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Please your Excellency.
Sir:

I received your favor per the Express, and with respect to my going out with the Troops, now ordered to the Aid of the Southern States, I shall, agreeable to your orders, take the Command, but could freely wish that it suited your Excellency to have taken the command. I should have waited on you, Sir, with much more pleasure.

As I find by your letter that you wish to hear from me during

the sitting of the Council, relative to what may be wanting towards fitting the Troops, which is almost everything, as Arms, Accoutrements, Tents, Camp kettles, Intrenching Tools, Wagons, Horses, which your Exccllency is better acquainted with than I can inform you of. Mr. Jewkes has wrote me he has provisions of every kind except forage, equal to the money which is advanced him to the amount of £8,000. The warrant for £3,000 was never paid. I shall be glad if your Excellency will, in the fullest manner, inform me in every particular in what way I am to proceed in regard to the payment of the Men when in So. Carolina. I am sure it will not do to depend on the Southern Commissary; we must have our own Commissary; it will give more satisfaction to the men; otherwise we stand but a bad chance of being served. I wish I could have a Copy of the last resolve of the Assembly for sending out these men. I have not as yet given any directions to Colonels of the Counties in this District to send down their Quota of Men, as that is not as yet known, until I hear from you.

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