To Thomas Jefferson from John Minor of North Carolina, 31 March 1802
From John Minor of North Carolina
Granville County No: Carolinia
March the 31st day 5802 or 1802
Dear Sir/
as it has been my misfortune as yet not to obtain any Pay due a brother of mine for his services in the Continental army; and who after being taken as prisoner at the sorender of Charles Town South Carolinia: returnd to this State volentered himself with General Butler; and in an action with the torys at Lynlys mill Lost his life—I administrator for the decd; to Major Thaus ajent for the state of south Carolinia made application on the 25th day February 1794 he informd me I should send my petition to Congress: and about the 3 of October next after I did so; and I know not what become of it, whether lodgd in the office or what My friend Mecon a member to Congress informs me I am now Bard by whats Cald the statute; and if I gitt it; there must be a special act passt which he rather thought would not be done But my Confidence in your goodness and Relying on your Justice and the goodness and Justice of Every member in Congress that I cannot forbare persevering to send another petition with a Coppy of letters of administration with Mr. Grays Certificate who acted as pay master at the time my Brother was in service; now I pray your Tenderness with Justice towards me and I hope Congress will the same; as my brother was a brave Sergeant of the second Continental Regiment of South Carolinia tho lost his life in the militia of this state & he in fact a prisoner of war at the very time; Tax run high this year and now about to collect the direct Tax with State County & parash Tax which will not be less then 14 or 15 dollars for me and know not how I am to raise it; how Ever I speak this by way of information—I leave the matter in hand with your goodness & if I gitt it will be by some provition made by your Self & Congress which will be an Encouragement to my five sons in the next war I Ever pray &c. & Remain your friend & hble Servt
John Minor
RC (DLC); at foot of text: “To the wright honourable President of the united States of america”; endorsed by TJ as received 27 Apr. and so recorded in SJL with notation “W.”
Minor had been petitioning Congress on behalf of his deceased BROTHER, Reuben Minor, since 1794, seeking “the pay and other emoluments due” for his services during the American Revolution. On 27 Apr. 1802, Minor presented another petition to the House of Representatives, “praying the liquidation and settlement” of his brother’s claim, which was read and ordered to lie on the table (, 2:244, 343, 628; 4:224).
General John BUTLER led North Carolina militia against a much larger Loyalist force at the battle of Lindley’s Mill on 13 Sep. 1781. The battle was the bloodiest of the war in North Carolina, and resulted in the defeat of Butler’s troops (William S. Powell, ed., Encyclopedia of North Carolina [Chapel Hill, 2006], 678–9; William S. Powell, ed., Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, 6 vols. [Chapel Hill, 1979–96], 1:290–1).
During the 1790s, Simeon Theus (THAUS) served as South Carolina’s agent in the settlement of claims between the federal government and the states. TJ appointed Theus collector at Charleston in 1806 (, 14:295; , 2:16).
MY FRIEND MECON: Nathaniel Macon. MR. GRAYS CERTIFICATE: probably Henry Gray, who served as paymaster of the Second South Carolina regiment during the war (, 257).