[Admiralty Office] 11th Novr 1775.
Sir,
His Majesty having judged it expedient that a Body of Land Forces supported by a Squadron of Ships of War should be sent to North or South Carolina not only to encourage & support His Loyal Subjects in those and the adjacent Colonies to the Southward, but in order to make a Division from the Rebel Army acting against His Towns to the Northward; I am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to acquaint you therewith, and that in consequence thereof Sir Peter Parker in the Bristol with the Ships and Bomb Vessel named in the Margin, will proceed from Corke in about a Month's time with Seven Regiments of Foot to Cape Fear, where he will be joined by the Syren, now under orders to proceed from Plymouth, with Dispatches to the Governors of North and South Carolina to collect such information as may be necessary to regulate the Operations of the said Sea & Land Forces. ー Their Lordships will send Duplicates of the abovementioned Dispatches, as also Dispatches to the Governors of Georgia and East Florida, upon the same subject, in a few days by the Hawke Sloop, whose Commander will also join Sir Peter off Cape Fear with such Advices as he shall have obtained, and when Sir Peter can conveniently spare the Sloop, proceed to Jamaica to reinforce the Squadron under the Command of Rear Admiral Gayton.
As it is probable that from the Advices Sir Peter Parker may receive upon his arrival on the Coast, the Operations may be directed against Charles Town; the reinforcement of orie, or two, two-decked Ships, may contribute greatly to the success thereof; Their Lordships therefore recommend it to you to send the Experiment, or a 40 Gunship, or both, to join Sir Peter off Cape Fear, if you can spare them from other Services; In which case you will also send him any Pilots you can collect who are acquainted with the Ports on that part of the Coast, and such Advices of the State of Affairs in America as you may think proper to communicate to him.
Their Lordships command me to add that altho' Sir Peter Parker is appointed to Command upon this particular Service, you are nevertheless to consider the Ships that accompany him as a part of your Squadron, and to take both him & them under your command & employ them in such manner as you shall judge best for the General Service; without diverting them however from the Operations beforementioned, the progress & success of which he will be instructed to inform you of. ー But when these Operations are over, you will direct Sir Peter to station the Ships he has with him in such manner as you shall think most proper; And to the end that they may be the better enabled to continue upon those Stations, their Lordships have ordered a Storeship & a Victualler to be prepared to send with the Squadron from England in order to supply their wants. I have the honor to be &ca.