368 Notes and Queries. NOTES AND QUEEIE8. Motes, " THE PHILADELPHIA OF OUR ANCESTORS,"—In every large city of the United States, other than Philadelphia, one of the leading news- papers, contains a department of geneology, some of which have been printed for nearly a quarter of a century. To supply this want in Philadelphia, the North American has arranged with Mr. Frank Willing Leach to take the editorial charge of a page department in the magazine section of its Sunday issue, to be entitled "The Philadelphia of our Ancestors." For upwards of twenty years, Mr. Leach has been engaged in geneological and historical investigations, and has collected a vast amount of material relating to the inhabitants of Philadelphia and ad- joining sections of Colonial and Revolutionary days, and his abilities as a chronicler and narrator of past events, have been well known and ap- preciated. His initial contributions to this department appeared in the issue of June 9th., and in addition to the historical and biographical data which it contained, considerable space was devoted to geneological queries submitted by readers of the North American regarding their ancestors, to which answers will be furnished in subsequent issues. Suggestions will also be made to aid those who desire to make inquiry about their ancestors, but do not know what steps to take in that direc- tion. We believe this department will prove of the greatest possible interest to all citizens of Philadelphia and its environs, certainly, no one is better equipped to take charge of it, than the gentleman who has been selected for the task. LETTERS OF LIEUT. COLONEL FRANCIS JOHNSTON TO COLONEL AN- THONY WAYNE.— CHESTER AUG. 12, 1775. MY DEAR FRIEND— By the bearer Mr. Richardson, Drum Major, I send you a piece of Intelligence, which if you have not already heard will greatly surprise you, and give you peculiar satisfaction. Mr. Blair McClennighans's Vessel which lately sail'd from our Port to Cork, was seized there, by the King's Officers in order to act as a Transport—She was dispatched for Pennsylvania, having on board four Officers 15 hundred Uniforms & several other necessaries for the British Army, supposed to be stationed here. It was believed universally, that we had amongst us at least two thousand troops. The prudent & cautious Captn. of the Vessel, having heard that none of the Troops were stationed here, waited for a favorable opportunity late in the night to pass the Man of War in our River. The Man of War notwithstanding the Captn's wary conduct hailed him, but suffered him to pass—during this time the Officers were either lock'd up in the Cabbin or fast asleep,—he proceeded up the River as far as Gloucester where he was soon waited on by Captn. Bradford's Company, Captn. Notes and Queries. 369 Nox's &c. and I am told, by part of the Committee of Safety & the Bulldog Man of War. It is likewise asserted, that our Connecticut Troops have taken 5 of the Enemies Transports in Casko bay—Major Mifflin & Coll. Eeed have lately been in Boston—it is said their prevading abilities and irrisistible elecution drew tears most plentifully from the Eegular Officers. Major Mifflin bro't off a Grenadier with him, who by this time must be in Philada. The Drum Major now waits upon you to let you knowtthat he is will- ing to attend your Battalion as well as ours, he has our Consent as it will not interfere with us,—he is a poor fellow, pray give him some earnest of your regard, in order to secure him to your service. I shall do myself the pleasure of attending at your next field day, I could not possibly send Mr. Eichardsod to you when you requested him, by Mr. Hart. I am this inst. going on foot to see the Girls. My sincere respects to your good Lady & family— Dear Sir believe me Ever yours &c. F. Johnston. CHESTER DECK. 18TH 1775. MY DEAR COLL. I should be obliged to write you a little Volume, to convey to you the real Sympathy I feel, on account of your late misfortune, the loss of a most tender & affectionate father, and the joy and Satisfaction I like- wise experience, in my new State in life—to these I must add the Wishes & expectations I entertain, for your Welfare your Honor and Success, in the arduous but glorious Task likely to be assigned you, on behalf of your much injured Country—I mean the appointment in the Contl. Army. I say it would require a small Volume to contain such a numerous train of Ideas, arising from so great a variety of Sources. Let it suffice, I am without disguise, sensibly affected for your Loss— really pleased with my new Condition in life—and most heartily desir- ous, of seeing your brows wreathed with the richest & brightest Laurels of your Country. Now I have mentioned " Laurels," let me not forget to inform you I am willing to enter on any Service with you in the Cause of America, either in the Continental or Provincial pay, on condition, that we shall not be called out to action raw and undisciplined as we are, before Spring. Serve me my Dr. Friend if you with Honor can. I am Dearest Sir Ever Yours &c. F. Johnston. P. S.