Sir,
The Survey I took of a great part of Georgia made me in some measure acquainted with it's Situation, and I mention'd to his Excellency the President those methods I thought best calculated to place it in a proper State of defence; this induced me to imagine that upon the meeting of your Convention either those methods wou'd have been adopted, or some other plan of defence immedi.atly fallen upon, and that the necessary materials and the number of hands Wanted to carry it into execution, wou'd have been provided and procured. In consequence of this expectation I was setting out for Georgia when I recd information, that the Convention without taking this matter into their Consideration at all, had adjurn'd for five weeks; I had Consequently nothing to do in this State which required my personal attendance, and having a great deal to employ me in South Carolina, I chose to postpone my Visit to this Country 'till your Convention met again when I doubted not that they wou'd among the first objects of their attention have considered how very important it was, to prepare for that attack which I perswade my self there are reasons every moment to apprehend. But your Honble House (employed I Suppose upon matters which they think more Consequential) have Suffer'd a fortnight to Elapse without having taken one Step towards effecting this essential purpose. forgive me therefore Sir if I feel it my absolute duty once more to trouble you upon this occasion by repeating, that you are assailable at a variety of places and at none prepared for defence. that while other States are by every effort endeavouring to make their Country as dear a purchase as possible and have in a great measure effected it, Yours remains so very weak that it seems to invite an attack, for it is natural to imagine that the enemy Shou'd they progress Southerly will aim at that conquest which will cost them least, and their attempts in your present Situation can hardly fail of Success.
Some other States possess advantages yours unhapily has not, the number of their people and their other internal resources are greater than yours, they have in some measure established a Constitution, and invested the executive part of it with powers in all cases of emergency to act with dicision, their people having been frequently called into action, are prepared and habituated to fly upon any alarm, to their arms, the establishment of minute Battalions and the very strict militia laws they have, which of late have been rigidly executed, has given their men a knowledge of discipline, and so inured them to Service that they Submit to it Without mµrmer or repining; and shou'd their State be attacked in so formidable a manner ~ to require assistance, they are not so remote but it may be brought up in time. these are Capital advantages, and yet they do not wholy rely on them, but by every means in their power are preparing for defence, and have lost all idea of expence in the importance of the object. Added to this their people are united, all private pique & party animosity have either intirely Subsided, or if they exist at all have no influence upon Public Measures; these last mention'd advantages you perhaps possess in Common with them, and I flatter myself that you will Shew yourselves equally desirous to place your Country in as good a State of defence
It gives me Sir great anxiety to find your State so destitute of almost every military requisite, and so deficient in every necessary provision for the Soldierey no Barracks built for the men, nor any that I have heard of preparing to be built, no public stores furnished with goods where the Soldiers may lay out their money in necessaries and by that means be kept from spending it improperly, at the same time that it benefited the State, no arms purchas'd nor Comissioners appointed to purchase them, Very little powder or lead and no effectual measures taken to increase the quantity, not one rheam of cartouche paper either for musquettrey or Cannon, no great number of flints, no public Armourers or Blacksmiths appointed or employed, not Cannon Sufficient and no steps taken to procure more no Clothes, Blanketts or tents provided or providing, no Stock of medicines laid in for the want of which many good men have fallen a melancholy Sacrifice, no public Hospital established for the Sick, no store of wood provided for this inclement season, No great quantity of salt, No magazines of provisions of forrage, No intrenching tools wheelbarrows or other necessary implements of war, No Carpenter's tools or indeed tools of any Sort, so that upon my application to the quarter Qr Master for a Single axe it was not to be obtain'd, This Sir is a dreadfull Catalogue of wants and yet many things equally usefull remain unmention'd, let us therefore for god sake Set about making instant provision.
Arms & ammunition are articles so very essential that you Cannot Exist as a State without them; these are only to be obtain'd from abroad, a great number of Vessels Shou'd be employed for this purpose that tho the Vigilance of the enemy Shou'd deprive you of some of them, others may arrive to furnish you; private adventurers are by no means to be depended upon in a matter so truly important, they may not have finances to undertake it upon so large a Scale or so immediately as is requisite, or if they do, and Shou'd Succeed, What they procure must Come with accumilated expence. The Public therefore Shou'd in my opinion immediatly undertake it, permit me to recommend it with the utmost earnestness and to reiterate that in this, as well as every other Circumstance of defence, not one moment ought to be lost, your private interest and the good of the Common Cause Conspire to demonstrate the necessity of your immediate exertions, that this golden opportunity now lent us may not pass away.
If Sir my urgency in any part of this letter has exceeded the bounds of propriety may I hope that you will solicit for me the kind indulgence of your Honble House and that they will do me the justice to impute it to that regard I have for their interest & safety and to that Zeal I feel in the Glorious cause to which I am, and pride myself in being, the devoted Servant.
I shall be glad to be favour'd with a determination of the Convention upon the Subject of this and of my former letter as expeditiously as possible. I have the honour to be With the greatest respect Sir [&c.]
