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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Minutes of the North Carolina Council of State
North Carolina. Council of State
October 27, 1778
Volume 22, Pages 951-954


At a meeting of the Board at Kinston, the 27th day of October, A. D. 1778.

Present—The Honorables Thomas Bonner, Robert Bignall, John Simpson, William Bryan, Edward Starkey.

The Secretary informed the Board that, agreeable to resolve of the General Assembly recommending the appointment of a deputy, he had appointed Mr. John Lowry, Deputy Secretary. In pursuance of which appointment, the aforesaid John Lowry appeared before the Board and qualified agreeable to law.

Colonel John Bryan, Sheriff of Craven county, informed the Board there were twenty-three prisoners of war committed to his custody by the civil magistrates; and that from the high price of

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provisions he was unable to furnish said prisoners with sufficient maintenance at the price allowed by Congress; and therefore requests this Honorable Board will be pleased to order how he is to act in regard to the premises.

Resolved, That his Excellency the Governor be advised to order the said prisoners of war to be conveyed from the town of New Bern, under a sufficient guard, to the town of Smithfield, in the county of Johnston, there to be admitted to their parole, not to exceed the distance of two miles from said town; and that Colonel John Smith be requested to subsist the said prisoners of war, for which, it is the opinion of this Board, he be allowed the sum of four shillings per diem for each man.

Resolved, That his Excellency the Governor be advised to grant a warrant on the Treasurer in favor of Colonel John Bryan for three hundred dollars, in order to enable him to march the prisoners of war from New Bern to Smithfield, for which he is to account with the public.

His Excellency the Governor laid before the Board a letter from Messrs. John Burgwin, Robert Hogg and Samuel Marshall, setting forth that they had arrived at Wilmington in a flag of true, the sloop Betsy, from New York, in order to continue in the State until the sitting of the General Assembly, in obedience to an act passed last December, respecting absentees, praying his Excellency to grant them liberty on their parole and leave to remove their servants, baggage and stores, named in the flag of true, on shore.

Resolved, That his Excellency the Governor be advised to grant liberty to the said John Burgwin, Robert Hogg and Samuel Marshall to remain in the State on their several paroles until the sitting of the General Assembly, to-wit, the said John Burgwin and Robert Hogg to Mr. Burgwin’s plantation, known by the name of the Hermitage, and Samuel Marshall to his plantation, about seven miles from the town of Wilmington; and that Captain Alexander McCauslin with his flag do depart the State in twenty-four hours after his receiving notice of this resolve.

His Excellency the Governor laid before the Board a petition of James McKay, praying that he may be admitted to take the oath of allegiance to the State and remain therein.

Resolved, That the said James McKay be permitted to remain in the State on his taking the oath as aforesaid.

His Excellency the Governor laid before the Board a resolve of

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Congress recommending to the several States to direct their Treasurers to receive from the several Commissioners of the Continental Loan Office bills of credit emitted by their respective States and deliver in exchange Continental currency to the amount thereof.

Resolved, That the Governor be advised to order the Treasurer to receive and exchange such bills accordingly.

His Excellency the Governor informed the Board that he proposed to divide the troops now to march to the Southward into two brigades, the one to be composed of the troops from the Districts of Halifax, Edenton, Wilmington and New Bern, and the other of the troops from the Districts of Hillsboro and Salisbury.

Resolved, That the Governor be advised to appoint to each brigade a Purchasing Commissary and Issuing Commissary, a Paymaster and a Quartermaster.

Resolved, That the Governor be advised to grant a warrant on the Treasury in favor of Brigadier-General William Bryan the sum of the one thousand pounds, in order to furnish the troops that are to march out of his brigade to South Carolina with pots, axes, etc., etc., for which he is to account with the public.

Resolved, That the Governor be advised to draw on the Treasury in favor of the Commissaries of Purchases, the Paymasters and the Quartermasters of the two brigades now to march to South Carolina for such sums of money as will be necessary in their several departments, on their giving sufficient security for the faithful application of and accounting for the several sums of money they may receive.

JOSEPH LEECH, President,
EDWARD STARKEY,
THOMAS BONNER,
R. BIGNALL,
JOHN SIMPSON,
WILLIAM BRYAN.

Resolved, The Governor be advised to order Captain Wood to proceed immediately into the Western counties and apprehend and send on the Continental troops and new levies to camp, and also that the Governor furnish him with a warrant on the Treasury for $500 to enable him to carry this resolution into execution, he acting therefore with the General Assembly.

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Resolved, The Governor be advised to prorogue the General Assembly from day to day until a sufficient number of members appear to constitute the said Assembly.

JOSEPH LEECH, President,
EDWARD STARKEY,
R. BIGNALL,
JOHN SIMPSON.