Letter from Alexander Skinner to General Grant

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Your Excellency' s letter of the 13th ultimo I had the honour to receive by the St˙ Lawrence schooner, which came very well over the bar, without being in the least lightened, as our bar is at present very good. Every body here is extremely glad and thankful that this is to be her station, and only wish she had come a little sooner, to have prevented one hundred and odd barrels of the King' s powder being taken out of Lofthouse by a Carolina pirate, acting under the orders and directions of your old acquaintance Colonel Laurens. The garrison, you imagined, were scarce of provisions; but we are pretty well as yet, having about four hundred barrels of pork and above that number of barrels of flour, after sparing a supply of three months' provisions for the detachment at Virginia.

I have been a week at the plantation since I wrote you the 21st ultimo, making indigo fast, but this four days past I have been obliged to be in town with the Allatchaway Indians, with whom I earnestly wish I had nothing to do, as that business takes up a great deal of my time, and of which I have so little to spare at this season of the year. The people at the plantation are obliged to be upon foot night and day, in order to save as much of the indigo from the worms as possible, and it is not in my power to give them any assistance until these savages are gone from town.

Lofthouse is loaded with lumber at St˙ Mary' s, and is expected off this bar in a few days. The vessel does not come into the harbour, but proceeds directly for England. I wish I could send what indigo is cured along with her, but am afraid, in the hurry of our cutting, it will be impossible to get it ready. However, I shall do every thing I can for the best.

I shall write your Excellency by Wallace, who will sail in about eight or ten days hence; at present I take leave of you, with this earnest prayer, that God may preserve to you your health and protect you from your enemies.

I am, with my best wishes, sir, your Excellency' s most obliged and most obedient servant,

ALEXANDER SKINNER.