Wilmington

25 Novr. 1760.

Sir,

I had the Honour of Your Excellency's Letters of the 26th. of August and 9th. of September the 27th. ultimo by the way of Charles Town acquainting me with your Acquisitions of Fort Levi with a very inconsiderable Loss, and of your glorious Conquest of Montreal and all Canada without Effusion of Blood, all owing under the Influence of Divine providence to your prudent well concerted Measures & exact Concurrence of your several Operations, which must all tend to your immortal Honour, and to the Courage Discipline and Resolution of His Majesty's forces, which had intimidated our Enemies & contributed to their peaceable Submission to His Majesty with this additional Advantage to His Majesty's Service that his Troops are preserved and a Number of them ready for such Operations as they shall be employ'd in for the Honour of Britain; upon Account of which glorious acquisition & our strenuous ^Efforts and^ Success in Germany I have ordered a day of publick Festivity and Thanksgiving throughout this province to God Almighty for the wonderful Manifestation of his protection of the Protestant Religion and Cause of Liberty the 23d. of December next.

Having no Opportunity by post of writing to your Excellency, where my Letters and publick Dispatches have been detained for above 4 Months, I embrace this Opportunity of the Return of an Express from Charles Town to Lieut. Govr. Fauquier to have this dispatched by him by Express to you to let you know that this Assembly is now sitting and considering the granting an Aid to His Majesty for 6 Months to cooperate with our neighbouring Colonies, but with what Success I can't yet inform you, for they make use of this Opportunity of encroaching upon his Majesty's prerogative and Rights of the Upper House, and counteracting His Majesty's Instructions by tacking to the Money Bill in hopes of my and the Council’s passing it; which if they continue to push, I shall reject the Bill and prorogue them for a Day to give them time to recollect, and give them three days to pass the Bill without any Tack to it, and then if they shou'd not comply I shall dissolve the Assembly and issue Writs next day to meet here in January to try the Sense of their Constituents upon it.

I therefore in Conjunction with our neighbouring Governors must press your Excellency to give us an immediate Supply of Troops to Charles Town to crush this perfidious Nation of Cherokees at once, by either obliging them to deliver up their young Head Warriors who have commenced this War, or at once dispossess them of their whole Country and oblige them to reside elsewhere; for this purpose if it shou'd be agreable to your Instructions and plan of Operations, if Rogers's Rangers shou'd have finished the Service they are upon, and 4 or 500 of the Northern Indians cou'd be procured to join the Virginia forces and attack the upper Towns, and those you can spare join with the Carolinians to attack the lower & middle Towns in Concert, the whole Affair might be over in a Month and the Troops might afterwards be useful in any Southern Expedition, or if it shou'd be agreable to His Majesty's Council, That Mississippi and Mobile shou'd be attacked, without which Conquest we can never be secure from French and Indian Depredations, some of these wou'd be at hands to join the Carolinians to attack Albama Fort, and from thence by Water proceed to Mobile, whilst a few of His Majesty's Ships & forces by Sea might act in Concert with them against Mobile which is to be come at by Sea, and new Orleans must follow of Course, and then His Majesty being in Possession of the Embouchures of all the navigable Rivers of this Continent wou'd gain all the future inland Trade of this vast Northern Continent, and the Indians having no other Supply must of Course be our friends and be in Time civilized and prepared to be converted to our Holy Religion, and then my Labours & Endeavours to raise a Sprit in Britain to drive the French from this Continent for above these 30 years wou'd be accomplished, and I shou'd die with Joy in peace.

Pardon, Sir, this Rhapsody, but I think nothing at present be difficult for us to accomplish under the so manifest Assistance of Divine providence by presiding in His Majesty's Councils & inspiring his Armies and Fleets with Courage Conduct and Resolution, so that shou'd the French continue obstinate, the Islands also may be obliged to submit to our victorious Troops, and in Case any thing shou'd be restored, let some of the Islands be restored to them, but no part of the Continent.

I sincerely wish you a happy End to all your Operations and Labours, and that you may end your Days in Peace after procuring such lasting Acquisitions to Britain and Honour and Glory to His Majesty, who then will die the greatest Monarch on this Globe, by securing the true protestant Religion and supporting the Cause of Liberty.

I am with the greatest Regard, and perfect Esteem

Sir

your Excellency's

most obedient

humble Servant

Arthur Dobbs

Governor Dobbs
Wilmington 25t. November 1760.
Rx & Ansd. 19t. January 1761.