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Norfolk 22d Dec'r 1775.
Sir
I have not been favour'd with any of your commands since the 15th in which you inform me the Convention wish the Arms &c taken from the Enemy to be appraised. & that the value, together with the sales of the other Things should be divided among the Soldiers, the arms & distributed to the men in exchange for those that were not fit for Service, the other thing still remain unsold oweing to the Hurry we have been in. I shall have your commands executed, but would take the liberty to observe that the soldiers do not expect this indulgence & it they are used to it in small matter, they may here after demand it as a Right in some Capture of Military Stores, that may be of too great value & consequence to be disposed of in this manner. I have never rec'd the Comt'ee of Safetys instructions relative to the exchange of Prisoners, & therefore no step is taken in that matter. our Court of Enquiry have not yet finish'd their Examination of the prisoners at the Different Posts. Yesterday aabout two o'clock the Liverpool Frigate of 28 guns with the Brigg arrived in this Harbour, from the best acc'ts we can get she brings no soldirs, from viewing her with the Glass we can discover a number of Seamen, & some Marines on Duty, but how man is uncertain. The Brigg is said to be a Store Ship, some say with Artilery, Mortars &c
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we are further told the Capt. of the Men of War think themselves obliged by their Instructions, to burn any Town where any of the Provincial Troops are assembled, & that Ld. Dunmore opposes this Measure - the Inhabitants much alarm'd & moveing out last night, but all was quiet, we had no alarm - the number of ships that surround this Town, obliges us to keep a great many Gaurds, as it's Impossible to tell what may happen, this renders the Duty very hard, & [strike - this] must be the case the whole winter unless some alteration is made in our situation, if more Troops should arrive & be Landed below & the Enemys having entire possession of the Water courses (with which this Country abounds), the consequences may be fatal, not only to the Troops, but the cause - the convention will excuse my makeing these observations as they occur to me, but whatever may be thought best by them, will be chearfully comply'd with by me if they thought my services here could be dispenced with, I should be glad to attend before the House rose - the salt vessell still remains in our custody, none of it Landed, the King Fisher & several large Tenders drawn up nigh the warf, where we mount a Guard, but no Boat has yet thought proper to come for her, agreeable to Capt. Squires Message on the Arrival of these Vessells I have continued the march of Colo. Ruffins Detachment, & expect
