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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter from James Cole Mountflorence to Jethro Sumner
Mountflorence, James Cole, ca. 1745-1820
June 07, 1781
Volume 15, Page 473

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COL. MOUNTFLORENCE TO GENERAL SUMNER.

Salisbury, June 7th, 1781.

Dear General:

Nothing could be more agreeable to me than the orders I received from Col. Davie at the Assembly to provide you with provisions to Head Quarters; Accordingly I repaired immediately to your Camp, & prevailed upon Col. Burton to go with me in order to receive your instructions to that puppose, but was disappointed in not meeting you; However after delaying a day at Hillsborough for your orders, Col. Burton having taken upon himself to provide your Brigade as far as the High Rock Ford, I went up directly to Caswell, & required the Commissioners to procure at the High Rock Ford against your arrival there two waggon loads of meal or flour, & ten heads of good Beef Cattle, with a sufficiency of Forage, which I esteem will be an ample supply to bring you to 26 miles this side of Guilford Court House; there at one Charles Hinkles I have ordered 15 bushels of meal to be laid in for you with 4 Beefs by Monday the 9th & forage. I have also ordered 20 bushels of meal, 4 beefs and forage at John Ford, 13 miles from Hinkles & 13 miles from Salisbury; & here you'll find ready for you to bring you to Charlotte 80 bushels of meal, 16 heads of cattle, & a good supply of forage; I am now going to Charlotte to make the necessary preparations for providing waggons and provisions to a sufficient quantity to bring you to headquarters; & you may depend upon my indefatigable zeal & exertion not so much on account of the duty of my office as of my natural desire of doing whatever can be agreeable to you. I must drop to you another hint about the appointment of your aidde-camp. Could my nomination be in no manner disagreeable to the Officers of your line, & should my service be agreeable to you as such, I could wish you would be so indulgent as to take the sense of your officers on that matter, as I would by no means desire to be looked upon as an intruder; I am Dear General, with the most perfect sentiments of esteem and attachment,

Yr. most Obt., Hum. Servt.,
COL. MOUNTFLORENCE.
The Honourable Brig. Genl. Summer,
on his march from the High Rock to Salisbury.