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THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 


THE  COLLECTION  OF 
NORTH  CAROLINIANA 

— " "CK970 

N87b 
v. 6 
e.5 


FOR  USE  ONLY  IN 
THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  COLLECTION 


n  No.  A-368 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2012  with  funding  from 

University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hil 


http://archive.org/details/northcarolinaboo06nati 


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Vol  VI.  JULY,  1906  No.  1 


T5he 

North  Carolina  Booklet 


GREAT  EVENTS 

IN 

NORTH  CAROLINA 
HISTORY 


PUBLISHED  QUARTERLY 

BY 

THE   NORTH   CAROLINA   SOCIETY 

DAUGHTERS  oftHe  REVOLUTION 


CONTENTS 

Page 

The  Indian  Tribes  of  Eastern  Carolina  3 

By  Richard  Dillard,  M.  D. 

Glimpses  of  History  in  the  Names  of  Our  Counties         -     26 

By  Kemp.  P.  Battle,  LL.  D. 

A  Colonial  Admiral  of  the  Cape  Fear  -         -         -     48 

By  James  Sprunt,  British  Vice-Consul  at  Wilmington,  N.  C. 


. ! 


(ILLUSTRATED) 


SINGLE  NUMBERS  30  CENTS  $1.00  THE  YEAR 


m 


» 


ENTERED  IN  THE   POST-OFFICE  AT  RALEIGH,  N.  C,  AS  SECOND-CLASS  MATTER. 


The  North  Carolina  Booklet. 

Great  Events  in  North  Carolina  History. 


VOLUME  VI. 

17  Glimpses  of  History  in  the  Names  of  our  Counties, 

Kemp.  P.  Battle,  LL.  D. 
4  ?  A  Colonial  Admiral  of  the  Cape  Fear  (Admiral  Sir  Thomas  Frank- 

land)' Mr.  James  Sprunt. 

if  —  The  Indian  Tribes  of  Eastern  North  Carolina,  Richard  Dillard,  M.  D. 
,o3  ^  Gov.  Thomas  Burke,  .  .  .  Mr.  J.  G.  de  Roulhac  Hamilton. 
,  Some-Nrntrrt^oiitta-^fcstOTi^ 

-       CoC^iU  *~*  tlt^U*.^  (2Jo^  t  _fji ^     Professor  Edward  P.  Moses. 
7  The  Borough  Towns  of  North  Carolina,        .        .        Mr.  Francis  Nash. 

-The  John  White  Pictures,  J\^t   ft  Of,;  .        Mr.  W.  J.  Peek. 

Gov.  Jesse  Franklin,  ^a^*u^/faf       Professor  J.  T.  Alderman. 

cVIyn^5trial  W*i  */*■  Early  N9rth  Carolina,    .        .        Mr.  T  M  PittmanA^  & 
Qalani^^rvA.  t>  r,^A i^rj-oiiai- ,  CuulujuuL^  hi  N„ilh  0ll..v;(7Z      '     erM%*~^  -  A'  />  y 


97 -Industrial 

7 


■S  f%&jL  fy^dt*?'AA3~'  ^  -       Miss  Mary  Hill™d  Hinton.A,,  l** 
ffy      I  North  Carolina's  Attitude  to  the  Revolution,         Mr.  Robert  C.  Strong./^  Z)  / 
ieJ The  Fundamental  Constitutions  and  the  Effects  on  the  Colony,  L-__  ;$ 

_ZVJ,  M>,Iwm^jwU((U^w^  Mr.JunLnfais. 

The  Booklet  will  contain  short  biographical  sketches  of  the  writers 
who  have  contributed  to  this  publication,  by  Mrs.  E.  E.  Moffitt. 

The  Booklet  will  print  abstracts  of  wills  prior  to  1760,  as  sources  of 
biography,  history  and  genealogy. 

y-Affy  The  Booklet  will  be  issued  quarterly  by  the  North  Carolina 

Society  op  the  Daughters  op  the  Revolution,  beginning  July, 
1906.  Each  Booklet  will  contain  three  articles  and  will  be  published 
in  July,  October,  January  and  April.  Price,  #1.00  per  year,  30  cents  for 
single  copy. 

Parties  who  wish  to  renew  their  subscription  to  the  Booklet  for 
Vol.  VI,  are  requested  to  notify  at  once. 

Address, 

MISS  MARY  HIUJARD  HINTON, 
"Midway  Plantation,  • » 
KmTors:  Raleigh,  North  Carolina. 

Miss  Mary  Hilliard  Hinton, 
Mrs.  E.  E.  Moffitt. 


/» 


Vol.  VI.  JULY,  1906.  No.  1 


'Bhe 


JIORTH  CflROliINfl  B0OKI1ET 


"Carolina!   Carolina!  Heaveri1  s  blessings  attend  her ! 
While  we  live  we  will  cherish,  protect  and  defend  her." 


Published  by 

THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  SOCIETY 

DAUGHTERS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 


The  object  of  the  Booklet  is  to  aid  in  developing  and  preserving 
North  Carolina  History.  The  proceeds  arising  from  its  publication  will 
be  devoted  to  patriotic  purposes.  Editors. 


ADVISORY  BOARD  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 
BOOKLET. 
Mrs.  Spier  Whitaker.  Mr.  R.  D.  W.  Connor. 

Professor  D.  H.  Hill.  Dr.  E.  W.  Sikes. 

Mr.  W.  J.  Peele.  Dr.  Richard  Dillard. 

Professor  E.  P.  Moses.  Mr.  James  Sprunt. 

Dr.  Kemp  P.  Battle.  Judge  Walter  Clark. 

Mr.  Marshall  DeLancey  Haywood. 


OFFICERS  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  SOCIETY 

DAUGHTERS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION, 

1906-1908. 

REGENT : 

Mrs.  E.  E.  MOFPITT. 

VICE-REGENT : 

Mrs.  WALTER  CLARK. 

HONORARY   REGENT: 

Mrs.  SPIER  WHITAKER. 
(Nee  Hooper.) 

RECORDING    SECRETARY: 

Mrs.  J.  W.  THACKSTON. 

CORRESPONDING   SECRETARY : 

Mrs.  W.  H.   PACE. 

TREASURER : 

Mrs.  FRANK  SHERWOOD. 

REGISTRAR : 

Mrs.  ED.  CHAMBERS  SMITH. 

GENEALOGIST : 

Mrs.  HELEN  De  BERNIERE  WILLS. 


Founder  of  the  North  Carolina  Society  and  Regent  1896-1902: 
Mrs.  SPIER  WHITAKER. 

REGENT    1902: 

Mrs.  D.  H.  HILL,  Sr.* 

regent    1902-1906: 
Mrs.  THOMAS  K.  BRUNER. 

*Died  December  12,  1904. 


THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 


Vol.  VI  JULY,  1906  No.  1 


THE  FOREWORD. 


The  sources  of  information  regarding  our  Indians  are  both 
meagre  and  unsatisfactory,  history  lends  but  little  aid,  tradi- 
tion is  silent,  you  must  seek  elsewhere  than  in  books.  There 
is  a  way  we  may  study — even  see  them  if  we  will — let  me 
tell  you  the  secret;  I  came  upon  it  one  evening  just  after 
sunset  when  I  was  hunting  wild  forget-me-nots  along  an  idle 
brook  away  off  in  Pleasant  Valley.  If  you  wander  alone 
through  the  deep  everglade  of  a  southern  dismal  you  will 
sometimes  stop  suddenly  to  examine  what  you  know  is  the 
faded  footprint  of  a  moccasined  foot,  or,  if  the  hour  is  pro- 
pitious, you  will  listen  and  listen  again  as  you  catch  the 
sound  of  a  warwhoop  echoing  and  re-echoing  through  the 
deepening  twilight  of  the  forest.  Or  it  may  be  that  you  will 
find  an  arrowhead  or  a  broken  tomahawk  in  a  ramble  through 
a  summer  field. 

One  night  when  the  moon  was  full,  and  I  sat  under  a  tree 
by  the  deep  mirror  of  a  certain  silver  stream,  the  air  grew 
suddenly  heavy  with  the  drowsy  sweetness  of  the  lotus  in 
blossom,  there  was  a  troubling  of  the  waters  as,  by  the  angel's 
touch  upon  the  Pool  of  Bethesda,  the  leaves  clapped  fitfully 
together  like  elfin  cymbals  at  a  fairy  dance,  a  few,  twisting 
from  their  stems,  came  fluttering  down  upon  the  river,  and 
went  sailing  off  like  a  phantom  squadron ;  the  sedges  rustled 
violently  at  the  water's  hem — it  was  an  enchanted  spot,  and 
I  saw  as  in  a  dream  two  painted  warriors  drag  a  bound  vic- 
tim hurriedly  into  a  canoe,  and  push  off  into  the  stream,  but 
as  I  turned  to  observe  them  closely  they  blended  into  the 
dreamland  of  the  other  shore — the  trick  then  lies  in  the 
imagination— in  the  embroidered  fantacy  of  a  midsummer- 
night's  dream. 


THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 


HE  INDIAN  TRIBES  OF  EASTERN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 


BY    RICHARD    DILLARD,    M.D. 


"Ye  whose  hearts  are  fresh  and  simple, 
Who  have  faith  in  God  and  nature, 
Who  believe  that  in  all  ages 
Every  human  heart  is  human. 
That  in  even  savage  bosoms 
There  are  longings,  yearnings,  strivings 
For  the  good  they  comprehend  not, 
That  the  feeble  hands  and  helpless, 
Groping  blindly  in  the  darkness, 
Touch  God's  right  hand  in  that  darkness 
And  are  lifted  up  and  strengthened; 
Listen  to  this  simple  story." 

