exercise and discipline; dress in a regular uniform of blue, turned up with buff, with plain yellow metal buttons, buff waistcoat and breeches and white stockings, and furnished with a good flint lock and bayonet, sling cartouch box and tomahawk. And that we will each of us constantly keep by us a stock of six pounds of gun powder, twenty pounds of lead and fifty gun flints at the least. That we will use our utmost endeavours as well at musters of the said company, as by all other means in our power to make ourselves masters of the military exercise. And that we will always hold ourselves in readiness in case of necessity, hostile invasion or real danger of the commonwealth of which we are members, to defend to the utmost of our power the legal prerogatives of our sovereign King George the 3d and the just right and privileges of our country, our posterity and ourselves upon the principles of the British Constitution. Agreed that all the subscribers to this association do meet on Monday the 17th of October next at eleven o'clock in the forenoon at the Court House in Alexandria."'

Washington's diary records that on the 15th of January, 1775, he went to Pohick church, and that Colonel Mason with several other gentlemen came home with him and stayed all night. The following day he went up to Alexandria to a review of the Independent Company and to choose a committee for the county. He was under arms the next day and in the committee in the evening. On this day-the 17th of January-resolutions were passed by the Committee of Safety for arming and organizing the militia of the county.' These are understood to have been drafted by Colonel Mason. And the expression that occurs in them, "firmly determined at the hazard of our lives to transmit to our children and posterity those sacred rights to which ourselves were born," so closely resembles the phrase quoted from George Mason's will as to confirm the supposition. The Maryland Convention, which had met on the 8th of December, 1774, had passed resolutions on 1 Mason Papers.

"American Archives," 4th series, vol. ., p. 1145; Appendix viii.

ARMING THE MILITIA.

183

the subject of arming the militia, and the Fairfax Committee state that they "do concur in opinion with the Provincial Committee of the Province of Maryland that a well-regulated militia," etc., and here they quote the exact phrase employed by the Marylanders to signify their abhorrence of standing armies, and their conviction that the militia is the true defence of a free country. The same formula, with the alteration of a word or two, is repeated in the "Association," which follows, wherein the subscribers enroll themselves into a militia for the county. It is as follows:

"And thoroughly convinced that a well regulated militia composed of the gentlemen, freeholders and other freemen, is the natural strength and only safe and stable security of a free government, and that such militia will relieve our mother country from any expense in our protection and defence, will obviate the pretence of a necessity for taxing us on that account, and render it unnecessary to keep any standing army (ever dangerous to liberty) in this colony."

George Mason, with his vein of sarcastic humor, was the person to appreciate this "exquisite bit of argumentative irony," as Professor Tyler styles it in his biography of Patrick Henry. For Henry uses the phrase also in his resolutions on the subject of the militia, offered in the Convention two months later. The Fairfax County Resolutions were apparently the first of the kind passed in Virginia. And at a meeting in Augusta County in February to elect delegates to the March Convention, in the instructions given them by the County Committee they say:

"We entirely agree in opinion with the gentlemen of Fairfax County, that a well-regulated militia is the natural strength and stable security of a free government, and therefore wish it might be recommended by the Convention to the officers and men of each county in Virginia to make themselves masters of the military exercise, published by order of his Majesty, &c."'

14, American Archives, i., 1254.

The resolutions of Fairfax County for arming the militia were passed on the 17th of January, and on the following day the colony celebrated Queen Charlotte's birthday. The good people of Williamsburg were invited to an elegant ball at the governor's palace, and in compliment to the Old Dominion, Lord Dunmore's youngest daughter was christened Virginia on the afternoon of the Queen's birthday.'/ The mimic court at Williamsburg was exerting all its powers to please, but the patriots were not to be turned aside, and the work of preparation went forward. In the following letter, written by Colonel Mason to George Washington the 6th of February, reference is made to a plan "for embodying the people," which he sends to his correspondent:

GUNSTON HALL, Feb. 6, 1775.

DEAR SIR: My friend Col. Harrison (who is now at your house) promised to spend a day or two with me on his way down. I beg the favor of you to present my compliments to him, and excuse my being under the disagreeable necessity of being from home until the latter end of this week, when if he is not gone down, I shall be very glad to see him here. Enclosed you have a copy

of the plan I drew for embodying the people of this county, in which you'll be pleased to make such alterations as you think necessary. You will observe I have made it as general as I well could; this I thought better at first than to descend to particulars of uniform, &c., which perhaps may be more easily done when the companies are made up.

