 October 7th 1777 an act was passed exempting fifty men at Mount Hope and twenty-five at Hibernia from military duty.In the preamble it is stated "that it is highly expedient that the army and navy should be furnished as speedily as possible with cannon, cannon shot, refined bar iron, shovels, axes and other implements of iron, which the furnaces at Mount Hope and Hibernia, with the forges at Brookland, Mount Pleasant, Longwood and Middle forge, so called from their local situation and other circumstances, are well adapted to supply; and whereas John Jacob FAESCH, Esq., the proprietor and conductor of Mount Hope iron works, and Charles HOFF jun., superintendent of the Hibernia furnace, by their memorial have set forth that the said works have been for some time past employed in providing the aforesaid articles for public use," the act provides that FAESCH might enroll any number of men less than fifty to be employed in the iron works at Mount Hope, Brookland, Longwood, Mount Pleasant and Middle forge; and that HOFF might enroll twenty-five men to be employed at Hibernia furnace.These men were to be fully armed, equipped and disciplined by FAESCH and HOFF, but were not to be obliged to attend musters or to leave the works unless the county should be invaded.