[Extract]
[No. 34]

This Moment General Clinton is arrived, and to my inexpressable Mortification find he is ordered by Your Lordship to North Carolina a Most insignificant Province, when this which is the first Colony on the Continent, both for its riches and power is tottally Neglected, had North Carolina been your object, policy in my poor opm1on ought to have enduced your Lordship to have ordered your Army to have randevoused here, for many reasons, first because this is a Safe Harbour both for access and Rideing in, where Pilots are to be got, the other very difficult of access even for Vessels of Small Burthen, and not a Pilot to be had, and when in, a very unsafe Road Stead, besides this, any little knowledge I have of Military opperations has ever induced me to think it prudent to conceal as long as possible your real intentions from your Enemy, which cannot happen here, because it is impossible to expect that force coming from so many different quarters can all arrive at the same time, or even near it, therefore the Enemy will have time to collect and prepare themselves.

To see my Government thus totally neglected, I own is a Mortification I was not prepared to meet with after being imprisoned on board a Ship between eight and Nine Months and now left without a hope of reliefe either to myself, or the many unhappy friends to Government that are now afloat suffering with me, but I have done....

[Endorsed] Ship Dunmore off Norfolk, Virginia, different dates from the 6 Decr 1775 to 13 Febry [sic] 1776, No 34 Earl of Dunmore R 4th April ½ pt 7 AM. (32 Inclosures) /Entd