Abner Nash to George Washington, 19 March 1781
From Abner Nash
Camp at the Iron Works1 [N.C.] March 19. 1781
Sir,
I am just arrived at Genl Greene’s camp; and an Express being setting off I just take the oppertunity of acknowledging the receipt of Your Excellency’s favor dated the 23 Jany, which I received on my way here2—Genl Green will no doubt give Your Excellency the particulars of the action of the 15th. I have the pleasure to be told by him that though he lost the ground, he disabled the enemy from further injuring this state for the present.3 I left Wilmington about 10 days ago, where the enemy have a post; their strength 800—Our militia keep them close in town. We have at length an Act of the Assembly passed for filling up our battallions, which I hope will have the desired effect in a few weeks.4 With the highest esteem, I am Yr Excellency’s Most obedt Servt
A. Nash
Sprague transcript, DLC:GW.
1. Nash refers to Speedwell’s ironworks (see Nathanael Greene to GW, 10 March, n.1).
2. In his letter to Nash of 23 Jan., GW discussed the virtues of raising an army to serve for the war; the mutiny of the Pennsylvania and New Jersey lines; the poor state of finances; and the departure of a British expedition from New York bound to the southern theater.
3. For the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, see Nathanael Greene to Samuel Huntington, 16 March, printed as an enclosure with Greene to GW, 17 March.
4. In its session begun in January, the North Carolina assembly passed an act to reduce the state’s six Continental regiments to four and fill those regiments to their full complement. Among its provisions, the act specified that 2,724 soldiers were to be raised from the ranks of the state militia to serve for twelve months. It included incentives to encourage volunteers to enlist for the duration of the war. The new troops were to arrive at their appointed places of rendezvous by 25 April (see , 8–13).