Wake Court House, July 10th, 1781.
Sir:—
Agreeable to your request, I hereby point out the Distressed situation of Bladen County as being a Frontier County to the Enemy now at Wilmington and to the State of South Carolina, which is distressed by a large body of Tories and Robbers, that ranges through the said County, from Wilmington along up Drowning Creek and the Waters of Little Peedee as far up as Richmond County, and a Cross from the South Line Near Cape Fear River, which is near about 100 miles in Length and about Fifty across, which this Part of the Country is much incumbered with very large Swamps and other Thick Places, that it would be difficult for a small Party of Troops to be of much Service, and the friends to their Country that Lives in this part is so Distressed by their property being taken from them Dayly, and they in constant Danger of their Lives by a set of Tories and Robbers that is protected by the British, that if we can’t have assistance, must unavoidably fall a prey to those Villians, and by the best accounts that I can obtain the amount of their Numbers when embodied together will be between four or Five Hundred men, and is like to be dayly increasing and is Carrying on a Trade to Wilmington, both by Land and Water, with the British, and without immediate assistance the Inhabitants along on Cape Fear River between Cross Creek and the lower Parts of Bladen County, that has stood forth against those Enemy must in Course in a very Short time be obliged to go and leave their Homes or submit to immediate Destruction, and is at this Time obliged to leave their Habitation every Night to take their rest, and has several been robbed of their
property. And the Inhabitants of the County of Bladen Consisted of Fifteen Companys, and now at this Time there can’t be raised out of their Companys, in behalf of their Country, Not more than about Seventy or Eighty Men that dare move in behalf of their Country. Your sending us a Speedy Relief will greatly oblige the Distressed Inhabitants and your Humble Servant,
Bladen Letter from Col. Robeson, July 10th; rec’d 10th; answered 11th, 1781.