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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter from Thomas Burke to Robert Burton
Burke, Thomas, ca. 1747-1783
March 13, 1782
Volume 16, Pages 542-543

GOV. THOS. BURKE TO COL. BURTON.


Halifax, March 13th, 1782.

Sir:

I have received yours of the 8th Instant. I do not well understand the descriptive List so far as it is stated. Horses purchased of me and Horses I rode on purchased from others. You will be so good as to have my receipts for Horses ready for Inspection on my way up and my private account with your Office that I may settle with the Assembly.

You will be so good as to give me an account of the deliveries from your Station and the others as they are returned. I should be glad to know whether the Bay Horse you mention is now at my risque. As to that from Parson Boyd, I know nothing of him. I shall defer meddling with any until I understand the matter better.

I am not, be assured, misinformed as to the Horse on which one of your people was seen here. Mr. Armstrong, who knew him well, saw him, challenged him, and was answered that Aduson Smith had given him to him. It will be necessary to make enquiry concerning him. Mr. Steel, before I saw your last letter, had pointed out the Horse you lent him, tho’ he differs something from you in the account, but it is immaterial. The Horse is here.

You must know whether you have due authority for the persons drawn from the Militia into your Department—you can no doubt remember the restrictions under which I put that matter. If you have deviated therefrom, I suppose you have taken Care that it was by proper authority. I have long since written to you for a list of the persons employed in your Department, and have pressed it in other letters. You are, nevertheless, still silent thereon. It is extremely necessary that I should have it, and I beg it may be no longer delayed.

I am very sensible of the poverty of your Department, but I can’t supply it without a clear knowledge of its particular wants, and the purposes to which everything is to be applied. This is an indispensable rule, which I have laid down for my own Conduct, in dispensing the resources of the State, without which I cannot account

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to the public for my Administration. It will be time enough to take the latter part of your letter into consideration when the Assembly meets.

I am, Sir, yr. very Obt. St.,
THOS. BURKE.

P. S.—If the public have wintered the two invalid Horses they surely are now worth keeping. I shall be more particular on this matter when I return up the Country.

T. B.