Sunday 2 December 2012

2nd December 1812: William Cartwright pens a grovelling letter to the Home Secretary

Rawfolds near Leeds
December 2. 1812

My Lord

I trust your Lordship will pardon, my trespassing on your Attention, to Express the lively Sense of Obligation, which the benevolent Interest in my Behalf, which your Lordship has condescended to convey to me, by Major General Ackland, has excited.

He only, can conceive the deep Impression of Gratitude, who has suffer’d as I have done, surrounded by Dangers, which I had put too good Reason to fear, no Time would remove, depress’d by Difficulties, which I had no means of surmounting, the Bitterness of my Feelings as a Father, for my remaining Children, aggravated by the miserable Prospect of Ruin, in Consequence of the Desertion of those, whose best Interests had been promoted by my successful Stand, against a lawless, and Bloodthirsty Banditti; thus isolated by the Pusillanimity of many, & proscrib’d by the Fury of those whose wicked Vows were frustrated, worn down by unremitting Vigilance, my Health, or Reason would have sunk, under the Load, had I not tenaciously adhered, to the Consciousness, that thought what I had done, had been to me so very fruitful in Calamity alone, I still had acted right—.

That your Lordship is pleased to think so, gives me inexpressible Gratification.

Thus stimulated, I cannot shrink from any Danger, which may cross me in the Path of Duty; I shall most cheerfully Continue to maintain my Post, for any Length of Time which your Lordship may think necessary, for the Public Good, & for which I beg to assure your Lordship, that no Exertions of mine shall be wanting.

Whilst I present my heartfelt thanks, for that Relief, the pecuniary aid which General Maitland has offerd me, must naturally afford, me, & whilst I deeply feel, the keen Mortification, the Necessity of accepting it imposes, on me, I hope I may be permitted to Express my humble Wish, that your Lordship would be pleased to learn, from General Maitland, what the exact Nature of my Situation is, and that any assistance now afforded me, will be but considered as the means of prolonging my Defence, and that it will not in any Degree weaken, the favorable opinion, with which I am honor’d by your Lordship;

I have [etc]
Wm Cartwright

[To: Lord Sidmouth]

This letter can be found at HO 42/130.

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