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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter from William Tryon to Thomas McGuire
Tryon, William, 1729-1788
February 27, 1771
Volume 08, Pages 695-696


Newbern 27th February 1771.

Thomas McGuire Esquire.

The favour of your letter reached me the 22nd Instant by which I was sorry to learn you was indisposed; as I know you are a skilful Doctor to your Friends I make no doubt but that you have been before this a successful Physician to yourself. I took the Liberty to retain your servant three days here in Expectation that the Witnesses from Hillsborough would have attended agreable to Subpœnas but they failing perhaps through Intimidation Mr Chief Justice finishes the present Court tomorrow and immediately after I shall grant a Commission for a new Court of Oyer and Terminer to open the 11th of next month when Evidences will be ordered to appear, for which purpose Mr Edwards sets off tomorrow for Hillsborough. Though Mr Gordon is retained it would give me much satisfaction to have you on the spot, therefore depend on seeing you in Newbern before the 11th of March.

I this day acquaint Mr Howard in Council that I conceived his Majesty's service required and the Dignity of the Government demanded that Mr Chief Justice his Associates and Mr Attorney General should all attend in Person the Hillsborough Superior, Court on the 22nd of March next, and that if he was of opinion the Riot Law was not sufficient to secure the Court from Insult any number of Troops should be provided for the protection of the Court that the Council should think necessary. I am therefore under an obligation to require your personal attendance at the next Court at Hillsborough, being sensible it is a duty important and incumbent on you as well as the Judges at this time to attend, Mr Howard purposes setting out after the Indictments are found. Mr Henderson is at present ill of a Flux but trust nothing will prevent his meeting you on the 22nd of March at Hillsborough though he should not be able to attend here the eleventh of next month.

The Regulators were all in Hillsborough the 16th Instant The Inhabitants flying into the Woods. They kept Master of the Town till two o'clock at noon when they marched out in Triumph drums

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beating without doing any injury to the Town. This forbearance I attribute to the virtue of the Riot Law a hopefull beginning; when I have the pleasure to see you here I shall have other matters for your consideration touching the Association. I have accepted Mr Jones's [services] on the part of the Crown for the Tryals of such Insergents as may surrender themselves and I have wrote to him thereon.