Dear General:
Before I recd. yours I had sent Capt. Moore and Lieut. Sanders off with a party of seventy men unarmed but on the receipt of yours sent an Express to stop them at Salisbury till they can be armed; the men come in very slow and numbers desert. I am doubtful we shall make but poor returns from this district. Randolph County has not sent any of their men yet, and I am informed they expect to join on the march and have just sent to the Col. to march them here Immediately and suppose they will be down in a few days. We are very scarce of provisions and under the necessity of impressing
of it from the Inhabitants who have been greatly distressed already by the State Troops.