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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter from Alexander Spotswood to Thomas Pollock
Spotswood, Alexander, 1676-1740
December 13, 1712
Volume 01, Pages 890-891

[From Calendar of Virginia State Papers. Vol. 1. p. 156.]
LETTER TO GOV. POLLOCK ON INDIAN AFFAIRS.

Wmsburgh 13 December 1712.

To the president of North Carolina,

Sir,

By the return of a Servant wch the Baron of Graftenzied (de Graaffenreidt) sent into ye Country, I received on the 11th instant yours of the 26th of Nov. & 4th of this month, but I find myself still under the same uncertainty in relation to the purchase of the 1 Duffells, the disposition of the Thousand pound raised by our Assembly for yr. Releif, The removing the Scruples of our Council, as to declaring War against the Indian Enemy untill a previous declaration on your part, and likewise—

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as to sending you the Indian prisoners that are here, on all wch I expected your Answer—All you say as to the Duffells is that you should have occasion thereof, if I thought convenient, but since this Country was willing to be at the charge to purchase them upon yr Request, It might have been reasonably expected yr Government should take the trouble of sending for them—And if the money raised by our Assembly be of use for your Releif, I cannot see why the Conference, I proposed for laying it out to the best advantage should not be taken notice of, unless yr Government be unwilling to accept of it upon the terms of Repayment; but as to that point my last Letter might have satisfied you, that neither I nor the Council intended to press you thereupon, nor do I expect any present Engagement to be entered into upon the Advance of that money—Since you find yrself under so great streights to furnish provisions to ye South Carolina Auxiliarys, The money raised here may be as effectually applyed in the purchase of Corne & pork in this Country, for those Forces, as in raising men, If you think the Force sent from South Carolina will be sufficient to do the work without them—

As the taking of Hancock was in pursuance of an Engagement entered into wth this Governt by Blounts people, and Hostages left for his delivery here, he was in effect a prisoner to this Govrnt: and certainly Blount looked on him as such, when he sent 2 of his men to give me notice of his coming in & ordered them to wait here 'till his arrival, and one who stood more on punctillios than I do would be a little startled at the suddenness of his Execution without my knowledge,—especially, seeing I am persuaded you could not suspect that I would shelter him against the punishment due to his crimes: having given you an instance to the Contrary, by delivering up James Cohery, who (how ignorant soever some of yr: people may be of it) was first seeized by our Tributarys, carryed before a Majistrate, and by order, del'd to the Chowans, to be carryed into yr: province, & after having told you in my last that I intended to deliver up to you all the Indian prisoners that are here: among wch there are now two Waccon Indians taken lately by the Meherins in pursuance to my orders—And I shall accordingly send them under a guard of our Militia to South Key, the 27th instant, when I hope you will appoint some to receive them on that day. I send this by Blunts' men, who together with his brother are returning back to him, their stay here being now unnecessary—I shal write to you more fully wth the prisoner, or else by Mr Richardson, who is just now arrived here, and intended for yr province as Recor Genll for the Lords proprietors.


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1 A variety of blanket, or woolen cloth, out of which blankets are cut.