If I had ever assumed the Character of a Military genius and the Officer of experience. If undr. these false colors I had sollicited the command I was honoured with, or if after my appointment, I had presumptuously driven on under the sole guidance of my own judgment and self will, and misfortunes the result of obstinacy and misconduct, not of necessity, had followed, I should have thought myself a proper subject for the lash, not only of his, but the pen of every other writer, and a fit object for public resentmt.; but when it is well known that the command was in a manner forced upon me; That I accepted it with the utmost diffidence from a consciousness that it required greater abilities and more experience than I possessed to conduct a great Military machine embarrassed as I knew ours must be by a variety of complex circumstances and as it were but little more than a mere Chaos. and when nothing more was promised on my part than has been most inviobly performed it is rather grating to pass over in silence charges which may impress the uninformed tho’ others know that these charges have neither reason nor truth to support them; and that a plain and simple narrative of facts would defeat all his assertions notwithstanding they are made with an effrontery which few Men do, and for the honor of human nature none ought to possess.

If this Gentleman is envious of my station, and thinks I stand in his way to preferment, I can assure him in most solemn terms that the first wish of my Soul is to return to that peaceful retirement, and domestick ease and happiness from whence I came.

To this end all my labours have been directed; and for this purpose have I been more than four years, a perfect Slave endeavouring under as many embarrassing circumstances as ever fell to one man’s lott to encounter; and as pure motives as ever man was influenced by, to promote the cause, and Service I had imbarked in.