And now, the rest of the story

Last week I spoke about Patrick Graham asking for mercy for his transgressions against the Resolves of the Continental Congress of 1775. Here are the facts leading up to his downfall.

Information being made to some of the members of the Committee of this County, on Monday, the 29th of May, that certain persons had imported, and were privately selling goods in a daring and direct violation of the Continental Association, a meeting of the Committee was immediately called, and but few members attending, a general meeting was publickly requested this day, when a very full and respectable number attended at the Court-House, in Port-Tobacco, to make inquiry into this affair; and it was clearly and satisfactorily proved, that a certain John Baillie, who last May came a passenger in the Ship Lady Margaret, Captain William Noble, from Scotland, had brought sundry Dry Goods with him, which appeared, by the testimony of Baillie and Patrick Graham, living in Port-Tobacco, to have been put on board and landed without the consent or knowledge of the Captain, though Baillie swore that Captain Noble knew of his having goods on board the ship when he arrived in Wicomico. It also appeared that Baillie, when he put these goods on board the ship in Scotland, knew of the Continental Association, and that Patrick Graham, in a secret manner, did assist and aid him in taking them from on board the ship, and did privately lake them into his house, and secretly sell a part thereof, for his own and Baillie’s interest, to several people in this County, without letting them know the circumstances under which they were imported. Whereupon the Committee Resolved, That the said John Baillie and Patrick Graham, for their infamous conduct, ought to be publickly known and held up as foes to the rights of British America, and universally contemned as the enemies of American liberty; and that every person ought henceforth to break off all dealings with the said John Baillie and Patrick Graham; and as the ship which brought the goods had sailed, and there being no opportunity of shipping and sending them hack to Britain, the Committee further
Resolved, That such of the goods as are unsold, or can be collected from the purchasers, shall be stored with and kept by Mr. Zephaniah Turner, until, and twelve months after a general importation is agreed on by the Continental Congress; and that, where any of the goods which may have been sold cannot be collected, the said Graham shall deposite the amount of the sales thereof, in cash, to be kept with the goods stored; the whole at the risk of the owners. Published by order of the Committee:
JOHN GWINN, Clerk.

I haven't found anything on this Baillie fella yet, but I'll keep my eyes open for him.

PETITION OF PATRICK GRAHAM.

According to the below, it was not a good idea to go against the Resolutions of the Continental Congress:

To the Honourable the Deputies for MARYLAND, met in Convention at ANNAPOLIS:
The humble Petition of PATRICK GRAHAM, of PORT-TOBACCO, in CHARLES County, sheweth:
That some time ago he very justly incurred the displeasure and resentment of the County, and the censure of the Committee of Charles County, for a breach of the Resolves of the honourable Continental Congress, by aiding a certain John Baillie secretly to land and dispose of sundry Goods imported by him contrary to those Resolves: Your Petitioner sincerely laments his imprudence and ill conduct, and being deeply sensible of his offence, with contrition for the same, and his most solemn promise and assurance, never more to do or encourage any thing inimical to American freedom, he most humbly solicits this Convention that he may be restored to his former rights of a citizen, as he has already suffered greatly, not only in his own person, property, and reputation, but should he continue much longer in the present situation, his offence must reduce an innocent wife and four young children to beggary and ruin.
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We, the subscribers, being satisfied of the hearty repentance of Patrick Graham, set forth in the above Petition, do recommend him to the consideration and clemency of the honourable Convention.
T. B. Franklin,
Samucl C. Barron,
James Mudd, Jim.,
Daniel McPherson,
Joseph Marbury,
Thomas R. Cookley,
Walter McPherson,
Charles Gates,
John Luckett,
Zephaniah Turner,
Thomas Simmes,
Samuel Adams,
Marcus Latimer,
Edward Davis,
J. Parnham,
Thomas Waters,
Joseph W. Harrison,
James Waters,
Samuel Stone, Jun.,
Samuel Hanson, Jun.,
Ledstone Godfrey,
Joseph Aderton,
William Taylor,
Wm. McPherson, Jr.,
Walter Winter,
Andrew Munitwood,
William Waters,
George Swan,
Thomas Marshall,
Samuel Marshall,
Bennet Dyson,
William Davis,
Josias Smoot,
Bennet H. Clements,
Francis Shephard,
Benjamin Wood,
Charles Goodrich,
Belah Posey,
Edward Warren,
Edw. Boarman, Sen.,
Benjamin Douglass,
Richard Speake,
Raphael Boarman,
John B. Delozide,
Charles Garner,
Wm. Barton Smoot,
Ignatius Lucket,
William McConchie,
Burr Barnes,
Hezekiah Garner,
Alex. McPherson, Jr.,
Edward Sanders,
Jno. Christo. Layman,
Henry Gardner,
Henry Barnes,
James Farnandis,
Peter H. Proley,
Henry Ward,
Matthew Garner,
Henry Boarman,
Joseph Thompson,
James Seward,
Peter Davis,
Zephaniah Franklin,
Thomas Posey,
Wm. H. Smallwood,
Raphael Neale,
Edward Smoot,
David Philpot,
Jno. F. Regis Sanders,
Joseph Sims,
Walter Pye,
James Clarke,
Hy. Massey Hanson,
George Elgin,
John Sanders,
Walter Hanson,
Thomas Thornton,
Samuel Cox,
Anthony C. Gray,
Benjamin V. Posoy,
Thomas H. Powell,
Francis Posey,
Thos. Howe Red gate,
William Elgin, Sen.,
Samuel Briscoe,
Ben Carwood, Jun.,
John Stone,
Henry Chandler,
Stephen Chandler,
James Mudd,
Thomas H. Morrison,
Francis Clements,
Jonathan Sposnal,
Edw. Scott Ware,
Notley Maddocke, Sr.
John Manning,
Anthony Rowe,
Philip Webster,
Thomas McPherson,
Walter Hanson, Jun.,
Notley Maddocke, Jr.,
Robert Surrat,
William Campbell,
James Simms,
Samuel Stone,
Thomas Hanson,
Joseph Boswell,
Garrard Boarman,
G. B. Causin,
R. Bennet Boarman,
William Jones,
James Vineyard,
William Cox.
John Clements, of F.,


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Friday, July 28, 1775.
Met according to adjournment.
Benedict Edward Hall, John Beall Howard, Francis Holland, and Benjamin Rumsey, appeared for Harford County.
Dr. William Molleston and Benson Stainton, for Caroline County.
Nathaniel Ramsay and William Rumsey, for Cecil County.
Josias Beall, for Prince George’s County.
Alexander Somerville, for Culvert County.
Brice Thomas Beale Worthington, for Anne Arundel County.
The Petition of Patrick Graham, of Charles County, Tailor, praying a “remission of the sentence of the Committee of Charles County, and that he might be restored to the privileges of a citizen,” being read and considered: It is thereupon,
Resolved, That the said Patrick Graham be allowed to exercise his former trade of a Tailor, and that he also be permitted to buy provisions and other necessaries for the use of his family; and that the said Patrick Graham be allowed and permitted to collect and receive all just debts due to him, and that all persons be permitted to employ the said Patrick Graham as a Tailor, and to sell him provisions and other necessaries for his family; but that the said Patrick Graham be not allowed to carry on any traffick or merchandise, until it be otherwise resolved by this or some Future Convention. (No. 1.)
Convention adjourns till to-morrow morning, ten o’clock.