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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter from Daniel Legett to Richard Caswell
Legett, Daniel
December 04, 1777
Volume 11, Pages 816-817

DAN LEGGETT TO GOV. CASWELL.
[From MS. Records in Office of Secretary of State.]

These with speed

This Letter was found on the Publick Road and sent on by Thos. Respass Jun.


December 4th 1777

May it please your Most Noble Excellency & your Noble Council. Tho' I Dare Not Approach you in Person Nor Dare I Do it with these inconsiderate Lines without Shame & Confusion of face. But Relying upon your Mercy & goodness I Send this paper as an humble advocate to plead in Some Measure that So it May abate the Severity of your Just Displeasure. & Appease that Stroke of Justice that I have incurd upon Myself by My horrid tramsgression & folly that I have unadvisedly fell into. Wherefore if A Returning prodigal a true and unfeigned penitent May find Mercy in those Circumstances I unfeignedly beg it at your hands. I hope it may please you for your honnours Sakes & for the Sake of him

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that hath promised A blessedness to the Merciful to Look in a way of pity upon one that earnestly Desires Nothing More then to be Number'd with your Subjects though Unworthy at present. I hope to find all My Superiors to Whom I think Myself happy that I have to address My Self to in this Manner, to be endued with So Much Compasion & tenderness to forgive One that is truly Sensible & penitent that I can but think My Self happy upon every Remembrance of the same & Not Willing to Affect one that is Convicted in his own Conscience. Wherefore if Should please your Excellency & to whom I have to petition to Grant Me My Liberty & the opertunity to Make manifest What I have promised by a Ready Compliance to your Laws & Commands I Should think My Self happy Nevertheless in All things Submiting to your Excellency's Disposal I Must remain as I have Made my self miserable without your Assistance Which I rely upon your excellencys honour for in requital of which I promise to Spend the remaining part of my time in obedants to your Commands it being all that I am able to offer with My prayers & supplication to God for your Success & happy Continuance if it Does Not please your excellency to Admit of My being alltogether at Liberty I should be very thankful to be admitted to Bale until the Cartensuing at Edenton the winter being very cold & I being Distitute of My Necessarys that My Life Depends upon your honour I hope that what I was put in for Last was Not unbaleable tho' indeed it is too bad I having but Little to Say for My self More then I was Not in this unhappy affair at the first till I was seduced by others & never being acquainted with the general plan at all was Set on to Do More than I hope I shall ever be gilty of any more if it should please your honour to Let this Pass But Use all Means that in My power to Supress all that should in any ways endeavour to hurt the present Government. Wherefore if it should be to my opertunity & I should be any ways faulty to my promise I would Submit to the Most strictest that Malice Could inflict therefore with all Submission I beg you would determine & Despose of me as you see Convenient, in expectation, of which I Remain Sir, Most unwothest of your Subjects

DANIEL LEGETT.