The  first  Indian  tableau  upon  which  the  curtain  of  our 
history  rises  is  the  royal  reception  of  Amidas  and  Barlow  by 
Granganameo  "in  the  delicate  garden  abounding  in  all  kinds 
of  odoriferous  flowers"  on  the  Island  of  Wocokon.  The  last 
is  when,  chagrined  by  the  defeat  and  failure  of  the  Tuscarora 
War,  they  are  driven  forever  from  the  shores  of  the  Albe- 
marle. The  scenes  between  are  interspersed  with  acts  of 
kindness  and  of  cruelty,  bloody  massacres  and  the  torch,  with 
long  interludes,  in  which  the  curtain  is  so  closely  hauled 
down  that  not  a  ray  of  light  reaches  us,  so  that  the  path- 
finders of  history  can  scarcely  discern  a  single  blazed  tree  to 
guide  them  through  that  untrodden  solitude. 

The  mural  frescoes  by  Alexander  in  the  Congressional  Li- 
brary most  beautifully  tell  the  story  of  the  evolution  of  learn- 
ing in  five  allegorical  paintings ;  the  first  is  a  picture  of  a 
cairn  built  by  a  prehistoric  man  to  commenorate  some  im- 
portant event;  the  second  is  oral  tradition,  an  ancient  story- 
teller surrounded  by  a  group1  of  attentive  listeners;  the  third 


THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET.  O 

is  represented  by  hieroglyphics  carved  upon  an  Egyptian 
obelisk ;  the  fourth  is  the  primitive  American  Indian  painting 
upon  his  buffalo  skin  the  crude  story  of  the  chase,  the  con- 
flict, or  the  war-dance,  while  the  last  is  the  beautiful  consum- 
mation of  them  all — the  printing  press.  Our  own  alphabet, 
through  a  long  series  of  elaboration  covering  many  cen- 
turies, originally  came  from  picture-writing.  All  knowledge 
began  with  units,  and  the  compounding  of  those  units  in  dif- 
ferent ways  like  the  grouping  of  atoms  to  form  various  chemi- 
cal substances  produced  classified  knowledge,  or  science  in  all 
of  its  labyrinthine  detail.  The  language  of  the  Indian  is 
metaphorical,  and  essentially  picture-writing, not  only  picture- 
words  representing  material  objects,  but  sound-pictures,  that 
is  the  formation  of  words  in  imitation  of  the  sounds  they  are 
intended  to  represent.  He  speaks  mostly  with  his  eyes,  using 
gestures,  grimmaces  and  grunts  where  his  language  is  inade- 
quate, and  emphasis  is  required.  The  Iroquois,  which  were 
composed  partly  of  Eastern  jSTorth  Carolina  Indians  after  the 
Tuscarora  War,  are  especially  metaphorical,  and  of  course 
in  studying  their  language  we  study  the  language  of  the  dif- 
ferent tribes  which  compose  them.  When  the  weather  is 
very  cold  they  say  ait  is  a  nose-cutting  morning."  They  use 
the  hemlock  boughs  to  protect  them  from  the  snow,  and  when 
one  says  "I  have  hemlock  boughs"  he  means  that  he  has  warm 
and  comfortable  quarters.  It  is  said  that  twelve  letters  an- 
swer for  all  Iroquois  sounds,  viz.  :AEFHIKNORST 
W.  The  Algonquins,  the  Iroquois  and  the  Mobilians  are  con- 
sidered the  three  primitive  stocks,  and  the  dialects  now 
spoken  throughout  the  country  are  traced  by  ethnologists  di- 
rectly to  them. 

Thoreau  says  in  his  Walden  that  the  Puri  Indians  had  but 
one  word  for  the  present,  the  past,  and  the  future,  expressing 
its  variations  of  meaning  by  pointing  backward  for  yester- 
day— forward  for  tomorrow — and  overhead  for  to-day. 


b  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

The  beautiful  euphoneous  Indian  names  are  so  inter- 
mingled with  our  own  names  and  history  that  time  cannot 
erase  them.  Let  us  analyze  a  few  of  their  words  and  our 
application  of  them.  I  suggest  the  following  derivation  of 
the  word  Moanoke  as  applied  to  both  Roanoke  river  and  Roan- 
oke Island.  Wampum,  the  Indian  money,  their  current 
medium  of  exchange  and  equivalent  of  gold,  was  of  two 
kinds — Wampum  Peak,  and  Wampum  Roanoke:  It  was 
made  of  a  species  of  conch-shell  (Buccinum  Undatum),  and 
shaped  like  beads,  the  darker  colors  being  the  most  valuable. 
This  was  usually  strung  and  worn  around  the  waist  as  a 
belt,  and  served  the  double  purpose  of  ornament  and  money. 
These  belts  were  passed  from  one  nation  to  another  in  making 
treaties  and  in  other  important  transactions,  e.  g.,  "By  my 
wampum  belt  I  pledge  thee."  Now  when  Menotoscon,  king 
of  the  Chowanokes,  found  that  the  English  were  principally 
in  quest  of  gold,  he  beguiled  them  with  all  kinds  of  rococo 
stories  about  a  great  river,  evidently  our  Roanoke,  which  rose 
in  a  western  country,  and  abounded  in  mussels  filled  with 
pearls,  and  that  the  sands  of  this  river  were  of  gold,  hence 
the  English  named  it  Roanoke,  and  as  Roanoke  meant  money 
or  gold,  by  metonomy  Roanoke  river  means  river  of  gold, 
a  name  not  inappropriate  at  this  day,  considering  the  wealth 
of  its  fields  and  the  richness  and  vastness  of  the  forests 
which  girt  its  shores.  By  the  same  fanciful  analysis  Roanoke 
Island  may  mean  island  of  money  or  gold,  from  the  great 
quantity  of  wampum  shells  abounding  in  that  vicinity.  The 
suffix  peak  appears  in  the  words  Chesapeake,  Dessamonpeak, 
Corapeak  and  others,  and  also  gives  them  a  significance  of 
profusion  or  wealth.  Mattercomock  or  Machicomock  Creek, 
to  the  west  of  Edenton,  means  Temple  of  God,  doubtless 
from  the  exquisite  beauty  of  the  stream  and  the  tall  cypress 
trees  along  its  banks,  which  stand  like  huge  elaborately 
carved  Corinthian  columns  supporting  the  dome  of  the  sky. 


THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET.  7 

The  name  of  the  section  of  country  along  the  Chowan  above 
Edenton  now  called  Rockyhock  was  derived  from  the  Indian 
word  Rdkiock,  meaning  cypress  tree,  which  by  metathesis 
and  the  corruptions  of  successive  generations  is  now  spelled 
Rockyhock,  meaning  literally  the  Land  of  Cypress  Trees. 
Chowan  means  paint  or  color — hence  the  county  is  the  land 
of  rich  colors,  from  the  variety  and  magnificence  of  its  flora, 
and  the  myriad  hues  of  its  emerald  forests,  or  it  might  have 
been  that  the  Indians  obtained  their  dyes  and  paints  there. 
To  the  beautiful  reflection  of  trees  and  sky  upon  a  placid 
stream  they  gave  the  name  of  glimmerglass,  shimmering  mir- 
ror. The  proximity  of  the  Chowanokes  to  the  Tuscaroras 
brought  them  into  frequent  communication,  and  there  was 
in  consequence  some  similarity  of  dialect,  a  great  many  of 
their  words  had  in  common  the  sufflx  ock,  e.  g.,  Uppowock, 
Mattercomock,  Rakiock,  Moriatock  and  Ohanock.  The  origi- 
nal spelling  of  Currituck  was  Coratuc,  Tar  River  was  Tau, 
meaning  river  of  health,  and  Hatteras  was  Hattorask.  Little 
River  was  Kototine,  Perquimans  River  was  Ona,  Albemarle 
Sound  was  called  Weapomeiock,  Yeopim  was  originally  Jau- 
pin.  Durant's  Neck  was  Wecocomicke.  The  Chowan  River 
was  called  JSTomopana.  Captain  John  Smith,  in  his  map  of 
Virginia  made  in  1606,  changes  the  vowels  and  spells  Cho- 
wan Cliawon,  and  gives  to  that  tribe  a  large  portion  of  the 
territory  southeast  of  the  Powhattan  River,  now  the  James. 
Theodore  de  Bry's  map,  1590,  gives  the  Chowans  the  vast  ter- 
ritory along  the  upper  Albemarle  and  Chowan  River.  Pas- 
quotank at  one  time  was  spelled  Passo-Tank,  and  was  derived 
from  the  Indian  Passaquenoke,  meaning  the  woman's  town. 
Resting  upon  the  very  bosom  of  nature,  amid  the  most 
picturesque  and  beautiful  surroundings  they  possessed  neither 
music  nor  poetry.  Grave,  imperturbable  and  mute,  their 
souls  did  not  burn  with  the  glowing  tints  of  the  autumn 
forest,  or  thrill  at  the  echo  from  the  hills,  or  at  the  grandeur 


8  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

and  mystery  of  the  great  solitudes,  fresh  with  the  virginity 
of  nature,  or  the  long  light  upon  the  rivers.  They  hearkened 
not  the  song  of  the  summer  bird  whose  flight  of  ecstasy  drew 
bars  of  golden  music  across  the  sky,  nor  the  soft  reed  notes  of 
Dio  Pan's  flute,  nor  the  arpeggios  swept  from  Apollo's  lyre — 
the  star-embroidered  peace  of  the  midnight  heavens  they 
heeded  not,  but  without  any  of  the  embellishments  of  civiliza- 
tion they  had  a  picturesqueness  and  beauty  of  costume  en- 
tirely in  harmony  with  the  wild  state  of  nature. 

