APPENDIX I. 411 



* I have the honour to be, with the greatest respect, my 

 Lord, your Lordship's most obedient and most humble 

 servant, 



* B. THOMPSON.' 



In three days Lord North wrote to Sir Guy Carleton to 

 approve of his recommendation (made nine months pre- 

 viously) of permanent rank and half-pay for the officers of 

 the King's American Dragoons, and in a week he wrote 

 another despatch, to say that his Majesty was extremely 

 disposed to show every possible attention to the remaining 

 provincial corps, although they may not have literally com- 

 plied with the engagements which entitled them to rank 

 and half-pay, and he made known his Majesty's gracious 

 intention that all the provincial regiments should be dis- 

 banded at Halifax. On the 27th of June Parliament voted 

 half- pay to the officers of the different corps which in the 

 course of the year had been raised in America. Colonel 

 Thompson then wrote to Sir Guy Carleton : 



'Pall Mall Court, July 6, 1783. 



* SIR, I beg leave to congratulate with your Excellency 

 upon an event which I am confident will afford you great 

 satisfaction the resolution of Parliament to give half-pay 

 to the provincial officers. We all feel ourselves under 

 infinite obligations to your Excellency upon this oc- 

 casion. As you have had the goodness to interest yourself 

 so much in our behalf, I think it my duty to acquaint your 

 Excellency with all the steps I have taken in this country 

 relative to the provincial business since my arrival from 

 New York. 



' Soon after my arrival in London, finding the session of 

 Parliament drawing near to a conclusion, and that no 

 resolution had been taken by his Majesty's ministers 

 relative to the memorial of the provincial officers re- 

 commended by your Excellency, I took the liberty of 



