Great Bridge, 7th Dec. 1775.
" Sir,
" I received yours per express; in answer to which must inform you, that understanding you were out of town, I have not written you before last Mon- day, by the return of the honourable the convention's express, when I referred you to my letter to them, for every particular respecting mine and the enemy's situa- tion. I wrote them again yesterday and this morning, which no doubt they will communicate to you, as com- manding officer of the troops at WiHiamsburg. Wiien joined, I shall always esteem myself immediately under your command, and will obey accordingly; but when sent to command a separate and distinct body of troops, under the immediate instructions of the com- mittee of safety — whenever that body or the honour- able convention is sitting, I look upon it as my in- dispensable duty to address my intelligence to them, as the supreme power in this colony. If I judge wrong, I hope that honourable body will set me right. I would wish to keep up the greatest harmony between us, for the good of the cause we are engaged in; but cannot bear to be supposed to have neglected my duty, when I have done every thing I conceived to be sa. The enemy are strongly fortified on the other side the bridge, and a great number of negroes and tories with them; my prisoners disagree as to the numbers. We are situate here in mud and mire, exposed to every hardship that can be conceived, but the want of provi- sions, of which our stock is but small, the men suffering for shoes; and if ever soldiers deserved a second blanket in any service, they do in this; our stock of ammuni- tion much reduced, no bidlet moulds that were good for any thing sent to run up our lead, till those sent the
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