—My Friend Thos. Eobinson, is willing to serve as Major in this Battalion—pray keep yourself disengaged from the Int. or Solicitation of any person, until you* see a favorable opportunity of serving a friend —that friend now offers, you must therefore do every thing in your power for him. If we find this will not succeed I am assured, we can with a deal of ease, get him recommended to Congress as a Captain. F. J. VOL. xxxi.—24 370 Notes and Queries. CHESTEB FEBY 26TH. 1776 MY DR COLL— I reed, yours of the 24th inst. and as nearly as possibly executed your Orders, I attempted this Morn'g to answer it by Lieut. Davidson, but am fearful did not eatisfactorily. I now sit down to give you an exact account of the State of our Troops—In the first place, in justice to the Major and myself, you must know, we have most assiduously attended to the training of men, repairing their Quarters, procuring Blankets, Bedrack, Straw for their Beds &c. We have likewise done every thing in our power to teach them the Duty of mounting Guards & keeping Sentries, No argument hath been omitted by us, to induce them to live in peace and Harmony; yet such are the insurmountable difficulties ever attending a new Regiment, that all our Industry hath proved fruitless. Some insolently demand their pay, while others swear they will not submit to the treatment they received in their Quarters; not only with respect to ye Provisions, but also the small number of Blankets which we have Distributed among them. This last cause of grumbling shall, I trust, be fully removed this Evening or to-morrow. Yesterday Morning, this uneasy discontented Spirit prevailed so much in Captn North's Company that they set on foot a paper which many of them signed resolving to pay no obedience to any Officer in the Battalion. This Mutiny we luckily nipped in its bud—and in order to intimidate the rest, I made an example of one of Captn Moore's men (a loquacious, drunken, blackey'd Taylor) by discharging him for ever from the Reg- iment, on pain of confinement or the Drummer's Cat. In short, Dr. Sir, unless you bring with you a considerable quantity of Cash, Shirts, Breeches, Stocking, Shoes, Hats &c. there will not remain ye most distant prospect of tranquility or discipline among them. I have little more to add, to the length of this Letter, only must inform you, that ye Major has left us this Morning for about 10 days, and Captn Frazer cannot give his attendance on account of ye State of his family. So that I expect but little assistance from any of the other Gent'n more especially when I consider that many of them are mere untutored Boys. I am Dear Sir Ever Yours &c. F. JOHNSTON My Dr. Coll I am almost wearied of my life with business of various kinds. I have scarce a moment to spare in writing having just ree'd a quantity of Blankets—an Acct. of which I must take immediately. I have just pulled off my Boots, from a pair of the dirtiest wettest Legs perhaps you ever look'd on; which was occasioned by me pattrolling the Streets, from early in the Morning till the present Moment, in quest of Blankets and other necessaries. But why, you will ask, all this circumambulatory preface! No more than this Dr Sir that you will excuse your poor fatigued hble Servt. from waiting upon you to-night, and that you will mount your horse & come down here, to spend the Night—the Streets are so infamously bad, you Notes and Queries. 371 must ride. Charles or Ned will take back your horse. Battalion busi- ness flows in apace. Dr Sir come I have much to communicate to you. Yours most sincerely F. Johnston. P. S. I trust I shan't be cashiered for this act of disobedience. CARPENTER GENEOLOGICAL NOTES.—Copied from a Bible in the possession of Mrs. James Rowland, Lewes, Del. Births. Thos. Howard Carpenter son of Jos. and Mary Carpenter, Born March 28th. 1804. Lewes. Margaret M.