Scorpion Sloop of War
in Rebellion Road, Decr 1st 1775.
My Lord
I am honoured with your Excellency's Letter of this Day's date by the hand of Captain Innes, and I feel myself sensibly obliged by your Lordships very kind & flattering expressions of your satisfaction on my arrival in this Province.
The Pleasure I enjoy in meeting your Excellency in your Government I owe to the prevalence of your Lordship's insistances with Captain Thornbrough to order the Scorpion Sloop of War from her station at No Carolina to this place, that reduced me to the necessity of choosing between the alternatives of returning to my very inconvenient and streigtened quarters on board the Cruizer Sloop, whose little Force did not assure me of protection from the Rebels in that Colony, or of coming hither in the Scorpion, which I could not think myself justified in detaining there while I was taught to believe that danger so nearly impended, or rather so closely pressed, upon your Excellency and Captain Thornbrough. Amidst this choice of difficulties, I determined on the latter part; that the Scorpion might give such succour as your immediate exigencies should require; and that I might at the same time concert some plan of operations for the restoration of his Majesty's Government in both our Provinces, agree[a]ble to your Lordship's proposition to me by your Letter of September, on being made acquainted with the foundation of it; and make my representations to your Excellency, and to Captain Thornbrough on the expediency of the Scorpion's return to her appointed Station in North Carolina; where the posture of affairs is so critical and in a state promising so great advantages to Government as to demand every cherishing support and all my most vigilant attention. In this situation of things, your Lordship, I am persuaded will not be surprised, that my satisfaction on meeting you here is not without alloy, arising from the anxiety & solicitude, of which I cannot possibly divest myself, while I am conscious of being out of the Sphere of my Duty to the King; and when I consider, that I am remote from my proper station, which becomes every Day more interesting and important, and wherein I expect very soon to be enabled effectually to promote His Majesty's Service.
It can little avail your Excellency or myself to Enquire, or to know where the now generally prevailing Spirit of Rebellion in America originated. It is a melancholy Truth, of which no Evidence is wanting, that at this Day it is spread almost universally over this Continent; that both our Provinces have received the fatal contagion and that they are deeply involved in all the Criminality and Guilt belonging to it; and I flatter myself your Lordship will do me the justice to believe, that I am most heartily willing, and disposed to cooperate with your Lordship for the restoration of His Majesty's Government in the one & the other. My Duty to the King as Govr of No Carolina Your Lordship knows necessarily makes the reclaiming that Province to obedience to lawful authority the first object of my attention, next to that, my wishes would lead me to make myself as much, and as far useful as my humble abilities may render me to His Majesty's Services in general; and I should be particularly happy to find myself in any situation to be at all conducive to the success of Your Lordship's endeavours to restore the authority of His Majesty's Government in this Colony. An Impression made here or anywhere else My Lord at this time would produce extensive; good effects without doubt, and no opportunity of making it ought to be neglected but I am not acquainted with any means your Lordship has to make impression here in the present moment and your Excellency must be sensible from my representations of the State of North Carolina how unfit and unbecoming as well as how unjustifiable it would be in me to desert my Post there and to turn my back upon all my fair prospects of reducing that Colony to order, on pretence of watching in your Excellency's Province and Department for possible or even probable, remote, favorable contingencies, of which your Lordship expects to avail yourself for the restoration of the authority of Government here, & that I may sincerly hope may accomplish all your good wishes.
As I do not understand that His Majesty's Service can be at all promoted by the Scorpion's stay here at this time and as my Duty indispensibly and pressingly urges my return to North Carolina, I have requested Captain Thornbrough to order the Scorpion to repair to her Station, forthwith, lamenting that I have it not in my power to spend more time with your Excellency at present.
I beg leave to repeat my assurances to your Excellency, that I shall be very happy on every occasion to cooperate with you for the advancement of His Majesty's Service, and to maintain the kindest reciprocations of Friendship, by every means of communication and correspondence.
I have the honor to be with the greatest respect My Lord [&c.]