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yourself, alone, are acquainted with all the circumstances neces sary for well informed decision, I am to ask the favor of your Excellency, if you should think Broadhead s undertaking it most likely to produce success, that you will be so kind as to intimate to us to divert Clarke to the other object, which is also important to this State. It will, of course, have weight with you, in forming your determination, that our prospect of strengthening Clarke s hands, sufficiently, is not absolutely certain. It may be necessary, perhaps, to inform you, that these two officers cannot act together, which excludes the hopes of ensuring success by a joint expedition. I have the honor to be, with the most sincere esteem, your Excellency s
most obedient and
most humble servant,
TH: JEFFERSON.
LETTER TO HIS EXCELLENCY GENERAL WASHINGTON.
Richmond, June 11, 1780.
SIR,
Major Galvan, as recommended by your Excellency, was dis patched to his station without delay, and has been furnished with every thing he desired, as far as we were able. The line of ex presses formed between us, is such as will communicate intelli gence from one to the other in twenty-three hours. I have for warded to him information of our disasters in the South, as they have come to me.
Our intelligence from the southward is most lamentably defec tive. Though Charleston has been in the hands of the enemy, a month, we hear nothing of their movements which can be relied on. Rumors are, that they are penetrating northward. To re medy this defect, I shall immediately establish a line of expresses from hence to the neighborhood of their army, and send thither a sensible judicious person, to give us information of their move ments. This intelligence will, I hope, be conveyed to us at the rate of one hundred and twenty miles in the twenty-four hours. They set out to their stations to-morrow. I wish it were possible, that a like speedy line of communication could be formed from hence to your Excellency s head quarters. Perfect and speedy information of what is passing in the South, might put it in your power, perhaps, to frame your measures by theirs. There is re-
