No. Carolina Scorpion Sloop of War
in Cape Fear River Jany 12th 1775 [sic 1776]
[Extract]
No 43.
My Lord, I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of Your Lordships Dispatches numbered 20, 21, & 22 together with a Copy of Your Lordship's letter to Major General [William] Howe of the 22d of October, delivered to me by Captain [Tobias] Furneaux of His Majesty's Ship Syren who arrived here on the 3d instant, and proceeded on the Tenth to the Southward, in execution of his orders; having been delayed here 'til then, by contrary winds. Capt. Furneaux took charge of Your Lordship's Dispatches to His Majesty's Governors of the Southern Provinces, that came enclosed to me; and those for Lord Dunmore, Governor [Robert] Eden and Governor [John] Penn, I had an opportunity of sending to Lord Dunmore, by a Tender which sailed on Saturday last.
The measure of sending a body of His Majesty's Forces to the Succour of the friends of Government here, and in the other Southern Provinces, I trust, will be attended with all the Success, and good consequences that His Majesty has been taught to expect from it and I can only lament, that it has not been tried earlier, before the King's loyal Subjects had received the checks and discouragements they have met with, and the Power of Rebellion had become so established, and formidable.
My Latest informations from the interior Parts of the Province, whence I have always represented to Your Lordship, that I expected to draw my principal support, correspond with my warmest wishes. The People called Regulators (for whom I hoped before this time to have received His Majesty's Pardon) to the number of between two and three thousand men have given me the strongest assurances of their joining The King's Standard whenever they shall be called upon, although not half of them are provided with arms, and I have no doubt that much greater numbers will be found to resort to it, besides the Scotch Emigrants. The progress of Rebellion here; the concurring good dispositions of a body of the People of the County of Brunswick in this neighbourhood, with the friends of Government int he back Country, and the notable exertions of the King's loyal Subjects at the same time in the upper Parts of South Carolina, had determined me before the receipt of Your Lordships late Dispatches to avail myself immediately of this strength of His Majesty's faithfull Subjects in this Province wuch as it might be, rather than hazard their total Subjection to the Power of Rebellion by waiting for Succour, of which I saw no prospect; and I had taken measures accordingly. but since I am informed by Your Lordship of His Majesty's design to Send a General Officer here with a body of regular Troops, and that they may be expected in a short time, I shall confine my views to the making every possible preparation in my power to favour and forward The Generals Plan of Operations, seeing it highly improper for me to hazard any check or contretems by drawing together The King's loyal Subjects prematurely and taking the field with them unprovided of almost every necessary for carrying on War, while I have assurance, and so near a prospect of Support, that will certainly render their exertions effectual.
The Scorpion Sloop of War on board which I had taken up my residence on her arrival here to relieve the Cruizer, being ordered by Captain Thornborough Commr of His Majesty's Ships in South Carolina to join him immediately under apprehensions of being attacked by Vessels the Rebels were fitting out at Charles Town against him, I found it expedient while I could effect nothing here to go there in her not only that Captain Thornbrough should have the Succour of The Ship in his emergency but that I might remonstrate against her detention from her Station here beyond absolute necessity while there was so great occasion for her in this Province, and have opportunity at the same time to inform myself of the measures for his Majesty's Service that Lord William Campbell had most pressingly invited me to consult with him upon by a letter I had received from him some time before. On my arrival at Charles Town I found Capt Thornbrough had ordered The Scorpion there at the instance of Lord William Campbell more than from any apprehensions he himself entertained of the Naval force of The Rebels: and on my representations he ordered her back to her Station here: but contrary winds detained us there so long, and our voyage from thence was so tedious, that at my return to this place I had been a whole month absent; during which I suffered a degree of anxiety and sollicitude, that it is impossible for me to describe to Your Lordship. happily however nothing had occurred here during my absence of the least consequence. I had the satisfaction to learn from Lord William Campbell, who had no particular object to propose to me that a most commendable Spirit of loyalty prevailed among The People in the interior parts of His Government, that they had actually defeated, and reduced a large body of The Rebels to treat, and were in expectation of further advantages, if the Rebels from this Country did not interpose which was then dreaded, and I have since had the mortification to hear that they marched a body of 600 men under Alexander Martin and Thomas Polk from the Counties of Mecklenburg, and Rowan, who put the Rebels of that Country in Sufficient force to disarm the loyal People who had made so noble a stand, and who were collecting strength so fast, that they must have carried every thing before them, if it had been possible to afford them the least Support. This check of the friends of Government in that Province is greatly to be lamented, but I am hopeful nevertheless that they will again put themselves in motion as soon as I erect The King's Standard here which I intend to do in time to hold The King's loyal Subjects of this Province in a state of readiness to join His Majesty's forces now in expectation immediately on their arrival as nearly as that event may be computed....
This Harbour of Cape Fear River I understand form the Officers of His Majesty's Ships now here will receive Frigates, drawing not more than sixteen feet Water, which would at any time be sufficient to cover the landing of any body of Troops: but as no opposition is to be expected on their landing at present it is very immaterial whether Men of War come into this River or not.
. . . Your Lordship may depend I shall not fail to pay every attention to Your Dispatches No 15 and 19, which last has not yet reached my hands, and I shall use my best endeavours to forward the Success of Col. [Allan] McLeans Plan of recruiting out of the Scotch Emigrants here or to obtain them for the American Army in general.
Having no Amanuensis, it is out of my Power to transmit to Your Lordship Duplicates of my two last dispatches, which I fear are Still waiting at Charles Town for a Packet: a violent disorder in my eyes, with which I have been afflicted for some days, hardly permitting me to write with my own hand this letter....
I have the honor to be [&c.]