Whereas, it appeared upon incontestible evidence, that John Collett, commander of Fort Johnston, was preparing the said fort for the reception of a promised reinforcement, which was to be employed in reducing the good people of this province, to a slavish submission to the will of a wicked and tyrannic Minister; and for this diabolical purpose, had collected several abandoned profligates, whose crimes had rendered them unworthy of civil society; and that the said commander, had wantonly detained vessels applying for Bills of Health, thereby defeating the salutary purposes for which the Fort had been established and continued ー had threatened vengeance against magistrates, whose official opinion he chose to disapprove ー had set at defiance the high sheriff of the county, in the execution of his office, and treated the King's writs, when served on him for just debts (which both as a soldier and a subject, it was his duty to obey) with the shameful contempt of wiping his b--k s-de with them ー had with the most unparalleled injustice, detained and embezzled a large quantity of goods, which having been wrecked near the Fort, had the highest claim to his attention and care, for the benefit of the sufferers; in whose behalf, many and repeated applications had been legally made, in vain, to the said commander ー had contrary to every principle of honor and honesty, most unwarrantably seized, by force, a quantity of corn, the private property of an individual; an act of robbery the more inexcusable, as provisions were never withheld from him, whenever he would pay for them ー had basely encouraged slaves from their masters, paid and employed them, and declared openly, that he would excite them to an insurrection: It also appeared that the said John Collett, had further declared, that, as soon as the expected reinforcements should arrive, the King's standard would be erected, and that, to it should be invited all those (as well slaves as others) who were base enough to take up arms against their country.
The Committee of New Hanover and Wilrnington, having taken these things into 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 opportunity of carrying his iniquitous schemes into execution. This opinion having been communicated to the officers, and the committees of some neighboring 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 the Province) together with his furniture, on board a Transport, hired for that purpose, there to remain until the reinforcement should arrive, and then again take possession of the Fort: the original design being thus frustrated, but the different detachments having met at Brunswick, about 500 men marched to the Fort, and burnt and destroyed all the Houses, &c., in and about the same; demolished as far as they could, the back part of the Fortification, and effectually dislodged that atrocious Freebooter.
Resolved, therefore, thacthe thanks of the Committee be given to the officers and soldiers who, with such ready alacrity gave their attendance to effect a matter of so much real importance to the public.