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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter from Thomas Burke to Robert Burton
Burke, Thomas, ca. 1747-1783
February 25, 1782
Volume 16, Pages 521-522

GOV THOS BURKE TO COL. BURTON.

Halifax, February 25th, 1782.

Sir:

As I am not yet informed as to the Stores on hand, or the Purposes for which they were procured, I must postpone taking order on them until Just Returns are made to me, and, therefore, your application in Favor of Mr. Mountflorence cannot yet be answered.

It is contrary to my Rule to issue any Warrants on the Treasury until I have before me Accounts or Estimates. The Account of the Debts due from your Department, specifying the Sums, the Service, and the Persons must appear before I can grant Warrants.

I shall appropriate the Iron at Newbern as soon as I can discover where it is most necessary.

I wish to see a particular Return of the Invalid Horses you mentioned, and it would be satisfactory to know in what Service they have become Invalids. Be so good as to give particular Information on this Head.

It is necessary that I have the account of your Deliveries much sooner than Mr. Mountflorence can return to Salisbury, and I wish, without Delay, to have the Returns for which I wrote to you some time since.

I am so entirely without Horses that I cannot inspect several

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Affairs that require my Presence. One which was sent here under one of your Assistants I can get no account of—he was a Sorrel, about 14 Hands high, remarkably well made, a Short Dock, full thigh and fine Head and Neck. Another which you sent down, I am told, died at Blanton’s. Be so good as to enclose me Copies of the Receipts and descriptive Lists of the Horses you delivered for the Army after my Capture.

I do, by no Means, intend to impower you to Impress Horses for me. I wish to have some Account of such as were my own originally, and such as I gave Receipts for, which charged me to the Public, and which it was improper to apply without my knowledge or Public Order, and however well intended, now put me to great Inconvenience.

My Compliments to your Lady and Colo. Williams & his Lady.

I am, Sir, &c.,
T. BURKE.