We  are  well  assured  that  the  early  Indians  had  a  good  idea 
of  botany,  knew  the  uses  of  the  different  plants,  and  gave 
them  names  descriptive  of  their  qualities  and  physical  ap- 
pearances, though  they  knew  nothing  of  classification.  A 
great  deal  of  the  flora  which  existed  here  then  is  now  en- 
tirely extinct,  the  law  of  the  survival  of  the  fittest  applying 
more  strongly  to  the  vegetable  kingdom  than  to  any  other; 
during  my  own  observation  one  species  of  ground-pine  in 
this  country  has  entirely  disappeared.  Many  of  the  wild 
flowers  we  know  and  see  every  day  are  really  adventives 
from  Europe,  or  plants  which  have  escaped  from  cultivation 
in  gardens,  and  are  literally  tramping  it  over  the  country. 
The  botanical  characteristics  of  our  forests  reveal  the  fact 
that  some  parts  of  them  were  in  cultivation  very  many  years 
ago,  for  pine  is  the  original  growth,  and  in  successive  rota- 
tion come  gum,  oak,  etc:  Nature  does  not  falter,  she  has 
her  own  ways — her  own  days  for  doing  her  work,  man  can 
meddle,  but  cannot  hinder  her.  Remove  the  earth  from  a 
piece  of  land,  deep  enough  to  destroy  all  remains  of  the  pre- 
viously existing  vegetation,  and  when  the  soil  reforms  upon 
it  again  she  will  persistently  repeat  the  law  by  first  produc- 
ing pine,  and  then  on  in  regular  rotation  again.  Now  the 
occurrence  of  oak  thickets  in  most  unexpected  places  argues 
strongly  that  the  Indians  had  small  clearings  or  assarts 
where  they  grew  their  tobacco  and  maize. 


THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET.  9 

It  is  difficult  to  believe  that  they  did  not  love  and  enjoy 
the  wild  flowers  which  grew  so  profusely  about  them.  Did 
they  not  pause  in  the  chase  to  exult  in  the  fragrance  of  the 
pine  and  the  myrtle,  or  linger  to  inhale  the  delicate  perfume 
of  the  wild  grape  in  blossom,  or  to  be  lifted  up  by  the  redo- 
lence of  the  jessamine  ?  Was  there  no  "impulse  from  the 
vernal  woods,"  no  swelling  of  the  heart  in  the  springtime — 

"When  daisies  pied  and  violets  blue, 
And  lady-smocks  all  silver-white, 
And  cuckoo-buds  of  yellow  hue 
Do  paint  the  meadows  with  delight?  " 

Thanks  to  the  fertile  pen  and  sharp-eyed  observation  of 
Harriot  we  know  something  of  their  plants  and  their  uses. 
He  says  they  dyed  their  hair  and  persons  with  the  roots  of 
Chappaeor,  of  which  I  cannot  conjecture  the  English  equiva- 
lent unless  it  be  the  Sanguinaria  or  Bloodroot,  still  flourishing 
in  our  forests,  but  the  secret  is  hidden  down  deep  in  the 
chalice  of  its  corolla,  its  beautiful  white  petals  are  silent,  and 
cannot  be  invoked.  Kaishackpenauk  was  a  root  eaten  as 
food,  and  resembled  very  much  our  Irish  potato,  while  Ope- 
nauk  was  nothing  more  than  the  Apios  Tuberosa,  growing  in 
our  lowlands,  it  also  served  them  as  food.  Coscushaw  may 
be  the  Tuckahoe  or  Arrowhead,  of  which  hogs  are  fond,  and 
grows  in  muddy  pools  and  bogs.  Ascapo  was  the  Myrtle,  and 
the  Sassafras  they  called  Winauk.  The  Prince's  Pine  was 
Pipsissewa,  and  Habascon  was  the  horse-radish.  One  of  our 
beautiful  wild  trailers  wears  gracefully  the  name  of  Cherokee 
Rose,  but  I  condemn  the  sentiment  which  named  Lobelia,  a 
very  poisonous  plant,  Indian  Tobacco,  and  the  Indian  Tur- 
nip is  also  most  inappropriately  named.  The  Squaw  Vine 
still  paints  its  berries  red  in  autumn  to  honor  the  Indian 
maiden.  They  knew  different  poisons  and  did  not  hesitate  to 
use  them  stealthily  and  without  scruple  upon  their  personal 
enemies.     Prominent  among  their  list  of  poisons  was  a  white 


10  THE   NOETH    CAROLINA   BOOKLET. 

root  which  grew  in  fresh  marshes,  and  may  have  been  Cicely, 
or  Fool's  Parsley,  belonging  to  the  poisonous  hemlock  family. 
In  Hyde  County  was  the  Mattermuskeet  or  Maramikeet  of 
the  Machapungo  Indians,  Lake  Mattermuskeet  was  called  by 
them  Paquinip,  or  Paquipe.  Upon  the  shores  of  this  lake 
grows  and  flourishes  as  nowhere  else  an  apple  called  the  Mat- 
termuskeet, maturing  late  but  succulent  and  full  of  excel- 
lence. The  tradition  is  that  an  early  settler  and  hunter  killed 
a  wild  goose  upon  the  lake  and  upon  opening  its  craw  found 
an  apple  seed  which  he  carefully  preserved  and  planted,  and 
which  grew  rapidly,  and  bore  luscious  fruit. 

The  North  Carolina  grape  called  Scuppernong  was  origi- 
nally found  on  Scuppernong  River,  a  tributary  of  Albemarle 
Sound,  by  an  exploring  party  sent  out  by  Amidas  and  Bar- 
low. One  small  vine,  with  roots,  was  transplanted  to  Roanoke 
Island  in  1584,  where  it  is  still  growing  and  bearing  grapes 
every  year.  In  1855  it  covered  nearly  one  and  one-half  acres. 
Some  contend  that  the  proper  spelling  should  be  Noscupper- 
nong,  but  the  late  Rev.  Win,  S.  Pettigrew,  who  was  deeply 
versed  in  Indian  legend  and  lore  always  held  that  it  should 
be  Escappemong.  Messrs.  Garrett  &  Co.  have  named  one 
of  their  excellent  wines  made  from  these  grapes  Escapper- 
nong.  An  old  writer  of  North  Carolina  history  says  "there 
are  no  less  than  five  varieties  of  grapes  found  about  the  Albe- 
marle Sound,  all  of  which  are  called  Scuppernongs,  to-wit, 
black,  green,  purple,  red  and  white."  The  darker  varieties 
are  generally  conceded  to  be  seedlings,  as  the  original  grape 
can  at  present  be  reproduced  only  by  layering  or  by  grafting 
upon  the  wild  grape.  The  cause  of  the  change  in  color  of 
this  grape  is  beautifully  woven  by  Mrs.  Cotten  into  the 
Legend  of  the  White  Doe  or  the  Fate  of  Virginia  Dare. 
The  transposition  into  prose  has  been  so1  graphically  made 
that  I  give  it  verbatim.  "Okisko,  a  brave  warrior  of  the 
tribe  that  had  given  shelter  to  the  unfortunate   Lost  Col- 


VIRGINIA  DARE. 
From  a  fanciful  sketch  by  Porte  Crayon  in  1857. 


THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET.  11 

ony  of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  fell  in  love  with  the  governor's 
granddaughter,  Virginia  Dare,  the  first  white  child  born  on 
American  soil.  The  jealous  rage  of  Chico,  the  great  magi- 
cian, changed  her  into  a  white  doe  which  baffled  all  the 
hunters'  attempts  to  capture  it,  for  it  had  a  charmed  life  and 
nothing  but  a  silver  arrow  or  an  arrow  dipped  in  the  magic 
fountain  of  Roanoke  could  slay  the  beautiful  creature.  Now 
Wanchese,  the  great  hunter  of  Pomouik,  has  crossed  the 
waters,  and  there  had  received  as  a  present  a  silver  arrow. 
Armed  with  this  he  lay  in  wait  for  the  white  doe.  Near  him 
also  was  Virginia  Dare's  faithful  lover,  Okisko,  armed  with 
an  arrow  that  had  been  dipped  in  the  magic  fountain.  The 
magician  Wen au don,  rival  of  Chico,  had  explained  to  Okisko 
that  only  by  piercing  to  the  heart  the  white  doe  with  this 
magic  arrow  could  the  fair  Virginia  be  liberated  and  restored 
to  him,  thus  unknown  to  each  other  the  two  warriors  awaited 
the  coming  of  the  white  doe,  one  armed  with  the  silver  arrow 
that  meant  death,  the  other  armed  with  the  magic  arrow  that 
meant  restored  life  the  Okisko's  love.  Suddenly  cut  in  the 
clearing  jumped  the  startled  doe ;  twang  went  the  bowstrings, 
both  arrows  fled  straight  to  the  mark.  To  the  wonder  of 
Wanchese  he  saw  a  beautiful  white  girl  laying  where  he  had 
seen  the  doe  fall.  To*  the  horror  of  Okisko  he  saw  the  arrow 
piercing  his  loved  one's  heart.  As  if  shocked  by  the  awful 
tragedy  the  magic  spring  died  away.  In  its  place  Okisko  saw 
growing  a  tiny  grapevine,  it  seemed  a  message  from  his  lost 
love,  he  watched  it  grow  and  blossom  and  bear  fruit.  Lo !  the 
grapes  were  red ;  he  crushed  one  and  lo !  the  juice  was  red — 
red  as  his  dear  Virginia's  blood.  Lovingly  he  watched  and 
tended  the  vine,  and  as  he  drank  the  pure  red  juice  of  the 
grape  he  knew  that  at  last  he  was  united  to  his  love — that  her 
spirit  was  entering  into  his — that  he  was  daily  growing  more 
like  her,  the  being  he  loved  and  worshipped — the  joy  he  had 
lost,  but  now  had  found  again  in  the  magic  seedling."    It  is 


12  THE   NORTH    CAROLINA   BOOKLET. 

a  fact  that  a  species  of  white  deer  is  still  seen  in  the  country 
around  Pungo  and  Scuppernong  Lakes,  but  the  penetrating 
ball  of  the  Winchester  possesses  a  counter  charm  to  the  magi- 
cal spell  of  the  Indian  magician  Chico,  and  the  white  doe 
often  falls  a  victim  before  its  unerring  aim. 

The  mother  Scuppernong  vine  implanted  upon  the  Island 
of  Roanoke,  as  ancient  as  our  civilization,  has  sent  its 
branches  like  the  English  speaking  race  over  our  broad  land, 
the  excellence  of  its  amber  clusters  dropping  the  honey-dew 
of  knowledge  and  delight — spreading  like  a  banyan,  its  broad 
arbor  is  a  sacred  aegis  of  Minerva,  which  will  shield  and 
hide  for  aye  the  mysterious  secret  of  the  Lost  Colony. 

