Sir:
As an officer belonging to the State of North Carolina I should have had the honor of addressing you before this had I known that you commanded the line of that State; but I never was informed of it till this day by Colonel Blount, one of our delegates in Congress.
I had the misfortune, Sir, in June, 1779, to be captured by the enemy in fort LaFayette, a small post on the Hudson, commanded by Capt. Armstrong of our second Regiment; I continued a prisoner till March, 1781, when I immediately waited on the Commander in Chief, then at New Windsor for his orders; he, Sir, referred me to General Greene as commanding the Southern department, in consequence of which I wrote to General Greene and transmitted my letter through the channel of Head Quarters; after waiting about four months, I received an answer from General Greene, informing me that from the deranged State of our line he could not inform me what my rank was, nor even if I was continued in service, but directed me to continue where I was till I should hear further from him, since which I have heard nothing officially from that Quarter. I am, Sir, at this time in General Flow’s family, and if I can be spared from the Regiment for the present, I shall consider myself
obliged by your permission to remain with the Genl. He has written to Genl. Greene on the Subject.I was surprised in looking over the returns of our line at the war office, to see a Mr. Stephen Slade (a Gentleman I never remember to have seen or heard of before) returned as a senior officer to me. I do not mean to accuse the Officers of the line of injustice, I am sure they are incapable of it, but it must have been a mistake, which I persuade myself they will rectify before the commissions are given out.
Any commands Sir, directed to the care of our Delegates in Congress will safely reach me.