Thomson, William, 1727-1796. Book of orders : received and given by Col. Wm. Thomson : manuscript, 1775-1778. MS Am 737. Houghton Library, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.

Amelia 17 {August} 1775

Sir,

Please to send the inclos'd to {Captain} Peyer imhoff I am order'd on a Tour up Saluda, hopes to Return & find you all in Camp at Fuguetts Old Field, agreeable to Your last order, You rec'd from me: In my absence {Captain} {Charles} Heatley will shew You your place of Encampm't & the Form of the Camp.

As You will be the oldest {Captain} on the spot you will see that the orders left with him are put in Execution. I hope to be in Camp on Tuesday I am -

Sir Yr humble Servant

{William} {Thomson}

To {Captain} Eli Kirshaw.

Amelia 17 {August} 1775./

Sir,

This day I rec'd from the Council of Safety a {Captain's} Commissions for You. On recp't hereof you will wait on me in Amelia in order to receive the same. In the Interim & on your way, you may Enlist Men for yourself; Let them be good rifle Men with good Horses. Please to fetch the date of the Commission of the 2nd {Lieutenant} of {Captain} Wise, & the date of {Lieutenant} Donaldson's Commission.

I am Your {humble} {Servant}

{William} {Thomson}

To {Captain} Lewis Peyer Imhoff

To The {Honorable} Henry Lauren, President of the {Honorable} The Council of Safety.

Camp Amelia 2nd {September} 1775./

Sir,

Last night I rec'd a Letter by an Express from The {Honorable} {William} Henry Drayton ordering me to march my {Regiment} of Rangers immediately to the ridge, which I shall do to= morrow morning & will endeavour to march as many of my {Regiment} of Foot as I can make up, agreeable to his orders

Inclosed is a Letter rec'd by said Express to the {Honorable} the Council of Safety.

I remain with great respect Sir Yr. most humble {Servant}

{William} {Thomson}

To {Lieutenant} {Colonel} Rowe & Major Golson...}

Camp Amelia 2d {September} 1775.

Gentlemen

You are hereby order'd to meet me on Saturday next the 9th {Instant} at the Ridge, with two hundred Men well armed, out of our {Regiment} of Foot, if you cant raise them as Volunteers, You must draft them, & assure them that they will received Pay as the other Provincials in this Province from the day they leave home to the day they return.

I am {Gentlemen}

Yr humble {Servant}

{William} {Thomson}

Camp at the Congrees.

6 {September} 1775.

The {Honorable} {William} Henry Drayton at {Augusta} per Wetherford: {Express}

Sir,

Yesterday just when the several Companies were about marching from hence, there came an Express from {Captain} Paris - informing us, that himself and five Cherokee Indians were stopt from coming down by {Captain} Hendrick & some others belonging to Fletchall's {Regiment} of about 10 miles distant from the Congarees. The Companies here immediately go themselves in readiness & marched to rescue them, which they did, & took Hendrick Prisoner, who is now confined in Camp, his associates made their Escape a few minutes after he was taken. {Captain} Paris is now here with the Indians who will inform you with the Particulars. I have order'd the Companies to march early tomorrow morning for the ridge where I expect to be with Them on Friday Evening & where I shall stay untill I receive your further orders. The men that are (to be) drafted out of my {Regiment} of Foot & the Volunteers I have order'd to meet me at the

Ridge by Saturday next. Your orders to {Colonel} Richardson I have sent, but have not heard from him since, only that he is very much hurt from a fall from his Indico Vatts, which I am afraid will deprive him from meeting us himself, but have not the least doubt of his complying with your Instructions The Express from the {Honorable} the Council of Safety arrived here last night with the inclosed Letter for your Honor, also two Bundles which I expect are for the Indians. Paris has just deliver'd me the Indians talk, which he desired me to forward by this same Express. Our detention here to day arises from the Fatigue the Horses had yesterday. we did not return to Camp untill one o Clock this morning.

I rem'n with great Esteem {Honored} Sir Yrs &c

{William} {Thomson}

Henry Lauren {Esquire}

Camp at Congarees 6th {September} 1775./

Sir,

Since I wrote you from Camp Amelia the 2nd {Instant} I received your favour of the 31st {Ultimo} which gives me great satisfaction. You may depend that I will as soon as possible exert myself for raising Volunteer Compys & inform you of my progress therein

I find it impossible at present on account of our marching to make a proper return of my whole {regiment} but will endeavour to do it as soon as I meet the {Honorable} Mr. Drayton I had issued previous to the recp't of your Letter for all return, to be dated and signed by the {Commanding} {Officer} of each Company but the omission of {Captain} Wise's was owing to his not being present at the time it was given in, nor did he join the {Regiment} before yesterday his reason for not joining before he says was owing to orders he received from the {Honorable} the Council of Safety.

You may rest assured that I will to the best of my ability follow your own and Mr. Drayton's & will give him all the Military aid in my power when he shall think fit to demand it.

I shall carefully reviw all your former instructions & give such orders with regard to the Post of Fort Charlotte & for the safety of our associated Friends at Augusta as I may think the most prudent at this alarming time.

I am extremely obliged to you for consenting to my leaving the Camps as I requested, which I shall do, when I can with propriety do it, but at present I have not the least thoughts of it.

The reappointm't of {Captain} {Ezekiel} Polk, I hope will be attended with very good consequences & that he will endeavour to gain credit by his future behaviour. Inclos'd you will find a Copy of his Letter to me which I just received, but shall not make any reply before I see Mr. Drayton. Yesterday about noon when the several Companies were getting ready to proceed on their march for the Ridge we rec'd an Express from {Captain} Paris inform'g us that one {Captain} Hendrick & several others of {Colonel} Fletchall's party had stop'd him & 5 of the Cherokee Indians from coming down here at about