Sir:

Yours from Spinks's, of ye 27th of last month, was delivered to me last Saturday. I arrived here on ye Friday, and had it not been for want of provisions should not have halted. I am obliged to stand my own commissary, and my men to this place was well served. But since I have been here have been under ye necessity of putting them on half allowance (in order that I might the sooner be enabled to lay up a sufficient Quantity to take me over the Sand Hills.) This, you may be sure, has caused great murmuring and been a pretext for desertion.

I have very large parties out securing Provisions, and had it not been for ye very Heavy Rain that has been here for this Two Nights and day past, I believe I should this time get a Sufficiency to have carried us on. But now I expect it will be at least Two days longer before I shall be able to accomplish it, tho' as soon as it is done I shall push Forward.

The manner in which I have been obliged to furnish my Troops has been very distressing to me, and must be much more so to ye Inhabitants, who, before my people got near them, had every thing they possibly could spare taken from them. Believe me, Sir, I have had a terrible time of it, & Militia will not be Satisfied with what Regular troops would think themselves well off with.