Who  gave  us  Indian  Corn  the  Agatowr,  that  beautiful 
tasseled  staff  of  life  whose  waving  fields  are  a  symbol  of  our 
country's  bounty  and  wealth — this  maker  of  brawn  and 
muscle  and  of  the  gray  stroma  of  the  brain  ?  I  answer  each 
red  ear  blushed  with  the  red  man's  skin.  It  was  cultivated 
and  eaten  here  before  the  granaries  of  the  Pharaohs  were 
overflowing  from  the  wheat  fields  of  Egypt,  or  the  Libyan 
threshing-floors  were  groaning  under  the  fatness  of  the 
harvest.  Tbe  Indian  method  of  preparing  it  for  food  was  by 
hollowing  out  the  end  of  a  large  stump  and  pounding  the 
grain  by  means  of  a  log  suspended  to>  an  overhanging  bough. 

Who  gave  us  Uppowock,  the  divine  tobacco  ?  That  com- 
panion of  solitude  and  life  of  company !  The  fabled  Assidos 
of  the  middle  ages,  which  drives  away  all  evil  spirits !  The 
nerve  stimulant  destined  to  supplant  hashisch,  opium,  betel, 
kava-kava,  and  all  others !  Emissaries  from  China  and  Japan 
are  buying  American  tobacco  with  the  purpose  of  substituting 
it  for  the  injurious  opium  habit  of  those  countries.  This  is 
the  herb  which  that  rare  old  cynic  philosopher  so>  beautifully 
praises  and  censures  by  antithesis  in  his  wonderful  Anatomy 
of  Melancholy,  the  book  Doctor  Johnson  missed  his  tea  to 
read,  as  "divine,  rare,  superexcellent  tobacco,  which  goes  far 


THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET.  13 

beyond  all  the  panaceas,  potable  gold  and  philosophers' 
stones — a  sovereign  remedy  to  all  diseases,  a  virtuous  herb  if 
if  be  well  qualified,  opportunely  taken  and  medicinally  used, 
but  as  it  is  commonly  abused  by  most  men  'tis  a  plague,  a 
mischief,  a  violent  purger  of  goods,  lands  and  health — devil- 
ish and  damned  tobacco,  the  ruin  and  overthrow  of  body  and 
soul." 

The  Indians  held  Uppowock  their  tobacco  in  high  esteem, 
attributed  to  it  magical  powers.  It  was  the  gift  of  the  gods ; 
they  often  burnt  it  upon  their  sacred  fires,  and  cast  it  upon 
the  waters  to  allay  the  storm,  they  scattered  it  among  their 
weirs  to  increase  the  catch  of  fish,  and  after  an  escape  from 
great  danger  they  would  throw  it  high  into  the  air  as  if  to 
requite  the  gods  themselves. 

Eastern  North  Carolina  is  rich  in  literature  based  upon 
the  history,  the  legends,  the  traditions  of  its  Indians.  The 
White  Doe  or  Fate  of  Virginia  Dare  is  as  musical  as  Hia- 
watha, and  tells  the  story  of  the  change  of  Virginia  Dare 
into  the  shape  of  a  white  doe  to  which  I  have  alluded  else- 
where. 

That  erudite  scholar,  Col.R.  B.  Creecy,in  his  chef  d'oeuvre, 
the  Legend  of  Jesse  Batz,  tells  delightfully  the  story  of  Jesse 
Batz,  a  hunter  and  trapper  who  dwelt  upon  an  island  in  the 
Albemarle  Sound,  opposite  the  mouth  of  Yeopim  River,  now 
called  Batz's  Grave  (the  U.  S.  Geog.  Soc.  gives  the  spelling 
Batts),  but  then  called  Kalola  from  the  number  of  sea  gulls 
congregating  there.  Hunting,  trapping,  and  frequently  en- 
gaging in  the  chase  with  the  Indians  Batz  became  intimately 
associated  with  the  Princess  Kickawana,  the  beautiful  daugh- 
ter of  Kilkanoo,  the  king  of  the  Chowanokes.  Batz  loved  her 
at  first  sight,  and  she  in  turn  loved  the  white  man. 

When  Pamunkey  made  war  upon  Kilkanoo  Batz  fought 
with  the  Chowanokes,  and  in  a  hand-to-hand  encounter  took 
Pamunkey  prisoner  and  helped  to  drive  the  hostile  tribe  back 


14  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

into  Virginia.  For  this  act  of  bravery  he  was  adopted  into 
the  Chowanoke  tribe  with  the  name  of  Secotan  or  Great  White 
Eagle.  The  current  of  love  between  him  and  Kickawana  ran 
along  smoothly,  and  with  an  immunity  from  sorrow  beyond 
the  usual  lot  of  mortals  until  one  night  when  the  Indian 
maiden  was  paddling  in  her  canoe  across  from  the  mainland 
to  the  island,  as  she  frequently  did  to  visit  her  lover,  a  thund- 
erstorm swept  the  Albemarle  like  the  besom  of  destruction: 

"The  wind  was  high,  and  the  clouds  were  dark, 
And  the  boat  returned  no  more." 

Batz  never  more  left  his  island  home,  and  to  this  day  it  is 
called  Batz's  Grave.  Its  azure  outline  in  dim  perspective 
upon  the  glistening  page  of  the  Albemarle  seems  the  far-off 
island  of  some  half -forgotten  dream.  At  one  time  it  belonged 
to  George  Durant,  Jr.,  and  contained  many  acres  ;  the  erosion 
of  the  tides,  has  been  so  continuous  and  rapid  that  scarcely 
an  acre  now  remains.  This  constant  sloughing  of  its  banks 
causes  the  magnificent  timber  to  fall  into  the  water  in  great 
windrows,  like  broad  swaths  of  grain  beneath  the  sturdy 
stroke  of  some  giant  reaper,  but  the  ceaseless  murmur  of 
each  receding  wave  upon  its  lonely  beach  will  sigh  out  for- 
aye,  in  a  throbbing  tumultuous  undertone,  the  story  of  those 
unfortunate  lovers.  One  of  the  few  landmarks  left  by  the 
Chowan  Indians  is  a  part  of  the  soundside  road  leading  to 
Drummond's  Point,  which  curves  and  re-curves  upon  itself 
at  least  a  dozen  times  in  a  distance  of  two  miles.  The  tradi- 
tion is  that  the  road  was  made  by  the  early  settlers  along  the 
course  of  the  old  Indian  trail ;  over  this  road  doubtless  passed 
and  repassed  Kickawana  on  her  visits  to  the  island  home 
of  Jesse  Batz,  and  it  takes  but  a  touch  of  fancy  for  the  be- 
nighted traveler  along  this  lonely  road  to  see  the  lithe  form 
of  Kickawana  just  receding  around  the  next  bend. 


THE    NORTH    CAROLINA    BOOKLET.  15 

One  of  the  most  interesting  chapters  in  our  history  is  the 
account  given  by  Dr.  John  Brickell,  of  Edenton,  in  his  history 
of  North  Carolina  of  a  trip  among  the  Indians.  He  was  ap- 
pointed by  Gov.  Burrington  to  make  an  exploration  into  the 
interior,  with  a  view  of  securing  the  friendship  of  the  Chero- 
kee Indians.  He  left  Edenton  in  1730  with,  ten  men  and  two 
Indians,  and  traveled  fifteen  days  without  having  seen  a 
human  being.  At  the  foot  of  the  mountains  they  met  the  In- 
dians, who  received  them  kindly  and  conducted  them  to  their 
camp  where  they  spent  two  days  with  the  chief,  who  reluct- 
antly permitted  them  to  return.  They  built  large  fires  and 
cooked  the  game  which  the  two  Indians  killed  and  served  it 
upon  pine-bark  dishes,  at  night  they  tethered  their  horses  and 
slept  upon  the  gray  Spanish  moss  (Tillandsia  Usneoides), 
which  hung  from  the  trees.  They  lived  in  truly  Robin  Hood 
style,  and  the  tour  seems  to  have  been  more  for  romance  and 
adventure  than  for  scientific  search.  It  is  a  counterpart  in 
our  history  of  the  adventures  of  the  Knights  of  the  Golden 
Horse  Shoe  to  the  Blue  Ridge  of  Virginia  un$er  Gov.  Spotts- 
wood.  Dr.  Brickell  had  a  brother  who  settled  in  Hertford 
County  in  1739,  the  Rev.  Matthias  Brickell,  from  whom  is 
descended  some  of  the  best  families  of  that  county. 

The  Indian  Gallows,  a  poem  by  William  H.  Rhodes,  pub- 
lished in  1846,  deserves  the  highest  place  among  the  Indian 
classic  literature  of  North  Carolina. 

The  Indian  Gallows  was  located  in  the  Indian  woods  of 
Bertie  County,  a  tract  of  land  formerly  owned  and  occupied 
by  the  Tusearoras.  It  was  a  remarkable  freak  of  nature  in 
that  the  branch  of  one  oak  grew  so  entirely  and  completely 
into  another  oak  some  twenty  feet  asunder  that  it  was  im- 
possible to  discern  from  which  tree  the  cross-branch  grew. 
The  cross-branch  also  had  large  limbs  growing  upward  from 
it.     This  natural  curiosity  stood  until  1880,  when  a  severe 


16  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

storm  uprooted  one  of  the  oaks,  the  other  soon  commenced 
to  decay  and  was  cut  down  in  1892  and  made  into  relics. 

