this com certain per not superadded to the taking such oath and enlistment, any overt act criminal by law, shall and may go be- service, on their taking fore some justice of the peace in any one of the said the oath of counties on or before the last day of February next allegiance to ensuing, and take the oath of fidelity to this common- monwealth. wealth, and subscribe the same in the presence of the justice administering it. And whereas Joseph Greer, Wayman Sinclair, John Wilks, William Chuke, Ja- Benefit of cob Feazle, Anthony Epperson, John Ayres, Thomas this act exHunt, Richard Bandy, Rowland Wheeler, Josiah tended to Meadows, Randolph Richardson, Joseph Wilson, sons now in Daniel Huddleston, Thomas Watts, and Edward Hore, the public were lately committed in order to their trial for the jail. offences before recited, several of whom now remain in close confinement, and others of them were lately enlarged upon bail, and it is just that the benefit of this act should be also completely extended to them; Be it farther enacted, That all and every of the persons before named and now in the publick jail, may take and subscribe the oath of allegiance in the presence of some justice of the peace of the county of Henrico; and upon certificate to the governour from the justice administering the same, and notification thereof from the governour to the keeper of the publick jail, shall be by him discharged; and that every of the persons before named who were lately enlarged by the judges of the general court upon bail, may take and subscribe the same oath before some justice of the peace of the said connty of Henrico, or of the county in which he resides, and upon certificate thereof from the justice to the judges of the general court, produced at any day of their session in the month of December in the present year, one thousand seven hundred and eighty, or on the first day of their session in March next, shal! be fully discharged from his recognizance. And every such person herein before named or described, and so taking and subscribing the said oath, shall from thenceforth be held, deemed, and taken to be fully and absolutely pardoned, exempted, cleared, and exonerated from all and every punishment, pains, and penalties whatsoever for the said offences. And be it farther enacted, That every justice administering the said oath to such persons shall, within one month thereafter, return to the clerk of his county, a list of the persons who shall take the same, and make the said subscription, to be by the said clerk fairly transcribed, and safely kept in his office. Provided always, That this act shall not extend to pardon, exonerate, or exempt from punishment, any person or persons guilty of other crimes than taking an oath of fidelity to the king of Great Britain, and enlisting for or into his service. But that every person guilty of any other crime whatsoever; and every person so as aforesaid, guilty of taking such oath of fidelity to the said king, or enlisting for or into his service, who shall fail or refuse to testify his repentance for so doing by taking and subscribing the oath of fidelity to this commonwealth, on or before the said last day of February as aforesaid, shall be held, deemed, and taken to be punishable in like manner as if this act had never been made. This act shall be published by the sheriffs of each of the counties of Henry, Bedford, Pittsylvania, Botetourt, Montgomery, and Washington, within their respective counties, at the courthouse of the county, on some court day before the last day of January next. Preamble. Additional troops for the war, to be raised. CHAP. III. An act for recruiting this state's quota of troops to serve in the continental army. WHEREAS the continuation of the present war arises in great measure from deficiencies in supplying the necessary quotas of troops and from their temporary enlistments when furnished, which hath induced congress and the commander in chief strongly to recommend the completion of this state's quota of men, by soldiers engaged for the war; Be it enacted by the General Assembly, That three thousand able bodied men shall be forthwith raised for the said purpose, to be arranged in such corps or battalions belonging to this commonwealth as the commander in chief of the The several counties Number to be furnished by each continental army shall direct. the said subscription, to be by the said clerk fairly transcribed, and safely kept in his office. Provided always, That this act shall not extend to pardon, exonerate, or exempt from punishment, any person or persons guilty of other crimes than taking an oath of fidelity to the king of Great Britain, and enlisting for or into his service. But that every person guilty of any other crime whatsoever; and every person so as aforesaid, guilty of taking such oath of fidelity to the said king, or enlisting for or into his service, who shall fail or refuse to testify his repentance for so doing by taking and subscribing the oath of fidelity to this commonwealth, on or before the said last day of February as aforesaid, shall be held, deemed, and taken to be punishable in like manner as if this act had never been made. This act shall be published by the sheriffs of each of the counties of Henry, Bedford, Pittsylvania, Botetourt, Montgomery, and Washington, within their respective counties, at the courthouse of the county, on some court day before the last day of January next. Preamble. Additional troops for the war, to be raised. CHAP. III. An act for recruiting this state's quo- WHEREAS the continuation of the present war arises in great measure from deficiencies in supplying the necessary quotas of troops and from their temporary enlistments when furnished, which hath induced congress and the commander in chief strongly to recommend the completion of this state's quota of men, by soldiers engaged for the war; Be it enacted by the General Assembly, That three thousand able bodied men shall be forthwith raised for the said purpose, to be arranged in such corps or battalions belonging to this commonwealth as the commander in chief of the The several counties be furnished by each continental army shall direct. and corporations of this commonwealth (except the Number to county of Illinois and the counties within the territory lately in dispute, between this commonwealth and the county. state of Pennsylvania) except the county of Monongalia, shall furnish within fifty days after their militia shall have been laid off into divisions (including such of the militia as have been consigned over to the regular service for any term not exceeding eight months) as herein after directed, the following numbers of men respectively, to wit. The county of Accomack seventy four men, the county of Albemarle fifty six men, the county of Amelia sixty nine men, the county of Amherst fifty five men, the county of Augusta eighty men, the county of Bedford ninety four men, the county of Berkely sixty eight men, the county of Botetourt forty eight men, the county of Brunswick including the county of Greensville seventy four men, the county of Buckingham thirty eight men, the county of Caroline fifty nine men, the county of Charles City nineteen. men, the county of Charlotte forty men, the county of Chesterfield fifty two men, the county of Cumberland thirty men, the county of Culpeper one hundred and meu, the county of Dinwiddie forty six men, the county of Elizabeth City ten men, the county of Essex thirty nine men, the county of Fairfax forty nine men, the county of Fauquier sixty nine men, the county of Fluvannah eighteen men, the county of Frederick seventy three men, the county of Gloucester fifty two men, the county of Goochland thirty four men, the county of Green Brier thirty four men, the county of Halifax seventy men, the county of Hampshire sixty three men, the county of Hanover sixty one men, the county of Henrico thirty eight men, the county of Henry forty nine men, the county of James City twelve men, the county of Isle of Wight forty men, the county of Jefferson twenty four men, the county of Fayette eighteen men, the county of Lincoln forty nine men, the county of King & Queen thirty five men, the county of King George twenty six men, the county of King William twenty nine men, the county of Lancaster fourteen men, the county of Loudoun one hundred and seventeen men, the county of Louisa forty three men, the county of Lunenburg thirty eight men, the county of Mecklenburg sixty men, the county of Middlesex six |