London 19th. April 1776
[Extract]
Monsieur le Comte
I owe you an apology for the stupid absence of mind with which I persisted, on Tuesday, the 16th., in dating all my letters Tuesday the 12th. This correction is important only as regards my long letter, because this date of the 12th contradicts several subsequent facts which are there announced ....
News by the last vessel.
South Carolina, who hitherto has done nothing but stammer, at last speaks as clearly as the other colonies. She has her little fleet of three vessels all equipped, six thousand men in good order, and above two hundred pieces of cannon, forming batteries all round Charlestown, which she does not want to have burnt like her sister of Massachusetts.
1. Stevens, ed., Facsimiles, No. 1325.