To George Washington from Richard Caswell, 25 November 1777
From Richard Caswell
North Carolina 25th November 1777.
sir
I have the Honor to Inclose you a Resolve of the General Assembly of this State, respecting the Resignation of the Officers of the Troops raised here;1 And am to request you will be pleased, in case any of the Officers who come within the meaning of the said Resolve, do resign, to Certify the same to me so soon as you find the same practicable. I am sir, Your Excellency’s Most Obedient Humble Servant
Rd Caswell
ALS, PHi: Gratz Collection; Sprague transcript, DLC:GW. A leaf of the original letter, docketed in part “ansd 25 Decr,” remains with the transcript in DLC:GW
1. The enclosed resolution, which the North Carolina general assembly passed on 20 Nov., reads: “Whereas. In the present critical situation of the American contest, It would be dishonourable to this State, highly Injurious to the Public Service, and may possibly involve ill consequences of the most serious nature to America at large, that the Officers of the Troops raised as the Quota of this State for the Continental Army should quit their posts and resign the several Offices to which they have been appointed; and the Assembly from the representation of their Delegates having reason to apprehend that many Resignations may take place unless some measures are immediately adopted to prevent the same.
“This House therefore, do, in the most positive and express manner, Resolve and declare that all, and every Officer of the Troops raised in the State of North Carolina who shall, unless for good & Sufficient reasons certified to the Governor, to be such by the Commander in Chief of the Continental Army, resign his Commission at this Critical period shall be held and deemed incapable of holding hereafter any office Civil or Military in the gift of this State; and it is further Resolved, that a Copy of this, be forwarded by His Excellency the Governor to His Excellency General Washington, and that it also be published in the news papers of this and the Neighbouring States” (DLC:GW).