The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-11-30
IN OLD COLONIAL TINES
Interesting Letters From Promis<st Men
of Former Dsys-A Numbe Of them HA-
tag Uoe.rthsd In the state Auditor's OF.
nee
Especial C,rrespondence.)

nee
Especial CJrrespondence.)
Raleigh, n. c.. November -.
Those who like 10 ransack old files Of
letters and read the handwriting Of
men notable in North Cardinals histo-
~ viii find much to interest in the doc
umenss now being ~rearranged in the
Office Of the state auditor. The docu-
ments range in date from about I73o
to the present. Not a few OF them real
ly belong in the Office of the secretary
OF state. When the present supreme
court building was completed the Sec
rotary OF state occupied the courts old
quarters in the capitol. Up 10 that
time he had one OF the Offices now oc-
cupied by the auditor This perhaps
led TO some mixing of records The
fateful days OF March-Aprf, 1866, no
doub. caused much confusion. Many
documents were packed After the fed
eral occupation the offices in the cap
itol were occupied by army officers I'M
til in the summer.
Looking over the letters which are at
last being rearranged in the auditors
office, one was found which contained
a description of he seal Of the colony
of North Carolina. h Is in n let
ter from the earl of Sheburne to Gov
ernor Tryon. IL is dated in 1867. at St.
James palace, London. Governor
Tryon issued a proclamation quoting
the entire letter.
A letter from Governor Arthur Dobbs
dated at Brunswick, in 1868. is to Cor
nelius Harnett, Arch Maclain and John
Lyon in the province OF Brunswick
His seal. al impression in red wax. is
in the upper left hand corner. 1t is
very small.
Thomas jefferson, under date OF 17SO.
as governor Of Virginia, write from
Richmond to Messrs. Martin. Perrin
and Davis at Hillsboro, expressing his
great regret at his inability to furnish
North Carolina with even a single
stand of arms.
James Porterfield, writing for Peter
Mallett, from Cross Creek, to Governor
Caswell. said he needed SIS. 900 more
to enable him to close up his contracts
to furnish supplies for the army. He
remarked that pork was then Q71g
$225 per barrel.
Governor William L. Davidson. writ
ing in 1880. complained that during
nearly five years service in the North
Carolina continental line, most of it in
active duty, he had not been issued SO
much As n suit OF clothes or any
linen. He bess that some cloth be sen
him. This letter is to John Penn.
Esq, president of the board of war,
Hillsboro. per express"
Under date of IT'S is a letter from
Governor Caswell to John Bryan, of
Craven, ordering him to march all pris-
oners of war lately taken by the Bello-
ma privateer to Smithfield, Johnston
county, and there deliver them to Lieu
tenant Colonel John Smith, who had
been instructed to parole them to re-
main in that town or within two miles
of it during the governors pleasure.
This letter has the governors private
seal impressed on paper in the upper
left hand corner. The seal is his mon
ogram "R. c." the letters interlaced.
He used his private seal on many pub
lie documents.
One letter is addressed II His Ex-
cellency the Governor, Esquire, New
Bern
There is a letter from Hardy MUIR
free to Caswell, dated Winton, 1717.
Captain Cosmos di Medici Ca member
of one of the most illustrious of the
Italian familieS) writes to Governor
Caswell from Halifax, May 81, 1777,
thai he is ordered to proceed at once
to Philadelphia With all prisoners and
deliver them to the congress. He says
that congress at it's last session at
Halifax, ordered this done. He adds:
Nothing now detains me but your ex-
cellency'S orders"
Joseph Hughes writing to Caswell in
1776, bespeaks the latter's kindness. He
says your kind treatment while 1 was
your prisoner ernboldens me to make
this request" Hughes letter is called
the seal bearing his arms. He sent il
by an express, and begs the governor to
pardon him for having taken that lib
erty. +. A. OLDS.