[Extract]

Per Capt Smith in a Jamaica Snow & per Mrs Wells from Georgia

Dear Sir  My last to you was by the Portland Capt Wilson, dated 21st September since which I have been favourd with yours of 14 August, and was hopeful of hearing from you by the Packett Boat ² also, who arriv'd in our Road on Christmas day, but the Mail was not brought up to town till the 3d Instant, being detain'd by our hopeful Governour. Mr Wm Hayward the only Passenger onboard, was also detain'd some days, and the letters he had in Charge taken from him before he was suffer'd to quit the Ship, since that day 6th Instant, said Packett with the Tamar & Cherokee Men of Warr hath quitted us, with Lord William [Campbell] & his Family on board, the former having a Mail on board for New York, ³ 'tis thought the Lady & Children with some Torys driven from Georgia, and one or two Slipped away from hence, are gone Passengers in her for England. ー but where the Governour intends for we know not, however, his Room will prove much more agreeable than his Company as his actions have continued to be very mean toward us, for a number of Valuable Slaves have been Induced tis thought, to quit their owners here through encouragement from him & the Commanders of the Men Warr, and protected by them on Sullivants Island, to which place 50 or 60 of our People three weeks since paid a visit at Night, and early in the Morning sett Fire to the Pest house, took some Negros & Sailors Prisoners, killed 5 of the former that woud not be taken, and unfortunat[ely] lost near 20 that were unseen by them till taken off the Beach by the Men Warrs Boats some of whose People Fired on ours without effect, but were suffer'd to return without any other Injury than much frighted by the whooping & appearance of a party from our Indian Company, who had they been permitted to Fire (being all Rifle Men) must have killed every Sailor that appear'd in the Boats. ー the day before this Action the Scorpion Man Warr with Governor [Josiah] Martin of North Carolina on board, and a large Transport (who had a number of Cannon taken from Forts there & at Bermuda) and with Forty of our Negro with them, Sailed hence 'tis thought for Boston, as they carried with them one of our Winyaw Coasting Schooners, and two Bermuda Built Sloops seiz'd by them, altho the two latter legally clear'd from the West Indies, one from Jamaica with Rum & the other from St Kitts in Ballast, and about 300 half Jo[s] in Cash, this Money Lord William took into his own Custody, and tho demanded [by] a Notary, woud not deliver it to the Owners, the which Scandalous action occurd [torn]riv'd, who Immediately Seizd upon the Carriage & Horses, sold the latter for good Prizes, and will do the same with his furniture &ca if not redeem'd by his friends. ー this repeated Insolence of his Majesty's Servants, at last determind our Council of Safety to refuse tham a further supply of any kind of Provisions, the want of which I fancy has occasion'd them to Shift their Quarters for the Present, but suppose we shall be again visited by them after they have collected a Force Sufficient to make head against us. ー but by that time hope we shall be better prepared to oppose them as our disturbances in the Back Country are now happily at an end, the Insurgents being in General Subdued & disarmed... the Publick News receiv'd by the Packett affords nothing Pleasing for America, and as the last Petition from the General Congress to the King, tho' couch'd in very tender Terms, is like to receive the Same Fate of their former applications, there is a little Room for America to hope for any thing less than Bloody Work the coming Spring, which may God in his great Mercy Prevent. ー but if our Oppressors are resolv'd to go on in their cruel designs, our Cause being Just, will naturally inspire us with Courage to oppose them, for better had we die in the defence of our Just Rights, than cowardly submit ourselves, our Offspring, and all that is dear to us, to the Will & controul of a haughty and abandoned Sett of Rulers. ー the Success of our Troops in the reduction of Canady to our Alliance (a Province which the Ministry seem'd so Sure of as to expect the raising of some Thousand Men there to annoy New England) I hope will weigh not a little with the Cabinet in our favour, and so disappoint their former hopes, as to Soften their hearts, and induce them to listen to a Just & equitable accomodation, and of which I shall rejoice to hear from you. ー for 'tis very Melancholy to see Trade once so very flourishing here now quite at a Stand, our Bay & Wharves always at this Season of the Year filled w[ith] Commodities for Exportation, now quite bare and deserted, not a Vessell to be seen at any [?] Wharf, the Merchants Stores Shut up, Scarce One family in Ten now appearing in Town, excepting the Males capable of Bearing Arms, and who by Turns are continually upon Guard both Day and Night, In short business of no kind in a Publick way to be done, but that of Fortifying the Harbour & fitting out of Vessells for Defence, of which we now have [here] a Ship of 24 Guns from 4 to 12 Pounders, a Briggt of 16, and a Schooner of 14, 4, 6, & 9 Pound[ers] besides Swivels, and for whom we hope to have Sailors Soon from the Northward compleatly to Man them, the Ports of George Town & Beaufort are also Fortifying with Cannon, and our Friend D.D. for whom you so tenderly express your fears, is not a little active in the present Crisis, tho' [yet] not Principal in the [sphere] you mentioned. ー Our Continental Congress have prohibited the export[ation] of Rice, and every other commodity till the first of March, and if then there shoud appear no prospect of an accomodation, imagine the Stoppage will continue 'till there is. ー this Obliges me to draw upon you (tho later than I expected when I last wrote you) Two Bills, one in favour of Alexander Taylor for £150, and the other in favour of Mary Cooper for £350, say Five hundred Pounds Sterling, payable Thirty days after Sight, the appearance of these Bills may not be Pleasing to you, but as I have so long Forbore from drawing them, hope the payment of them will not bring upon you unspeakable Difficulties. I can Assure you that I have not wantonly done this, but being under Promise to Mr Taylor & Mrs Cooper to make each of them a Remittance at the Close of the Year, necessity has obliged me to draw on you, as I cannot get Bills elsewhere, and no prospect of Shipping Produce for accot of the latter, the which I shoud have Done had there been a free exportation of Rice only ー and if this obstruction shoud continue, I may be under the necessity of drawing again upon you in the Spring, but Sparing I will be long as I conveniently can, hoping by May next you will be able to close the Sale of our Indico, and thereby give me good right to trouble you with more Bills... nothing more of your debts hath been paid in to me since my last, and perhaps may not receive any while things remain in the present confused State, as no Person can be compelled by Law. ー... there being no further Conveyance to you by Packett Boats, no Vessells to load here for any Port of England, 'tis uncertain which way I shall get this letter to you, in the which I have been very lengthy, as desireous of informing you how matters in the present Contest are going on in this Quarter, and to which I will add, that by advices Just receiv'd from Rhode Island, Vessells of Force have been fitted & are now fitting out in almost every Sea Port of this Continent, some of whom have taken a number of Vessells bound to Boston & Quebeck, and among them a Store Ship valued at £30,000 Sterling, having onbourd Cloathing, Blanketts, Arms, Powder, Lead & three large Brass Mortars &c. ⁴ I say no more, but wish you every needful Blessing, & am Dear Sir Yours &ca