[Extract]

The plan & extent of the Expedition to the Southern Colonies having been accordingly settled, & the necessary Instructions and orders issued in consequence thereof, the Earl of Dartmouth, very early in the beginning of Novr wrote letters to the Govrs of the said Colonies acquainting them therewith, and signifying to them His Majesty's Pleasure, that they should lose no time in sending emissaries among the Inhabitants of the well disposed Counties, with authority & Commissions to the principal persons of trust & confidence, for raising & embodying as many men as could be procured, & informing them of His Majesty's Intentions of supplying them with Arms, and giving them the same pay as the Regular Troops, as soon as they should come down, which they were to be encouraged to do, as soon as they heard of the arrival of the Troops, & to bring down with them their horses and Waggons for the use of the Army, for which they were to be very liberally paid & rewarded.

It was further directed that these Emissaries, should also be instructed, to assure the Men so raised, that they would not be obliged to serve out of the Province without their consent, & that besides the abovementioned encouragement they should have a remission of all arrears of Quitrents for their lands; & further grants in proportion to their rank & merit, with an exemption from the payment of Quitrent for 20 Years.

At the same time that these Dispatches were wrote, it was ordered by His Majesty, that the Force destined for the Southern Expedition should be augmented by an addition of the 28th & 46th Regts which had sailed from [sic for] Quebec, but had been forced back in a hard gale of wind, except three Companies of the 46th which had been separated from the rest, & were supposed to have proceeded on their voyage.

The necessary orders were accordingly issued for this purpose, & Lord Dartmouth, in a Dispatch of the 8th Novr acquainted Major Genl Howe with this Arrangement & with the directions which had been given respecting the Expedition, to the Govrs of the Southern Colonies: to his observations upon which he adds, that if the Expedition should succeed according to the assurances that have been given us, in encouraging the friends of Govt to stand forth in the defence of the Constitution, & in enabling them to wrest the sword out of the hands of the Rebels, it will be a great point gained, but even if it should fail of that consequence, it can have no effect to weaken the operations to the northward, as there are many situations in the Southern Provinces, where the Army may be posted with great security, and with every advantage of a healthy climate, until the season arrives for their joining the Body of Forces under his command, a junction that will be made with great advantage, & at a much earlier period than it could be from England.

In consequence of the orders issued, & Instructions given, by Lord Dartmouth as abovementioned respecting the Expedition to the Southward, Lord Geo: Germain, who received the American Seals on the 10th Novr directed on the 13th that an account should be laid before him by the Board of Ordnance, of the Artillery, Stores, & Ammunition intended for the said Expedition, with the names of the Vessels on board which such Stores were intended to be embarked. His Lordship at the same time, signified His Majesty's Pleasure to the Lords of the Admiralty, that they should provide Victualling for the two Companies of Artillery intended for that Service, & that they should also appoint such a number of His Majesty's Ships & Vessels, & of such a rate, to accompany that armament, as they should think proper, acquainting his Lordship at the same time, for His Majesty's Information, with the names of the ships so appointed, & also the name of the Officer who was to have the Command of the whole.

On the 15th November, the Lords of the Admiralty acquainted Lord Geo. Germain, that in pursuance of His Majesty's Commands signified in his Lordship's letter of the 13th they should appoint Sir Peter Parker to command the Armament for the Southern Expedition which was to consist of the following Ships & Vessels Vizt

On the 26 of November, Lord Geo. Germain in consequence of a Note from Mr [John] Boddington, acquainting Mr [John] Pownall, that the two Companies of Artillery ordered on the Southern Expedition were ready to embark, together with the Artillery & Stores on board three Transports, taken up for that purpose, signified to the Master General of the Ordnance His Majesty's Pleasure, that so soon as the Embarkation was compleated, the Transports should proceed to Corke, where a Body of Troops destined for the intended Expedition, would be assembled.