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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter from John Armstrong to Jethro Sumner
Armstrong, John, 1717-1795
October 25, 1781
Volume 15, Pages 656-657

MAJOR JOHN ARMSTRONG TO GENERAL SUMNER.

High Hills of Santee, Oct. 25th, 1781.

Dear General:

Agreeable to your request I have sent you the last weekly Returns of battalion together with a return of Deserters, & the counties from, with the numbers rec'd by the Officers present. Captain Doherty will call on Col. Lanier for the number received in the Salisbury District and then will make a return of the whole. The others will do when copied to send to the different Counties. You will see by the within order inclosed, what became of the last stores that came up to us. Our sick are in a very good way and recovering, there is nothing more in camp than when you left us.

The enemy lies seven miles from Monks Corner. It is said by deserters they are preparing for the evacuation of Charlestown, but this wholly depends on the fate of Lord Cornwallis.

Gen. Greene very cheerfully gave leave to Captain Doherty to wait on the Assembly with the remonstrance of the Officers of our State now in the Southern Army. I am sorry we are drove to that, to trouble the Honourable Assembly, but necessity hath no Law. I am certain that if some supplies of cloathing does not come to us, that some will be under the disagreeable necessity of applying for leave of absence until they can be furnished some other way. Dear General you are not a stranger to our sufferings, we have our eyes upon you as our support in time of need. I think the officers now in the service from our State, must be men of the greatest fortitude & forbearance in the world, they serve without pay, cloathing, or any regular supplies, of the necessaries allowed them, except Beef and Bread which is allowed to the worst Tory Prisoner in our Provost Guard. I mean not to throw any Reflections on our State; but proper measures have not been taken to secure to us what small

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supplies have been sent, or intended for that purpose. For Intelligence I leave you to the Bearer.

I am with respect, Your Mo. Ob. Servant,
JO. ARMSTRONG.