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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Minutes of the North Carolina Council of State
North Carolina. Council of State
February 16, 1780
Volume 22, Pages 966-967


At a meeting of the Council at New Bern, the 16th February, 1780.
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Present—Joseph Leech, Robert Bignall, John Simpson, Isaac Guion and William Whitfield, Esquires.

The Governor laid before the Board sundry letters and dispatches from Congress, General Lincoln and Governor Rutledge, informing that an embarkation of the British troops had taken place at New York; that their destination was the Southern States, and that part of the fleet had arrived at Georgia and landed their troops, and also submitted to the consideration of the Board the 15th section of an act of Assembly, passed at Smithfield, 1779, entitled, “An Act for money for defraying the expense of the war and others purposes,” and requested the opinion of the Board thereupon.

The said section being taken into consideration, and it appearing from the several letters before mentioned that this State is in apparent danger of becoming the seat of war, do

Advise his Excellency to embody two thousand militia in the manner directed in said act, and march them to the limits of this State, to be in readiness to act either offensively or defensively, as the operation of the enemy may require, or to march to the aid of South Carolina.

The Governor laid before the Board an account of sundry sums of monies advanced for paper, wax and tape for public seals by his Secretary.

Resolved, The Governor be advised to grant a warrant on the Treasury in favor of his Secretary for the sum of two thousand pounds, he to be accountable.

JOSEPH LEECH, President,
R. BIGNALL,
JOHN SIMPSON,
ISAAC GUION,
WILLIAM WHITFIELD.