Charles Town, 9th August, 1776.
Sir,
I am honour'd with your favour of the 9th July, and thank you for those congratulations upon the success of our arms, and for those expressions of kindness to myself. The Event of the 28th of June has been much more decisive than we knew at the time I wrote, many more of the Enemy kill'd and wounded & the damage to the ships much greater. I will if I can obtain exact & particular accounts transmit them. The Declaration of Independence this moment receiv'd by express from Congress gives the highest satisfaction to every individual (a few Tories excepted) in this Place, permit me sir to congratulate your Honble Board upon this occasion. It is indeed important and teeming with Event, It calls for the Exercise of every Publick, every private Virtue; all private pique personal prejudice party animosity & opposition shou'd be forgotten, for that wretch will be truly contemptible who suffers these to have influence upon his conduct at this truly awful crisis, when union
alone can Effect the Glorious Establishment we are struggling for. I must beg sir if your Council should not so frequently hear from me as I should wish or they desire that they will not impute it to neglect or disrespect. I feel every wish to communicate to them all particulars worth their notice, and nothing but the want of time and opportunity shall prevent it, but I am so continually employed in the Duties of my occupation that I often have not begun to do many things Essential to my interest & pleasing to my inclination, and they may be assur'd I feel no wish more strong than that of serving & obliging them and that I consider it as an act of my Duty. The Enemy have left this Port intirely. What a noble opportunity for arrivals. God send in arms and ammunition for we want them much. I am now under marching orders for Georgia and am packing up accordingly. I shall transmit you an acct of my opperations there tho' I think they can not be very important. I could be anxious upon this occasion if I gave way to it, but I have long since Devoted my self to my Country, and therefore have suffer'd no private transaction however important or mental injoyment however dear to induce me to hesitate one moment when brought in competition with my publick Duty, and amply shall I be rewarded if in the end my friends in particular, & my country in general shall approve of my conduct and do me the justice to believe that I felt no desire so forcibly as that of contributing by my Efforts to Effect the Glorious purpose for which we are contending. I beg of you sir to present my sincere compliments to the Honble Council; may wisdom guide & success attend their measures. You may probably not hear from me again till I arrive at the southward.your most obt Sert
P. S. I write in too much hurry and confusion to be accurate.