till after the Civil War and was always a conspicuous and honored figure at great political gatherings.

On the 15th the Maryland delegates to Congress were elected as follows: Samuel Chase, Benjamin Rumsey, William Smith, Charles Carroll of Carrollton, Thomas Stone and William Paca. Mr. Stone declined to serve. Mr. Rumsey was the father of the Maryland man who built the first steamboat.

So many of the Senators were also members of Congress that it was hard to get or hold a quorum. Charles Carroll of Carrollton however attended most of the sessions of the Senate till adjournment April 17.

At this session of the Assembly the Maryland delegates to Congress were instructed to bring the thirteen States into a confederation for a stricter union. Other instructions were given in regard to proportioning the debt of the States, etc.

Col. John Fitzgerald of Washington's staff writes from Morristown, N. J., to tell Charles Carroll of Carrollton that an armed vessel arrived at Portsmouth on the 18th from France with a cargo of 12,000 stands of arms, 1,000 barrels of powder, flints, guns for frigate, woolens, linens, etc., and also that a 50 gun ship sailed at the same time laden with heavy artillery and military stores. The colonel says "this news I am sure will be very agreeable to you and every other gentleman so strongly attached and deeply interested in this dispute."

After putting in a few days, two weeks only in fact, on some affairs of private business Charles Carroll of Carrollton appeared in his seat in Congress May 5th and was soon also in his old place in the Board of War. Samuel Adams was made a member of the board and Mr. Nourse was installed as assistant to Mr. Peters, the clerk.

The War Board was instructed to outline plans of

campaign and to make recommendations for improving the discipline of the army.

Charles Carroll of Carrollton was added to the Committee on Foreign Applications on May 12th. This was doubtless done at the suggestion of General Washington, who wanted to keep a closer line on the foreign officers who desired to enter our army. Mr. Carroll's French acquaintance and his familiarity with that tongue made him especially useful in this work, as most of the applicants were French. The Committee on Applications became really an annex of the War Board. In July Samuel Chase came to take his seat in Congress which enabled Mr. Carroll to take a rest.

In August Charles Carroll of Carrollton wrote to Dr. Franklin in Paris giving him a pretty full account of the progress of the war and the condition of things generally. He feels assured that the struggle for independence will be crowned with success but feels we must suffer in the meantime. His greatest apprehension is the fear of the depreciation of our paper money. He mentions the possibility of engaging some foreign soldiers but does not like the idea. The want of salt is mentioned and he says a bushel of salt sold in Baltimore for £9 ($40) necessaries of life except wheat are very high- a part of this is told in a postscript which he mentions is longer than the letter.

The letter shows the cordial, almost brotherly feeling that existed between Mr. Carroll and Dr. Franklin.

CHAPTER XIII

SIGNING OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, AND THE MEN WHO SIGNED

Although the story of the signing of the Declaration of Independence has been written about and talked about for over one hundred and forty-one years, most people of to-day have only a vague impression of what actually took place. The most recent telling of the story by an actual participant was in 1826 when the scene was revived and Mr. Carroll talked freely and fully about it.

In the Spring of that year Congress resolved that it would be fitting to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Signing by having facsimile copies of the document made. A sum of money was appropriated and two hundred and fifty copies of the old document were ordered, which should be reproductions of the original as perfect as the art of engraving could produce. Two copies were ordered presented to each of the living signers, and two to each family of a deceased signer. At the time this order was given John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and Charles Carroll of Carrollton were alive. But on the 4th of July of that year, and before the engraving of the document had been completed, Jefferson and Adams both died. This left Mr. Carroll as the only living signer.

The copies were finished and ready for delivery soon after Sept. 1st. Mr. Carroll was notified that a committee from Washington, accompanied by a messenger bringing the two copies would call on him to deliver the documents on Sept. 21. He was in Annapolis when the messenger came but notified the committee that he would receive them at the Manor.