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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter from Samuel Hodge to Richard Caswell
Hodge, Samuel
October 27, 1778
Volume 13, Page 489

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SAML. HODGE TO GOV. CASWELL.

Tarr River Octo. 27th 1778.

May it Please Your Excellency:

Pardon this intrusion as I have no other method left me to communicate a matter which immediately Concerns my Interest. From the universal good character your Excellency bears and the station in life you possess I am confident you will do me justice as far as your Power extends and therefore must beg your attention a few moments to the matter I shall here endeavour to explain to you in as fair and true a light as my abilities admit of. Your petitioner had the honor to serve as an officer on board one of the Continental frigates from whence I was ordered to take charge of a brign captured by said Frigate and proceed for the Continent. I arrived at Beaufort where s'd Brign. with Cargo and appurtenances were sold for the sum of Eight thousand four Hundred and Eighty four pounds seven shillings & six pence, the one Moiety of which belonged to the Captors. In consequence I have demanded it from the Marshall both in private and public. He utterly refuseth giving me the money or Security for the payment of the same, by which means I have been detained here this four months or more as being convinced the money would be demanded from me by the Capturers whenever I returned to New England. I am here a stranger and friendless, which I hope will be a sufficient excuse for the trouble I am giving your Excellency and pray you will take it into your wise Consideration and afford me what Relief is in your Power. I wrote to Doctor Savage desiring him to wait on your Excellency. I beg you would instruct him in what manner I am to act in the affair so that. I may obtain a speedy redress. I should have done myself the honour to wait on you but am in one of the Doctors vessels ready for sailing; I must therefore beg your kind acceptance of this my poor petition and grant a pardon to all its Imperfections.

I Now Conclude with Beging leave to Subscribe Myself

Your Most Obedient and Most Humble Servt.
SAMUEL HODGE.
To His Excellency Richard Caswell Esqr. Governor In & Over the State of North Carolina.