Gentlemen

The Provincial Council of this province have ordered me to inform you, that the Regiments ordered to be raised on the Continental Establishment in this province are nearly compleat, yet they find insuperable difficulties in all their Attempts to procure Arms and Ammunition to render the Troops usefull in case of an emergency; That, no other probable expedient occurring by which these necessary Articles could be obtained, they have ordered their Vessells, one in each of the Ports of Edenton, New Bern and Cape Fear, to be loaded with such Commodities as would be most likely to answer, at the expence and Risque of this Province, and to be sent to some of the foreign Islands in the West Indias to endeavour to procure a quantity of Arms & Ammunition for the use of the Province, this matter was ordered to be transacted with the strictest Secrecy and to be communicated to you under the strongest Injunctions not to reveal it unless it should be necessary in order to disclose the motives of the Council in justification of their Conduct to the Continental Congress.

I have it likewise in charge to request that you will endeavour to purchase any quantity of small Arms & Ammunition to be had in Philadelphia on the best Terms you can for the use of this Province and procure a, Conveyance by Land to such part of the province as you may judge most convenient and they will order a draft for the amount of the Purchase and expence of Transportation on the Continental Treasury. I am [&c.]