Dear General

The report here is that General Gage is gone home, and that you are appointed to Succeed him, if so, from my heart I give you Joy, and am well persuaded you will soon evince to the World that you are well deserving the Honor conferred on you, by your Soverign; I must inform you that with our little Corps I think we have done wonders, We have taken and destroyed above four Score pieces of Ordnance, and by landing in different parts of the Country, we keep then in continual Hott Water, but as Captn Leslie tells me he means to write to you on this Subject I have no doubt he will give you particulars enough so shall say no more on that Subject.

Amongst the Prisoners we have taken are Oliver Porter, and Dean two Natives of Boston, the former was taken as you see by His own deposition (No 1) bringing in Gun Powder to North Carolina, the latter was sent from Boston to inflame the minds of the People, in which he had been but too Successfull, he was taken from on board a Schooner going from this to the Western Islands to bring Powder to this Colony, and the others have carried Arms against His Majesty in this Province, I have sent them more with a view of intimidating others, than to punish them, as they expect here that so sure as they are sent to Boston they are to be hanged, [William] Robinson is a delegate of our Convention as you see by his deposition (No 2), [Thomas] Mathews was a Captain of their Minute men; perhaps they may be of use to you in exchanging them for good men.

There is a vacancy in the 14th Regiment by the Death of Captn Blacket, I realy should not do them justice if I did not recommend it to you to let the promotion go in the Corps, which I hope you will do.

The Sloop not sailing so soon as I expected,² I have to inform you that on the 14th Ins[t] I had information that a party of about a hundred of the North Carolina Rebels had marched to the Assistance of those in this Colony, and were posted at a place Called the great Bridge, a very essential pass into this part of the Country, I accordingly embarked our little Corps of the 14th in Boats, in the Night with between Twenty and thirty Volunteers from Norfolk, we landed within four Miles of the Bridge, and arrived there a little after day light, but to our great mortification found the birds had flown the evening before; but hearing that a body of between two and three hundred of our Rebels were within a bout ten Miles of us, we determined to beat up their quarters, and accordingly proceeded about eight Miles when they fired on our advanced guard from the Wood, on which I immediately ordered our People to rush in upon them, and at the same time sent a part of the Regulars with the Volunteers to out flank them, the Enemy immediately fled on all quarters, and our People pursued them for a Mile or more, killed a few, drove others into a Creek where they were drowned, took nine prisoners among which is one of their Colonels, we had only one man wounded who is recovering. I cannot conclude without again informing you that my friends of the 14th both Officers and Soldiers have in this late as well as on all former occasions behaved with that good Conduct, and Spirit, becoming British Soldiers. Immediately on this I issued the inclosed Proclamation which has had a Wonderfull effect as there are not less than three thousand that have already taken and signed the inclosed Oath. The Negroes are flocking in also from all quarters which I hope will oblige the Rebels to disperse to take care of their families, and property, and had I but a few more men here I would March immediately to Williamsburg my former place of residence by which I should soon compell the whole Colony to Submit.

We are in great want of small Arms, and if two or three light field pieces and their Carriages could be Spared they would be of great Service to us, also some Cartridge paper of which not a Sheet is to be got here, and all our Cartridges expended.

Since the 28th of May last I have not received a Single line from any one in Administration, tho I have wrote Volumes to them in each of which I have prayed to be instructed but to no purpose, I am therefore determined to go on doing the best in my power for His Majesty's Service, I have accordingly ordered a Regiment (Called the Queens own Loyal Virginia Regiment) of 500 men to be raised immediately consisting of a Lieutenant Colonel commandent, a Major and Ten Companys each of which is to consist of one Captain, 2 Lieutenants one Ensign and 50 Privates with none Commissionerd Officers in proportion; You may observe by my Proclamation that I offer freedom to the Slaves, (of all Rebels) that join me, in consequence of which there are between two and three hundred already come in and these I form into a Corps as fast as they come in giving them white Officers and Non Commissioned Officers in proportion, and from these two plans I make no doubt of geting men enough to reduce this Colony to a proper sense of their duty, but my next distress will be want of Arms Acoutrements and Money, all of which perhaps you may be able to releive me from, the latter I am sure you can as there are many Merchants here who are ready to supply me on my giving them bills on you which you will have to withdraw and give your own in their place. I hope this mode will be agreeable to you it is the same that General Gage proposed; I have now in order to carry on the Recruiting business victualing Cloathing &c &c &c drawn on you for five thousand Pounds Sterling, and have appointed a pay Master who will keep exact accounts. I wish you would by the return of the Sloop inform me what bounty Money may be given to those who inlist.

Having heard that a thousand chosen Men belonging to the Rebels, a great part of which were Rifle men, were on their March to attack us here so to cut off our provisions, I determined to take possession of the pass at the great Bridge which Secures us the greatest part of two Counties to supply us with provisions. I accordingly ordered a Stockade Fort to be erected there, which was done in a few days, and I put an Officer and Twenty five men to Garrison it, with some Volunteers and Negroes, who have defended it against all the efforts of the Rebels for these eight days past, we have killed Several of their Men, and I make no doubt we shall now be able to maintain our ground there, but should we be obliged to abandon it, we have thrown up an Entrenchment on the Land side of Norfolk which I hope they never will be able to force  here we are with only a very small part of a Regiment contending against the extensive Colony of Virginia; if you would but Spare me for a few Months the 64th Regiment now in the Castle and the remaining part of the 14th I realy believe we should reduce this Colony to a proper sense of their Duty. I am Dear General [&c.]