[Extract]

Mr [Christopher] Gadsden lately arrived from the general Congress where his Seat is vacated by his acceptance of a Commission, he narrowly escaped being taken by a Man of War Supposed to be the Syren on the Coast of North Carolina, the Pilot Boat in which he was a passenger was driven on Shore & afterwards carried off by the Man of Wars Tender, in the mean time him Self his Son Tom the Master & Mariners escaped in the Small Boat with his Books papers & other effects leaving as prize to the Cruizer an Empty Vessel pretty much Shaken by many hard Strokes while she lay aground ー ...

I refer you to what I have this day written to Mr [William] Manning on the Warlike preparations in Carolina ー we have Since added another Regiment of Rifle Men to consist of 500 Men besides Commissioned & non Commissioned Officers ー our Regular forces will therefore amount when these new establishments are completed to 3610. Rank & file ー the Militia are very numerous, are all draughted for Service; & in Rotation do duty in Charles Town from every Regiment in the Colony.

A very Strong Battery is raised on Sullivan's Island which commands the entrance to, this Harbour & a more important work is carrying on at the Same place ー Georgia is counting all her little Strength in opposition to the Soothings & menaces of Sir James [Wright], who lately broke his parole & with his Son Charles & the two young Ladies Shiped on board the Syren or Scarborough lying at Cockspur where also lay the Tamer, Raven & Cherokee, from thence we are told Sir James Sailed last week in the Syren for Some place not yet known, probably Boston & thence to England; if I can get a good hand tomorrow to take Copies of Letters from that Gentleman to the Council of Savanna & of certain Letters from our friend [John] Moultrie & others at St Augustine to General [Thomas] Gage & Genl [James] Grant at Boston which were lately intercepted, you Shall have them by the present conveyance, this will afford you astonishing information they were taken upon Moses Kirkland in his passage from Augustine to Boston ー he is committed to Philadelphia Goal. . .

Concerning Colonel [Richard] Richardson's expedition) can Say no more but that it has been crowned with Success ー except Major [Joseph] Robinson who has made his escape all the Ringleaders of the late Insurrection are now in our custody ー the ordinary Classes have been disarmed and Sufferd to return to their habitations where they are now quiet & many of them being convinced of the justice of our Cause have joined the friends of Liberty. No Sooner was that disturbance quelled than another of the Same nature & tendency was heard in North Carolina, a body of Men to the amount of 2310 took Arms in the back Counties in order to force their way down to Wilmington where they were to be received by Governor Martin ー the Governor by our last Account had advanced with his little Fleet near to that Town & would to be before it in two days more, but his expected friends from the Western frontier have been beaten & dispersed by Colonel [James] Moore, therefore his Excellency by ret[r]ograde Steps must regain his old Station no the Sea Side, where he may possibly be met by the American Fleet under Commodore Hopkins ー The American Fleet is a new power & may be despised by those who affect to con[d]emn every thing but their own, be that as it may, it is the beginning of what may one day prove very formidable to the Enemies of America ー We expect that Fleet here, if the King's Ships do not destroy it in the passage. Should it arrive Safe, it will probably be augmented by all those King's Ships which now ride in the River Savanna ー nothing but dire necessity can make us wish for its Successー

this moment I learn from Georgia that the Cherokee has attempted to Land Men near Savanna & that Colo [Lachlan] McIntosh & Others had fired upon & obliged them to retire ー ...

John Laurens London p Port Henderson