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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter concerning intercepted British correspondence
No Author
October 09, 1780
Volume 14, Pages 680-681

EXTRACTS FROM INTERCEPTED LETTERS.

October 9th, 1780.

Will it not therefore be proper to send the foregoing Extracts to Marion & also to General Harrington, that they may be prepared for what they may expect? If Sumpterc'd also be apprized of the matter, & He, Harrington & Marion could co-operate, they might defeat my Lord's project.

N B Turnbull, commdg. at Camden, Wemyss is there wth the 63d Regt., Col. Hamilton, & with his Corps.

Lord Cornwallis, in his Letter of Oct. 7th, to Major Wemyss, says:

“The State of the lower Country, & the absolute Necessity of preventing the Enemy from being in quiet possession of the East Bank of Santee, obliges me to change the Destination of the 63d Regiment. I will therefore explain my Plan to you, & the part you are to take in it.”
He then proceeds in characters wch., unfortunately, we cannot decipher. He adds:
“You will, of Course, take Harrison's Corps, & what Militia you please.”

Money, Lord Cornwallis's Secretary, writes to Wemyss:

“This damned Geo. Town Business has totally a ter'd the Arrangement intended for you. The 63d Regiment will be perfect light Infantry, or rather Cavalry.”

“You have been a good deal harrassed, and are likely to be more so. I wish you may have Time to get the New hands you want before you move. You will be very weak in Officers, & I suppose you will not take more than 180 or 190, Rank & File, with you.”

From the foregoing Extracts it appears that the 63d Regt., or abt. 180 or 190 Rank & File, were to be employed, together with Harrison's Corps, & what Militia Major Wemyss pleased to take,

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under him, very soon, in an Expedition, wch. it is impossible to ascertain, (not knowing the Cypher,) but it is certainly something to the Eastward of Santee River—probably agst. Colo. Marion or our Friends abt. Pedee. It is likely that his late Invasion may have alarmed the Enemy for Geo. Town, & made us fear his Attempts on Santee River.