Brown's House near the
Cross Roads. Oct.26th 1780
10. in the morning

My Dear Sir,

I dispatched a letter to you yesterday evening, informing you that Ld Cornwallis thought it necessary that your proposed march should for the present be postponed. As I have received no answer from you, I fear that the letter may have missed you: Therefore I am now to repeat the above instruction. Till it shall be judged expedient to let you proceed, I should of course wish to have you either with us, or as near us as best as Forage will admit. I see plainly that we cannot possibly be supplied with Flour or Meal in this Post: And I am convinced that this situation for the Army was recommended to you by the Militia merely because it was such as would cover them from the Enemy's incursions no matter at what expence of convenience to the troops. We are too far likewise from Camden. The [?] of getting up our Rum would be a perpetual weight & distress to us. For these reasons Ld Cornwallis judges it best to fall back to the neighbourhood of Lee's Mill in which situation I am informed we shall probably likewise be able to draw supplies from the Dutch Forks. I think we shall march this evening; as I only wait for some meal which we have been long expecting from Walker's. We shall proceed as far as Grime's where I should be glad to see you if it should not be inconvenient. I refer the Bearer to you respecting the feasibility of breaking up a nest of Plunderers who infest the neighbourhood & very much distress the loyal subjects. Capt. Hovenden has arrived with Forty-five Dragoons.

Lord Rawdon
to
Lt. Col. Tarleton

[Source: Public Records Office, Kew, PRO 30/11/3/281-282.]