Sir As you have been pleased in consequence of the Communication I have had the honour to make to you of the Earl of Dartmouths letter bearing date the 7th day of November last to signify to me your wishes to receive, in writing my sentiments on the present posture of Affairs in this Province so far forth as may be necessary to enable you to form your own judgement of the practicability or impracticability of carrying into execution the King's intentions in sending Forces under your Command to this Province; I sit down with every desire to answer your expectations from me according to my idea of them.

The object His Majesty has in view as I conceive from the letter of Lord Dartmouth above referred to, is to accomplish the Restoration of Government with the assistance of the well disposed persons within this Colony, which my assurances encouraged His Lordship to reckon upon largely whenever their efforts should be called forth, and properly supported: and, you must be satisfied Sir from what you have learned since I had the honour of meeting you here that I have not been so much deceived in my expectations from the good disposition of People in the Counry as I have been disappointed with regard to the arrival of His Majestys Troops which instead of being here as I computed, I hope reasonably, very early in February are not yet arrived.

I understand further Sir, by Lord Dartmouth's letter, that The King's Troops now in expectation are designed to act here on certain conditions and provisions; and that you, as His Majesty's General, and Commander in Chief of the Expedition, have alternative objects to pursue.

As I apprehend, in the present state of things, and while we have no communication with the Country it is altogether impossible without experiment to establish in certainty the points, on which it is expected you will determine to employ the Troops here or direct your attention to another object, I have only to offer my very humble opinions with regard to them.

The efforts lately made by the friends of Government within this Colony without the aid, or even countenance of The King's Troops, however ineffectual and much more feeble than I had every reason to expect, owing to causes which you have had more opportunity than I to learn from The Gentlemen you have seen from the Country are sufficient ground, as I conceive, for the best hopes on the arrival of the Troops and their cooperation. The check the Gallant Loyalists have received in a recent attempt of a small and ill armed body of men to force its way down here, very near succeeding, with the particulars of which you are acquainted by the written account presented to you, by the Gentlemen before alluded to, I do not imagine has lost us much grotmd of good expectation. I humbly apprehend it is still practicable to penetrate to Cross Creek, and to draw forth in redoubled strength all the aid of the brave and faithfull Highlanders, as well as the other numerous friends to His Majesty's Government inhabiting the circumjacent Country; who will eagerly meet your wishes as I believe not only on my own opinion of the good disposition of those people, but on the better knowledge and assurance of those who have been latest among them.

I own myself much inclined to think that a body of Troops once landed even in this neighbourhood would draw numbers of the people of the Country to your Standard, and that the facilities to enable an army to penetrate into the Country would grow upon you continually; among which Carts and horses I have no doubt will be forthcoming.

Nothing yet I confess discourages me as to the Success of the expected Armament under your Command in its operation in this Country but the delay of its arrival and the hasty advance of the hot season, the inclemency of which I know by fatal experience Europeans cannot well endure in the lower regions of this moist Country after the month of May. Whatever is to be effected by British Troops here, not inured to this Hemisphere must be done at this time instantly, & immediately on their arrival or the Climate consumes them: but once arrived at the high ground of the interior Country they may be preserved in a state of health and vigour fit for action through all Seasons

The point once gained of carrying a body of Troops into the heart of the Country, I do verily believe a force might be collected and formed upon it out of its own people that would be competent to the maintenance of order and Government if it should be thought expedient to withdraw the regular troops after their restoration of which however it is to be wished a small part may be spared to be advantageously posted on or near the Sea Coast. The inducements I should lay before the Country people I am of opinion would be sufficiently powerfull to attach them to the side of Government by making it their immediate interest; for added to the power given me by The King to offer to them the pay of His Majesty's Regular Troops, I consider myself warranted by the Subsisting Militia Law of this Province to hold out the further encouragement of Two Shillings Currency pr. diem to privates, which I think will be an allurement of such effectual weight as to draw a number of Men to The King's Standard that would assure The Sovereignty of this Province to His Majesty, by its own internal Strength, if it should be judged adviseable, at the same time, to make a diversion on the side of Virginia.

Having now Sir, under a load of business that presses me on every side, given you my general ideas, on the practicability of carrying into execution The Kings views, for the restoration of His Majesty's Government in this Province; I will beg leave to add, that I shall be most happy, & heartily disposed, upon all occasions, to cooperate with you, in the manner that may best correspond with your own intentions for carrying on His Majesty's Service and if I have omitted in this letter any information that you wish for, or expect of me, I shall very readily hereafter fulfill your commands as far as may lie in my power. I have the honor to be with great respect Sir [&c.]

Jo Martin