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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter from the North Carolina Governor's Council to Alexander Spotswood
North Carolina. Council
June 29, 1711
Volume 01, Pages 760-761

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[B. P. R. O. B. T. Virginia. Vol. 13. O. 99.]
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT AND COUNCIL OF NORTH CAROLINA TO COLONEL SPOTSWOOD.


29th June 1711.

Most Honoble Sir,

As nothing can stamp so deep an Impression of Gratitude upon the minds and hearts of us the President and Council and all loyal and honest subjects of North Carolina than your Honrs generous mediation to reconcile the most distracted Country in the Queen's Dominions So no occasion can ever pass without our acknowledgement for so noble offers of your Friendship and as we beg leave in the most publick and most respective manner to acknowledge it so we must entreat leave to repeat it for your favour in sending Mr Clayton a person so fitted with all the qualifications possible for his great wisdom, temper and zeal to negotiate so weighty an affair, and to effect it with success if he had not by experience found that there is neither honour nor faith to be depended on from either Colonel Cary or his rebellious crew.

Wee the President and Council have with great heartiness and a just sense of your goodness embrac'd your Honrs mediation and desired Mr Clayton to go with your Honrs Letter directed to Col: Cary on that Subject, which he did deliver on the 26th instant, being the day after he arrived here. Col: Cary was then under sail in a Brigantine attended with a Barque Togue in this Sound about four leagues distant from this place, what discourse Mr Clayton had with him on the subject of your Honrs letter he will particularly inform you, the result of which was that a meeting sh'd be had the next day between us and Col: Cary with his pretended Council at the place appointed by him, and all acts of hostility should cease in the mean time and his forces to remain where he then was, but upon consideration that place was found inconvenient, and Mr Clayton according to agreement with him sent off a Boat with a Letter to acquaint him that we could not meet at the place named by Colo Cary, and named two other places, at either of which he desired him to appoint a meeting the then next day, tis true the Letter could not reach him in time by reason of bad weather, but two hours before the time appointed for meeting the first day Colo Cary advanced towards us with his Vessells with a Flagg on his Main top, and came within five miles of this place, and took his station betwixt the place where he appointed the meeting

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and our Guards. So that had we gone according to his appointment our passage back had been cut off.

Notwithstanding all which unfair Dealings Mr Clayton went a second time and delivered your Honrs second Letter, but Colo Cary wholy rejected your Honrs mediation, so that Mr Clayton returned without success as he himself will more particularly inform you. Colo Cary is now under sail and approaching towards us so that we hourly expect to be insulted by him, what the event may be God only knows and considering no faith can be given to his words and promises and that he declines all Offers of peace, and even the gratious Offer of your Honor's mediation. We earnestly request you will be pleased to assist us with what armed force can be spared from your Government, to be maintained and paid by this Colony and that with all dispatch that can be made they be sent to South Key where we will have a Sloop or Sloopes and Canoes to wait for them there. If you could spare us some Marines it would strike a greater Terrer in the people, but that is submitted to your Honrs great wisdom. And we shall for what we have already expressed in favour to us, make the best use of it, to speak your Honrs merit and must also find a way to lett the greatest of Queens know, what a representative she has in those parts of the world, that so remarkably maintains her Grandeus and Authority and assists her poor subjects that are under such a lawless usurpation and oppression for it is very evident that neither mercy can engage nor justice awe or controule these Rebells. We are in all Duty and Obedience

Your Honrs
Most faithfull, most obedient
and most devoted servants
EDWARD HYDE
GRAFFENRIED
THO. POLLOCK
W. GLOVER
THO. BOYD
Copy Exdp.
Wil. Roberson.

(Endorsed)

Recd 25th Septr 1711.
Read 16th Novr 1711.