Page:Sketches of the life and character of Patrick Henry.djvu/208

 184 SKETCHES OF THE

from the address of the officers to that gentleman, in which they speak of a glanng indignity having been offered him, if it was not wholly derived from that somxe. That the good people of the countiy may be truly informed in this matter, the following state of facts is submitted without comment, to the impartial judgment of the public.

" As soon as the last convention had voted the rais- ing seven new battalions of troops, besides augmenting the old ones, the committee of safety informed our delegates to congress of that vote, desiring they would use their best endeavours to have the whole supported at continental expense; in answer to which, a letter was received from the delegates, dated the 30th of Decem- ber, of which the following is an exti'act: ' The resolu- tions of congress for taking our six additional (they would not agree to take our other t^vo) battalions, into continental pay, and for permitting an exportation for supplying our countiymen with salt, are enclosed.' It was supposed from hence, an intention prevailed in congress to pass by Hie tw o old battalions, and take six of the new ones into continental pay; which, as it was said those officers would take precedency of provincial ones of equal rank, was generally thought wTong, since it would degrade the officers of the two first battalions; and, to avoid this, the convention came to a resolution the 10th of January, of which the following is part: ' Should the congress adliere to their resolution of tak- ing into continental pay no more than six battalions, let it be earnestly recommended to them to suffer our two present battalions (to be completed as before mentioned) to stand first in the arrangement; since otherwise, the officers first appointed by this convention, most of whom have already gone through a laborious and painful ser-

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