Norfolk December 24th [torn, illegible]
My Dear Madam,
You will no doubt be astonished at my very
late return to this Country after what was mentioned in my last letter
from Providence; You might almost think I was not coming back
yet I am rather inclined to believe you have justly attributed
it to these vicissitudes of life which we can neither forsee nor prevent
The begining of October I left my concerns, to the management of a friend
& I thought myself fortunate presently afterwards to get a passsage
taken to Philadelphia but, upon the point of sailing, we were detained
three weeks in port by contrary winds. The weather upon the passage
was not the most favorable, & particularly in making the Coast
of Philadelphia it was so chilly raw & disagreeable that I felt
but too sensibly the shock of a sudden change of climate. I have
been confined there to my apartment for five weeks past, with a
fev'rish weakness & [?] in consequence of this, & for the last ten
days durst only venture out in a close carriage, when the weather
was fine. The moment there was a possibility of venturing I
took my passage to this place, where thank God I arrived safe
last night after a six Days passage & without any material
injury to my health. I have no compliant at present but weakness
so that I flatter myself in eight or ten days at farthest to be
able to stand the fatigue of travelling your length. You may
[torn, illegible] that I shall not be very easy in my mind, untill I have
both heard from you & seen you but how unkind you were
not to drop me a line to this place to say how you were
I have some things to mention which I think will not
be disagreeable but as I expect the boy to call every
moment for the letter, all these details will be best
defferred utnill meeting - Oh that i could eat my Christinmass
dinner with you. O' the vanity of planning. When I left
Providence how secure did I think myself of the happiness of
spending these holidays with you. Fate will have its own way -
How does Miss Charlotte & Betsey. My kindest compliments to them
My Dear Fanny I trust is in perfect health, once more
[illegible] me to my [illegible] spirits.
Adieu My Dr. Madaam,
Yours most Respecfully & Sincerely
James Murray
Mrs. Hubard
Williamsburgh
THE COMMITTEE OF SAFETY FOR THE COLONY OF VIRGINIA
BY Virtue of the Power and Authority invested in us, by the Delegates and Representatives of the several Counties and Corporations
in General Convention assembled, we, reposing especial Trust and Confidence in your Patriotism, Fidelity, Courage, and good
Conduct, do, by these Presents, constitute and appoint you to be Captain of a Company
of the Militia of the County of Augusta; and you are therefore carefully and diligently to discharge the Trust
reposed in you, by disciplining all Officers and Soldiers under your Command. And we do hereby require them to obey you as their
Captain. And you are to observe and follow all such Orders and Directions as you shall
from Time to Time receive from the Convention, the Committee of Safety for the Time being, or any superiour Officers, according to
the Rules and Regulations established by the Convention.
GIVEN under our hands at Williamsburg this 11th
Day of November ANNO DOMINI 1775.
Edmd Pendleton
John Page
Thos. Lud Lee
P. Carrington
Dudley Digges
IN CONGRESS.
The DELEGATES of the UNITED STATES OF New-Hampshire, Massachusetts-Bay,
Rhode-Island, Connecticut, New-York, New-Jers[ey, Pen]nsylvania, the Counties of New-Castle, Kent
and Sussex on Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, N[orth-Car]olina, South-Carolina, and Georgia, TO
Michael Bowyer [torn, illegible]
WE, reposing especial Trust and Conf[idence in your] Patriotism, Valour, Conduct and Fidelity,
DO, by these Presents, constitute [and appoint y]ou to be a Captain in the
12th. Regiment from the State [of Virg]inia
in the Army of the United States, raised for the Defence of American Liberty, and for repelling every [host]ile Invasion thereof. You are the[refore] carefully and diligently to disch[arge] the Duty of a
Captain by doing and performing all manner of Things thereunto belonging. And we do strictly
charge and require all Officers and Soldiers under your Command, to be obedient to your Orders as a
Capt[ain.] And you are to observe and follow such Orders and Directions from Time to
Time, as you sh[a]ll receive from this or a future Congress of the United State[s], or Committee of Congress,
for that Purpos[e] appointed, or Commander in Chief for the Time being of the Army of the United States,
or any other yo[ur] superior Officer, according to th[e] [Rules] and Discipline of War, in Pursuance of the
Trust reposed i[n yo]u. This Commission to continue in Force until revoked by this or a future Congress. Dated at the [torn, illegible] Day of September AD. 1776. Seventy Six.