The  story  of  it  runneth  thus:  A  band  of  pilgrims  exiled 
by  religious  persecution  from  England  were  hurled  tempest- 
tossed  upon  the  shores  of  North  Carolina,  they  made  their 
way  under  all  sorts  of  difficulties  and  contentions  with  ad- 
verse fates  up  the  Albemarle  Sound  to  the  settlement  now 
called  Edenton.  The  parents  of  the  heroine  Elnora,  invited 
by  the  friendly  chief  of  the  Tuscaroras,  decided  to  make 
their  homes  in  the  wilds  across  the  sound.  Roanoke,  the  son 
of  the  old  Tuscarora  king,  soon  fell  in  love  with  Elnora,  and 
at  the  planning  of  the  Indian  Massacree  in  1711,  set  out  on 
foot  to  warn  his  white  friends  of  their  danger,  but  arrived 
just  in  time  to  see  their  cabin  in  names  and  a  band  of  Tusca- 
roras cut  down  Elnora's  aged  parents.  Elnora  herself  by  a 
superhuman  effort  eluded  the  grasp  of  the  murderous  chief 
Cashie  and  hid  in  the  Indian  Woods,  where  she  was  after- 
wards found  by  the  faithful  Roanoke.  Enduring  all  sorts 
of  hardships  they  eventually  found  a  boat,  and  steering  safely 
down  the  Moriatock  River,  reached  the  sound.  On  and  on 
they  paddled  through  the  darkness  of  the  night  under  the 
midnight  sky,  not  knowing  whither  they  were  going,  each 
angry  wave  greedy  to  swallow  up  their  little  canoe.  Elnora 
exhausted,  and  with  hands  all  blistered,  often  despaired,  and 
would  have  thrown  herself  into  the  dark  waters  had  she  not 
been  sustained  and  comforted  by  Roanoke.  Just  at  the  cru- 
cial moment  of  their  despair  Aurora  with  her  dew-drop  touch 
threw  open  the  rosy  chambers  of  the  East,  and  the  streaks  of 
dawn  went  ploughing  golden  furrows  in  the  wake  of  the 
morning  star.  Dawn  is  the  hour  of  resignation  and  peace, 
they  were  comforted  and  cheered  as  they  sighted  the  headland 
at  the  entrance  of  Edenton  Bay,  they  soon  reached  the  shore 
where  they  told  the  story  of  their  misfortunes  to  a  crowd  of 
eager  listeners,  among  whom  was  Henry,  Elnora's  lover,  just 


THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET.  17 

arrived  on  a  ship  from  England.  The  Tuscaroras,  when  they 
found  out  that  Roanoke  had  fled  to  Edenton  with  Elnora, 
infuriated  by  his  action  and  the  escape  of  the  white  maiden, 
set  out  at  once  with  a  flotilla  of  canoes  to  take  the  fort  at 
Edenton1  and  massacre  the  inhabitants,  but  they  were  driven 
hopelessly  back  by  the  well-prepared  settlers,  Henry  and 
Roanoke  fighting  gallantly  side  by  side.  After  the  rout  of 
the  Indians  Roanoke  lingered  sadly  at  Edenton.  Elnora 
showed  him  every  kindness  and  consideration,  but  her  heart 
belonged  unreservedly  to  Henry. 

"As  time  fled  on  Roanoke  forgot  to  smile, 
And  lonely  walks  his  saddened  weeks  beguile: 

A  secret  grief  sits  gnawing  at  his  soul, 
Deep  are  the  sorrows  that  his  mind  engage, 
Kindness  can  soothe  not — friends  cannot  assuage." 

Desperate  and  dejected  at  his  disappointment  in  love  he 
returned  to  his  tribe  in  Bertie  and  met  with  resignation  his 
fate.  At  the  council  of  the  chiefs  he  was  condemned  to  be 
burned  at  the  stake  the  next  morning  at  dawn,  when  the  sen- 
tence was  pronounced  the  tragic  Cashie  exclaimed — 

"  No — not  the  stake ! 
He  loves  the  paleface ;    let  him  die 
The  white  man's  death  !  Come  let  us  bend  a  tree 
And  swing  the  traitor,  as  the  Red-men  see 
The  palefaced  villian  hang.     Give  not  the  stake 
To  him  would  the  Red  man's  freedom  take, 
Who  from  our  fathers  and  our  God  would  roam, 

And  strives  to  rob  us  of  our  lands  and  home. 

******* 

They  seize  him  now  and  drag  him  to  the  spot 
Where  death  awaits,  and  pangs  are  all  forgot." 

i Opposite  the  old  Hathaway  lot,  on  Water  Street,  could  be  seen  a  few  years  ago  the 
foundation  of  what  is  supposed  to  have  been  the  old  fort  built  to  defend  the  town 
against  the  attacks  of  the  Indians,'and  this  might  have  been  the  one  in  which  Elnora 
and  Roanoke  took  refuge.  Watson,  in  his  Journey  to  Edenton  in  1777,  says  that  it 
was  then  defended  by  two  forts. 

2 


18  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

There  is  a  striking  analogy  between  the  motif  of  the  Indian 
Gallows  and  Campbell's  Gertrude  of  Wyoming.  Roanoke 
and  Outalisse,  the  Mohawk  chief,  were  very  similar  char- 
acters. 

One  of  the  largest  and  most  remarkable  Indian  mounds  in 
Eastern  ISTorth  Carolina  is  located  at  Bandon  on  the 
Chowan,  evidently  the  site  of  the  ancient  town  of  the  Cho- 
wanokes  which  Grenville's  party  visited  in  1585,  and  was 
called  Mavaton.2  The  map  of  James  Wimble,  made  in  1729, 
also  locates  it  at  about  this  point.  The  mound  extends  along 
the  river  bank  five  or  six  hundred  yards,  is  sixty  yards  wide 
and  five  feet  deep,  covered  with  about  one  foot  of  sand  and 
soil.  It  is  composed  almost  exclusively  of  mussel  shells  taken 
from  the  river,  pieces  of  pottery,  ashes,  arrow  heads  and 
human  bones,  this  may  have  been  the  dumping  ground  of  the 
village.  The  finding  of  human  bones  beneath  the  mound 
might  suggest  that  it  is  the  monument  of  their  distinguished 
chiefs,  just  as  the  ancient  Egyptians  built  pyramids  above 
their  illustrious  Pharaohs.  Pottery  and  arrow  heads  are 
found  in  many  places  throughout  this  county,  especially  on 
hillsides,  near  streams,  and  indicate  that  they  were  left  there 
by  temporary  hunting  or  fishing  parties.  Even  the  Indians  of 
the  present  day  are  averse  to  carrying  baggage  of  any  kind, 
and  the  frail  manner  in  which  some  of  their  pottery  was 
made  shows  that  it  was  for  temporary  purposes  only.  Certain 
decorations  on  their  pottery  occur  sufficiently  often  among  the 
Indian  tribes  of  the  different  sections  to  be  almost  character- 
istic of  them. 

A  sort  of  corn-cob  impression  is  found  on  a  great  deal  of 
the  Chowan  pottery  and  also  in  Bertie,  there  is  however 
considerable  variation  in  different  localities,  the  corn-cob  im- 
pression in  some  specimens  being  much  coarser.  There  are 
also  pieces  with  parallel  striations,  oblique  patterns,  small 

2The  station  on  the  Suffolk  and  Carolina  Railroad  was  named  by  the  author  for 
this  town. 


THE    NORTH   CAROLINA   BOOKLET.  19 

diamond  patterns  formed  by  transverse  lines,  evidently  made 
by  a  sharp  stick.  Some  are  decorated  with  horizontal  lines, 
while  a  few  are  perfectly  plain.  In  the  deposits  on  the 
Chowan  Kiver,  at  the  site  of  the  ancient  Chowanoke  town  of 
Mavaton,  the  decorations  on  the  pottery  are  both  varied  and 
artistic,  and  I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  each  clan  or  family 
had  its  own  distinctive  and  individual  pattern  of  decora- 
tion— it  was  their  coat  of  arms.  On  this  same  mound  I 
found  the  wild  columbine  growing,  stragglers  from  Menotos- 
con's  flower-garden,  and  at  a  nearby  spring  nourished  the 
spear-mint,  whose  ancestors  two  hundred  years  ago  doubtless 
seasoned  Okisko's  venison  stew.  I  have  never  seen  so  many 
distinct  patterns  occurring  in  the  same  mound  as  at  Avoca, 
left  there  by  the  Tuscaroras.  The  ancient  Tuscarora  town 
of  Metackwem  was  located  in  Bertie  County  just  above  Black 
Walnut  Point,  and  most  probably  at  Avoca,  from  the  exten- 
sive deposits  there.  The  Tuscaroras  showed  a  more  ad- 
vanced civilization  than  any  of  the  Eastern  tribes,  they 
were  jealous  and  revengeful,  had  more  numerical  strength, 
more  prowess  and  were  more  belligerent,  and  influenced  the 
weaker  tribes  near  them.  They  were  originally  descended 
from  the  Monacans,  a  powerful  nation  whose  territory  ex- 
tended from  the  domains  of  Powhattan  down  into  Carolina, 
and  who  were  well  known  to  many  of  the  early  discoverers, 
they  are  believed  by  some  to  have  been  the  aborigines  of  East- 
ern ISTorth  Carolina.  Although  amalgamated  with  the  Iroquois 
Confederation  the  Tuscaroras  have  even  to  this  day  pre- 
served, in  a  great  measure,  their  individuality.  The  Cho- 
wanokes  evidently  worshipped  the  maize,  and  decorated  their 
pottery  freely  with  the  corn-cob.  We  do  not  know  the  exact 
shape  of  their  cooking  utensils,  but  judging  from  the  frag- 
ments of  pottery  they  must  have  been  shaped  very  much  like 
the  modern  flower  pot.  Calculating  the  diameter  and  ca- 
pacity of  the  vessels  from  the  segments  found  there  was  great 


20  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

uniformity  both  of  size  and  shape.  The  Indians  knew  the 
principle  of  the  wedge,  and  applied  its  shape  to-  their  axes 
and  tomahawks.  There  is  a  great  similarity  in  them  to  the 
English  axe,  that  implement  and  coat-of-arms  of  onr  civiliza- 
tion, this  similarity  of  implements  argue  strongly  the  uni- 
versal brotherhood  of  mankind. 

In  the  great  dismal  surrounding  Lake  Scuppernong  is  a 
chain  of  small  islands  surrounded  by  pitfalls,  which  are  be- 
lieved to  have  been  dug  by  the  Indians  to  entrap  large  game, 
along  the  shores  of  the  lake  a  vessel  of  soapstone,  almost  in- 
tact, was  exhumed  some  time  ago,  and  at  the  spot  where  the 
best  perch  abound. 