I suppose you have seen the King's speech and the address of both Houses in the last Maryland paper; from the style in which they speak of the Americans I think they have little hopes of a speedy redress of grievances, but on the contrary we may expect to see coercion and vindictive measures still pursued. It seems as if the King either had not received or was determined to take no notice of the proceedings of the Congress.

I beg my compliments to Mrs Washington and the family at Mount Vernon

and am dear Sir

yr. affec. and obdt. servant

1 Virginia Gazette, January 19, 1775.

G. M.

POWDER PURCHASED FOR THE COUNTY.

185

P. S.-I beg pardon for having almost forgot to say anything in answer to your favor respecting the choice of delegates from this county to attend the Convention at Richmond. It appears to me that the Burgesses for the county are our proper representatives upon this occasion; and that the best method to remove all doubt or objection, as well as to save trouble, will be for the County Committee to meet and make an entry and declaration of this, as their opinion.

Would it not be proper for the Committee of Correspondence to write to the two Mr. Fitzhughs, Mr. Turberville, and such. other gentlemen as live out of this county and have Quarters in it, acquainting them with the orders of the Committee relative to the payment of 3/ for each Tythable, and desiring them to give their overseers, or agents here orders accordingly?

G. M.'

On his return from Maryland, where he had been to visit his mother-in-law, who was ill, Colonel Mason wrote again to Washington:

DEAR SIR:

GUNSTON HALL, February 17th, 1775.

I returned from Maryland but last night, not being able to leave Mrs. Eilbeck sooner, and don't know how quickly I may be called there again, as I think she is far from being out of danger.

I will if I can be at Alexandria on Monday; but it is uncertain, as well for the reason above-mentioned, as that I am at this time unwell with a bad cold and a little pain in my breast.

I can't conceive how Mr. Harper could make such a mistake as to buy double the quantity of powder wanted for this county, when he had the order in writing signed by you and me. If there is any ambiguity in the said writing (for I don't now recollect the words) by which Mr. Harper might be led into such a mistake, I think we are in honor bound to take the whole off his hands; otherwise it does not appear to me that he can reasonably expect it; though I am exceedingly concerned that any kind of misunderstanding should happen in an affair which must have given Mr. Harper a good deal of trouble, and which I am convinced

1 Washington MSS., State Department.

was undertaken by him merely from public motives, and a desire to oblige the Committee. I remember your mentioning in conversation, to Mr. Harper, an application made to you from Loudon County to procure a quantity of powder for their Committee, upon six months' credit, and telling him if it could be purchased in Philadelphia upon such credit you would see the money paid when it became due; to which he answered that powder was generally a ready-money article there, and at this time in particular he did not imagine it could be got upon credit. I speak from recollection (having had no concern in the affair), but as nearly as I can remember this is the substance of what passed between you and him respecting the Loudon Committee, and may possibly have occasioned the mistake; at least I can account for it in no other way.

I have already paid Messrs. McCrea and Maire half their account. And my half the money due to Mr. Harper for the articles ordered for Fairfax County, is at any minute ready, having kept a sum in gold by me for that purpose, that Mr. Harper should not be disappointed in the payment; but if it will be attended with no inconvenience to him, it will suit me better to make the payment ten days hence than now, because I think in that time I can collect good part of the money from the people, and as the collection will be partly in paper dollars and Pennsylvania money, which, from Mr. Harper's connections to the Northward, may suit him as well, or perhaps better than gold, yet it will not replace the gold with equal convenience to me. mention this only as matter of mutual convenience, at the same time making a point not to disappoint Mr. Harper; and I must beg the favor of you to communicate this to him, that I may send up the money whenever he wants it, without giving him any trouble on the subject.'

I shall send my son George out immediately to make what collection he can, being furnished with a list of Tythables for that purpose. If you incline to do anything of that kind, you shall have a copy of the list, distinguishing those who have paid to him. I think this method will reimburse us sooner, and save commissions and trouble to the sheriff.

'This is probably the "Capt. Harper" of Fairfax County, to whom George Mason refers in a letter of July, 1778.