[By] Order of the [Congress]
John Ha[ncock PRESIDENT.]
[AT]TEST [Chas Thomson Secy
In Council November 8th. 1776
Sir,
On [torn, illegible] your Letter [torn, illegible] dated
2d. Instant, & having consulted several Gent. well ac=
quainted with the Situation of the back Country & the
Facts you State, the Board are of Opinion that you
may continue your Company at their
present Station 'til further Orders - The
Money you want should have been
sent by your Express if the Treasury
could have furnished it; as soon as it
can, it may be sent up to you - in the
mean Time as your Men will continue
where they are, I hope they will not suf-
fer for want of it.
I am
your mo. obed Serv
John Page Jr.
P.S.
You will please to procure in the best
Manner you can every thing necessary
for your Men in Case it should be
expedient to order them down to the little
Kanhaway.
On public Service
To
Capt Michael Bowyer
at
Stanton
p Express
Sir
I have just received Instructions from the Board of
War to march my Battalion with all Possible Expedition to the
Assistance of General Washington, in the State of New Jersey,
and as your Company are One who are Ordered to form my
Battalion, you will Please to march them your Company with=
=out Delay the Nearest Route to the south Branch of Potomack,
and from thence by way of the Lost River to Winchester; you
are to Provide in the Neighbourhood of your station, Necessary
Pack Horses for Transporting your Baggage, your Certicates
for Provisions & Other Neccessaries will Be Paid On sight, & you
will be furnished at Winchester with such Articles as May
be wanting to fit your Company for services.
I am
sir
Yr
Very Obedient
Servant
James Wood
Fort Pitt 7th. March 1777
Captain Bowyer
On the service of the United States.
To
Captain Michael Bowyer.
or
Officer Commanding
at
Tigers Valley.
p Express
Know all Men by th[e]se Presents That I Alexander [McGrew] [torn, illegible]
[torn, illegible] In the County of Yo[rk] and CommonWealth of Penn[s]ylvania, Am Held and
firmly Bound unto Michael Bowyer Esquire, Capta[in] in the Twelfth Conti-
nental Regiment of the Virginia Forces, In the Su[m] of Thirty Six Pounds
current lawful Money of Pennsylvania aforesaid [to] be paid to the said
Michael Bowyer, or to his Certain Attorney Executors Administrators or
Assigns To the which Payment well and truly to be made I do hereby
bind myself my Heirs Executors and Administrators and every of
them firmly by these Presents Sealed with my [Se]al dated the Fifth
Day of May In the Year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred
and Seventy Seven -
Whereas Thomas Smith who is an Indent[torn, illegible] Servant unto a Certain
James Brackin of the County [of] York aforesaid, and [who] hath yet about One
Year to serve by Force [of] his Indenture did so[me] Time past absent him
self and ran away from his said Master, and hath not since until
now been heard of [by] his said Master - And Whereas he the
said Alexander M[cGre]w hath on this Day dis[c]overed him the said
Thomas Smith [torn illegible] Soldier in the [Co]mpany of him the
said Captain M[ichael Bow]yer --
Alexander MGre[w] [torn, illegible] taken upon him[self], That upon the [said]
Captain's paying [torn, illegible] [s]um of Eighteen Poun[d]s, for the Purchase
of the Remainder [torn, illegible] Time of the said Servant, for the Use
of the said James [Br]ackin, he the said Alexander MGrew will
engage to indemn[ify] the said Servant, unto the said Michael
Bowyer, his Heir[s] [a]nd Assigns from and against any further
Claim of him the [sai]d James Brackin his Executors or Assigns.
