his setting out I think it my duty no longer to postpone explanation on this head.1

*

*

I am persuaded your Excellency will think me perfectly within the line of duty when I ask a revisal of this requisition which shall be paid in Tobacco at 20/ p hundred or its worth in paper money. If Gentlemen who have timber on James River above the Falls chuse rather to employ their sawyers under their own eye, and will cut and send to Westham or the fork of the River as they shall be advised Quantities of Plank fit for building it will answer the public purpose as well as if they sent their sawyers to us. In this case they must fix the quantity and time within which it shall be delivered, the worth of this shall be fixed on the principles before explained.

TO BRIGADIER-GENERAL THOMAS NELSON.

V. S. A.

RICHMOND. Jany 15th 1781

DEAR GENL.-I have never heard a tittle of the Enemy since your information that they were at Sandy Point the day after they left Westover; nor is anything known at this place as to their subsequent movements. As this want of intelligence might eventually be fatal, I have ordered an Express to be stationed at Bottom's Bridge, another at New Kent Court House, a third at Bird's tavern, a fourth at Williamsburg, a fifth half way between that and

The portion omitted is of the same tenor as the last two paragraphs of the preceeding letter.

Hampton, and a sixth at Hampton. It will be easy for Mr. Kemp to throw letters from you wherever situated into this line and as each Rider will have but 15 miles out and the same back, they may if necessary be put into motion every day. By the same means you may have communication with Hampton. Your business may probably put it out of your power to write so often, but hope that some of the gentlemen about you may be able to give us intelligence every day or two.

For want of intelligence may be ascribed a great part of, if not the whole of the Enemy's late successful incursions to this place. They appeared in the Bay on the Saturday, no notification of it addressed to the Executive came to hand till 10 o'clock A.M. on tuesday. There did indeed on sunday morning come to my hands a letter which you were so kind to write to Genl. Nelson informing him that 27 sail had been seen in the Bay and that Commo Barron had gone to reconnoitre them more closely. But as it was not known whether they were Friends or foes, and we hoped more particular intelligence on the return of Commo Barron, none but the lower militia were called out, till the Tuesday following, by which two days were compleatly lost which would have added so much to the collection of militia in this quarter as to have rendered doubtful at least whether the enemy could have got here.

VOL. II.-27

I mention these circumstances to show you the necessity of our being better furnished with intelligence of the Enemy's movements, and to apologize for my troubling you with the task of communicating everything interesting through the line of expresses stationed at every 15 miles from hence to Hampton. One is to be fixed by Mr. Kemp at Hampton will set out on yours or Commo Barron's orders and deliver his dispatches to the next who is ordered to be stationed half way between Hampton & Williamsburg: the particular place I cannot inform you, but the express may do it. I hope you will be so good as to undertake this trouble and to continue it so long as it may be necessary to keep up the line.

TO BRIGADIER-GENERAL THOMAS NELSON. V. S. A.

RICHMOND. January 15-1781.

DEAR GENERAL,-As I suppose by this time you may have more men than Arms, and there are no more arms fit for use remaining in the public Stock, economy will require that the surplus militia be discharged. This measure is the more necessary as the law for raising new levies remains unexecuted while the militia are from the counties. I shall therefore take the liberty of pointing out to you, as I have done to Baron Steuben, what particular militia should be first discharged. On confirmation of the intelligence that a hostile fleet had arrived we asked the advice of Baron Steuben as to the numbers which

should be brought into the field: He advised 4000: we therefore called on the following Counties for one fourth of their militia, which we expected would produce the numbers as annexed to them, viz

Charlotte... 156. Prince Edward 142.

Halifax.... 247.
Buckingham 162.

Amherst.... 224.

Bedford.... 325

Lunenburg. 169. Mecklinburg 212.
Chesterfield 164. Henrico.... 155
Rockbridge. 146. Augusta.... 344.

The amount (4650) was greater than the Baron's requisition because we of course expected deficiencies. The above were intended to be kept in the field for some time; but some of these Counties were distant, we called on those in the neighborhood of this place at first for one half and afterwards for all their fighting men for present defence, meaning that as soon as those before enumerated should be in the field, those called for present defence should be discharged. In like manner you are authorized for the purpose of hasty opposition to call out certain counties, which it was likewise our idea to discharge on receiving the force which was to remain. Whenever, therefore, all your arms shall be taken up, should more militia come in we would chuse that you discharge so many of those Counties not originally called on, or of those which tho' originally called on have yet more than one fourth in the field. By these means we shall in time have in the field the militia of those particular Counties only which were first called on, and the other Counties being all at home we may proceed to send to them the law for raising levies in order to its execution.

TO THE VIRGINIA DELEGATES IN CONGRESS. V. S. A.

RICHMOND Jany. 15, 1781.

GENTLEMEN,-I called on Mr. Anderson the writer of the letter to Capt Trot which you were pleased to enclose to me and desired he would explain the foundation on which he had written that letter. His explanation I now enclose you from which you will be able to collect only thus much that his application on behalf of Mr. Trot was utterly rejected and nothing said which could authorize him to suppose we should wink at his loading his vessel with Corn. He has trimmed up an answer for me of I only wish to be acquitted till I can be understood. I must at the same time acknowledge to you with candor that considering the neutral light in which Congress have placed the Bermudians and the extreme want of salt here, we have at various times permitted them to bring in Salt and exchange it with Government at the rate of one Bushel of salt for two at first and afterwards three of corn and sometimes for Tobacco. We have been rigorous in allowing no more to be carried out than was procured by exchange in this way. You cannot be made more sensible of the necessity which forces us to this Barter, than by being assured that no further back than the Counties adjoining the Blue-ridge Salt has sold lately for from 4 to 500 the bushel.