I wrote to you, the 25th of last month, by Virginia. I shall never forget the names of my very old friend Rufane. If it was in my power to make you a Lieutenant-Colonel, I would enclose you the commission. Dear Donkin do not distrust my friendship, which shall always be ready and wining to serve you on every opportunity.
That you may all soon triumph over these lawless infernal rebellious villains, are the constant wishes of, dear Donkin, yours most faithfully,
PATRICK TONYN.
Major Donkin.
SPENCER MAN TO GENERAL GRANT.
St. Augustine, October 4, 1775.
SIR: It was with much pleasure that I heard by the St. Lawrence armed schooner of your safe arrival at Boston, and that you were in good health, which I sincerely wish may long continue, and hope we shall have the pleasure to see you in this country before you return home, as I flatter myself the regard you have shown on all occasions to the welfare of this Colony, never was more wanted to be exercised than at present. You will, I doubt not, be informed of the situation of our politicks by more able hands than mine, and shall only observe that our political body is much diseased, and I know no doctor who could Cure it so well as you; and with respect to settlement we are going back every day, and I believe our ruler has neither ability to point out, or interest to procure any good to us; in a word, sir, if you do not stir a little for us, we shall be a nonentity very soon. I hope, therefore, as do many of your friends here, that you will pay us a visit before you return to England.
Wishing you health, success, and safety in your present situation, I remain, sir, your much obliged and most humble servant,
SPENCER MAN.
To Brigadier-General James Grant.
ALEXANDER ROSS TO CAPTAIN STANTON.
St. Augustine, October 4, 1775.
DEAR STANTON: I received yours by favour of Captain Barker, enclosing a bill on Messrs. Cox and Mair for £45 15s. sterling. I offered Captain Fordyce the twenty pounds you desired me to pay him, but lie would not accept of it; have therefore given the agents credit on your account for the balance, which is only £19 0s. 101/2d., as you will see by the statement adjoining, which you may draw on them for when you think proper, viz:
By credit to Captain Stanton for a set of bills on Messrs. Cox and Mair | £45 | 15 | 0 |
By credit for cash received from Captain Barker, at 4s.8d. to the dollar, | 2 | 9 | 7 |
| 48 | 4 | 7 |
Captain Stanton debtor on account for balance due the recruits, | 29 | 3 | 8½ |
Balance due Captain Stanton, credited the agents, | £19 | 0 | 10½ |
The reason of there being a difference, is owing to the dollar passing always here for four shillings and eight pence, the sterling value; so that whether I receive money for bills, or give money for bills, it is all the same.
The recruits you have sent are all good looking lads, but we would have been better pleased to have had you with the whole, rather than a part; it appears very odd to imagine what advantage it can be to the service to have our regiment so much divided, when, were they once again properly united, they surely might be of use.
Captain Fordyce has been on board of vessels with his company and a detachment, amounting in all to sixty men, ready to sail for Virginia the first fair wind; and had three companies of the Sixteenth arrived from Pensacola, as we have been long expecting, the whole regiment would sail at the same time. We have been in anxious expectation of hearing of great feats performed since the 17th of June, from your quarter, and we find now the summer far spent without any thing of consequence having happened; but this is w subject too tender to offer free sentiments upon.
You will be so good, as often as you can, to send us here accounts of so very interesting matters as are going on near you; it will in some degree alleviate the distress of being in a manner out of the world in this place, to hear now and then from a friend, in which class I hope to be included by you.
And believe me to be, with regard, dear Stanton, yours sincerely,
ALEXANDER ROSS.
To Captain Stanton.
JOHN MOULTRIE, LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOUR OF EAST-FLORIDA, TO GENERAL GRANT.
St. Augustine, October 4, 1775.
I have the pleasure of yours by the St. Lawrence. By sending her you have done your old Government essential service; we wanted such a vessel very much; she appeared off one day, and came over the bar the next with ease and without a rub, and without unlading her guns or provision; our bar is better than ever I knew it.
By our steady attachment to our mother country, we are become an eye-sore to our sister Colonies; particularly so to our foolish young sisters Georgia and Carolina, They threatened, and have done every thing in their power to starve us, which is not in their power to effect. Their threats were of service, and alarmed the people here at first, but I told them I was glad of it; that it was a shame to trust our existence to others, and give them our money for what we could make as easily as they could; which they now find to be true. Almost every planter has made his provision; many a great deal to spare. I have above eight hundred bushels of corn to spare of the Bellavista crop; a fine crop of rice at the Musquetoe, already reaped, and in the barn yard; a second cutting of the same rice almost ripe.
I am surprised to find you and the army in the state you have been in. I flatter myself you will move to advantage soon. The southern people are madder than the northern, though I believe not such great rogues; they have got to the highest pitch of raving madness. You will have heard of one hundred and ten barrels of our powder taken out of Lofthouse, off our bar, by a vessel fitted out of Carolina, with an order from Laurens to proceed on that business; which order, by mistake, and through confusion, the pirate Captain left behind him, and is now in our possession. Laurens loves popularity; but I think he does not sleep many hours a night, and may perhaps dream. You know the man. Our neighbours talk of visiting us to take our ordnance stores; but this I look upon as mere vapour, and that they will not feel bold enough; if they do, well, we will do our best to dress them. I hope the General will not take anymore of the troops from this. I think he has already weakened us too much. Consider the fort and its contents; consider what our neighbours are willing to do; consider, above all, that this is now the best and only immediate communication between Great Britain and our red brothers. You judged right; the Rebels have been tampering and endeavouring to get the Indians with them. The best friends of Great Britain are in the back parts of the Carolinas and Georgia; if the Indians were put in motion these would suffer, and not the Rebels. But this will be delivered to you by Colonel Moses Kirkland, who comes express to General Gage; to him I refer you; what he tells you, you may depend on. I think he may be made a most powerful instrument in the hands of Government should any thing be done this way, which I think ought immediately to be undertaken. He knows every inch of Carolina, every road and by-road, every creek and swamp, every person, and has a most extensive influence; is resolute, active, and enterprising, and I think ought to receive the greatest encouragement. He has not had a liberal education, but possesses clear, strong, and manly sense, and I think him entirely to be depended on.
I have had Mulcaster with me; he will send you some papers. Some others shall be done on a larger scale. Kirkland can give you good intelligence. Wallace, who acts with so much spirit and honour, can also furnish you with rich materials on that head. I remember he was very busy when there in sounding and surveying.
I lament, as you may imagine, the present state of
|