To  the  east  of  Centre  Hill,  which  forms  the  divide  between 
Chowan  and  Perquimans  Rivers,  lies  a  vast  tract  of  land 
called  Bear  Swamp,  depressed  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  below 
the  surrounding  country,  and  a  number  of  years  ago  some 
parties  in  making  an  excavation  just  east  of  Centre  Hill, 
where  the  land  falls  off  into  this  great  basin,  discovered  a  boat 
of  considerable  dimensions,  fairly  well  preserved,  six  or  more 
feet  below  the  surface :  it  is  supposed  to  be  of  Indian  origin, 
as  there  is  an  ancient  tradition  that  it  was  centuries  ago  a 
great  lake.3 

The  numerical  strength  of  the  Indians  of  Eastern  North 
Carolina  in  1710  was  as  follows:  The  Tuscaroras  had 
fifteen  towns ;  Haruta,  Waqni,  Contahnah,  Anna-Ooka,  Con- 
auh-Kare,  Harooka,  Una-lSTauhan,  Kentanuska,  Chunaneets, 
Kenta,  Eno,  Xaurheghne,  Oonossoora,  Tosneoc,  ISTonawhar- 
itse,  Nuhsoorooka  and  twelve  hundred  warriors ;  the  Wacons 
two  towns,   Yupwarereman   and   Tooptatmere,   one  hundred 

sin  the  branch  of  Pollock  Swamp,  which  drains  the  southern  extension  of  Bear 
S  wamp,  is  a  most  remarkable  natural  formation  in  the  shape  of  a  salt  deposit  in  the 
bottom  of  the  swamp.  It  was  first  discovered  by  cattle  going  there  to  lick  during 
long  drouths  when  the  bottom  of  the  swamp  was  dry.  During  the  Civil  War,  when 
salt  was  gold,  some  parties  dug  a  well  there,  collected  the  water,  and  evaporated  it 
in  pans,  making  a  very  good  quality  of  salt.  When  I  visited  this  well  several  years 
ago,  though  the  bottom  of  the  swamp  was  entirely  dry,  the  well  was  full  of  a  sea-green 
water,  which  I  examined  and  found  strongly  impregnated  with  salt. 


THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET.  21 

and  twenty  warriors;  the  Machapungas  one  town,  Maramis- 
keet,  thirty  warriors;  the  Bear  River  Indians  one  town,  Rau 
dau-quaquank,  fifty  warriors ;  the  Meherrins  one  town  on 
Meherrin  River,  fifty  warriors ;  the  Chowans  one  town,  Ben- 
net's  Creek,  fifteen  warriors ;  the  Paspatanks  one  town  on 
Paspatank  River,  ten  warriors ;  the  Poesketones  one  town  on 
North  River,  thirty  warriors ;  the  Nottaways  one  town, 
Winoak  Creek,  thirty  warriors ;  Hatteras  Indians  one  town, 
Sand  Banks,  sixteen  warriors ;  Connamox  Indians  two  towns, 
Coranine  and  Raruta,  twenty-five  warriors ;  the  Jaupins 
(probably  Yeopims),  only  six  people;  and  the  Pamtigough 
Indians  one  town,  an  island,  fifteen  warriors.  Upon  a  basis 
that  three-fifths  were  old  men,  women  and  children  there 
must  have  been  at  that  time  at  least  ten  thousand  Indians  in 
Eastern  North  Carolina. 

September  22,  1711,  marks  the  day  of  the  bloody  Indian 
massacre  in  Eastern  North  Carolina,  when  112  settlers  and 
80  infants  were  brutally  murdered,  and  that  day  was  kept 
with  prayer  and  fasting  throughout  the  colony  for  many 
years.  With  tomahawk  and  torch  they  swept  like  fiends  in- 
carnate over  Eastern  North  Carolina,  their  bloody  trail  ex- 
tending even  to  the  northeastern  shores  of  Albemarle  Sound 
and  Chowan  River.  The  desperate  war  which  followed  was 
finally  brought  to  a  successful  close  by  a  series  of  victories 
through  Col.  James  Moore  and  his  allied  Indians ;  Capt. 
Barnwell  also  contributed  largely  to  the  success  of  the  war, 
killing  more  than  five  hundred  Indians.  The  last  of  June, 
1713,  the  Tuscaroras,  who  were  occupying  Fort  Carunche, 
evacuated  it  and  joined  the  rest  of  their  nation  on  the  Roan- 
oke, soon  to  abandon  North  Carolina  forever. 

They  migrated  to  the  southeastern  end  of  Lake  Oneida, 
New  York,  where  they  joined  the  Iroquois  Confederation, 
which  was  composed  of  five  nations,  viz. :  the  Mohawks, 
Onondagas,  Cayugas,  Oneidas  and  the  Senecas;  the  Tusca- 


22  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

roras  with  their  allies,  the  Chowans,  the  Saponas  and  some 
others,  formed  the  Sixth  Nation,  of  this  Confederation :  a  part 
of  the  Canadian  Indians  are  descended  from  the  Iroquois. 
King  Tom  Blount4  and  a  few  of  his  faithful  warriors  re- 
mained in  Bertie  for  awhile,  but  just  before  the  Revolution 
the  few  Tuscaroras  who  were  left  in  that  county  then  mi- 
grated to  the  North,  and  joined  their  brethren  of  the  Six 
Nations.  Before  leaving  they  sold  all  their  vast  domain 
(53,000  acres)  except  a  tract  in  Bertie  County  about  twelve 
miles  square,  called  Indian  Woods,  which  they  were  com- 
pelled to  lease  for  a  long  term  of  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
seven  years. 

Succarusa,  an  old  chief  of  this  tribe,  visited  Bertie  about 
1830  to  collect  the  rents  due  his  people  on  that  long  lease,  and 
while  there  he  went  to  take  a  look  at  the  Indian  Gallows,  this 
was  the  last  footprint  of  the  Indian  upon  the  shores  of  the 
Albemarle. 

A  part  of  the  Tuscarora  tribe  still  reside  in  Western  New 
York  where  they  maintain  a  tribal  government,  divided  into 
clans  called  Otter,  Beaver,  Wolf,  Bear,  etc.  The  title  of 
Sachem  Chief  is  still  given  to  their  governor.  Thomas  Wil- 
liams (Takeryerter),  belonging  to  the  Beaver  Clan  and  rather 
a  young  man,  was  Chief  Sachem  in  1890,  and  Elias  Johnson 
(Towernakee),  was  then  the  historian  of  the  tribe.  In  1901 
there  were  three  hundred  and  seventy-one  Tuscaroras,  all 
wearing  citizen's  clothes,  entirely  civilized,  the  majority  of 
them  could  read  and  write,  and  about  five-sixths  of  them 
could  speak  English. 

In  1768  they  numbered 200 

In  1779  they  numbered 200 

In  1822  they  numbered 314 

(Then  residing  at  Lewiston,  on  Lake  Ontario.) 

In  1825  they  numbered 253 

In  1867  they  numbered 360 

4The  late  King  Kalakaua  was  a  lineal  descendant  of  King  Tom  Blount,  one  of  his 
descendants  having  married  into  the  royal  family  of  the  Sandwich  Islands. 


THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET.  23 

In  1775  three  departments  of  Indian  Affairs  were  created 
by  Congress,  and  Willie  Jones  was  one  of  the  commissioners 
of  the  Southern  Department.  The  Tuscarora  reservation  in 
New  York  in  1771  (from  an  old  map  made  by  order  of  Gov. 
Tryon,  the  erstwhile  notorious  Governor  of  North  Carolina), 
comprised  6249  acres.  After  their  removal  to  New  York 
they  were  loyal  to  us  in  the  Revolution  and  in  the  War  of 
1812 ;  during  the  Civil  War  they  furnished  volunteers  to  the 
United  States  government.  They  are  now  peaceable  and 
orderly,  with  very  few  laws,  and  fewer  disturbances  of  the 
public  peace ;  their  income  is  small  and  they  are  poor,  though 
there  are  very  few  paupers.  The  Tuscaroras  have  substantial 
churches  with  Sunday  schools  fairly  well  attended,  the  most 
of  them  are  Baptists  and  Presbyterians,  while  some  are  still 
pagans.  They  farm,  raise  stock,  make  maple-sugar,  also 
baskets  and  bead-work ;  hunt,  trap  and  fish.  The  sewing 
machine  has  been  introduced  among  the  women.  A  part  of 
the  original  Six  Nations  are  also  living  in  Wisconsin  and 
Indian  Territory.  As  with  other  people  without  a  history 
the  Six  Nations  rely  greatly  upon  their  myths,  their  legends, 
and  their  traditions.  They  account  for  the  presence  of  the 
Seven-Stars  or  Pleiades  in  the  heavens  by  a  most  remarkable 
story.  Many  years  ago  seven  little  boys  wanted  to  give  a 
feast  by  themselves,  which  was  denied  them  by  their  parents, 
in  defiance  they  secretly  secured  and  cooked  a  little  white  dog, 
and  while  dancing  around  him  in  great  glee  some  unseen 
spirit  translated  them  to  the  heavens,  and  changed  them  into 
a  constellation ;  and  now  when  they  watch  the  twinkling  of 
the  Seven  Stars  at  night  in  the  blue  grotto  of  the  skies  they 
say  it  is  the  seven  little  boys  dancing  around  the  little  white 
dog. 

The  Yeopims  were  never  very-  strong  and  were  settled 
along  the  shores  of  Perquimans  and  Little  Rivers.  They 
granted  to  George  Durant  two  tracts  of  land,  one  deed  dated 


24  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

March  1,  1661,  conveying  a  tract  called  Wecocomicke,  now 
Durant's  Neck,  signed  by  Kilcocanen  or  Kistotanew,  King  of 
Yeopim,  and  recites  "for  a  valuable  consideration  of  satisfac- 
tion received  with  ye  consent  of  my  people".  ...  ."adjoining 
the  land  I  formerly  sold  to  Samuel  Pricklove."  Another 
deed  dated  August  4,  1661,  and  signed  by  Cuscutenew  as 
King  of  Yeopim.  These  deeds  were  both  registered  October 
24,  1716,  and  are  now  in  Book  "A,"  Register  of  Deeds  office 
of  Perquimans  County. 

