Autograph letter signed : "Virg'a", to [Joseph Hewes], 1778 Mar. 3.

Acknowledging receipt of his letter and wishing he had the pleasure of having him stop by Berkeley on his way to Congress so that he could have delivered personally a packet of the proceedings of his Assembly; saying that he understands from the accounts of the "assembly of N. Carolina, that all America is at present govern'd by such wiseacres as you represent some of them to be; our last assembly was but a poor epitome of what you have seen it, but judge what the next will be when I tell you, eight or nine of its best and wisest members are taken out of it, to fill up the Council and other departments of Government; I really am deeply affected at the prospect before us, and see no way to extricate ourselves from the impending ruin unless Heaven in its goodness would work a miracle by making fools tractable. This can no otherwise be done, for obstinacy you well know, is most commonly an attendant on ignorance;" expressing his alarm over accounts he has received "that there was a party form'd ags't our General, both in and out of Congress, in favor of the Saratoga Hero. I give the greater cred't to this when I consider who it is that composes our board of War, men who are most of them avowedly his Enemies, and some of them too who are using every endeavour to rise by his fall, in the name of wonders how came it thus constituted, are the good and Virtuous amongst you (for I know there is a great majority of such) taken in? Indeed I fear it, and venture to foretell that if you have not your eyes and ears about you, America, or at least this part of it will soon be in very great confusion;" adding that he would very much like to be in constant communication with him.