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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Report by a committee of the North Carolina General Assembly concerning officers for the North Carolina Battalions of the Continental Army
North Carolina. General Assembly
August 14, 1778
Volume 15, Pages 715-716

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State of North Carolina,
In the House of Commons, 14th August, 1778.

The joint Committee of both Houses appointed to examine the several papers and make an arrangement of the Officers to command the Battalions to be filled up out of the new levies in this State; having met and chosen Genl. Person, Chairman, Beg leave to Report as follows.

It appears to your Committee that in consequence of orders from His Excellency the Governor, A Board of Continental Officers hath been held at Halifax and Moon's Creek and have recommended Field Officers, Captains, and Subalterns to take the command of four Battalions to be filled out of the new levies raised in Virtue of an Act of the last Assembly, which arrangement and recommendation of the said Board of Officers your Committee are of Opinion should take place and to which they beg leave to refer.

Your Committee further Report as their Report that the Supernumerary Continental Officers remaining should be discharged reserving to such reduced Officer the right of preferment according to Rank whenever a Vacancy may happen. And that the Militia Captains commanding the new levies shall take rank and continue with their Companys agreeable to law unless when such Captains may have a less number than a full Company in which case such Company to be joined to others in the same circumstance and one Captain to take Command, this arrangement to be made by the said Captains and the men under their Command without the interposition of the Continental Officers, and that it is the opinion of your Committee that the said Captains of the said new raised levies after such arrangement shall Command Continental Lieutenants and have a right to sit in Court Martials on the trials of the said new raised levies.

Your Committee have examined the returns of the new levies now on duty from the District of Salisbury and Hillsborough, and have received information that a number also is now collected at Halifax and in Duplin County, upon the whole your Committee are of opinion that the new raised levies together with such Continental Soldiers as are now in this State on duty are fully Sufficient to compleat the four Battalions to be raised agreeable to the Resolve of the Continental Congress—which is submitted.

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The House taking the said Report into consideration Concurred therewith, except that part “reserving to such reduced officers the right of preferment according to rank whenever a vacancy may may happen.”

By order
John Hunt, C. H. C.


In the Senate, 14th August, 1778.

Concurred with as altered by the Commons.

Allen Jones, S. S.

Extract from the Journal.

JOHN HUNT, C. H. C.