An  exploring  party  sent  out  by  Sir  Richard  Grenville  in 
1586  sailed  up  the  Chowan  as  high  as  the  confluence  of  the 
Meherrin  and  Nottoway  Rivers,  just  below  which  they  found 
an  Indian  town  called  Opanock  (not  very  far  from  the  pres- 
ent town  of  Winton).  These  Indians  were  very  numerous 
then  and  had  seven  hundred  warriors  in  the  field :  they  were 
the  Meherrins. 

Col.  Byrd  in  his  History  of  the  Dividing  Line,  1729,  de- 
scribes in  his  own  unique,  original  fashion  his  visit  to  the 
town  of  the  Nottoway  Indians  near  the  line,  then  about  about 
200  strong,  "The  young  men  bad  painted  themselves  in  a 
Hideous  Manner,  not  so  much  for  Ornament  as  terror.  In 
that  frightful  Equipage  they  entertained  us  with  Sundry  War 
Dances,  wherein  they  endeavoured  to  look  as  formidable  as 
possible.  The  Instrument  they  danced  to  was  an  Indian  drum, 
that  is  a  large  Gourd  with  a  skin  bract  tort  over  the  Mouth  of 
it.  The  Dancers  all  Sang  to  this  Musick,  keeping  exact  Time 
with  their  feet,  while  their  Heads  and  Arms  were  screwed 
into  a  thousand  Menacing  Postures.  Upon  this  occasion  the 
Ladies  had  arrayed  themselves  in  all  their  finery.  They  were 
Wrapt  in  their  Red  and  Blue  Match-Coats  thrown  so  Negli- 
gently about  them  that  their  Mehogany  Skin  appeared  in  Sev- 
eral Parts  like  the  Lacedaemonian  Damsels  of  Old." 

There  is  a  body  of  distinct  people,  mostly  white,  now  living 
in  Robeson  County,  North  Carolina,  who  are  recognized  by 


THE   DANCE   OF   THE   CAROLINA   INDIANS    AS    REPRESENTED 
BY  JOHN  WHITE  IN  1585. 

(Original  in  the  British  Museum.) 

The  Roanoke  Indians  at  their  festivals  and  councils  drank  the  Cassine, 
which  served  t±iem  as  a  sort  of  stimulant;  it  was  a  decoction  made  from 
the  dried  leaves  of  Ilex  Yupon,  no"\v  drank  under  the  name  of  Yupon 
Tea. 

The  reader  is  referred  to  Mr.  Edward  Eggleston's  able  discussion  of 
the  DeBry  pictures  in  the  Nation  and  Century  magazines. 


THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET.  25 

the  State  as  the  Croatans  and  given  separate  schools,  and  who 
by  their  own  traditions  trace  their  genealogy  directly  from 
the  Croatans  associated  with  the  lost  Raleigh  Colony.  Prof. 
Alexander  Brown,  of  the  Royal  Historical  Society  of  Eng- 
land, has  discovered  some  old  maps  dating  back  to  1608-1610 
clearly  confirming,  it  is  stated,  the  traditions  of  these  people 
in  regard  to  their  lineage,  and  the  reader  is  respectfully  re- 
ferred to  those  able  pamphlets  upon  that  subject  by  Mr.  Ham- 
ilton McMillan  and  Dr.  Stephen  B.  Weeks. 

After  the  Tuscarora  War  was  over  the  Chowanokes,  who 
had  remained  all  the  while  the  faithful  friends  of  the  whites 
and  were  residing  at  their  ancient  town  on  the  Chowan,  called 
Mavaton,  were  allotted  about  four  thousand  acres  of  land 
between  Sarum0  and  Bennet's  Creek,  mostly  poquosin,  and 
ordered  to  move  there.  Of  this  once  populous  tribe  only 
about  fifteen  warriors  then  remained.  They  had  originally 
two  good  towns,  Muscamunge  and  Chowanock — Muscamunge 
was  not  very  far  from  the  present  town  of  Edenton ;  they  had 
also  at  one  time  more  than  seven  hundred  warriors  in  the  field. 
King  Hoyter  was  the  last  of  the  Chowanoke  Kings  in  this 
section.  But  restless  and  dissatisfied  they  finally  requested 
permission  to  cast  their  lot  with  the  Saponas,  who  migrated 
North  to  the  Tuscaroras  and  helped  to.  form  the  complement 
of  the  Sixth  Nation.  In  their  intermarriage  with  various 
tribes,  their  divisions,  their  numerous  migrations  and  amal- 
gamations, they  have  become  scattered  all  over  the  North  and 
West,  and  it  is  impossible  to  trace  them. 

So  passed  the  pure  blood  of  the  Chowanokes,  and  has  been 
lost  and  blended  with  the  various  tribes  of  our  frontier — that 
fantastic  caravan  which  is  marching  sadly  to  its  own  funeral 

5  An  old  map  of  this  section  shows  a  chapel  just  south  of  Bennet's  Creek,  which 
must  have  been  the  Sarum  Chapel  of  the  early  ministers  of  the  S.  P.  G.  A  school  > 
the  first  in  North  Carolina,  was  at  one  time  located  at  Sarum  for  the  religious  and 
educational  training  of  these  indians.  Lawson  says  th«t  in  1714  they  were  still  resid- 
ing on  Bennet's  Creek. 


26  THE  NOETH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

pyre  across  the  golden  West,  but  when  the  dreamy  Indian 
summer  spreads  its  blue  hazy  gauze  over  the  landscape  like 
a  veiled  prophet,  and  the  autumn  leaves  are  painted  upon  the 
easel  of  the  first  frost,  and  the  grand  amphitheater  of  the 
forest  is  carpeted  with  the  richest  patterns  of  Axminster,  and 
the  whole  world  is  a  wonderland  spread  upon  a  gigantic  can- 
vass of  earth,  and  sky,  and  water — when  the  glittering  belt  of 
Mazzaroth  spans  the  heavens,  and  the  jewels  sparkle  brightest 
in  the  dagger  of  Orion,  it  is  then  that  the  grim  phantom  of 
the  red  man  returns  to  his  old  hunting  ground,  as  erst  he  did : 
All  feathered  and  with  leather  buskins,  and  bow  put  cross- 
wise on  his  breast,  in  his  periagua  he  crosses  the  Great  Divide 
of  the  Spirit  Land,  and  from  under  the  black  zone  of  the 
shore-shadows  he  glides  into-  the  moonlight — out  upon  the 
dimpled,  polished  mirror  of  the  river — Hark!  you  can  hear 
each  stroke  of  his  paddle,  if  the  wind  down  the  river  is  fair. 


2-J 


GLIMPSES  OF  HISTORY  IN  THE  NAMES  OF  OUR 
COUNTIES. 


BY    KEMP    P.    BATTLE,    LL.D. 


No  people  can  have  a  proper  self-respect  who  are  not  fa- 
miliar with  the  deeds  of  their  ancestors.  We  North  Caro- 
linians have  been  deficient  in  this  regard.  Men  will  tell  you 
more  of  Bunker  Hill  and  Brandywine  than  of  the  more  im- 
portant, more  decisive  battles  of  King's  Mountain  and  Guil- 
ford Court-House.  They  know  fairly  well  the  incidents  of 
past  times  in  other  countries,  often  very  minutely — that 
Caesar  was  bald  and  was  subject  to  epileptic  fits,  that  Cleo- 
patra did  not  have  the  color  and  thick  lips  of  a  negro,  that 
Queen  Elizabeth  was  red-haired  and  Queen  Anne  was  fat 
and  had  seventeen  children,  all  of  whom  died  young — but 
when  you  ask  them  about  the  great  men  of  North  Carolina 
whose  valor  gained  our  independence,  whose  statesmanship 
shaped  our  political  destinies  and  whose  teachings  moulded 
our  minds  and  morals,  their  answers  are  vague  and  unsatis- 
factory. 

The  names  of  the  counties  of  our  State  are  especially  in- 
structive. Associations  with  every  epoch  of  our  history  are 
wrapped  up  in  or  suggested  by  them.  Only  one  seems  to  be 
what  is  called  a  "fancy  name,"  and  even  that,  Transylvania, 
in  its  sonorous  beauty,  recalls  the  fact  of  our  kinship  to  the 
great  conquering,  law-giving  race  inhabiting  the  imperial  city 
of  the  Old  World  on  the  banks  of  the  Tiber,  from  whom  we 
derived  much  of  our  blood  and  more  of  our  speech  through 
the  Norman-Roman-Celtic  people,  who  followed  William 
the  Conqueror  into  England.  We  find  it  first  in  the  ambi- 
tious but  futile  enterprise  of  Judge  Richard  Henderson  and 
his  associates,  the  Transylvania  colony. 

Counties  are  created  for  the  convenience  of  the  people  who 


28  THE  NORTH    CAROLINA   BOOKLET. 

reside  in  them.  In  a  State  gradually  filled  up  by  immigration 
the  times  of  their  formation  indicate  quite  accurately  the 
flow  of  such  immigration.  The  names  given  to  them  by  the 
legislatures  were  as  a  rule  intended  to  compliment  persons 
or  things  then  held  in  peculiar  honor.  As  the  statutes  do  not, 
except  in  two  instances,  mention  those  intended  to  be  com- 
memorated, we  are  forced  to  study  the  history  of  the  times, 
to  look  thro'  the  eyes  of  our  ancestors  and  thus  gather  their 
intention.  Combining  the  dates  of  formation  with  the  names 
of  the  counties  we  gather  many  interesting  and  important 
facts  connected  with  the  past. 

