January 1-December 31, 1781 271

[Maj^r Edw^d Giles, Mt Felix to His Excel^cy Thos. S. Lee Esq^r]
(By Maj^r A. Giles.)

I should thank your Excellency, when the apointment of officer's
and the select Militia comes on you will have me considered as a
Candidate. As I believe they will be soon called into Action. I will
accept any Rank, Your Board will please to confer.

June 4

[Rt. F. Hooe, Alex^a to Gov. Lee.]

We have no certain accounts of the movements of the Enemy
since I had the Honor of writing you last. By a Letter of Gen^l
Weeden to Gol^o Hendricks of the 2^d Inst, he desires that all stores
& expresses going to the MarquiS^ts Camp may be order'd off the
Fredericksburgh road into one leading thro' the Country further
back he also says that he hopes soon to have reinforcements that will
stop the bold and rapid Marches of Cornwallis — the Man who
brought the Letter says there is scarcely a Man left in Fred^bg that they
are generally at falmouth & other Places on this side Rappahannock
River — from these Circumstances I apprehend the British Army are
moving fast towards fred^bg Gen^l Weeden further writes that a de-
tachment of CornwalliS^ts Army had certainly embarked for Poto-
mack River.

June 4
Red Book
No. 28

Letter 50

[Thomas Sprigg, Co^ty L^t to His Exc^y Thomas S. Lee, Esq.]

M^r James Chapline who was appoint'd L^t of Captⁿ Chaplin's
Comp^y of select Militia was recommended in his absence and with-
out his approbation, he declines the Acceptance, which makes it neces-
sary that some other Person should be Appoint'd I would recom-
mend to Your Hon^r to app^t Ensⁿ Thomas Cramton y^r L^t and Benone
Swaringin y^r Ensⁿ

June 4
Red Book
No. 27
Letter 88

[John Murdock, Montgomery County, to the Governor and Council.]

Yesterday I received your two Letters of 30^th Ult: and 1^st curr^t
by Express and this Day we have very different Accounts of the
Situation and Designs of the Enemy from those contained in yours
of the I^st Instant. CornwalliS^ts marching northward is totally con-
tradicted and disbelieved as his Army has not yet been any great Dis-
tance on this Side James River, and is still on the Borders of it. The
Detachment which embarked under Leslie, it is now reported, is gone
to the Southward; so that we are not under much Apprehension at
present of a Visit from Cornwallis in any short time.
I thought proper to promise this much, as I have not yet issued
Orders for the Removal of the Provisions &c in George Town,
which I shall defer until the Return of the Messenger: In short, if
they must be removed, it will be highly necessary to be furnished
with more Waggons for the Purpose than can possibly be procured

June 4