paign should pass without receiving the little assistance I could personally give; for though I am no military character, nor ambitious of such distinction, the cause in which we are now engaged, and in which I have unremittingly struggled since the stamp act, makes me anxious to be a witness and an actor, however inconsiderable, in every scene of importance, whether military or civil, which may relate to it.

I have the honour to be, with singular respect, sir, your obedient servant,

THOMAS BURKE.

To Major General Lee.

GEOBGE JOHNSON TO GENERAL LEE.

Philadelphia, June 17, 1776.

DEAR SIR: I heartily thank you for your letter, and regret that I cannot have the pleasure of meeting you. The great wish of my life is to see peace between two countries I almost equally love; while it is a question whether this or an exterminating war is to take place. I meant, in words I had learned from you, to set before you the many and mutual advantages both would derive from an agreement; and as the terms now offered are more for the interest of your favourite America than you ever hoped to obtain, I should have made no scruple to ask your good offices, and to engage my own, to remove any obstacles that might obstruct the peace. I should think it a greater honour to contribute in the smallest degree to this, than to have the greatest share in bringing about victory; these, to a thinking man like you, who has many friends on both sides, subject him to a double regret.

I may not find another occasion of meeting you easily; but I would travel far to have the pleasure of embracing you as a fellow-subject of the same empire, and a friend. You will see, by some speeches in the House of Commons, that others whom you value have the same wish. A celebrated poem, just published, says:

"By virtue, captive Lee is doubly blest."

A pamphlet, written by Governour Johnstone's brother, is much applauded by the nation, where a spirit prevails like that between tender relations, who are more disposed to love and respect, after a quarrel has convinced both of the advantage and value of friendship. I send you the pamphlet.

You do Sir H. Clinton great justice in believing him to be incapable of an inhuman or illiberal measure; you may, with great confidence, assert, that he had no share in the havock that you say has imbittered people's minds to a degree of madness. Your letter to me is the only notice he has of the burnings you mention. If any other houses besides magazines were destroyed, it must have been by the wantonness of soldiers, as the officer who formed the plan for destroying the preparations for the invasion of the island confined it to this object. The destruction of houses was no part of his project; otherwise he would have mentioned the success of it, which he has not done. I will deliver the messages you give me, and will ever seek every occasion to show that I am, with regard, dear sir, your most affectionate friend and humble servant,

GEORGE JOHNSON

To Major-General Lee.

P. S. Sir Henry Clinton bids me thank you for your letter, and charges me to enclose one he has received for you from England.

GENERAL LEE TO COLONEL THOMPSON.

Charlestown, June 21, 1776.

SIR: It is a certain truth that the enemy entertain a most fortunate apprehension of American riflemen. It is equally certain that nothing can diminish this apprehension so infallibly as a frequent ineffectual fire. It is with some concern, therefore, that I have been informed that your men have been suffered to fire at a most preposterous distance. Upon this principle, I must entreat and insist, that you consider it as a standing order, that not a man under your command is to fire at a greater distance than one hundred and fifty yards, at the utmost; in short, they must never fire without almost a moral certainty of hitting their object. Distant firing has a doubly bad effect; it encourages the enemy, and adds to the pernicious persuasion of the American soldiers, viz: that they are no match for their antagonists at close •fighting. To speak plainly, it is almost a sure method of making them cowards. Once more, I must request that a stop be put to this childish, vicious, and scandalous practice. I extend the rule to those who have the care of the fieldpieces; four hundred yards is the greatest distance they should be allowed to fire at. A transgression of this rule will be considered as the effect of flurry and want of courage. Those who are accused of transgressing will be proceeded against, as acting from these principles.

I have, sir, the greatest opinion of your good sense and spirit, and flatter myself that you will not only issue orders of restriction on this head, but that" you will be attentive that they are rigorously put in execution.

I am, sir, your most obedient humble servant,

CHARLES LEE.

To Colonel Thompson.

P. S. I am likewise informed that your men pass without order or orders to Long-Island. Is this wise? Is it soldier like? Is it to show the enemy where our weak-ness is?

JESSE HOLLINGSWORTH TO MARYLAND COUNCIL OF SAFETY.

Baltimore, July 7, 1776.

SIR: I have sent you three vessels at the request of Mr. Purviance, which I hope is right. He tells me that Mr. Tilghman spoke to him about the one that is to carry troops to Elk. I give you a line by each vessel, for fear that one may be before the others in getting down. They are to have 17s. 6d. per day while in the service. Each vessel will carry a company. They ought to be well ballasted, as the soldiers will be a top-heavy load. The skipper will hand you this from your humble servant,

JESSE HOLLINGSWORTH.

To the Chairman of the Council of Safety, Annapolis.

P. S. The vessels will find all they want for their own use.

E. JOHNSON TO MARYLAND COUNCIL OF SAFETY.

Lower Marlborough, July 7, 1776.

GENTLEMEN: The day I fixed on, in the week before last, to search into the clifts on this river for salt, proved rainy, and thereby I was disappointed in many hands engaged; but, however, with what I had, I sunk a shaft, ten feet square and five feet deep, in the inside of the clifts, free from any tide that ever flowed since the Deluge, and have found since, that a few days sun thereon has brought out some appearances of saline particles; so that I conclude that this earth will yield salt, and have ordered it to be tried, the success of which you shall know by next post. If this earth yields salt, the whole clifts must also yield it, and of course the quantity is inexhaustible. Report says that the clifts both north and south of this, on the same side of the river, are impregnated with salt. I have not seen any of them, except a small bank at my own plantation, at the mouth of Hunting Creek, south of the first-discovered clifts, which is very salt; and shall, as soon as my harvest is secured, make some large experiments on, and, if successful, set to work to make what I can.

The owner of the land of the first-discovered clift will come upon no settled, fixed plan of proceeding to erect either a publick or private saltern; but says that, after harvest, he will join me in trying further experiments. The expense attending my sinking the shaft, in hire of negroes, provisions, and cooking for them, cost me twenty-five shillings currency, which I have paid; and if agreeable to you to charge to my saltpetre account, please to give me your order, or other-wise, as you may think proper. The time of my engagement, with my labour at my saltpetre manufactory, expired a few days ago, and we have not done anything since. My manager has brought in his account, and thirty-four pounds of good crude nitre, for which he demands a quarter of a dollar. Being informed that the May Convention gave him that sum, I have only paid a shilling, with promise to make it agreeable to the orders I am empowered to act by. I shall hire another labourer soon, to go on with the business, and shall continue it as long as I can find materials impregnated sufficiently. In a few months, the quantity of earth, &c., I have in my shed, will, I expect, yield two hundred pounds. The thirty-four pounds made at the manufactory, five-and-a-half pounds I bought, returned to the Con-