George Washington Papers

To George Washington from Thomas Burke, 22 March 1779

From Thomas Burke

Philadelphia march 22d 1779.

Dr Sir

When I had the pleasure of Seeing you in this City, I had a little Conversation with you on the Subject of reinlisting Such of the North Carolina Troops and levies whose time of Service might be nearly expired. My Collegues and myself wrote to the State on the Same Subject1 The assembly thereupon resolved that “three hundred dollars per man be given to each Soldier who Shall reinlist for one year or more in the North Carolina Continental Service.”2 The delegates are authorised to act accordingly, and we are unwilling to take any measures without previously Consulting you lest we Should Contravene Some general Orders by you given under the late regulations for recruiting the army.3 We are inclined to give the State bounty, in addition to the Continental, to all who Shall inlist during the war. we deem Soldiers obtained on Such Terms better worth the agregated bounty than Soldiers inlisted for one year are worth the State bounty. and indeed Sir we are disposed to do every thing in favor of the Soldiers, deeming them the most useful, the most Suffering, and most important order of our fellow Citizens—my Collegues Concur with me in requesting your advice on this Subject as soon as possible and in assuring you we Shall Cooperate with you with the greatest chearfulness.4

I beg leave Sir to offer you my best wishes and to present my most respectful Compliments to your Lady. I have the honor to be Sir with the greatest respect and Esteem Your very obt Svt

Tho. Burke

ALS, NHi: Miscellaneous Manuscripts; Sprague transcript, DLC:GW.

1In a letter of 22 Dec. 1778, the North Carolina delegates wrote to Governor Richard Caswell that they wanted to enlist as many men from the North Carolina battalion as possible “for the War, or one year at least after their present Term shall Expire. This matter Can go no farther than proposals through their Officers, and learning the Terms on which they can be procured, until we receive particular power and instructions from the State. We wish therefore to have their Sense as soon as possible” (Smith, Letters of Delegates description begins Paul H. Smith et al., eds. Letters of Delegates to Congress, 1774–1789. 26 vols. Washington, D.C., 1976–2000. description ends , 11:369–71).

2See N.C. State Records description begins Walter Clark, ed. The State Records of North Carolina. 16 vols., numbered 11-26. Winston and Goldsboro, N.C., 1895–1907. description ends , 13:718, 721; see also Caswell to North Carolina delegates, 1 March, in N.C. State Records description begins Walter Clark, ed. The State Records of North Carolina. 16 vols., numbered 11-26. Winston and Goldsboro, N.C., 1895–1907. description ends , 14:25–26.

3See General Orders, 7 and 12 February.

4GW replied to Burke in a letter of 5 April.

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