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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter from William Blount to Horatio Gates
Blount, William, 1749-1800
September 24, 1780
Volume 14, Pages 644-646

MAJOR WM. BLOUNT TO MAJOR GENERAL GATES.

New Bern, Sept. 24th, 1780.

Sir:

Not before the Return of Mr. James Green from Hillsboraugh could I obtain a certain Answer whether I could obtain any part of the Goods captured by the General Nash belonging to Messrs.

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Stanlys, Green & Ines, He being the principal Acting Person in that Concern at present. On his Return I waited upon him, and We extracted from the several Invoices such Things as appeared (from the Instructions by you given both to him & myself) to be wanted for the Use of your Army, an Invoice of which the Bearer, Col. Thos. Blount, will shew you, to which We have added several Things, such as Sope, Barley & Flour not heretofore directed to be purchased. By the inclosed letter you will see the Terms on which thos Articles may be obtained, that is for every pound Sterling cost five pounds in Specie; for every pound Specie Twenty five pounds in Bills upon Maryland, payable in sixty days from the Delivery of the Goods in Cont. Money. This Calculation is made in Dollars at eight Shillings; or, in other Words, for every eight Shillings Sterling three hundred and seventy five dollars. Mr. Green assures you a greater Price can here be obtained in Produce, which you may depend on, and I assure you that from the best Inquiries I have been able to make that they cannot be obtained in Philadelphia nor to the Southward of it for less. Upon examining the Invoice you will please to point out to my Brother what Articles you will take, and furnish him with Bills accordingly. The Prizes got up to Town but yesterday, and upon a Certainty that the Terms are as good as can be obtained, and by no Means bad, as well as from a Certain Knowledge that your Troops are in immediate Want of several of the Articles, Viz., of the linnens, Duck, Shoes, Stockings, Hats, Ticklenbourgh & Ozenburg's, I shall as soon as possible receive and forward those Articles to you. I doubt not but I shall have received them before this reaches you. The Crew of the General Nash will have at her Return to Port of every Article the same quantity as mentioned in the Invoice sent you, which probably I may be able mostly to obtain; my Attention shall not be wanting. I have sent off a Person to South Key to purchase from Col. Jo. Parker what Cloth, Coarse linnen & Duck he may have. From the above Prospect of Purchases you may form a pretty just Estimate of what amount of Bills I may have occasion for, and as the Distance is great, and the Difficulty of obtaining an Express greater, I shall be thankful to you to send by my Brother Bills for such Sums as to you may appear necessary, for which he will give you a Receipt and for which I will account.
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I have sent to Edenton, and nothing there can be had. Col. Rowan has got nothing; he has been here sick these ten days. With Pleasure I shall attend your future Commands.

I have the Honour to be,
With much Esteem,
Your most obt. Servant,
WM. BLOUNT.