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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Memorial from Nathaniel Rochester, William Johnston, and Ambrose Ramsey concerning a gun factory in Hillsborough
Rochester, Nathaniel, 1752-1831; Johnston, William, 1737-1785; Ramsey, Ambrose
1778
Volume 13, Pages 345-352

-------------------- page 345 --------------------
[From MS. Records in Office of Secretary of State.]
Memorial of Ambrose Ramsay, N. Rochester & Wm Johnston Esqr. respecting Gun Manufactory—Hillsboro District.

To the Honorable the General Assembly of the State of North Carolina:

The Memorial of Ambrose Ramsey, Nath. Rochester and William Johnston
SHEWETH.

That your Memorialist with Dr. Thomas Burke, were appointed Commissioners by the Congress that sat at Halifax in April one thousand seven hundred and seventy-sixty, to establish a Gun manufactory in the District of Hillsboro; and for this purpose received one thousand pounds. But from the difficulty of procuring workmen & other causes, they found it impracticable to follow the intentions of Congress in their full extent.

They were ordered to make two hundred muskets, and were limited to one thousand pounds, a sum they found insufficient even for the purpose of buying them, and much more so for erecting works and making them. Therefore, after some time had elapsed in fruitless attempts to find workmen, they resolved to lay out the money as far as it would go, in employing Smiths to make them at their own shops. Accordingly as the most expeditious method,, they employed one to make barrels, and another to make bayonets, ramrods & mounting; and at length they found a Smith who undertook to bore the barrels, stock them & complete the muskets for which purpose your memorialist erected a house for a shop, & a boring machine at a creek on Dr. Burke's land about a year ago, but the stream soon thereafter failing & remaining ever since almost dry, they have never from that time been able to proceed further.

They here annex a note of the articles already procured and the money disbursed, and as the balance now in their hands is quite insufficient to finish what they have begun, especially as it will be necessary to erect new works on another stream, & carry the boring machine there, they desire to be advised by the Honble. Assembly what to do; and as they are told this State is now well

-------------------- page 346 --------------------
provided with muskets, they submit it to the consideration of the Assembly, whether or not it would be better to sell off the whole materials which they believe would indemnify the State for all disbursements.

NATH. ROCHESTER,
WM JOHNSTON.
AMBROSE RAMSAY.

