Letter from the Committee for Berks County, Pennsylvania, to the President of Congress

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Reading, July 13, 1776.

SIR: We have received your letter, containing a resolve of Congress for the removal of the privates who are prisoners in this town, to Lancaster, which we shall carry into execution with all the despatch in our power.

We received a letter from the honourable the Delegates of this Province, mentioning that we should be informed by express, or by the gentlemen from our County then at Lancaster, that all the Militia that could possibly be equipped and armed should be called forth. We also received a letter from the Committee of Lancaster, enclosing copies of letters from a Committee of Congress, and from the Committee of the City of Philadelphia; in the former of which it is mentioned that the forces from the several Counties should be collected and marched to Brunswick; in the latter it is mentioned that only the four thousand five hundred men ordered to be raised in the Province, as part of the Flying-Camp, were meant by the letter of the Committee of Congress. We, therefore, continued our plan of raising our quota for the Flying-Camp, and, indeed, added a company more, to complete the battalion, hoping for the approbation of Congress in so doing; since which we have seen in the publick prints the proceedings of the Conference of the Delegates of the several Counties, and of the Committee of Safety of the City and Liberties. But as we had nearly raised several companies to compose the Flying-Camp, (the place of which this Militia is intended to supply,) and the others were proceeding with great success, considering the great scarcity of every kind of tolerable arms among the people to arm such a multitude, we hope our completing the original plan will be approved of, as the men will be more quickly raised and better equipped than if we were to take down the whole Militia.

Our conduct is dictated by the warmest attachment to the

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We are, with great respect, sir, your most obedient and very humble servants,
HENRY HALLER,

Committee of Correspondence for BERKS.
EDWARD BURD, JOHN WHITMAN, Jun˙, PAUL KERBER, COLLINSON READ.

To the Honourable John Hancock, Esq.