Documenting the American South Logo
Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter from Jethro Sumner to Horatio Gates
Sumner, Jethro, 1733?-1785
October 01, 1780
Volume 14, Pages 658-659

GEN. JETHRO SUMNER TO MAJOR GENERAL GATES.

Camp McGoon's Creek, October 1st, 1780.

Sir:

By Capt. Lock I receiv'd a Letter informing me of Col. Dickerson who was on the enemy's lines yesterday, and discovered 800 of them upon their march, three miles in advance from Charlotte, with two field pieces of Cannon, on the road leading to Beteys ford on Catawba River, about 9 o'clock in the morn'g.

-------------------- page 659 --------------------
This detachment is probable intend'd to support Majr. Ferguson, who we are informed is in the neighborhood of Burk Court House, and to Act against Colo. Lock, Cleveland, McDowell, and Armstrong. We have some accounts of the enemy's being reinforced with two Regimts. from New York, others say a 1,000 men. This intelligence is taken from prisoners. also that they brought with them to Charlotte about eighty waggons and 70 or 80 Hoghds of Rum; that it was given out they were to march in ten days for Newbern, that they were building brush huts; their lines were circumscribed close in the town, and the roll call or very offen in the day, that Mix liquors were stored.

I am Sir, yr. Servt.,
JETHRO SUMNER.
Genl. Gates.