My Lord,
I have the honor to acknowledge the Receipt of your Lordships Dispatch No 3: enclosing the King's Royal Licence to me to return to England that His Majesty has been graciously pleased to grant in consequence of your Lordship's most condescending and obliging attention to my brother's representation of the convenience it may be to me to have it in my option to remain here or return to that Kingdom and I beg leave my Lord to embrace this first occasion to make my best acknowledgements for this mark of your Lordship's consideration which I am persuaded my brother will feel as sensibly as I do.
Full My Lord of the expectation of great events in the approaching Campaign and flattered by some amendment of my health that has been exceedingly impaired by my long confinement on shipboard I resolve as your Lordship has done me the honor and favor to leave me so much at large to wait here the issue in great hopes of its affording me opportunity of returning to my duty in North Carolina and I humbly hope this my determination will meet with your Lordship's approbation.
I think it may not be improper to observe to your Lordship at this time that the Members of the Council of No Carolina so far as my Information goes have maintained their allegiance. I have heard however that the only son of Mr McCulloch and some near connections of Mr Sampson have taken open and violent parts in Rebellion, some of the British Merchants too, My Lord, in that Colony deserve my best report in particular Mr Andrew Miller Mr John Hogg and Mr John Cruden which last named gentleman engaged at the utmost hazard to supply the Loyalists with provisions at the time of their taking arms.
[Recd 5th June.]