GLC03256
George Mason to George Mason, Jr.
Gunston Hall, Virginia, 3 June 1781.
Autograph letter signed, 3 pages.
(Triplicate)
Dear George, Virginia, Gunston--Hall, June 3r
d
. 1781.___
[inserted: some time ago]
Your Brother William writes you by this opportunity. He return'd [struck: is lately]
some time ago from South Carolina, where He commandid a company of Voluntiers (70 fine
young Fellows from this County), He had a rough campaign of it & has acquired the reputation
[inserted: and]
of a vigilant & good officers, I think is greatly improved by the expedition. Your Brother
[inserted: lately]
Thomson has [struck: since] returned from a Tour of Militia Duty upon James River; he
commandid a platoon, in a pretty close Action, at Wm
s
burg & behaved with proper Coolness &
Intrepidity. He is now from Home, or wou'd have wrote to you.
I have written you very fully lately, upon domestic Subjects; but am not able to give you
any agreeable public News. Our Affairs have been for some time growing from bad to worse.
The Enemy's Fleet commands our Rivers, & puts it in their power to remove their Troops from
place to place, when, & where they please without opposition; so that we no sooner collect a
Force sufficient to counteract them in one part of the Country, but they shift to another, ravaging,
plundering, & destroying everything before them. our Militia turn out with great Spirit, & have
in several late Actions, behaved bravely, but they are badly armed, & appointed.
[inserted: military]
General Green, with ab
t
1200 regular Troops & some is in South Carolina; where He has
taken all the Enemy's Posts, except Charles Town. The Enemy's capital Object, at this time,
seems to be Virginia.- General Philips died [2] lately in Petersburg, upon which the Command of
the British Troops there devolved upon Arnold, but Lord Cornwallis, quiting North Carolina, has
since joined Arnold, with about 1200 Infantry & 300 Horse, & taken the chief Command of their
Army in Virginia, now consisting of about 5000 men; they have crossed James River, & by the
last Accounts, were at their light horse having advanced as far as Hanover Court House: they
have burned Pages Warehouses, when the greatest part of the York River Tob
o
was collect; they
