[Extract]
Dear Sir Annapolis April the 28th 1776
... I now sett down to give you a relation of the extraordinary proceed1ngs of some gentlen at Baltimore Town as well as what measures th~ Council has taken in consequence of the intercepted Letters from the Secretary of State to Governor Eden ー on Tuescj.ay the 14th Instant the Committee of
Baltimore Town [illegible] received a Packet by Express from the Committee of Safety of Virginia covering a packett for our Board, copies of the intercepted Letters to Governor Eden! two Letters from Genl Lee one directed to Mr Hancock & the other to Mr Purviance Chairman of the Committee of Baltimore Town and desiring that an Express might be forwarded to Congress with copies of the intercepted Letters to Mr Eden ー The Committee mett & sent off that Night their Despatches for the Congress, and altho Genl Lee & Mr Purviance thought it of the last importance that the Governor shoud be seized immediately yet the Letter for our Board did not reach them I think untill Tuesdciy ー on Monday Mr Purviance applied to Captns Nicholson & SI Smyth the former for the Tender and the latter to go in her with as many chossen Men as he shoud think necessary & proceed down to Annapolis to seize the Governor shewing them General Lees Letter and the intercepted Letters as a foundation for' the measure ー they consented ー Mr Purviance gave Capt SI Smith Orders as Chairman of the Commfrtee.without their knowledge Capt Nicholson also at Mr Purviances Desire gave his Lieut very extraordinary Orders not only to proceed to Annapolis but if the Governor shoud be gone to proceed down to Coll Fitzhughs and if necessary 'to assist Capt. Smith to search the house, in all these Orders no Direction was given to apply to the Council nor the commanding Officer when they shoud arrive at Annapolis but to apply to four Members of the Baltimore Committee who attend there for further Orders, and if they shoud seize the Governor or his Secretary to carry them to Baltimore unless those 4 Gentlemen shoud direct their being delivered up to the Council, Capt Sl Smith was at Annapolis three or four Days and did not acquaint the Co[uncil] of his Business and it seems it was by Accident the Council got Possession of his orders & Capt N icholsons to his Lieutenant.
The Council on the Receipt of the intercepted Letters waited on the Governor and acquainted him with. the Occasion of their visit & after some Conversation desired untill the next Day 12 The Clock to return an Answer to the Councils Demand, which was that he shoud give them his parole not to leave the province untill the Convention shoud meet or that they must arrest him ー The next Day the Governor returned his answer which was firm & decent and promised that he shoud be found in Annapolis at the meeting of the Convention. two Days after the Council had taken their measures with Him they received an Order from Congress to take him immediately into Custody and all his Papers and send such as related to the American Dispute to Congress ー The Council then waited on the Governor and acquainted him with the Order. he then delivered them two Letters which he had received last Summer from his Brother William Eden & one from Lord Dartmouth & gave them liberty to search his Desk & Bureau of papers among which were Copies of Letters he had wrote to Administration in Feby last of very favorable to this Province and the next Day sent the Council his voluntary Parole in a very polite Note. the Council then wrote the Congress what they had done & that they coud not comply with their Request in any other manner than they had which they hoped would be satisfactory& withall let them know that we did not think they had any power over our internal Affairs this was not relished by the hot Gentry and some very high motions were made thereon 'they were told in answer that the Council were not made of very pliant Stuff and nothing has been done further by the Congress in this Matter. we acquainted our Deputies with every measure we have taken respecting the Governors Affair they highly approve our Conduct & are determined to support us ー there has been a good deal of warmth in Congress about Purviances Letter respecting the temper of our Board. We have had Purviance before us for daring to assume the supreme executive Authority of the Province and bound him over to the Convention
for their Consideration of his Conduct and have had those Officers from Baltimore who undertook to give Orders without applying to the Council they were hurried into the measure by Purviance without reflection & were very sensible they had proceeded too far....
