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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter from Thomas Pollock to Alexander Spotswood
Pollock, Thomas, 1654-1722
December 28, 1712
Volume 01, Pages 895-897

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[From Calendar of Virginia State Papers. Vol. 1. p. 159.]
GOV. POLLOCK'S REPLY TO GOV SPOTSWOOD ON INDIAN AFFAIRS AND THE PROPOSED AID TO THE PEOPLE OF N. CAROLINA

Choan, N. C. December 28th, 1712.

Hond Sr

Yours of the 13th Recd by the Indians last night, wherein, I observe that I have not answered yrs: of Nov. the 18th so fully it seems as I ought to have done—First as for the Duffells, I gave your honor acot of the great want of it, and intended to have sent for it as soon as i understood from yr: honor wher I was to have it. But necessity Forcing, begged in my last the favour of having it, and some other necessaryes brought to Sth Key, the charges of wch may be taken out of the £1000. And the 1000lb: left to yr: honors' disposall I thought was a good reserve for the last cast. And that it was not policy to venture all at on hazard. For Knowing the instability of the Sth Carolina indians by their leaving Coll: Barnwell last year, can have no certan dependance of their finishing the war at this time—But I concluded that when they had done what they could against the Tuscaroroes, Then what forces yr honor can raise wth that Fund, might I thought, wth our help bring the enemy to a reasonable peace, as I writt to you by Charleton—And as for a declaration of war against our enemyes I proposed it to the Counsell here, who after due confideration, thought it altogether unnecessary, after haveing passed here severall Acts of Assembly declaring warr, and after the continuance of the war against them 15 months & several of both sides Killed and taken & indeed it seems to me a little preposterous. Whow soever, if the upper Towns of the Tuscororoes doe not performe their Preliminary Articles i intend to lay the breatch before the Counsell, and have a Proclamation issued out declaring warr, and send in one of them to yr: honor. wch i hope may Remove all scruples—As for sending for the indians Prisoners, i was very willing to see first if ther indians would have kept their Preliminary Articles wth us, first, haveing no Prisons to Keep them in here—Your honor needs not doubt but that the favour of the duffells & money was accepted of here, wth all the acknowledgement and gratitud wee wer capable of Espetially being to be lodged in yr: hands who wee know will manadge it for our best advantadge, as you will see by the address of thanks from our Assembly wch i hope ye have Recd by Charleton, before now, being disappointed of it a long time by the mismanadgement of some Persons whom the Assembly trufted, of wch Capt Jones can give the best account—

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I had sent in a Depty: or twoe before now, to concert what measures your honors thinkes best in laying out that money—Only thinking that ther was no present necessity of laying out any (save only for the cariadge of the Dussells & the other things sent for the Sth Key) And lykewise all our men capable to be sent as deputys being otherwise employed in that troublesome juncture, thought it might be delayed until the army was marched out—It is true provisions is lyke to be very short wth us, But I will strive hard to provide the army (if possible) And had rather the Inhabitants should pinch a litle this summer, then the money be imployed for that use, wch I doubt not yr: honor, will find wayes to imploy it more for advantage—And intend as soon as the Army is out and have a litle prospect whow (how?) our affaires are lyke to succeed, then to send in a depty or twoe to give yr: honor a true state of our Condition, and to agree on such measures as you shall thinke most advantageous for the peace of this Government—

As for Hancock, it is time they had obliged themselves to deliver him both to you and to us, And having brought him in here, and the offence he had committed being against this Governt, And as wee apprehended, it was on account ye pressed his bringing in, so that it never entered our thoughts that ther was any necessity of sending him into you, or that you desired it, otherwise wee would certainly have sent him in by Blunt, who was very willing to goe—And I am confident non in this Governt ever imagined ye wonld have sheltered him from his deserved punishment—

Hond Sr I would have sent a boat or a cannoe to Sth Key before now, But I protest it is as much as wee can to spare this cannoe now to send—All the boats & cannoes wee can gett here, not being sufficient to cary provisions for the indians who ly here destroying the place untill provisions is caryed round to Bath County wch I hope now will be in a short time—

I am well satisfyed that ther is a receaver Genll come in, by whom I hope wee shall have some Instructions from the Lds: Proprietors, And should be glade to have the honor to see him here.

Hond Sr If I have missed in this or my former, threw inadvertency or misapprehensione, I hope ye will impute it to the great pressure of business I now ly under—The army here to be provided for, Provision and some other ne cessaryes to be sent round to Bath County, men, horses and arms to be raysed and twenty other things, too long here to Recite, The Counsell not near mee, all wch I hope yr: honor will consider, And assure you ther shall not the least thing slipe me intentionally, that

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may any wayes offend you, but shall approve myself on all occasions to be

Hond Sr
Your most obedient Humble servant
THO: POLLOCK