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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Minutes of the North Carolina Council of State
North Carolina. Council of State
August 05, 1777
Volume 22, Pages 922-926


North Carolina.

At a meeting of the Council of State, at Kinston, the 5th day of August, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy-seven. Present, his Excellency the Governor, the Honorables William Cray, Joseph Leech and Thomas Bonner, Esquires.

William Haywood and Edward Starkey, Esquires, two of the members of Council, appeared, took the oaths directed to be taken for the qualification of public officers, and took their seats at the Board.

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His Excellency the Governor laid before the Board sundry accounts received by express, setting forth that several parties of the Tories in Orange, Guilford and Chatham had been at different times embodied, and from the last account a party of six hundred men were on their march for Cross Creek, and another party for Wilmington, from which he judged it necessary that a guard should be furnished from the Wilmington brigade of a militia for the magazine, and had issued orders to Brigadier-General Ashe for that purpose, and also laid before the Board a letter from General Ashe in answer thereto, wherein he informs he had furnished a guard accordingly.

Resolved, That this Board approve of the orders given by his Excellency and recommend it to him to continue the guard so long as it shall appear necessary.

Resolved, That it be recommended to his Excellency the Governor to appoint Charles Bonfield, Esq., Commissioner (of King Tammany) for the port of Edenton, in the room of Robert Smith, Esq., agent for the United States.

Resolved, That it be recommended to his Excellency the Governor to appoint Stephen Owens Ensign of a company of foot in the Eighth North Carolina Battalion, in the room of Stephen Swain, resigned.

Resolved, That it be recommended to his Excellency the Governor to appoint John Hinton, Esq., Colonel, and Theophelus Hunter, Lieutenant-Colonel, of the Wake regiment of militia in this State, in the room of John Hinton, Jr., and Thomas Hines, Esquires, who resigned.

Resolved, That it be recommended to his Excellency the Governor to appoint William Cox Paymaster of the Seventh North Carolina Battalion, in the room of James Harvey, deceased.

Resolved, That it be recommended to his Excellency the Governor to grant John Kennedy a warrant on the Treasury of this State for the sum of fifteen pounds four shillings, being due him for nineteen weeks’ board of Mann Phillips, a prisoner of war, ending the 19th day of July last.

Resolved, That it be recommended to his Excellency the Governor to furnish Mr. James Green, one of the Commissioners for purchasing provisions for the United States, with a warrant on the Treasury for the sum of five hundred pounds for the purpose of storing,

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purchasing salt and repacking the pork and beef purchased by him for the army.

His Excellency laid before the Board a resolve of Congress of the 10th of June last, respecting William Field, Matthias Sapenfield, John Smith and James MacDonald, prisoners belonging to this State, together with the petitions of the above persons, praying to be liberated from their present confinement. The Board taking the same into consideration,

Resolved, That it is the opinion of this Board the said William Fields, Matthias Sapenfield, John Smith and James MacDonald remain in their present state of confinement until the Assembly shall direct otherwise.

Resolved, That it be recommended to his Excellency the Governor to appoint Samuel Johnston, Esq., Judge of the Court of Oyer and Terminer to be held for the District of Edenton, in the room of Charles Bonfield, Esq., who declines accepting the appointment, and if Samuel Johnston, Esq., should decline acting as Judge of said Court, that it be recommended to his Excellency to appoint James Iredell, Esq., judge of the said Court.

Resolved, That it be recommended to his Excellency the Governor to issue a proclamation prohibiting the exportation or transportation of common salt out of this State, and that at the expiration of every thirty days he issue a similar proclamation until the meeting of the next session of the General Assembly.

Resolved, That it be recommended to his Excellency the Governor to grant Daniel Berry a warrant on the Treasury for ten pounds to pay him for his trouble and expense as one of the guards to the money brought from Baltimore for the use of this State.

Resolved, That it be recommended to his Excellency the Governor to grant Lieutenant John Allen a warrant on the Treasury for fifty-five pounds as a compensation for his extraordinary trouble and assiduity and care in conveying the money from Baltimore into this State.

Resolved, That it be recommended to his Excellency the Governor to grant Robert Mitchell, a soldier belonging to the State of Maryland, a warrant on the Treasury for the sum of thirty-five pounds to pay him for his extraordinary care in guarding the money brought into this State from Baltimore, and in order to enable him to join his regiment again.

Whereas, from the situation of affairs in several of the Western

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counties, it appears to this Board absolutely necessary that the magazine in the town of Wilmington should be removed to some interior part of this State, where the same would be more secure; and,

Whereas, there is a strong house at Kinston, Dobbs county, very suitable for the purpose, and the inhabitants in that part of the country well affected to government, so that fewer men will be capable of guarding the same.

Resolved, therefore, That it be recommended to his Excellency the Governor, to have all the powder in the magazine at Wilmington except one ton weight removed to Kinston, and to that end, he direct Colonel Sheppard to furnish a sufficient guard from his battalion for the purpose aforesaid; and that he furnish the captain of the guard with a warrant on the Treasury for a sum of money sufficient to defray the expenses attending the removal of the same; and also that his Excellency request the Commissary of Stores to remove the lead in the said magazine to some place of more security, and that on the arrival of the powder at Kinston the Governor furnish a proper guard for the same.

Resolved, That it be recommended to his Excellency the Governor to furnish the Secretary of State with a warrant on the Treasury for the sum of one hundred pounds to defray the expense of express until the next General Assembly, when he shall account for the same.

Resolved, That it be recommended to his Excellency the Governor to furnish Nicholas Long, Esq., Quartermaster-General, with a warrant on the Treasury for five thousand pounds, to enable him to defray the expenses attending the marching of the North Carolina Continental troops, and for necessaries for said army, the said Nicholas Long, Esq., accounting for the same with the General Assembly.

Resolved, That it be recommended to his Excellency the Governor to appoint Lewis Hicks Ensign in the Eighth North Carolina Battalion.

His Excellency the Governor laid before the Board authenticated vouchers of Colonel Abraham Sheppard and the officers under his command, having raised three hundred and twenty-eight privates in his regiment previous to the first of July last.

Resolved, That it is the opinion of this Board Colonel Sheppard hath complied with the several stipulations and conditions by the General Assembly provided relative to the said battalion, and that it

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be recommended to the Governor to grant commissions to such officers as are necessary to complete the said battalion.

Resolved, That it be recommended to his Excellency the Governor to appoint Benjamin Higgins Second Lieutenant of the artillery company, in the room of John Allen, resigned; Philip Jones, Third Lieutenant, in the room of Benjamin Higgins, promoted, and John Curlon Vance, Lieutenant Fireworker, in said company.

Resolved, That it be recommended to his Excellency the Governor to appoint —— Ingram, Captain of the ship of war General Washington.

Resolved, That it be recommended to his Excellency the Governor to grant a warrant on the Treasury in favor of Thomas Creake, Esq., Commissary of Stores, for the sum of fifteen hundred pounds, to defray the expense of purchasing clothing for the army.

Resolved, That it be recommended to his Excellency the Governor to direct the Commissioners appointed to receive the salt made by Richard Blackledge, Esq., to have the same transported from the salt works to New Bern and there store the same.

WILLIAM CRAY, President,
W. HAYWOOD,
JOSEPH LEECH,
EDWARD STARKEY,
THOMAS BONNER.