Dear Sir,

I just have time to inform you that we have at last got possession of the most horrid place I ever beheld; I mean Norfolk. Almost all the inhabitants fled on board the ships. Flags are continually passing, asking water, provision, or to exchange prisoners. Duty is harder than I ever saw before, our guards have not been relieved for [illegible] hours. The men of war fell down last evening about a mile, and left a brig with 3000 bushels of salt behind, which our guard took and brought to the wharf, but have not yet got one bushel on shore yet. We have got on board the vessel Mr. Cary Mitchell.