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Dear Sir:—

Your much esteemed came to hand last night, & am greatly obliged to you for past favours, and much so now, as I shall be

glad to serve my country in that station under so noble a General as General Washington, I have the vanity to think that I can raise a regiment as soon most men can, provided I have the naming my officers. There is three Capts. now in this Battalion will be glad to serve. They and their officers and many of their men are ready to enlist, and I believe that if the Commissions could be got here before we were disbanded, they would get best part of their companies, as they have pretty full companies here. Capt. Andrew Surry lives near the Virginia line, and his men are mostly Jersey and Pennsylvania bred, and are fond of going to the North with him. Capt. Coffield, and many of his company have promised him they will go with him. Capt. Abra. Shepperd has the promise also of good part of his company to go with him, provided I go myself, and sundry young men in the other companies declare they will also 'list with the above Capt. under my command. I shall gladly accept of the appointment, and shall prepare myself accordingly, and make what dispatch home I can after our time is out here, in order to raise the men, Col. Dauge, I believe will take the Lt. Col.'s Commission, which if he will there is two men that can raise their companies in his part of the country. He is now gone to Charlestown, but I have had some discourse some time past with him about raising a new regiment; he seemed then inclined to serve. Capt. Si. Stephenson will make a good officer, if I can prevail on him to serve. The others I am not acquainted with, but only, as I have been informed, they are good men and have good credit with the people. I should be glad to have the paymaster a man that would be willing to oblige me, as the officers that have been up here complain mostly of their paymaster's neglect: also the commissary which is the main matter, to have good provision and well served. I was aware of my men listing in the South Carolina service, and have prevented them only about three or four, that were men that had no abidence, and they chiefly deserted within a day or two after they listed. Col. Polk's officers listed pretty many, and Col. Armstrong's. Capt. Raiford listed some also. This State have failed of their promise by Chief Justice Drayton; Since our station here at Camden the President sent his compliments to me, by Col. Polk, that he would send up the paymaster in three or four days; but no paymaster has ever appeared yet, although four weeks past. Our men are all healthy, and not a man has been sick, and are in high spirits, as we have plenty of good beef and pork, but no thanks to the South State: we sent and bought it in our own State. This is the most miserable part of God's creation, both men and lands.

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