The State of North Carolina in Acct. with the Commissioners of Hillsborough District Gun manufactory
Dr.
Cr.
1776
By Cash rec'd of Saml. Johnston Esqr. Treasurer
£1,000
1776
To paid towards forging 200 musket barrels
£80
1777
To Do Do
106.13.4
186.13.4
To paid towards making 400 Bayonets, 200 Ramrods & 200 sets of mounting
175
To paid for building a Smith's shop, & erecting a boring machine, at Dr. Burke's Creek
58.17
To 33 Gunlocks
25.10
To 11 Smith's Files
3.13.6
To Iron & Smith work at the boring machine
4.12
To Carriage 200 Gunlocks from Philadelphia
6.00
To paid the Smith who undertook to bore the barrels on acct.
6.00
To Carrying of his Tools fm. Cumberland
5.10
To repairing Dr. Burke's Mill Dam where the machine is erected, nails &c for the building
19.9.2
To Grindstone
2.8
Cash in the hands of Dr. Burke
184.15.10
Do in the hands of Colo. Rochester
323.10.6
1000
£1000
£1000
-------------------- page 347 --------------------
To Balance due the Smith for making Bayonets & ramrods &c
112.10
To Do for additional work done at the machine
15.
100 setts mounting engaged
72 Barrels Do.
Articles on hand Viz:
200 Ramrods
200 Bayonets forged
100 Sets mounting
128 Musket Barrels forged
11 Smith's Files
1 Grindstone
33 Gunlocks
200 do purchased by Dr. Burke at Philadelphia and charged to the State.
State of North Carolina to United States.
Dr.
1775.
Nov.
8.
To Cash paid Jos. Hewes Esqr., a Delegate of the State,
3,750
1776.
Jany.
27.
To do paid the Delegates of the States,
10,000
19.
To do paid do,
300
Oct.
23.
To do paid do,
2,000
Nov.
11.
To do paid Sam Johnson's draft favor J. Underhill,
500
11.
To do paid do do favor do,
1,680
25.
To do paid do do favor S. Dickenson,
500
Dec.
4.
To do paid the Delegates of the State,
400
1778.
Feby.
7.
To do paid S. Johnson's draft favor J. Underhill,
500
10.
To do paid do do favor T. Burke,
416.60
20.
To do paid Delegates of the State pr. warr't 20th January,
750
Mar.
15.
To do paid Mr. Ashe's draft fav. T. Craike,
1,437
15.
To do paid do do favor J. Littlebridge,
2,000
15.
To do paid S. Johnson do favor R. Blackledge,
2,500
-------------------- page 348 --------------------
Apr.
3.
To do paid J. Ashe's do favor W. Dent,
4,125
5.
To do paid do do favor D. Mallett,
375
7.
To do paid do do favor P. Mallett,
375
8.
To do paid S. Johnson do favor R. Blackledge,
750
9.
To do paid J. Ashe's do favor R. Gillies,
1,802
9.
To do paid do do favor do,
1,820
9.
To do paid do do favor do,
1,804
19.
To do paid do do favor T. Rutherford,
125
26.
To do paid do do favor F. Brice,
250
26.
To do paid do do favor D. Mallett,
250
May
3.
To do paid do Johnson do favor J. Green Jr.,
500
5.
To do paid do 3 do favor do 500 each,
1,500
do favor do,
1,250
3 do favor do 625 each,
1,875
do favor do,
500
do favor do,
2,500
J. Ashe's do favor T. Craike,
2,000
2 do favor do 1000 each,
2,000
do favor Capt. E. Tinker,
500
do favor F. Brice,
350
do favor do,
1,250
6.
To do paid S. Johnson do favor S. Butler,
1,750
54,384.60
Amounts brought Over
54,384.60
1777.
May
14.
To Cash pd. Sam. Johnson's draft favor of J. Green,
1,250
do do favor of do,
250
23.
To do pd. J. Ashe's do favor W. Dent,
250
do do favor D. Mallett,
300
do do favor F. Craike,
750
do do favor do,
728
do do favor P. Mallett,
1,000
do do favor do,
500
do do favor D. Mallett,
500
26.
To do pd. do favor A. Blanchard,
1,450
28.
To do pd. Delegates of the State,
3,000
-------------------- page 349 --------------------
June
4.
do pd. J. Ashe's draft in favor Jas. Salter,
666
do do favor of P. Mallett,
800
S. Johnson's do favor J. Green, Jr.,
250
6.
To do pd. Jno. Ashe's do favor of E. Corbin,
870
10.
To do pd. do favor of Capt. M. Phifer,
1,000
12.
To do pd. do do favor of N. Phillips,
550
14.
To do pd. R. Caswell do favor of
2,350
To do pd. Peter Knight for 1 pr 3 pounds &c. per the musquito,
121.61
17.
To do pd. J. Ashe's draft in favor of E. Corbin,
250
18.
To do pd. do do in favor of T. Craike,
1,000
do in favor of W. Dent,
