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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter from John Alexander Lillington to Abner Nash
Lillington, John Alexander, 1720s-1786
June 04, 1780
Volume 14, Pages 837-838

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GEN. ALEX. LILLINGTON TO GOV. ABNER NASH.

June 4, 1780.

To His Excellency, Governor Nash, In Newbern.

Dr. Sir:

I am sorry that Necessity obliges me to complain of the proceedings of Toomes, the Continental Forage Master & waggon Master under Col. Long, who has ever been to Idle to do his Business as he ought, & very seldom or ever supplies himself as he ought, but employes his Emissaries, sending them about after grain, Distressing the Inhabitants in the most cruel Manner he can, without the least respect to Law. He the other Day sent up one Maxwell, a fellow who was at the beginning of these times sent to Newbern in Irons, as Grand a torie as any in the state. He told me that Toomes had sent him to Impress Corn. I asked him by what authority; he had nothing more to show but his Deputation as Forage Master under Toomes. I told him that he was no way authorized to take my Corn from me or any other man's, but to go back to Toomes, and I would write to him, wh. I did, & acquainted him that in case he must have my Corn to give me a Line from under his hand writing, & then he should have it. The next morning Maxwell came back with Colo. Washington's Quarter Master, with a Soldier Armed with nothing more than Orders to Take it. Such proceedings I told them was by no means justifiable, & forewarned them from Braking open My Barn, which they have done, & taken out some Corn, & is to return for what they may want. I was very sensible their lives was in my hands at the time they were committing this atrocious act; but, Sir, as we have you to look up to as Father to the people of this State, that justice shall be done, you will be pleased to send your orders that Col. Washington's Quarter Master to be put in the hands of the Civil power, as he may be made to answer for what he has don, as Major General Caswell writes me he shall be at Duplin Court house in a few days. I really think that these Light Horse men ought to join him; I cannot see of what use they are here. There is great Complaints of Colo. Allmouny horse all along the Sound; as they came their horses were turned into the people's wheat fields, Destroying the grain.

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Mr. Sam Walters waits on your Excellency, & I shall esteem it as a great favour if you, Sir, will be pleased to grant him a Capt.'s Commission, if there should be A Vacancy.

I am, Sir, yr. Most
Obedient Huble. Servant,
ALEX. LILLINGTON.