I realize that, with favorable winds and available Couriers directly to Florida, your information from the north will be much superior to my own. But since my Rangers have several sources of intelligence from land, along the Coast, and down the Mississippi River, I will, on occasion, give you a brief Summary of what we have learned, even though I fear that you will find it to be old news.

Although Washington assembled a Force of 30,000, equal in number to that of the British, General Sir William Howe has Prevailed with superior strategy and force of arms in taking New York. My information is that the high Commanders of the rebels had strong disagreements, with Charles Lee advocating a Withdrawal to save their forces and Washington insisting on a defense of the almost surrounded City. Washington prevailed, and the rebels lost 4,000 of their men before Retreating into New Jersey. In effect, the Confrontation was between Generals Howe, Clinton, and Cornwallis and the rebel commanders Washington, Charles Lee, and Nathanael Greene. General Clinton had little Trouble in taking the other important Northern port of Newport.

One of the most amusing Developments was the capture of General Charles Lee, who was caught last month Sleeping in a New Jersey tavern and captured by four of our officers and less than two dozen men. He was second in command of all rebel Forces, but by far the more Capable. It is safe to say that their troops are both Dispirited and in Disarray, and Plagued with widespread desertions.

Respectfully submitted by the Governor’s agent

By this time, several hundred Georgia men had volunteered for training as militiamen, mostly under the general supervision of Elijah Clarke but always directly commanded by leaders of their own choice. They knew one another intimately and were able to magnify their strengths and compensate for individual weaknesses. Most of these men were farmers, whose primary goal was to protect their families. They served as guerrilla fighters only episodically, while attempting to keep their land producing. Within their own local regions, they devised an intricate system of intelligence to monitor the movement of British and Indian marauders. On rare occasions they were able to capture much-needed supplies from the British. Although Continental army leaders acknowledged their value and legitimacy, the militiamen were given little support or assistance. They furnished their own weapons, dressed in homespun clothes, and rarely expected any pay for their services. A few families from the northern part of Georgia had moved into peaceful areas in the Watauga Valley region of western North Carolina, but those who remained were highly motivated partisans, many of whose farms had been ravaged, and whose families were often huddled in a few small stockades or secure hiding places in their own woods and swamps.