TO THE VIRGINIA DELEGATES IN CONGRESS.

C. C.

RICHMOND Octo. 27. 1780.

GENTLEMEN,-I must beg the favor of you to solicit the sending on to us immediately a good supply of Cartridge Paper & Cartouch Boxes. Nearly the whole of the former article which we had bought at Alexandria, Baltimore &c. and what the Board of War sent from Philadelphia has been made up and forwarded to the Southern Army: there remains now but a few Reams to make up. I fear we have lost 2,000 cartouch Boxes on the Bay which we had made at Baltimore. Our distress for these is also very great. Muskets being really useless without them, I must entreat the greatest dispatch in forwarding these Articles.

A very dangerous Insurrection in Pittsylvania was prevented a few days ago by being discovered three days before it was to take place. The Ringleaders were seized in their Beds.-This dangerous fire is only smothered: When it will break out seems to depend altogether on events. It extends from Montgomery County along our southern boundary to Pittsylvania & Eastward as far as James River: Indeed some suspicions have been raised of its having crept as far as Culpepper. The rest of the state turns out with a spirit and alacrity which makes me perfectly happy. If they had arms there is no effort either of public or private Enemies in this state which would give any apprehensions. Our whole arms are or will be in the hands of the force now assembling.

Were any disaster to befall these, we have no other resource but a few scattered Squirrel Guns, Rifles &c. in the Hands of the western People.

TO MAJOR-GENERAL HORATIO GATES.

J. MSS.

RICHMOND October 28. 1780.

SIR,- * Since my first information to you of the arrival of an enemy, they have landed about 800 men near Portsmouth, some on the bay side of Princess Anne one thousand at [Hampton], and still retained considerable part on board their ships. Those at hampton, after committing horrid depredations have again retired to their ships, which, on the evening of the 26th were strung all along the road from Newportsnews to the mouth of Nansemond, which seems to indicate an intention of coming up the James river. Our information is that they have from 4 to 5000 men, commanded by Genl Leslie, & came under convoy of one 40.gun ship and some frigates (how many has never been said) commanded by Commodore Rodney. Would it not be worth while to send out a swift boat from some of the inlets of Carolina to notify the french Admiral that his enemies are in a net if he has leisure to close the mouth of it? Generals Muhlenburg and Nelson are assembling a force to be ready for them, and General Weedon is come to this place where he is at present employed in some arrangements. We have ordered the removal of the Saratoga prisoners that we may have our hands clear for these new Guests.

TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.1

(SAMUEL HUNTINGTON.)

C. C.

RICHMOND November 3rd. 1780. SIK, Since I had the honour of writing to your Excellency on the 25th ult. the enemy have withdrawn their force from the north side of James river, and have taken post at Portsmouth; which we learn they are fortifying; their highest post is Suffolk, where there is a very narrow and defensible pass between Nansemond river & the dismal swamp, which covers the country below from being entered by us. More accurate information of their force than we at first had, gives us reason to suppose them to be from 2500 to 3000 of which between 60 and 70 are cavalry. They are commanded by General Leslie and were convoyed by the Romulus of 40 guns, the Blonde of 32, the Delight sloop of 16, a 20 gun ship of Inc. Goodrichs and two row gallies: commanded by Commodore Gayton. We are not yet as assured that they have landed their whole force, indeed they give out themselves that after drawing the force of this state to Suffolk, they mean to go to Baltimore. Their movements here had induced me to think they came in expectation of meeting with Lord Cornwallis in this country, that his pricipitate retreat has left them without a concerted object, and that they were waiting further orders. Information of this morning says that on being informed of Lord Corn

1 A letter to Washington, of the same date and tenor, is printed in Washington's edition, I, 270; and the first paragraph, with slight changes, forms a letter to Gates, dated Nov. 4th.

wallis's retreat, and a public paper produced to them wherein were printed the several dispatches which brought this intelligence from General Gates, they unladed a vessel and sent her off to Charles Town immediately. The fate of this army of theirs hangs on a very slender naval force indeed.

The want of Barracks at Fort Frederic, as represented by Colo Wood, the difficulty of getting waggons sufficient to move the whole convention troops at once, and the state of unreadiness in which the regiment of guards is have induced us to think that it will be better to remove those troops in two divisions and as the whole danger of desertion to the enemy and of correspondence with the disaffected in our Southern Counties, is from the British only (for from the Germans we have no apprehensions on either head) we have advised Colo Wood to move on the British in the first division and to leave the Germans in their present situation to form a second division, and to be moved so soon as barracks may be erected at Fort Frederic. By these means the British may march immediately under the guard of Colo Crockets battalion, while Colo Taylor's regiment of guards remain with the Germans. I cannot suppose that this will be deemed such a separation as is provided against by the Convention, nor that their officers will wish to have the whole troops crowded together into barracks, which probably are not sufficient for half of them. Should they however insist on their being kept together, I suppose it would be the opinion that the second division should

follow the first as closely as possible, and their being exposed to a want of covering would in that case be justly imputable to themselves only. The delay of the second division will lessen the distress for provisions which may perhaps take place on their first going to the new post before matters have got into a regular train.

P. S. By a letter from Colo. Wood received since writing the above, I am informed the British Conventioners are 804 rank & file. He does not mention the present number of the Germans. In May last they were 1503 including officers.

TO MAJOR-GENERAL HORATIO GATES.

J. MSS.

RICHMOND November 10th. 1780.

SIR,-Your favour of the third instant inclosing Colo. Preston's letter came to hand on the eighth. The proposals mentioned in the colo's Letter for sending volunteers to you were accepted & put as was necessary into such precise form as that all parties might know what they had a right to expect. In doing this two circumstances happened to interfere with what had been expected. I. We required that they shou'd be subject to your orders and those of such other officer as you shoud place them under : this was to enable you to make use of them in constituting the corps you had proposed under General Morgan. 2. That there shoud be two companies of rifles only to each battalion : this was the advice of