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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter from James Moore to Richard Caswell
Moore, James, 1737-1777
March 07, 1777
Volume 11, Pages 411-412

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GEN. JA. MOORE TO GOV. CASWELL.
[From Executive Letter Book.]


Wilmington, March 7th, 1777.

Dear Sir:—

I herewith send you a copy of a Resolve I have received from the Continental Congress, ordering me to march the Troops belonging to this State to join General Washington: which is as follows:

“Resolved that General Moore and Genl. Nash proceed with the Continental Regiments raised and to be raised in the State of North Carolina; that they begin their march from South Carolina of such of the said Regiments as shall be there then, on the 10th day of March next, and of such Continental Troops as shall be in the State of North Carolina, as soon they shall be joined by the Regiments which are ordered from South Carolina, as aforesaid, the said Troops are to be marched by Regiments, or parts of Regiments, and that the Governor of North Carolina, and the Executive Powers of the several States through which such Troops shall march on their way to Head Quarters be requested to render them every assistance in their power to expedite their progress: that General Moore be empowered to draw on the Continental Paymaster of the Southern Department for such sums of money as shall be necessary to procure supplies for the said troops until they join the Continental Army; and that all Commissaries and Quarter Masters in the Continental Service, who shall be in the States through which they pass, contribute their best endeavours to aid in carrying this resolve into execution with all possible expedition.”

In compliance with Resolve I applied to the Commissaries to furnish provisions at different places marked out in the route I proposed to take, and to my surprise Mr. Mallett, one of the Commissaries, who is at present at Cross Creek wrote the following letter to his brother, who is his agent in this town. “It is necessary to acquaint General Moore that, by some means or other we can not command money from the Treasury as formerly; altho' we are now 6000 in advance for provisions laid up, and that unless he can give some orders so as we shall be in cash, it will not be possible the troops can be supplied.”

From the above, you will perceive, Sir, that it will be impossible

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for me to move from hence, until orders are issued to the Treasury to furnish the Commissaries with such sums as may be requisite for laying in provisions at the different places I have appointed. Your informing me as soon as possible what measures you and the Council of State may think proper to adopt, will much

oblige Dear Sir,
Your most obed't. humble serv't.,
JA. MOORE.
His Excellency Richard Caswell.

P. S. The Troops have Contrary to my orders, been detained in So. Carolina by General Howe, but I am in hopes they are now on their march.