[Extract]

Every day leads us in this part of America deeper & deeper into Warlike preparations, the Houses in Charles Town which had been emptied of their Owners. & their furniture are now made use of as Barracks for the Country ー Rifle-Men & other Militia ー Sullivans Island Haddrells' point, Fort Johnson, a formidable & excellent Battery near the latter, are all in good order, well mounted with heavy Cannon, Garrisoned by proper allotments of Soldiers for firing Cannon & for preventing an Enemy's Landing ー on the verge of Cooper & Ashley River[s] in eight Batteries are mounted about Sixty guns from 9 to 24 pounders but chiefly 12, 18. & 24-Matches & Ball all in readiness even for a Midnight defence ー threats of Cannoning & destroying this fine Town are lost upon a people who are ready to put the torch with their own hands in preference to Submission & who are determined the Houses in that fine Town Shall never prove Shelters for a Cruel Enemy ー ... in our Naval department we have one large Ship, one Brig & one Schooner, all well mounted with Cannon & Men enough for Harbour Service in case of attack sufficient to Man two of them completely for Sea, & we Shall (barring Capture) soon receive as many more Seamen as will be Sufficient to Man the third & a fourth, in a word, all thoughts of a Speedy reconciliation with Great Britain having been chased away by the Speech & Answers at the opening of Parliament, Mens minds are possessed by Such only, as Lead them on to oppose at all hazards the unjust attempts of the Ministry, Supported as we perceive now by too many of our Brethren ー the discoveries
² which have lately been made of a Settled plan to involve us in all the horrible Scenes of foreign and domestic Butcheries (not War) have not tended to lull us into Security...