[Extract]

Your Soul would go nigh to melt with pity were you Now to look over this Harbour, not a Merchant Vessell to be seen hut the unhappy Sufferers in the late violent Gale of wind ー Blue Ensigns in plenty stream all over the River from Gosport to Town Point ー The Mercury of 24 guns the Otter & King-Fisher of 18 Guns each, the Govemour present Palace mounting 10 Guns, a large Ship of Selbecks to mount 22 Guns, besides Armd Schooners & Sloops, a large Bark, urider Convoy of Lanes Armd Sloop are gone its said to St Augustin for the whole of the 14th Regt 100 whereof are here now . . . Mr Robt Christie from Baltimore Sentenced to pay a fine of £ 500 Stg & perpetuall Banishment from Maryland, is here also with his young Child & its Nurse on his way home ー From some Complaints exhibited by Lord Dunmore to the Admiral against Capt [John] McCartney of the Mercury, that Gentleman is superseded & the Admirals Lieut has taken the Command pro. tempore ー poor McCartney is soon to set out for Boston to give an Account of his Steward-ship ー So much for the Royalists ー Now for the Constitutionest ー

The Commitee of Safety have divided the strength of this Province into Regular troops, Minute-Men & Militia ー (Which do you think shall I become [Acting] faith neir a one, thanks to the Convention, who have exempted all the Natives of Great Britain from taking up Arms in this unhappy dispute) ー a d———d long parenthesis ー But no matter ー Well, as I was saying, the Regulars are to consist of 1200 effective Men, to be raised, cloathd & paid at the publick Expence, the Minute Men are to consist of I know not well how many, but believe 6000, to be armd & uniformly regimented & to serve on Emergency the Militia Men to consist of all the remainder of the able body'd men in the Colony ー