ond regiment. A strong effort was made to elect Colonel Hugh
Mercer, of Fredericksburg, to the command of the first regiment, and on
the first ballot he received a plurality of one vote; but the question
being narrowed down between him and Mr. Henry, the latter was elected.

The expense of the late Indian war was estimated at L150,000; Virginia's
quota of the charge of the continental army L150,000; the charge of the
two new regiments, and the minute-men, and other items of public
expenditure, made a sum of upwards of L500,000. George Wythe was elected
member of congress in the place of Washington, appointed
commander-in-chief. When the delegates were chosen for the ensuing
congress, Mr. Mason would have been elected but that he declared that he
could not possibly attend. Upon the resignation of the aged Colonel
Richard Bland, a day or two thereafter, a party headed by Colonel Henry,
Mr. Jefferson, and Colonel Paul Carrington, appeared determined to elect
Colonel Mason at all events. In consequence of this, just before the
ballot was taken, he found himself constrained to make known the grounds
of his refusal; "in doing which," he says, "I felt myself more
distressed than ever I was in my life, especially when I saw tears run
down the president's (Randolph's) cheeks." The cause of Mr. Mason's
declining to serve was the recent death of his wife, leaving a large
family of children. Mr. Mason nominated Colonel Francis Lightfoot Lee,
who was elected. Mr. Mason was, nevertheless, as has been seen, made a
member of the committee of safety, which service was even more
inconvenient to him than that of delegate to congress. But upon his
begging permission to resign, he was answered by a unanimous "no." The
staff officers of the First Regiment, under Colonel Henry, were
Lieutenant-Colonel Christian and Major Eppes; and in the Second
Regiment, under Colonel Woodford, Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Scott and
Major Alexander Spotswood. The convention passed ordinances for raising
money and imposing taxes, for furnishing arms and the procuring of
saltpetre, lead, and sulphur, and for encouraging the manufacture of
gunpowder; for regulating the elections of delegates; and for
establishing a general test of fidelity to the country. The Maryland
Convention not concurring in the resolution prohibiting the export of
provisions, it was rescinded, and the ports were consequently kept open
till the tenth of September. The merchants, natives of Gr