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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter from Robert Burton to Thomas Burke
Burton, Robert, 1747-1825
March 08, 1782
Volume 16, Pages 222-223

TO GOV. BURKE FROM COL RO. BURTON.
[From Executive Letter Book.]

8th March, 1782.

Sir:

Agreeable to your request of the 25th ult., which came to hand yesterday afternoon, I send you a Copy of the Rects for and a descriptive list of the Horses sent to Gen. Greene after your capture.

In your letter of the ult. you desire that I will make returns of all the deliveries from my Department to the Continent. I have sent for Returns to be made me from the different posts, after receiving which I will transmit Returns to you but it is impossible before.

Enclosed I send you a list of the invalid horses. I can’t recover the Bay horses purchased by Hunt for you, but the small Bay had of Hunt and the Bay had of Parson Boyd might perhaps be of service to you, and if you will deem it I will send them down for your inspection.

Sure I am that you must have been misinformed in any Assistant of mine having rode a horse of yours to Halifax, for one was never rode by any one in my Department that I know of except once to Hillsborough by Mr. Smith at a time when Mrs. Burke had a horse of mine in her carriage for which Mr. Smith was to have exchanged when he met her.

I once lent Mr. Steel, an Assistant of Col. Davie, a sorrel horse of yours to ride from Williamsboro to Colonel Henderson’s, where I appointed to meet him and give him another horse, but he was in so great a hurry that he would not stay to the hour appointed, but rode your horse to Halifax, where as he informs me, he deliverd him to Mrs. Burke.

General Person tells the people of this County that they will not be cleared a tour of duty for their service done here, which has prevented my getting a man for any one purpose, or other, and I have not, nor ever had money enough of the public to pay an Express rider for one day.

I have not at this time one quire of paper nor the means of procuring

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it. In a word so starved is the Department that no man can hold it with credit to himself or advantage to the public.

I therefore wish that you would appoint some one to fill my place as I shall send you my Commission, as soon as the returns you want can be made out.

I am, Sir,
Yr. very H’ble servt.,
RO. BURTON,
Q. M. G.