Woodington, 24th May, 1779.
Sir:
You are required to proceed with your Regiment from your present Encampment to Webber's Bridge, on Trent, near which you will find corn in Major Hill's Warehouse belonging to the Public. There you had best unload some of your Wagons and carry about 20 Barrels of Corn to Mr. Hatches, or Mr. Neal's Mills, have ground, spread to coal, and then put up in Casks to be carried on. Major Hill can furnish you with a Boat in which you had best carry down as much more corn, or what can conveniently be carried from thence if the water in the River will admit of a craft passing from thence down; indeed, if you can get a Boat to carry 40 or 50 Barrels, I think you had best take the whole by water to Mr. Neal's Mill and get one-half ground and carry the remainder on by water for your horses to Fort Caswell, 2 or 3 miles below New Bern, where you are to march your Regiment and encamp 'till you receive further orders. You proceed down the So. side of Trent, and will thereby avoid any danger of your men's taking the small-pox. What pork you may have occasion for may be had at New Bern, by applying to Mr. Hardy Bryan, or in his absence to Mr. John Green or Mr. Council Bryan, to whom your Commissary must give a receipt. If, after your arrival at the Fort, you have the least intelligence of the approach of the enemy by way of Neuse River, Coor sound, or other ways, you are to give me the fullest information you shall be able to obtain, without loss of time, and put the place in the best state of Defence you can, and use every means in your power to repel the Enemy. If any Guns can be procured at New Bern they will be sent over to you, on application to Major Pasteur, he will give the necessary orders, and every assistance in his power. His advice I wish you to take in removing provisions or any thing else you may want from there, as every caution ought to be used to prevcnt your men from taking the smallpox. Let matters be as they may, you are at all events to send
an Express immediately on your arrival at the Fort, by whom you must give me every information you can respecting the state of the Fort, and what accounts you get of the enemy. Keep videts on the River and on Core Sound road constantly out at least half a dozen miles below you. I shall be with you myself in the course of a week if nothing extraordinary prevents me.
P. S. If you want any Casks to carry on to put meal in, apply to Mr. Patterson, and tell him I desire you may be furnished by him, tho' I suppose your Commissary may have some empty Pork Barrels, which may, with a little coopering, answer the purpose.