124 Letters to the Governor and Council

March 14

Honorable Council as day itself. Your Excellency may easily figure
to yourself how exceedingly my feelings must be hurt on this occa-
sion Having been over conscious to myself of the rectitude of my
intentions — in whatever may have been transacted by me
And that of my having served in the Virginia line I trust with
credit to myself and country is a further inducement at least on my
part — to clear up every doubt which may have arisen respecting my
attachment to the cause of liberty and my country. It is the utmost
wish of my hart always to conduct myself in a manner which may
gain me the esteem and good opinion of my countrymen my hart is
warm on the subject and could feign hope — if I have been guilty of
any impropriety — or if I have done any thing contrary to the Laws
of my country, that it may be imputed to the fault of my head and
not my hart, for on my sacred word and honor, as I said before if I
have offended against the Laws it is thro ignorance and not design.

March 14

[Garland Callis to Gov. Lee ]

May it Please Your Excellency I have taken the liberty a second
time of writeing you on the subject of my confinement. I have been
waiting with the utmost impatience and anxiety for the Investiga-
tion of my conduct, respecting the letters Inclosed to your 'Excel-
lency by M^r Sam Hanson. Being concious to myself that I intended
by no means, to offend against the Laws of this State in the smallest
instance or in any action of my life on any occasion whatever. Par-
ticularly respecting the before mentioned letters which I impru-
dently delivered, without knowing or supposeing it to be wrong
after they were examined by the Commi^sy of Prisoners at Elizabeth
Town. Being informed a day or two after the delivery of some of
the Letters, that there was a Law in this State requiring all such
letters should be laid before Your Excellency and Council. Imme-
diately collected those that had been delivered, and inclosed them
together with the balance that remained in my possession. I had not
a doubt remaining but that I had fulfilled the Law or at least as far
as I was made acquainted with it. I must intreat and beg of your
Excellency together with the Honorable council that the matter may
be immediately inquired into — and that I may have it in my power to
clear my character of a charge which I can assure your Excellency
among every thing else has ever been furthest from my thoughts
I am confident your Excellency must be sensable of the feelings of
a wife on such an occasion. My papers will take up but little time,
and are of as little consequence with respect to any thing that may
tend to the matter in question I am here without clothes or money

which added to other things renders my situation truly distressing

and have the misfortune to be very unwell.