2 Journal and Correspondence

July I

Shou'd your Excellency be Pleased to send me an order for thirty
suits of Cloaths with Blanketts I think it wou'd serve to encourage
those already enlisted whose extreme want of Cloathing not only
urges the necessity but wou'd be the means of engaging the Services
of others
I received Your Excellency's order on the Sheriff of Washington
County for seven thousand five Hund. dollars for the purpose of
recruiting which tho not nearly expended have embraced this oppor-
tunity by Col^o Rawlings, who waits on Your Excellency to solicit
your order for four thousand more for the same, as well as for other
purposes of satisfying the Soldiers their Pay &^ca and expect to have
it in my Power to render y^r Excellency a Satisfactory Acco^t of the
disbursements of the whole.
I have to inform Your Excellency that I have derived no Assis-
tance from M^r William Piles who was appointed Lieu' to the Com-
pany he has not as yet Acted as such nor have I any reason from
his sentiments to me on the Subject as well as from Information
believes he intends to serve if he has not before this time return'd
Your Excellency his resignation
Should M^r Piles have declined serving and no appointment as
yet made I cou'd wish to recommend to Your Excellencys notice
M^r Gabiel Jacobs who from his inclination to serve is in my opinion
in every respect Quallified for Place of Ensign

July 1

[Jno. Taylor, Williamsburg to Gov Lee]

Dear Sir In answer to yours of the 16^th ult^o I wrote you last
post which informed of my not being Able to supply you with the
Quantity of Tobacco you required for your different Vessells, on
acc^t of its being much higher here then your limmits. I informed
of the Trial of the brig being last thursday, but could not possibly
attain it, on acc^t of one of the Judges who reside at Hampton not
appearing. Yesterday an Express arrived here informing of a fleet
of 25 sail of the enemys Vessells being in this bay, they Gave Chace
to an outward bound fleet from this of About 30 Sail, who were out
side the Capes, on finding the Enemy so formidable they all returned,
without receiving much dammage the Greatest part of our fleet is
Gon up James River past this Town. & the Enemy remain at Hamp-
ton Road.
What they are, or, what their intentions may be, is yet a matter
unknown, tis Either a fleet of Privateers waiting for our outward
bound fleet, or A fleet with Troops on board to take port, some where
near the Capes rather immagine it to be the former.
I orderd Capt. Flint to bring over a Quantity of the wine here
four days ago, but now begin to immagine he may have fallen in
with the Enemy, I have not heard any acc^t from Cap^t McNaughton