Wilmington (North-Carolina) Committee

v2:1691

On the 20th July, at a monthly meeting of the Committee for the Town of Wilmington, and the County of New-Hanover, at which were occasionally present a number of gentlemen, members of the different Committees in Wilmington District, the Committee, upon taking the Restraining Act into consideration,

"Resolved unanimously, That the exception of that Colony, and some others, out of the said act, is a base and mean artifice, to seduce them into a desertion of the common cause of "America;" and that "they will not accept of the advantages insidiously thrown out by the said act; but will adhere strictly to such plans as have been, and shall be, entered into by the honourable Continental Congress, so as to keep up a perfect unanimity with their sister Colonies."

They also "unanimously Resolved, not to freight, or in any manner employ, any shipping belonging to Poole, and that they will not carry on any commercial intercourse or communication with the selfish people of that Town."

The Committee, likewise, after premising that it appeared upon incontestable evidence that John Collett, Commander of Fort Johnston, was preparing the said Fort for the reception of a promised re-enforcement, and had been also guilty of various malepractices, inform the publick, that they, "having taken these things into their consideration, judged it might be of the most pernicious consequences to the people at large, if the said John Collett should be suffered to remain in the Fort, as he might thereby have opportunities of carrying his iniquitous schemes into execution."

This opinion having been communicated to the officers, and the Committees of some neighbouring Counties, a great many volunteers were immediately collected, a party of whom reached Brunswick, when accounts were received that the said Commander had carried off all the small arms, ammunition, and part of the artillery, (the property of that Province,) together with his furniture, on board a transport hired for that purpose, there to remain until the re-enforcement should arrive, and then again to take possession of the Fort. The original design being thus frustrated, but the different detachments having met at Brunswick, about five hundred men marched to the Fort, and burnt and destroyed all the houses, &c˙, in and about the same; demolished as far as they then could the back parts of the fortification, and effectually dislodged that atrocious freebooter.