346 



HISTORY OP 



land and Virginia, under the command of Colonel 

 Mercer, many of the other soldiers were marched into 

 the interior, and quartered at Lancaster, Reading and Phi- 

 ladelphia, the soldiers were quartered or billetted among 

 the inhabitants, who complained grievously of the 

 men, and the caprice, favor and oppression, of the 

 olRcers. The assembly, having remonstrated in vain on 

 these enormities, directed a barracks to be erected, 

 1759, in the town of Lancaster, to contain 500 men. — 

 Mr. ]jausman was appointed Barrack master.* 



The influence of war is ever pernicious to the morals 

 of society — the train of evils consequent upon war arc 

 baleful. Lancaster county felt its effects, not only in the 

 shape of burdens and taxest upon the industrious por- 

 tion of its inhabitants. The true condition of the state 

 of morals, and the fruits of war, may be learnt from a 

 petition presented to the Assembly, in 1763, praying the 

 Legislature for the passage of an Act for erecting a 

 House of Correction. The preamble to the Act, recites 

 part of the petition : 



Whereas, It hath been represented to tliis House, by 

 petitioners from a considerable number of inhabitants of 

 the borough and county of Lancaster, that they now, 

 and for a long time, have suffered most grievously, as 

 well by unruly, disobedient servants, as by idle strolling 

 vagrants from divers parts, who have taken shelter in 

 the county and borough; that drunkenness, profane 

 swearing, breach of the Sabbath, tuamlts, and other 

 vices, so much prevail, that it is not m the power of the 



•Gordon; Ilaz, Reg. 



fTlic tax assessed in Lancaster county in 1760, amounted ta 

 upwards of sixteen thousand dollars. The land estimated in the 

 county to bo 436,346 acres. Taxables 5,635, £l. 2s. to each 

 taxable ; amounted to £6,178 IDs. 



