January, 1779.
Thomas Blount appointed Major of the regiment of the New Bern Brigade, in the room of Henry Bonner, whose indisposition will not admit of his marching.
At a Council held at Tarboro, the 4th day of January, 1779.
Present—The Honorables Joseph Leech, Edward Starkey, Robert Bignall and John Simpson, Esq.
The Governor informed the Board that thirty days since the date of the last proclamation prohibiting the exportation of provisions would expire the 4th instant.
Resolved, The Governor be advised to issue a proclamation prohibiting the exportation of provisions out of this State (by any person or persons whatsoever), with the same exceptions as contained in the last proclamation.
The Governor laid before the Board a letter from Major-General Ashe, setting forth the necessity of an Adjutant-General to the troops marching to the aid of South Carolina and Georgia, and recommending Colonel Caswell to that office.
Resolved, That the Governor be advised to commissionate the said Colonel Caswell Adjutant of the said troops, agreeable to the appointment of the said Major-General Ashe.
The Governor informed the Board that General Ashe in his letter suggested that disbanding the troops on the tenth of April, at such place as they might then be, would be attended with inconvenience, on account of provisions and other necessaries on their return, and afford opportunity of the soldiers committing depredations on the property of the individuals.
Resolved, That it was not the intention of the Board that the troops should be disbanded on the 10 day of April next, but that they should be dicharged from the service of the said States on that day, and marched under their several officers into the respective counties in which they resided previous to their being disbanded.
The Secretary laid before the Board an account of cash received from the Treasury on the Governor’s warrants, by advice of the Board, since the last settlement of his accounts with the public, amounting to £500, and also sundry receipts from expresses, whereby it appears that he hath advanced the sum of £6,994.
Resolved, That the Governor be advised to grant him a warrant on the Treasury for five hundred pounds to defray the expense of expresses, he accounting therefor with the General Assembly.
Resolved, That the Governor be advised to grant Colonel Thompson a warrant on the Treasury for three hundred pounds, for so much advanced for a boat for Fort Hancock, and also a warrant on the Treasury for the sum of £227.16.0 for the storage of public salt imported in the Pennsylvania Farmer, in lieu of a warrant formerly directed to be granted to Captain Easton.
Additional Notes for Electronic Version: There are two different sets of minutes for the Council of State on January 4, 1779. Based on internal evidence, it seems likely that this set actually dates from late December 1778.