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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter from Herndon Ramsey et al. to Thomas Burke
Ramsey, Herndon; Et Al.
July 22, 1781
Volume 22, Pages 550-551

GEN. RAMSEY AND OTHERS TO GOV. BURKE.


Camp at McFall’s Mill, Raft Swamp, 22nd of July, 1781.

Sir:—

On Tuesday last we were captured at Chatham Court House by a party under the Command of Col. David Fanning, which party we found consisted of persons who complained of the greatest cruelties, either to their persons or property. Some had been unlawfully Drafted, Others had been whipped and ill-treated, without tryal; Others had their houses burned, and all their property plundered, and Barbarous and cruel Murders had been committed in their Neighborhoods. The Officers they complain of are Maj. Neal, Capt. Robertson, of Bladen, Capt. Crump, Col. Wade and Phil Alston, the latter a day or two ago a few miles in our rear took a man on the road and put him to instant Death, which has much incensed the Highlanders in this part of the County. A Scotch Gentleman the same day was taken at one MacAfee’s Mill and ill treated. He is said to be a peaceable and inoffensive man, in name we do not know. He lives in the Raft Swamp. Should be happy if he could be liberated. Notwithstanding the Cruel treatment these people have received, We have been treated with the greatest Civility and with the utmost respect and politeness by our Commanding Officer, Col. Fanning, to whom we are under the greatest Obligations, and we beg leave to inform your Excellency that unless an immediate stop is put to such inhuman practices we plainly discover the whole country will be deluged in Blood, and the innocent will suffer for the guilty. We well know your abhorrence of such inhuman conduct, and your steady intention to prevent it. All we mean is information. We expect to be delivered to Major Craig at Wilmington in two or three days, entirely destitute of Money or Cloathes. How long we shall remain so, God only Knows.

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All we have to ask is that the perpetrators of such horrid Deeds may be brought to tryall, that prisoners may be well treated in future, and we are

Your Excellency’s most obedient Servts.,
GEN’L HERNDON RAMSEY,
JOSEPH HINE,
MATT. RAMSEY,
W. KINCHIN,
JOHN BIRDSONG,
JAMES WILLIAMS,
MATTHEW JONES,
THOS. SURLOCK,
JAMES HERNDON,
M. GREGORY.

P. S. Simon Terril is paroled to carry this Letter and return to Wilmington.