Letter of William Woodford, 1775 Dec. 4.

Great Bridge 4th Decem'r 1775

Sir

I am Honour'd with yours of the 1st Inst: per Express & shall pay due reguard to the recommendations of the convention upon this as well as every other occation. I arrived at this place the Day before yesterday, & found the Enemy Posted on the Opposite side of the Bridge in a Stockade Fort, with two four pounders, some swivells & Wall Pieces, with which they keep up a constant Fire, have done no other damage than Kill’d Corp'l Davis with a cannon Ball, the Man that was Killed on Lt. Colo. Scotts first arrival here, & Yesterday Wounded one of the Minute Men in the Wrist, from all Accts from the other side we have killed many of them, a Colo [blank] from Carolina is said to be among the Slain.their Numbers in the Fort are said to be 250, Chiefly Blacks; commanded by Serjts. of the Regulars, that act as Officers, & the Scotch Tories of Norfolk, among them we are told is Parker & [illegible] Capts. We keep a Capt. 42 men as a Gaurd up on some boath we have secured down the River about 6 miles, the Enemy keep a Gaurd of about the same number on the Opposite side to secure three other Boats they have, between these partys there is a constant Fire, we have been luckey enough to recieve no damage, our Officers & Men say they can discover many fall from the Fire of our Riffles, who

I have directed only to Fire when they have a good chance.

My Intelligence inform’d me this Boat Gaurd of the Enemy might be Attacked to advantage by a Party crossing a mile below (where a sufficient Boat lay concealed in a cove) I Yesterday detach’d Capt Taliaferro with 60 Men to lay concealed in that neighbourhood, & cross in the Night with proper Guides to conduct him to the back of the Enemys Post, if they find a ready passage, & are well conducted, I have the greatest expectations that they will cutt them off between two Fires, the Officers have discretionary Orders, as to returning, or maintaining this post on the other side, if they find the situation & other circumstances favourable, I shall immediately reinforce them.

We have raised a strong Breast worke upon the lower part of the Streat joining the Causway, from which Centrys are Posted at some old Rubbish not far from the Bridge (which is mostly destoy’d) some blacks got over last night & set fire to the House nighest the Bridge, five Houses (some of them Valuable) were consumed, one of the Centinals shott one of them down, the great light this Occation’d would have exposed our Men too much, to attempt saving any of the Houses, they have likewise destroy’d all the Buildings on the other side, & I am inform’d have done the same to many of our Friends in the Country, obliged the People to drive in their stocks &c to Norfolk, & raised contributions of money from such of the inhabitants as were known to possess any [Mr. Walk?] had £800.

demanded of him, which he Immediately sent in. the last Accts from Norfolk say their Fortifications were not then Finished, they were busily Imploy’d & preparing a Number of Cannon, which it’s supposed are Mounted by this time. I am happy to find the steps I have ventured to take are agreeable to the Wishes of your Hon'le Boddy. The Enemys Fort, I think, might have been taken, but not without the loss of many of our Men, their Situation is very advantageous, & no way to Attack them, but by exposing most of the Troops to their Fire upon a large open Marsh. my Instructions impower me to call in sufficient aid from the Minute Men & Militia of the adjacent countys, but from what I have seen of the people, none of them are to be depended upon (a few Gentlemen excepted) & I really must give it as my opinion that more Countys then Norfolk & Princess Ann would have obey'd the orders of Lo Dunmore in a few Days, if Colo Scotts party had not march'd as they did. I have seen no men that seem inclined to act viorously with us, except Capt. Parkers Company from Smithfield, who I shall order down, Twenty odd Volunteers join'd us under Colo. Wells, I [Impress'd?] 8 Horses to send for intelligence into the different parts of the Country, & supposing them t be better acquainted, put them into their care, Colo. Wells, his Brother & a few others remain with us now, the rest of the Gentlemen have gone Home without saying a word to me.

for these Reasons I inform'd Colo. Howe (who sent an Express to me) that we should be glad of their assistance, they inform me I might expect 4 or 500 Men with some Cannon & Ammunition at this place to nightfavour'd withyouuuu, & that they had 900 men at different places in Motion to Join us. I dispatched Colo. Wells yesterday Express to meet them, & certainly inform me of every particular relating to their March &c, he is not yet return'd, we are now making the Necessary preparations to raise Batterys for these Cannon upon the most Advantageous Ground to play upon their Fort, & sent a large detachment at the same time to intercept their Retreat. I have wrote pressingly to the Commanding Officer of the Carolina Troops to bring no men but what are well provided with arms &c, & shall order them to be furnished with provisions from our Commissary in the same manner of the Troops of the Colony 'till I am favour'd with your 30 Volunteers, have been here several Days. I directed the Commissary to write pressingly to Carolina for all the Flour that could be got, as we are likely to suffer for that necessary article, this Barren Country affords none, very little corn, & no Fodder or Hay for our Horses. Our small Stock of Ammunition will be soon expended, & I must request another Supply, an Additional Blanket to each Soldier would be very Necessary, if to be had.

This page is not transcribed, please help transcribe this page