The commissions for the volunteer companies are not come to hand; but I suppose they are with Colonel Thompson, who in all probability will continue in his new camp until my arrival there. I reached Colonel Fletchall’s last Thursday morning, before breakfast, and Mr. Tennent and myself after breakfast engaged him in a private conversation during near three hours. We endeavoured to explain every thing to him. We pressed them upon him, and endeavoured to show him that we had a confidence in him—we humoured him—we laughed with him; then we recurred to argument, remonstrances, and entreaties, to join his Country, and all America. All that we could get from him was this: “He would never take up arms against his King or his countrymen, and that the proceedings of the Congress at Philadelphia were impolitick, disrespectful, and irritating to the King.” We charged him with having written to the Governour, and with having received an answer: he confessed both. We named the day (the Sunday preceding) he received the answer: he allowed it. We named the method by which he received it, (concealed in a cane,) he appeared confounded, but, after a pause, he attempted to laugh off this last particular. Robinson brought up this letter, and Fletchall would not show it to us. Robinson declares he has brought up a commission to raise men for the King; and he even had the imprudence to say before me, that he should raise men for the defence of his person, since many people had threatened him. I answered, surely the civil power would not allow him to go about with armed men, to the terrour of the King’s subjects; he replied, why did not the civil power prevent the Congress from having armed men, and surely he would have armed men so long as they had any. This man’s looks are utterly against him. Much venom appears in Cunningham’s countenace and conversation. Neither of these men say much; but Brown* is the spokesman, and his bitterness and violence are intolerable. He has in various ways insulted us during our twenty-four hours stay at Fletchall’s, as if he wanted to provoke me to violence. At length he went so far as to tell me he believed we did not mean well to the King, and that our professions were nothing but a cloak. At this provocation, after many others, I almost lost my caution; but thank God, I did not even appear to do so: in a very firm tone I severely checked him. The Colonel bid him go to bed. Before this happened we had engaged the Colonel in the private conversation, to call out his Regiment as on the 23d instant; upon our return to the house, where this Brown, Cunningham and Robinson were, he mentioned what he had promised. All three of them were open-mouthed against the measure, and Mr. Tennent and myself had much to do to keep the Colonel to his promise. This meeting of the Regiment will be at the time and place of election, at Ford’s; and I am not without some apprehensions that some violence will then be used against us. I enclose a letter from Mr. Tennent to me, the day we parted at the Colonel’s. And besides this, it is my firm belief that Brown, Cunningham and Robinson will do every thing in their power to bring things to extremities, for they are clearly of opinion they can beat the whole Colony. These men manage Fletchall as they please when they have him to themselves; indeed, he is so fixed, and has made so many declarations, that I firmly think his pride and false sense of honour will never allow him to appear to think as we do, even if these men were not about him. Mr. Kershaw told me he knew the man, and that no confidence was to be placed in him.

Things wearing so unfavourable an appearance Colonel Richardson, Mr. Kershaw, Mr. Tennent, and myself, unanimously thought it absolutely expedient to direct Captain Purvis to raise an additional troop of Rangers immediately, to lie on the back of these people, and Mr. Tennent and myself have given directions accordingly, not doubting but that the necessity of the case will induce you to approve the measure. Captain Purvis came to us, appeared much concerned for his past conduct, attributing it to a mistake touching the station of the Rangers, which he had thought had been by the Congress fixed to the back country and frontiers. He has been since active in our favour, and is a person of influence in his part of the country, on the back of Fletchall. His brother is a man of great influence in Mecklenburgh, and ready to march to our assistance when called upon; and already Fletchall looked upon Captain Purvis as an acquisition to his party. Hence, to bind Captain Purvis’s brother, and all the friends of both to us, to quash Flelchall’s expectation from the Captain, and to have a troop of Rangers on the back of Fletchall’s people to watch their motion, we all thought it absolutely necessary to direct the raising of this additional troop, as we apprehended you would consider Captain Purvis’s letter and conduct as a resignation of his commission, and that you had already disposed of it.

In consequence of the affidavit taken by Captain Purvis,* I have despatched an express to the commanding officer at Fort Charlotte, and directions to Major Williamson to throw into the fort a re-enforcement of thirty militia, to be continued there by proper relieves during one month, in which time I doubt not the whole Colony will be in a state of perfect security against internal commotion. The garrison there will now consist of seventy odd men. I have also given Major Williamson directions to hold the militia in readiness to march in case of any commotion.

I had this day a meeting with the people in this frontier. Many present were of the other party, but I have the pleasure to acquaint you that these became voluntary converts; every person received satisfaction, and departed with pleasure. I finished the day with a barbecued beef. I have so ordered matters here that this whole frontier will be formed into volunteer companies; but as they are at present under Fletchall’s command, they insist upon being formed into a Regiment independent of him; and I flatter myself you will think this method of weakening Fletchall to be consistent with sound policy. These people are active and spirited; they are staunch in our favour; are capable of forming a good barrier against the Indians, and of being a severe check upon Fletchall’s people, on whom they border, if they should think of quitting their habitations under the banners of Fletchall, or his companions; for these reasons, and to enable them to act with vigour, I shall take the liberty to supply them with a small quantity of ammunition, (for now they have not one ounce,) when they shall be formed into regular Companies. Several Companies will be formed by this day week.

I enclose to you an affidavit, by which you will see there is no dependence on Cameron. I have sent up a short talk to the Cherokees, inviting them to come down to me within twelve days to Amelia. Mr. Pearis has undertaken to conduct six of their head men to me, and I should be glad within the time mentioned to receive from you seventy or eighty pounds worth of shirts, watch-coats, blankets, linen, strouds and paints, and your instructions, if you choose I should say any thing in particular to them. On Wednesday I shall, with Mr. Tennent, Mr. Hart and Mr. Reise, attend the election and review of Fletchall’s Regiment at Ford’s, at the mouth of Cedar Creek, upon Enoree. You will see the place in the small map. What the event will be I am at a loss to say; I do not expect any success—I apprehend some insults. I may be mistaken in both opinions. Within twelve days I purpose to be at Colonel Thompson’s camp, where I think it will be advisable that I should remain till I shall see every spark of insurrection extinguished; but in regard to this I shall

*The same who was tarred and feathered at Augusta.

*Appeared personally before me, Zachariah Bell, and swore that, walking near the house of Colonel Fletchall, he heard one of six or seven men, in a group, say, that a person (whose name he did not hear) was to go, within ten days, to seize upon powder; the deponent could not hear the name of the place. At which another answered that ho (the first speaker) had better not go, for if he did, with double the number of men, they might expect to be killed, and not succeed. Sworn before me, this 18th day of August, 1775, on the road near Fair. Forrest.

E. PURVIS, JUN.,

This affidavit was enclosed to Mr. Drayton, in a letter from Mr. Tennent, of the following purport:

DEAR SIR: Coming to the knowledge of the above, and no longer doubting of the infernal design to take Fort Charlotte, by the Governour’s order, and to open a dismal campaign in this quarter, by this means I send this express, that you may advertise the fort, and throw as many men into it as possible and disappoint them. I have put things together, and am no longer at a loss as to the design to embody men, as an asylum for all the Tories, and that shortly. And am yours,

WM. TENNENT.

P.S. From a question asked me by the Colonel, I suspect some harsh design: be upon your guard.

To the Hon. Wm. Henry Drayton, at Mr. Muckelwaines.