William Wall, of Brunswick, Virginia, Published as an Enemy to his Country

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Brunswick Committee, July 29, 1776.

The fatal consequences which must inevitably attend the counterfeiting the Paper currency of any of the Thirteen United Colonies, render it necessary that the strictest search and most diligent inquiry should be made after those persons who are justly suspected of being guilty of that atrocious crime; and as those who harbour, advise, or countenance such offenders, are, we conceive, as great enemies to their country as the offenders themselves, we shall ever think it our duty to expose to the displeasure and contempt of the publick the conduct of all such persons, whenever the same shall be made known to us. An offence of this nature appearing before this Committee, is the cause of publishing the following facts:

On the 23d day of June last, at one of the Churches of St˙ Andrew' s Parish, in this County, two strangers appeared, with letters for the Chairman of this Committee, from the Committees of Hartford and Chowan Counties, in the Province of North Carolina, informing him that indubitable testimony had been laid before those Committees that a certain Henry Lightfoot had been concerned in counterfeiting and passing the paper currency of that Province, particularly the four-dollar bills, issued in pursuance of the resolution of the North Carolina Congress, held at Hillsborough, the 21st day of August, 1775, and that they were informed the said Lightfoot was then in this County. The Chairman of this Committee, being then at Church, immediately engaged Captain John Maclin to proceed with the messengers after the said Lightfoot. The Captain, on his return, represented, that in a very short time after he engaged in this service, he went to the house where he was informed the said Lightfoot was, and made diligent search, but to no purpose, and from thence proceeded to a meeting, where he expected to find him; but when he arrived, he was told he had precipitately made off, and that there was reason to suspect a certain William Wall, of this County, had given him notice of the business the messengers from North Carolina were upon. On the 22d of July, these circumstances were proved before this Committee, and the said Wall was, in consequence thereof, ordered to appear before them on the Monday following, being the 29th, to answer the same. Accordingly, on that day, he made his appearance, was charged with the fact, and confessed that he was the means of giving intelligence to the said Lightfoot, which induced him to make his escape; which confession, together with the testimony of other persons relative to the conduct of the said William Wall in this matter, make it appear, to the full conviction of this Committee, that he ought to be exposed as an enemy to his country. And it is ordered, that a representation of the above proceedings be transmitted to the Printer, to be laid before the publick.

By order of the Committee: D˙ FISHER, Clerk.