Dobbs County, NC - Indictments for False Army Accounts, 1787 By the Sloop Patience, Captain Mitchel, from North Carolina, we have received the following Intelligence. State of North Carolina } Halifax District } At a Court of Sessions of the Peace, Oyer and Terminer, &c, held at Warrington, before the three judges of the Superior Courts. William Faircloth Timothy M'Carty John Price James Holmes, and Thomas Butcher Mann Phillips John Shepherd All of the County of Dobbs, were indicted for having made, and by corrupt practices procured to be allowed by the Commissioners appointed to settle army accounts, false and feigned accounts against the United States for military services which had never been performed; they had also made false orders in the names of those persons for whom the accounts had been drawn, by means of which they had obtained from the Commissioners due bills and certificates to a very large amount. JUDGEMENTS William Faircloth fined 500 l., one hour in the pillory at Warrington, one hour at Halifax on the fifth day of next Superior Court there, imprisoned twelve months in Halifax District goal, and security for good behaviour for seven years. John Price fined 1000 l., rest of the judgement the same as Faircloth's. Thomas Butcher fined 400 l., rest of the judgement the same as Faircloth's. John Shepherd fined 400 l., pillory at Warrington one hour, nine months imprisonment, security himself 200 l., securities each 100 l., for good behavior seven years. Mann Phillips fined 25 l., to stand committed until he pays it; then to stand committed twelve months; to stand in the pillory one hour at Warrington, and one hour at Halifax. Timothy M'Carty fined 30 l., to stand in the pillory at Warrington one hour, Halifax one hour, twelve months inprisonment. James Holmes fined 30 l., to stand in the pillory at Warrington half an hour; imprisoned six months, to give security for good behavior for one year, 100 l., securities each 50 l. John M'Nuse and Jessey Read of the rank of Captains in the Continential line and who had been empowered to sign accounts for soldiers who had served in the army as an additional guard against fraud, were indicted for having drawn up, signed and sold a great number of false accounts. John M'Nuse fined 300 l., rest of the judgement the same as Faircloth's. Jessey Read fined 20 l., three months inprisonment, security for his good behavior one year. Benjamin M'Culloch, Esq. of Halifax County, one of the Commissioners, for settling army accounts, was indicted for having corruptly bargained with the above named William Faircloth, to receive one-third of the accounts presented by Faircloth to the Board of Commissioners, in consideration that he should pass the same. Upon the indictment the above persons were convicted. Benjamin M'Culloch fined 4000 l., to stand committed for the fine and costs; from thence to stand committed one year, give security for seven years good behaviour, in the sum of 500 l. Money drawn from the Treasury on Certificates, commonly called due-bills: l. s. d. Benjamin M'Cullock, by himself 14 1 5 Ditto, by Absalom Tattum, 23070 1 3 only 8000 l. to himself William Faircloth 6935 11 11 John M'Nuse, by J. Estice 476 14 2 John Shepherd 139 19 6 Timothy M'Carty, by J. Willis 306 2 2 T. Butcher, by B. M'Culloch 4091 11 7 John Price, by B. M'Culloch } B. Moring & M. Johnstone } 7791 5 5 ----------------- 42826 7 3 [Original spellings retained] Source: Independent Journal, April 4, 1787 ______________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Guy Potts - gpotts1@nc.rr.com ______________________________________________________________________