Harriman, Tennessee,
                              June 2, 1920.

Hon. John C. Daves, V. P.,
214 Chamber of Commerce
Baltimore, Md.

My dear Mr. Daves:- Many thanks for your letter of the
31st, and the good news that the services of Colonel Thomas
Sumter, are O.K. for papers in the N.C. Society of the
Cincinnati.  Please keep the pamphlet by Judge Smith,
until you hear from me further.

I find my self in a rather embarrassing position in that
I am almost certain that Lieut. William Hill of the 1st
Reg. N.C. Continental Army, was not the same as Chaplain
William Hill (Battle of Guildford Court House) of
Rockingham County.  Was not the Lieut. William Hill of
Bertie Co.?  You will note that I say that I am almost
certain.  I am going to investigate further and see what I
can learn, and will then advise you.  In this connection
please refer to my letter of 11/4/18 and your reply of
11/7/18, in which you stated that he was one and the same
man.  In getting ready data for Colonial Dame papers for my
sister, on this Hill line, I ran on to a lady who is a
member of the Tennessee Society of Colonial Dames, who is a
Hill descendant through Frankie Hill (daughter of Chaplain
William Hill of Rockingham Co. N.C. who married Maj. Mark
Hardin.  As I understood from this lady, Maj. Hardin is a
Hill descendant, through his mother who descends from
Lieut. William Hill of Bertie County.  This lady has papers
verified in the Colonial Dames on the services of Lieut.
Wm. Hill of Bertie County. but has never had papers on the
services of Chaplain Wm. Hill and his father William Hill
Sr., both of N.C., in fact she did not know they had
Colonial services, till I told her.  I am going to see this
lady in a few days, at which time she is going to show me
her papers that have been verified then I will be in a
better position to know what action to take, in the matter.
As I wrote you on 11/4/18 I had never heard that my
ancestor William Hill was a Lieut. in the 1st N.C.
Regiment, and that I wanted to be certain about it before
filing application papers in the N.C. Society of the
Cincinnati. I have not said any thing about this mix up to
this lady, but you can readily see the position I am in.  I
have no desire to claim services for my ancestors that they
did not render, so am anxious to have the matter straight.

In the pamphlet by Judge Smith, he mentions an Act of
Congress in which the Militia officers were all
transferred to the Continental Army, and I am wondering if
it cant be proven that my ancestors Capt. George Russell
and Lieut. Isaac Lane, who served under Colonel John Sevier
of Washington Co. N.C., now Tennessee, and Capt. William
Sumter of Burke County N.C., who served under Colonel James
Rickerd, had Continental services?

Capt. Russell and Lieut Lane are both ancestors on my
paternal side, and Capt. Sumter is on my maternal side.
I am especially anxious to have my membership in the
Cincinnati, based on my paternal side.  As I have written
you before, I have a cousin on my maternal side who is very
anxious to become a member of the N.C. Society of the
Cincinnati, so if it can be arranged to transfer my
membership from Lieut. William Hill to either Capt.
Russell or Lieut. Lane, then my cousin could use either
Capt. Wm. Sumter or join as a collateral descendant of
Colonel Thoa. Sumter.

What about the service of William Hill as Chaplain in the
American Army at the Battle of Guildford Court House?  If
this service would make me eligible to membership in the
Cincinnati, it would save me a lot of embarrassment.

I hope I have made the matter clear to you, and that you
can and will come to my rescue, as I certainly do not want
to have to withdraw from the N.C. Society, but unless
some thing can be done, I feel that I am compelled to.  I
have little doubt but that the lady has the matter straight
as she told me she descended from two separate and distinct
Hill families, the Rockingham County family (Chaplain Wm.
Hill) and the Bertie County family or Lieut. Wm. Hill, who
came originally from Boston to N.C.

Again let me say that I do not like to trouble you with
this matter, but I know of no one in position to help me,
like you can, so I trust you will not mind my writing you
so fully.  If I have not made the matter plain, dont
hesitate to let me know and I will try again.

With many thanks for your kindnesses in the past, I am,

Most cordially yours,
CKH/K

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