Brunswick August 9th 1762
Sir,
I Received your Favor of the 1st of July by Lieutenant Williams who from his Vivacity and Zeal for his Majesty's Service arrived here from Cape Look out Eight days by Land and Water before the Vessel Arrived; and just came in time to prevent the Recruits from being Sent to Charles-town; I having stopt them by Express at the time they were Embarking at Fort Johnston; which I thought the most proper Method to take as I had no Advice from your Excellency of your having received either my first Dispatches of the first of May or those of last June and they were daily deserting by the Villainy of the Bulk of the People of this Province; who countenance Desertion by Concealing Deserters and with filling their Heads with wrong Notions of the Service upon this Account I am afraid the Effective will fall far short of the Numbers Expected though I have Endeavoured by proper Men from our Forts to Increase the Number; and have not Grudged advancing a Considerable Sum to promote the Service of which Mr. Williams will Inform you.
Your Choice of a Gentleman So Adroit and Capable of Serving his Majesty gave me Additional Pleasure as his Activity and Zeal for his Majesty's Service hath made his Company very Agreable terms.
I must Observe to your Excellency that neither in your letters to me or in your Orders to Mr Williams there is not any Notice taken with Respect to the pay and provisions of the Men from the time of their being raised; I therefore Recommended it to Mr Williams, and he Concurr'd with me in Opinion: that it was Adviseable for him to defray those Charges; as it appears even by your Excellency's Letter of the Twenty first of February that they should be Cloathed and Enter into Immediate Pay without any further Expence to the province than their first Levying: I must also Observe that though the provincial pay Exceeds the pay allowed by his Majesty; yet as the Officer who Enlisted the Recruits had paid them in that manner; Mr Williams has by my Advice thought proper to allow it also; and he will settle with your Excellency Accordingly.
I have drawn for £400 upon our Agents in England which I hope you and his Majesty's Ministers will approve of; as laid out for raising his Majesty's Service in raising the Recruits and adding to the Scanty Garrison allowed by his Majesty to Fort Johnston.
I wish you All Happiness and am, with due Regard
Sir,
your Excellencys
Most Obedient Humble
Servant
Arthur Dobbs
P.S. 10th Since my writing this I have received the Honr. of yrs. of the 23d of May, and are pleased to find that you concur in opinion with me and approve of the steps I haven taken to promote his majestys service.
Septr. 2d
Since the Date of my P.S. Mr. Williams has been Confined to his Bed with a dangerous intermittong Feaver which reduced him very low and he is now barely able to walk about His Room without having been once abroad his delaying the ship with the Recruits has lain heav[y] upon his Spirits but he is now determined to go on Board at all Events.
I am with due Respect Sir
yr Excellencys—
most Obedient
Humble Servant—
Arthur Dobbs
Governor Dobbs.
Brunswick, 9th. Augst. 1762.
wth. P.S. 10th. Do. & 2d. Sept.
Recd.—19th. Septemr.
Ansd—15th. Novr.
