My Lord, [Duke of Newcastle]

I have delayed doing myself the honour to acknowledge the Receipt of your Graces Letters of the 5th of January and the 5th of Aprill last, until I had it in my power to acquaint you with my success in executing his Majesties Orders.

I can now assure your Grace that we have raised above 400 men in this Province who are now embarked and just going to put to Sea.

In those Northern Parts of the Colony adjoining to Virginia we have got 3 Companies of 100 men each thō some few deserted since they began to send them on board the Transports at Cape Fear. There is one Company consisting of above 100 men whom I am just going to see embark'd. I have good reason to believe that we would have easily have raised 200 more if it had been possible to negotiate the Bills of Exchange in this part of the Continent; but as that was impracticable, we were obliged to rest satisfyed with four Companies.

I must in justice to the Assembly of the Province inform Your Grace that they were very zealous and unanimous in promoting this service. They have raised a subsidy of £1200 stg as it is reckoned here by which the men have been subsisted ever since the middle of August and all the Transports victuald It was not in their power thō they were very well inclined to raise money to hire the Transports because no owners of Vessels cared to take their Paper Currency and Commodities in Payment, I was therefore under a necessity of making use of His Majesties secret Instruction to me and hire four Vessels here and one at Cape Fear and have drawn upon the Commissioners of the Navy in Consequence of that Instruction.

Both Houses of Assembly have addressed me to beseech your Grace to interceed with His Majesty to bestow some mark of His Royal Favour on His Subjects in this Province by sending them some Ordonance and Ammunition for the Defence of their Coasts, some parts of which (particularly Cape Fear) are very much exposed to the insults of an Enemy.

As this Colony is just beginning to come into order and there is a probability of its being soon of much greater Consequence to Great Britain than it has hitherto been I hope Your Grace will pardon me if after this proof of their cheerful obedience to His Majesties Orders I presume to recommend their Petition to your Favour.