Gentlemen

My last was 6t April, since which I have recd your two favours of 6t Jany and 28 Feby by which I am agreeably informed of the Insurance being made on my Tobo in the Martin, I observe what you say relative to the Virginia. I can assure you that Affair has not given me a little concern, but am in hopes that your letter of Justification will satisfy every unprejudiced person. Your J H.N's delaying the publication of it a week was productive of some other disagreeable resolves from Gloster as you will see in one of our Papers² tho' I am informed that Committee is now called to revoke them, there has a Query appeared in one of our papers whether Mr Gist's Ship ought to have any Tobo as one of the Owners Mr Wilkinson had Charter'd two of his Ships to bring Transports to America.³

You will no doubt ere this have heard of the unhappy Engagement that has hapned at Concord near Boston with 900 Provincials & 1800 Regulars in which Skirmish the Regulars retreated with the loss of 150 Men, 100 wounded & 20 more taken Prisoners, the Provincials only lost 43 Men. We have been a good deal alarmed in our little Town⁴ & Williamsburg lately, by some impolitick & unwarrantable proceedings of our Governor & Capt [George] Montague, of the Fowey who lays of[f] this Town. the latter wrote a letter to the President about ten days since informing him that he had information the Governor was to be attacked that morning in his Palace & therefore thought it necessary to send him assistance from his Ship & at the same time to inform the Inhabitants of York that if they were interupted in their March to Williamsburg or insulted on their Arrival there, he shou'd be under the necessity of fireing on the Town⁵  this Alarm occasioned poor old Mrs Light, & some other helpless Women & Children to leave the Town  Our situation at present is exceedingly unhappy, & God knows when it will mend  You dont mention any thing of Colo [Dudley] Digges Bill remitted you by the Virginia. I recd & debited you with the sales of the 4 hhds Tobo shipt you P the Hanbury Nett proceeds £31.16.6 which is a better Accot. than I have recd for sometime before. I have lately shipt Messrs Pasley's & Co a Cargoe of Corn which I expect will sell for near £400 sterling⁶  I have directed them to remitt the Nett proceeds to you & shou'd be glad you wou'd pay £100 thereof to Mr Lawrence, & Credit my Accot for the ballance. Inclosed you will receive a small draft of Owen Williams on Mr Molleson for £23.7.7 which you will please to receive Credit my Accot for the same. I shall send you some Tobacco by the Virginia but as I do not at present know how many hhds must defer writing for Insurance till next opportunity  Tobo is scarce & has rise very rapidly. the Scotch are buying all they can at the high price of 27/6. I wou'd send you some of our late papers but as this goes by the way of Glasgow, they wou'd be attended with too heavy a postage, my respectfull Compliments to Mrs Norton &ca.