Sheweth

That your Memorialist with his father & five brothers took an early & decided part in behalf of the British Government and have used their utmost exertions in suppressing the rising progress of Rebellion in North America which so strongly prevailed that those who professed Loyalty found themselves neither safe in their persons or property;

so that Colo. James COTTON called a muster, where his father & himself were embodied with many others under the Colonel’s directions, for some days; but on receiving certain intelligence that 300 Rebels armed & mounted on horseback were joined by many more of their associates in Anson county were marching to oppose Col. COTTON in his muster which Col. COTTON considering, thought prudent to disperse.

Then your Memorialist, with his father & Col. COTTON repaired on board one of his Majesties ships of war in Cape fear river, in order to advise with his Excellency Governor MARTIN about this matter; where arriving in July 1775 we received his Excellencies advice & departed for our homes;

but the rebels hearing of our return lay in wait for us, made us prisoners & after treating us with much cruelty brought us before Congress at Hillsborough where we were heard & acquitted.

That in February 1776 by the advice of his Excelly. Governor MARTIN he rose in arms, his father received a Captain’s Commission, raised a troop which he commanded in that expedition, was at the battle of Moore’s Bridge, his brother with himself rendered every service in their power in the support of his Majesties army both in men & provisions, and after the breaking up of that expedition his Father fled to the province of East Florida.

That Your Memorialist was captured by the enemy, his property seized, which they destroyed & sold & after having been near two years a prisoner was sentenced to banishment, closely confined in prison, but by the assistance of friends got out, & went to South Carolina,

where your Memorialist gave his assistance in raising four hundred men & marched them to East Florida of these a regiment was formed of the South Carolina Loyalists under the Command of Lieut: Colonel Joseph ROBINSON, in which Regiment major McLAURIN offered him a Lieutenancy, which he was about to accept but in consequence of his receiving the Commission of Captain from his Excellency Patrick TONYN dated the 2nd day of April 1778 in the Regiment of East Florida Rangers under the command of Lieut. Col. Thomas BROWN he refused to accept the offer made him by Major McLAURIN

& having received his excellencies Order, was six hundred & seven days in his Majesties service, having purchased four horses out of his own private property for the use of Government with some other expenses to the amount of one hundred & seventeen pounds, during which service he had several skirmishes with the enemy:

& acting in conjunction with the British troops in Georgia, in the month of January 1779 Col. BROWN attacked an encampment of the enemy had a very severe engagement the Col. himself being wounded.

That Your Memorialist had a brother killed & himself taken prisoner & brought to South Carolina was ten months a prisoner of war in Charlestown & on receiving a parole from General Lincoln to return to the British troops who were then stationed at Savannah in Georgia,

where shewing General PREVOST a copy of his Parole & Commission in the regiment raised by his excellency Pat. TONYN he took his leave & arrived at St. Augustine the first day of Decr. 1779 being six hundred & seven days
at ten shillings & six pence per day                    £  318.  13.    6.
Purchase of horses & expenses                             117.    0.    0.
                                                                                £  435.  13.    6.

That Your Memorialist remained there one year, often solliciting his excellency for his pay for services his Excellency told him it was not in his power to make him any payment.

Your Memorialist then went to the province of Georgia where he was employed by his excellency Sir James WRIGHT in keeping the chequer list of the Negroes who were employed in the publick Works, he received seven shillings per day by his excellency’s Order paid him by Mr. HALL the Paymaster for that Service.

But being taken ill with the small pox both from the want of a Doctor as well as other necessaries (being unpaid for his services in the Province of East Florida) has so lost his eyesight as to be unable to walk without a guide & entirely unable to do anything to support himself.

That in the progress of the war your Memorialist had one brother killed & three wounded.

That the whole of your Memorialists Goods, Cash & effects were seized plundered & taken from him by Order of a Rebel Committee amounting to the sum of five hundred & eighty eight pounds seven shillings sterling, as by the schedule hereunto annexed, appears by the Oath of your memorialist & also by the oaths of two respectable witnesses who valued the same, taken before John MILLS Esqr. a Justice of the Peace in East Florida with the seal of the province, by order of his excellency Patrick TONYN, affixt thereunto.

That Your Memorialist, his Father & surviving brothers are banished the American States & proscrib’d from ever returning thereto upon pain of death.

Your Memorialist therefore prays that his Case may be taken into consideration & that he may be enabled under your report to receive such aid or relief as his losses may be found to deserve.

And for further recommendation, he leaves it to those who know him, as by their certificates appears his Excy. Josiah MARTIN Esq. late Governor of N. Carolina, his Ex. John MOULTRIE Esq., Lieut. Govr. of E. Florida, his Excy. Sir James WRIGHT late Gov. of Georgia, Col. Jas. COTTON Anson County N. Carolina, Lieut. Col. ROBINSON South Carolina Royalists, Lieut. Col: GIBBS, Major Ch: NEELY, John CRUDEN, Walter CUNNINGHAM, L. Col. WATERS, Col. HUTCHINS of West Florida.

Great Britain, Public Record Office, Audit Office, Class 13, Volume 124, folios 343-346.

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