till to-morrow, ten o’clock.

Friday, May 10, 1776.

A Petition of sundry Freeholders and Militia of the County of Chesterfield was presented to the Convention, and read; setting forth, that they are at all times ready, with their lives and fortunes, to defend the liberties of their country, and to conform to such rules and regulations as shall be established by this Convention; that they beg leave to represent that the exemption of Overseers, most of whom are young able-bodied men, from serving in the Militia, deprives the country of a considerable part of the strength thereof, and praying that all Overseers may be obliged to serve in the Militia.

Ordered, That the said Petition, and also the Petition of the Freeholders and others of the said County of Chesterfield, presented to the Convention on Tuesday last, and ordered to lie on the table, be referred to the Committee of Propositions and Grievances, and that they report the same, together with their opinion thereupon, to the Convention.

The President laid before the Convention a Letter from Major-General Lee, and also a Letter from Lord Dunmore, relating to the exchange of Prisoners; which were read, and ordered to be referred to the Committee to whom the Letter and Resolution of Officers was referred.

Ordered, That Mr. Meriwether Smith be added to the Committee appointed to prepare and bring in an Ordinance to encourage the making Salt, Saltpetre, and Gunpowder.

Ordered, That leave be given to bring in an Ordinance to encourage Woollen, Linen, and other manufactures; and that the Committee appointed to prepare and bring in an Ordinance to encourage the making Salt, Saltpetre, and Gunpowder, do also prepare and bring in the said Ordinance.

The Convention then, according to the Order of the Day, resolved itself into a Committee on the Letter from Major-General Lee, and Resolutions of the Officers; and after some time spent therein, Mr. President resumed the Chair, and Mr. Nelson reported that the Committee had, according to order, had under their consideration the said Letter and Resolutions, and had come to the following Resolution thereupon, which he read in his place, and afterwards delivered in at the Clerk’s table, where the same was again twice read, and agreed to by the Convention:

Resolved, That 1300 men, consisting of Minute-men and Militia, be immediately raised in the following Counties, to wit: Albemarle 100, Amherst 50, Amelia 100, Bedford 50, Brunswick 100, Buckingham 50, Cumberland 50, Dinwiddie 50, Charlotte 50, Halifax 100, Hanover 100, Louisa 50, Lunenburgh 100, Mecklenburgh 100, Prince Edward 50, Sussex 50, Pittsylvania 150, and sent to the assistance of North-Carolina.

And in case complete Minute Companies cannot be immediately marched, or in case defective Companies cannot be completed out of the Militia, the respective County Committees are required and empowered to appoint such proper Officers, and raise their several quotas of men in such manner as they shall judge most likely to answer this pressing occasion.

And it is further Resolved, That the several Companies afore-mentioned, be formed into two distinct Battalions; the Companies from Amelia, Brunswick, Prince Edward, Cumberland, Dinwiddie, Hanover, Louisa, Mecklenburgh, and Sussex, to be the first Battalion; the second to be formed out of the remaining Companies; that each Battalion be commanded by a Colonel, Lieutenant-Colonel, and Major, and shall be rendezvoused at such place as shall be appointed by the Commanding Officer of the Continental forces in the Southern Department, under whose command the whole shall be while in service, subject to the same regulations as are now adopted for the Militia of this Colony; and the Officers of the first Battalion to take rank of the others, and all vacancies to be filled according to seniority.

And it is further Resolved, That the Field-Officers and Captains elect a Surgeon, Quartermaster, and an Adjutant, for each Battalion, respectively; and each Surgeon to be allowed one Mate, and each Captain be empowered to provide subsistence for their respective Companies on their march to the place of rendezvous.

And it is Ordered, That the Committee of Safety do issue proper Commissions for the several Officers to be appointed as aforesaid, which shall be in force while the said Battalions shall be continued on this duty, and no longer.

That a month’s pay for the Officers and men. ordered out as aforesaid, be advanced and forwarded to the Committees of the Counties respectively from whence the said Troops are to march.

On a motion made, Ordered, That the Captains of the several Companies so to be raised, do impress in their respective Counties whatever Arms they may stand in need of, having the same appraised in the usual manner.

Resolved, That Samuel Meredith, Esq., be Colonel, John Ruffin, Esq., Lieutenant-Colonel, and Richard James, Esq., Major, of the first Battalion; and that Charles Lewis, Esq.,