Letter from the Council of Safety to the Maryland Delegates in Congress

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[No˙ 107.] Annapolis, August 2, 1776.

GENTLEMEN: We have received yours of the 27th July, many parts of which are already answered, as you will perceive by recurring to our last. The advance of $1,335 to Colonel Smallwood we approve of, upon presumption he had occasion for that sum, and that he will lay it out in providing necessaries for himself and battalion with economy and discretion. We enclose you Mr˙ Christopher Richmond' s appointment to be Paymaster of the battalion, according to Colonel Smallwood' s desire and your recommendation. We have set on foot inquiries in several places with regard to flints, and shall hereafter let you know whether any stone can be found for manufacturing them here. Since our last, we have received two letters from Major Price, copies of which are enclosed. From them you will hear the situation of the enemy below. Our pilot-boat came up last night, and informs they are not yet gone off. Several vessels are dismasted, and on shore at the point of St˙ George' s Island, with intention to burn them. Middleton thinks they are going off down the Bay, and we hope soon to be able to write you to that effect, although we apprehend a visit to the Eastern Shore, and are preparing accordingly. We have the satisfaction to inform you that the report of a landing at Colonel Smallwood' s was not true. Mr˙ Brent' s houses were burnt, and a good deal of damage done. We hear of no particulars of any other mischief up above.

We send you also, enclosed, a copy of a letter from Captain Deakins, as a sample of the many applications we have from almost all the Captains in the Flying Camp. They are in want, not only of guns, but of almost everything else. We expect to be able soon to arm a number equal to that of the Regulars who have marched to the camp, and that we shall be able to send forward some companies (perhaps a battalion or more) by the middle of this month. To enable us to do this, we shall be obliged to advance more than the £5,000 given by the Convention to purchase arms. Few or none can be borrowed. The companies, many of them, not yet complete.

We expect the Convention will approve our advancing a further sum to furnish arms for the Flying Camp. Without so doing, they would not have been in condition to march at all. We think it advisable to purchase for all the companies, rather than suffer them to remain here on expense, or be disbanded, which must have been the case.

We have ordered Captain Mantz down to St˙ Mary' s, and given Captain Thomas positive orders to march, so that

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One of the wagons that came with powder from Philadelphia met with an accident that is likely to prove fatal to a Sergeant of Captain Cox' s guard. Coming down the road, not far from J˙ Hammond' s, a bridge over a deep gutter that runs through his old field gave way, and wounded two of the people, shattered the wagon, and stove some of the powder. The loss of one barrel of powder is trifling to the life of the Sergeant. He is not dead as yet, but it is apprehended cannot live. Another man slipped his shoulder, but is got better. The powder and arms are safe at the magazine, except part of two barrels, making, in all, about one barrel lost. We cannot but admire at what you say, that there are only three thousand Militia in Jersey. Permit us to ask, what are become of all the Militia that we read in the papers are marched from Pennsylvania, Jersey, &c.? Be pleased to explain how it has happened that no more have as yet marched to their station in that Province.

By the southern post, we have intelligence that the Cherokees have committed some outrages on the borders of Carolina; that the squadron of Parker and Clinton are moving frequently from Island to Island, and are growing sickly.

Yesterday, our election for this County began, and is not yet ended. We are sorry to inform you that Messrs˙ Johnson and Paca and Carroll of Carrollton, from present appearances, will not be elected. Worthington, Carroll, (barrister,) Chase, and R˙ Hammond, are greatly beyond any others on the poll. Very few people from Elk Ridge, or the lower part of the County, have as yet attended.

We are, &c.

To the Deputies for Maryland in Congress.