Now The C[on]dition of the above Obligation is such
That if the above [torn, illegible] unden Alexander MGrew or his Heirs
Executors or Adm[i]nistrators For and in Consideration of the
said Sum of Eight[ee]n Pounds lawful Money of Pennsylvania
having been paid unto him, for the Use of the said James -
Brackin, in [illegible] and in full Satisfaction, for the Remain
der of the Time of Servitude of the sa[id] Thomas Smith
in the said Indenture specified, Shall and will from
[torn, illegible] Time and at all Times hereafter forever, Save
[illegible]
[torn, illegible] and [torn, illegible] harmless and indemnified As well the said
Thomas Smith from any Just Claims [o]f the said James Br[akin]
his Executors Administrators and Ass[i]gns, As also him th[e]
said Captain Michael Bowyer, from all or any Damage[s]
which he may sustain from the said James Brakin
Executors Administrators or Assigns for, or on Account or
by Reason of [the] said Servant, Then [th]e foregoing Obligation
to be Void and [o]f none Effect or else to be and remain in ful
Force and Vir[t]ue -
Sealed and d[e]livered Alex M' Grew
in the Presen[ce] of us
Archd. M[clean]
[illegible]
May 5th. 1777 Received of Captain [Mic]hael Bowyer the Sum
Eighteen Pound Money of Pennsylvan[ia] On Account and for the
Use of James Brackin, being in lieu [torn, illegible] in full Satisfaction
for the Remainder of the Time of Ser[vi]tude of the before and
within named Thomas Smith -
Alex' M Grew
Witness present
Archid. MClean
[illegible]
John McDowell
Capt. Michal Bowyer of the 12th Virginia
Regiment hearby has leave of absence
from the Service in order to have his
Family inoculated, when that is Compleated
and the Family out of Danger he is to return.
The time this Business will take is once it [illegible] is the reason
that no particular number of Days is mention'd.
Given under my hand
By order of His Excellency Genl.
Washington this 11th [illegible] Novr. 1777
Chs Scott B. Genl.
Capt. Bowyer
Leave of Abss.
London December 30
1782
My Dear Mother,
It affords me singular pleasure to
inform you of my good fortune since I came here, Soon after my
arrival I waited on that humane and generous Nobleman (Lord
Cornwallis) whose Character is too well known too need any
encomium here, therefore shall proceed to inform you of his Lord
-ships offer he said he was going out to the East Indies and
if I chose to go would take me with the greatest Pleasure
I immediately Consulted my good Friend Lord Dunmore
who Advised me by all means to accept of the offer which
he thought was very great, therefore I hope My Dear Mother
your approbation will go hand in hand with my Desire, we
shall go in March or April for certain -
I have Received your
affectionate Letters of the 8 and 24 of June last for the
future please to direct your Letters to Miss Miller No.
23 Charles Street St James Square, I am in perfect health
thank God, My love to my Dear Brothers and sisters and
all Friends pray write evry opportunity and you will greatly
oblige your me, Mr Millers most respectful Compts to you
Adieu
M Hubard
P:S pray Desire Morton
to write me my Love
to Aunt Dudley and
all the Family
Mrs Hubard
Williamsburg
Virginia
La grange 7bre 1816
My dear Sir
Gnl Bernard, His Lady and family are just leaving France, and while I Have
the pleasure to present them to you, I must express the general's earnest desire that the
Honourable task which He is Happy to obey, may be Reconciled to the feelings of His
Companions in the American Corps of Engineers. The Candor of HIs Mind is Equal to
His Uncommon talents and military science. He will give you the news of this part
of the World. I shall only Repeat the Expression of my most affectionate grateful
Respect
Lafayette.
Fayette
Sepr.15. 1816