375
19.
To do pd. do do in favor of Thos. Craike,
4,000
do in favor of Jacob Blount,
7,500
S. Johnson do in do of James Green
2,500
24.
To do pd. Jno. Ashe's do in do of D. Smith,
250
July
5.
To do pd. do do in do of J. Salter,
1,000
8.
To do pd. do do in do of L. Sawyer,
250
do in do of J. Jones,
250
9.
To do pd. do do in do of T. Craike,
6,000
do in do of J. Walker,
492
To do pd. the Delegates of the State
300,000
12.
To do paid Jno. Ashe's draft in favor of D. Mallett,
500
do do in favor of F. Brice,
500
do do in favor of do,
475
do do in favor of F. Child,
100
do do in favor of J. Payneville,
100
396,512.31
1777.
Amount brought forward,
396,512.31
July
15.
To cash pd. J. Ashe's draft in favor of Maurice Moore,
500
do do do S. B. Cunningham,
750
do do do W. Dry,
120
-------------------- page 350 --------------------
22.
To do pd. S. Johnson's do do R. Collins,
3,435
Jno. Ashe's do do L. Sawyer,
250
do do do J. Sexton,
250
do do do do W. Blount,
3,079
do do do T. Craike,
5,000
do do do do,
1,036
do do do J. Easton,
1,500
29.
To do pd. do do do Capt. B. Williams,
375
Augt.
2.
To do pd. do do do do F. Brice,
450
do do do F. Jones,
458
7.
To do pd. do do do J. M. Alexander,
400
20.
To do pd. do do do do P. Mallett,
400
do do do do,
500
26.
To do pd. do do do D. Mallett,
800
do do do do,
250
Sept.
To do pd. do do do do D. Nesbit,
250
do do do do,
500
do do do do,
125
Oct.
3.
To do pd. do do do J. Hay,
250
9.
To do pd. do do do D. Mallett,
1,000
do do do W. Dry,
500
do do do do R. Patterson,
250
14.
To do pd. do do do R. Turner,
462.30
Nov.
4.
To do pd. do do do do F. White,
100
do do do do,
100
do do do do,
300
5.
To do pd. the Delegates of the State,
1,000
Dec.
4.
To do advance C. Allen & to purchase of a Horse & Chair to convey money to the State,
380
To do pd. Lt. Allen the bal. of his acct. of Expenses,
90.60
10.
To do pd. Jno. Ashe's draft in favor of J. Frageau,
410
do do do do,
421
do do do do,
500
do do do do,
510
19.
To do pd. do do do Wm. Dry,
600
423,855.31
-------------------- page 351 --------------------
1778
Amount Carried over,
423,815.31
Jany.
3.
To Cash pd. Jno. Ashe's draft in favor F. Brice,
275
do do favor of do,
400
10.
To do pd. Honble J. Penn Delegate from the State,
276.45
Feby.
28.
To do pd. The Delegates of the State,
3,500
Mar.
5.
To do pd. Jno. Ashe's draft, 12th Sept. last, favor Wm. Dry.
500
do do do favor J. Payneville,
150
do do 1st Augt. favor J. Penn,
736
9.
To do pd. do do favor S. Smith,
125
do do favor B. Stedman,
250
do do do J. Williams,
250
16.
To do pd. do do do do F. Brice,
1,000
do do do do,
1,500
18.
To a warrant on James Green Commisr. of the United States Loan Office in the said State,
30,000
24.
To Cash pd. Gov. Caswell's draft in favor of Wm. Skinner,
10,000
To do pd. J. Ashe's do in do H. Murfree,
500
30.
To do do do in do J. Green,
1,427.45
Apr.
3.
To do pd. the Hon. Thos. Burke a Delegate of the State,
1,500
16.
To do pd. J. Ashe's 4 drafts in favor of J. Payneville 125 each,
500
To do pd. Honble Corn. Harnett a Delegate of the State,
1,166.60
May
12.
To do pd. Jno. Ashe's draft in favor F. Child,
200
29.
To do pd. Capt. Reading Blount to be conveyed by him for the use of the State,
100,000
30.
To Jacob Blount for a sum advanced him for which he accounted with the State agreeable to Certificate of the Chairman of the Committee of
-------------------- page 352 --------------------
Public Accts of the State,
41,000
To Cash pd. Gov. Caswell's draft in favor R. & J. Ellis,
7,180.56
June
2.
To do pd. do do in favor Nich. Long,
30,325.62
9.
To do pd. Jno. Ashe's do do in favor E. Gamble,
250
22.
To do pd. do do in do P. Mallett,
750
do do in do P. & D. Mallett,
1,250
July
14.
To do do do in do T. Craike,
799
do do do B. Williams,
125
21.
To do pd. do do do Cosmo. Medici,
321
do do do T. Craike,
250
do do do T. Donoho,
500
Dollars,
660,833.29
Augt.
13.
To do pd. the Honble Jno. Penn a Delegate of the State,
2,000
662,833.29