Sir:

This will be handed to your Excellency by Capt. Winslow, a gentleman who has been extremely active & very serviceable to us. He will acquaint you with everything you may desire to be informed of in this place, I received your favor of the 3d inst. by Capt. Fletcher, just after my arrival here, and think myself greatly honored by your prudent instructions, and will do everything in my power to observe, and follow the same. The Enemy makes rapid marches, seemingly toward Wilmington, & by information reached Elizabethtown in Bladen, at 12 o'clock yesterday, where I learn they will halt some time, in order to settle the business of your Excellency's flag, as well as to bury Lieut. Col. Webster, died since they left this place. I fear they will come across Genl. Lillington, as Col. Rowan tells me he crossed the river the 2d Inst. I wrote to him by Colo. Malmadey, and should have wrote to him since, but knew not where. Capt. Fletcher, who is Commiss. acquaints me, that he & the Commissioner of the County has your orders to collect all kind of forage & provision, with orders to demand assistance from me, in consequence of which I have taken the liberty to order Capt. Henderson, of Col. Malmadey's Regiment, to go on that Duty. Likewise our County light horse—foot militia I could get very few embodied, and those are at Avery's ford. The English, according to custom, have left the small Pox behind them, which makes it out of my power to keep any men in town.

Should it meet with your approbation, I will thank you to grant me a Flag for myself, Boy and two Horses, for the purpose of recovering some negroes here, that several with myself, have lost; and likewise to carry some hard money to a friend who is a Prisoner with them. I am with due respect,