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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter from John Ashe to Richard Caswell
Ashe, John, 1725-1781
August 04, 1777
Volume 11, Pages 557-558

GEN. JOHN ASHE TO GOV. CASWELL.
[From Executive Letter Book.]

Wilmington, 4th August, 1777.

Sir:—

I take this opportunity by Mr. Craike to inform you that I have ordered the New Hanover Regiment consisting of two hundred and

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twelve men, who have been upon duty here, to be discharged except one Compn of fifty men out of the first number of draughts, which are to be continued as a guard on the magasine until further orders from your Excellency. The only Intelligence I have been able to obtain of the Insurgents is from Col. Robeson, who writes me that Mr. Walter Gibson informed him that on the 28th ultimo he was at Cross Creek, when about one hundred of them came in from Duplin, and that the people of the town had stopped them by selling them salt at 40 shillings pr bush'l, and that five hundred more came in the evening of the same day from the back Counties. I have not as yet received returns from any of the Col's of this District of the draughts of their Regiments. As soon as they come to hand, I shall lose no time in forwarding them to your Excellency.

Your Excellency's most obed. & Hum. servant,
JOHN ASHE.