Robert Carter writes to [Nathaniel Harrison,] August 7. 1727, militia commander in Surry County, concerning depredations by and threats from Indians, the need to alert the militia, the failure of William Robertson, clerk of the Council, to have prepared militia commissions that were promised to Harrison, and the steps that Carter has taken to have the commissions completed and sent to Harrison since Robertson has broken his leg and been seriously ill.

     I received your express last night am Sorry to
find this Government . is never to be at rest from our Brutal Neighbours
the Indians You know how very much a Stranger I am to the nature
and ways of these people by the Accots you Send me the Catawbas
seem to have bad designs in their heads against their fellow Indians &
if they come down with such a power as they threaten it is very
likely that our Frontier Inhabitants in those parts will be in dan
ger of suffering in their Stocks at least if and Corn fields
at least if in nothing Else what ever measures you shall think
proper to take for the Defence of our people from the Insults
of these villans You shall not want the Countenance of my
Authority to justify you in the best method I can think of
is forthwith to send orders to the Militia in those parts to be upon their
Guard and upon the first Notice of these Indians Appearing
to go out for the Security of the Frontier Inhabitants &
to prevent them from making inroads into the our bounds of our
Governmt.

     As for the Attack of the Western Indians
upon the Meherirns and killing so many of them I never
heard a Syllable of until your Intelligence

     The dangerous condition poor Will
Robertson lies in at Gloucester Court by a broken Leg I cant
think you are without . . . without an Accot of . Stagg Saw him yesterday morning tells
writes to me last night that two days before his Fevers
pursued him so Violently that his life was Dispaired of but had
a good night before he saw him and that then his Fever was
quite off and the Surgeons were in great hopes of his doing well

     It has been entirely Mr. Robertsons fault that
you have not had those Military Commissions you desired
long ago he promised to have them ready for my Signing before
I left the Town but in that he failed he promised quickly
to Send them after me I wrote to him Several times Since

     I have now drawn these Commissons & signed them
you and . . . in hand send them away herewith to Mr. Hickman
with orders to put the Seal to them and to dispatch them to
you by Express I hope to have the Satisfaction of Seeing you
at the Court of Admiralty on the 15th: where we may consult
what will be the properest measures for the Security of the
Inhabitants of our Government from the Invasion of these threa
tening Indians I am