New Bern the 8th. February 1755.

Sir

I last week received your Letters of the 26th of October and 4th of November and a Letter from Sr. John St. Clair by an express from Governor Dinwiddie with Two Packets for South Carolina and Georgia, which I sent forward by the same express.

You may be assured that I shall do my utmost in Corresponding and giving my advice where it may be wanted to Sr. John St. Clair and General Braddock and to do every thing for promoting the Service which his Majesty has commanded that comes within the care and Cognizance of this Province, and have already given orders to purchase all the provisions I can get to send to Virginia for the use of the Troops when they arrive, by the Sale of which I can only pay the Company which goes from hence to Virginia, as we have no Cash to send from hence to pay them without giving 50 or 60 ⅌ Cent discount, upon our paper Currency, untill we get it to pass in Virginia, which now as we are regaining our Credit and have pass'd Laws to sink the Paper Bills will I hope soon pass at par in Virginia as we shall have a Ballance from thence in our favour. I refer you to the Letter I wrote to you with the address of the Assembly to his Majesty as to what we have granted for the Service of Virginia, and cannot expect any further supply untill next November when they meet again, unless I have instructions to call them sooner, and when call'd no Fund can be raised but by Bills of Credit, or by Issuing the Bills already struck which are at present under his Majestys disposall, but the appropriation cant be alterd. without a new Law for that purpose, and my Instructions limit me in passing it without further orders from home, but as soon as I know his Majestys pleasure upon [it] I shall do all in my power to get the Assembly to agree to it.

At present as my Son who has been above Eight years in the Service (being with me here upon License) I thought it for his Majestys Service to give him a Commission for the Company to go to assist Virginia, as from the late misconduct in giving the private Men 3 Shillings Currency ⅌ day, men here would not easily inlist at Brittish pay, and therefore believed they would more readily inlist under my Son as he has been so long in the Service; I therefore hope for your favourable representation to his Majesty. That he will be graciously pleas'd to give him a Commission under his own hand, and in Case the like is done to Governor Shirleys and Sr. William Pepperels Regiments that he will be pleas'd to send over Blank Commissions to me to fill up with the Subaltern officers appointed here for the Two Companys, for Two Lieutenants and one Ensign to each; or if not granted, that my Son may not lose his Lieutenancy in the English Fuzileers during the time he is serving his Majesty in America, as he has now my License of absence for one year. But if his Majesty should be advised to place an Independant Company upon the Establishment of this Province for this Expedition is over, which I have represented as absolutely necessary for his Majestys Service in the receipt of his Quit Rents, and to prevent an illicite Trade, and also to Garrison the Forts we are erecting on the Sea Coast and Rivers also One to secure our Western Frontiers, and to protect our Indian Allies; then I should Humbly hope that his Majesty would give my Son that Company, and there would be no further charge of transporting them hither from Europe as they would be on the Spot without expence if you think my request reasonable I would fain hope for your favourable representation of it to his Majesty along with my other Friends, which shall always be gratefully acknowledg'd. You may be assured Sir that no pains nor diligence shall be wanting from me to keep up the Spirit of acting vigorously against the French, and to repell them from his Majestys Lands, and also to secure our Indian Allies, and to secure our Trade with them, and to extend it thro these fine large Lakes and Countries in which the French are undermining us, in order to ruin these Colonies.

I am with great Respect

Sir

your most Obedient

& most Humble Servt.

Arthur Dobbs

No. Carolina Febry. 8th: 1755.

Govr. Dobbs.

Rx March 25th.