I  premise  that  the  Spaniards  once  claimed  our  territory  to 
be  Florida.  Queen  Elizabeth  in  the  Raleigh  charter  named 
it  with  other  territory,  Virginia.  Charles  I.  (or  Carolus),  in 
the  Heath  charter  named  it  Carolina,  so  when  Charles  II.  in 
the  grant  to  the  Lords  Proprietors  retained  the  name  Caro- 
lina, of  course  our  State  name  comes  from  his  father.  It 
was  not  called  from  Charles  IX.,  of  France,  as  Bancroft  and 
others  say. 

jSTorth  Carolina  has,  by  the  creation  of  the  county  of  Co- 
lumbus, to  the  extent  of  her  power,  repaired  the  wrong  done 
the  learned  and  daring  Genoese  in  allowing  the  name  of 
Americus  Vespucius  to  be  affixed  to  the  New  World. 

Our  easternmost  county,  along  which  rolls  the  majestic 
ocean,  which  has  within  its  limits  stormy  Hatteras  and  the 
lovely  island  of  Roanoke,  its  county  seat  named  after  the 
good  Indian  Manteo,  records  only  an  infant's  wail,  a  dark 
mystery — a  memory  of  pathos  and  of  wonder. 

What  was  the  fate  of  Virginia  Dare,  the  first  infant  born 
to  the  impetuous,  daring,  energetic  race,  in  a  few  short  years 
to  replace  the  forests  of  her  day  with  all  the  grand  works  of 
eighty  millions  of  civilized  people !  Did  the  tomahawk  crash 
into  her  brain  ?    Did  she  become  the  squaw  of  an  Indian  war- 


THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET.  29 

rior,  and  did  the  governor's  granddaughter  end  her  days  in 
the  wigwam  of  a  savage  ?  Recent  writers,  Hamilton  McMil- 
lan and  Stephen  B.  Weeks,  have  brought  many  plausible 
arguments  to  prove  that  the  lost  colony  wandered  to  the 
swamps  of  Robeson,  and  the  white  man's  desperate  energy 
and  the  red  man's  treacherous  guile  created  the  cunning, 
cruel,  ferocious,  bloody  Henry  Berry  Lowery  and  his  gang. 

North  Carolina  was  the  victim  of  a  gigantic  monopoly. 
After  restoration  of  Charles  II.,  in  the  first  flush  of  his 
gratitude,  to  eight  of  his  great  lords  he  granted  of  his  royal 
prerogative  a  tract  of  land  stretching  across  this  continent 
from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  from  the  parallel  which 
divides  North  Carolina  from  Virginia  to  that  which  passes 
through  Florida  by  Cedar  Keys.  No  claim,  however,  was 
ever  made  west  of  the  Mississippi  river,  and  part  of  that  east 
of  it  was  given  up. 

The  names  of  these  favored  lords  were:  Edward  Hyde, 
Earl  of  Clarendon,  George  Monk,  Duke  of  Albemarle,  Wil- 
liam, Lord  Craven,  John  Lord  Berkeley,  Anthony,  Lord  Ash- 
ley, Sir  George  Carteret,  Sir  William  Berkeley,  Sir  John 
Colleton.  You  find  those  names,  besides  in  Albemarle  Sound, 
in  the  counties  of  Craven  and  Carteret.  The  county  of 
Colleton  is  in  South  Carolina. 

Only  one  of  these  ever  resided  in  America,  Sir  Wm.  Berke- 
ley, a  member  of  a  noble  family  which  in  the  most  dismal 
days  of  Charles  I.  and  his  son,  were  staunch  adherents  to  the 
crown,  suffering  banishment  and  confiscation  for  its  sake. 
He  was  the  Governor  Berkeley  of  Virginia  who  suppressed 
Bacon's  rebellion  in  so  bloody  a  way  that  Charles  II.  said: 
"That  old  fool  has  taken  more  lives  without  offence  in  that 
naked  country  than  I  in  all  England  for  the  murder  of  my 
father,"  and  who  thanked  his  God  that  "there  were  no  free 
schools  or  printing  press  here,  and  I  hope  I  shall  have  none 
of  them  these  hundred  years." 


30  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

Among  them  you  will  notice  conspicuous  lights  in  English 
History.  There  was  the  Lord  Chancellor,  Hyde,  Earl  of 
Clarendon,  the  eminent  historian,  whose  daughter,  wife  of 
James  II. ,  was  the  mother  of  two  queens,  Mary  and  Anne. 
There  was  Anthony  Ashley  Cooper,  the  brilliant  and  wicked 
Earl  of  Shaftesbury,  who,  notwithstanding  his  wickedness, 
was  one  of  the  chief  authors  of  that  monument  of  liberty,  the 
Habeas  Corpus  Act.  And  there  was  General  Monk,  the 
Cromwellian  general,  by  whose  skill  and  prudence  Charles 
II.  was  restored  to  the  throne  without  bloodshed.  His  title 
you  will  recognize  not  only  in  our  eastern  sound  but  in  the 
county  seat  of  Stanly.  Two  of  Shaftesbury's  names  may  be 
seen  in  the  two  rivers,  Ashley  and  Cooper,  which  surround 
Charleston,  while  a  kinsman  of  Earl  Clarendon  became  Gov- 
ernor Hyde,  of  North  Carolina,  and  his  name  was  given  to 
an  eastern  county. 

The  Lords  Proprietors  contemplated  a  county  called  Clar- 
endon, after  Edward  Hyde,  the  Earl  of  Clarendon,  who  took 
his  title  from  a  royal  hunting  seat  in  Wiltshire,  England, 
but  the  settlers  moved  away  and  the  county  fell  still-born. 

The  first  successful  municipal  corporation  in  the  State  was 
Albemarle,  comprising  all  of  the  area  around  the  Albemarle 
Sound.  The  plan  was  to  have  very  large  counties,  composed 
of  "Precincts."  Two  only  were  created — Albemarle,  composd 
of  Currituck,  Pasquotank,  Perquimans,  Chowan,  Tyrrell 
and  Bertie,  and  Bath,  composed  of  Beaufort,  Hyde,  Craven, 
Carteret,  New  Hanover,  Tyrrell,  Edgecombe,  Bladen,  Ons- 
low.    These  minor  divisions  were  called  Precincts. 

Albemarle  perpetuates  the  ducal  title  of  General  Monk. 
In  France  it  took  the  form  of  Aumale,  and  was  the  title  of  a 
famous  duke  of  recent  years,  a  member  of  the  Orleans  family. 
Until  1696  Albemarle  was  the  only  large  political  organiza- 
tion in  our  limits.  In  that  year  Bath  County  was  created 
out  of  territory  bordering  on  Pamlico  Sound  and  as  far  South 


THE  XOETH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET.  31 

as  Cape  Fear  River.  It  was  named  in  honor  of  John  Gran- 
ville, Earl  of  Bath,  whose  daughter  Grace  married  Sir  George 
Carteret,  grandson  of  the  Lord  Proprietor  of  the  same  name. 
Sir  George  dying  in  1695,  the  Earl  of  Bath  represented  his 
infant  grandson,  Sir  John  Carteret,  afterwards  Earl  Gran- 
ville. 

In  1738  the  great  counties  of  Albemarle  and  Bath,  with 
their  Marshals  and  Deputy  Marshals  and  separate  courts 
were  abolished  and  the  Precincts  became  counties.  For  con- 
venience sake  I  will  call  these  latter  counties  from  the  be- 
ginning. 

In  1672  there  were  four,  some  say,  others  three,  precincts, 
the  eastern  being  Carteret,  the  western  Shaftesbury,  the  mid- 
dle Berkeley  (pronounced  Barclay),  and  the  other  unknown. 
Twelve  years  afterwards  the  names  were  changed  to  Curri- 
tuck, Chowan,  Pasquotank  and  Perquimans,  the  former 
name  of  Pasquotank  being  lost,  if  it  ever  existed. 

In  1729  the  representatives  of  seven  of  the  great  lords  find- 
ing in  their  possessions  neither  honor  nor  profit  but  only  con- 
tinual torment,  sold  their  rights  to  the  crown  for  only  $12,500 
each,  it  being  a  wonderful  illustration  of  the  rapid  growth 
of  the  country,  that  about  170  years  ago  lands  through  the 
heart  of  the  continent  were  sold  at  the  rate  of  18,000  acres 
for  $1.00. 

My  father  was  a  practicing  lawyer  at  the  time  of  this  great 
sale,  when  the  lands  of  ISTorth  Carolina,  Tennessee,  Arkansas 
and  California  were  disposed  of  at  the  rate  of  100  acres  for 
one  cent. 

Sixty-six  years,  as  in  other  sublunary  matters,  make  great 
changes  in  property  and  titles.  Families  die  out,  estates  are 
sold,  men  pass  away  and  others  stand  in  their  shoes,  and  so  it 
came  to  pass  that  the  Lords  Proprietors  of  1729,  in  the  time 
of  George  II.,  were  different  men  from  the  Lords  Proprietors 
of  1663,  in  the  reign  of  Charles  II. 


32  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

We  find  the  names  of  some  of  these  new  owners  affixed  to 
counties  in  our  State.  There  are  Granville  and  Beaufort, 
county  and  town,  from  Henry,  Duke  of  Beaufort,  Bertie 
county  from  James  and  John  Bertie,  Tyrrell  from  Sir  John 
Tyrrell. 

From  1729  the  State  was  a  colony  under  the  government 
of  England  until  the  war  of  the  Revolution. 

It  was  fashionable  to  compliment  members  of  the  royalty 
or  nobility  or  statesmen,  connected  officially  with  the  colonies, 
by  giving  their  names  to  municipal  organizations  of  the  new 
country.  Hence  we  have  Orange,  after  a  collateral  descend- 
ant of  the  great  King  who  banished  the  Stuarts,  New  Han- 
over and  Brunswick  in  compliment  to  the  Georges,  Cumber- 
land after  the  great  duke  who  defeated  Charles  Edward  at 
Culloden,  Johnston  after  good  old  Governor  Gabriel  John- 
ston, Martin  after  Governor  Josiah  Martin.  We  had  once 
Dobbs  and  Tryon,  after  provincial  governors.  We  have  Ons- 
low after  Arthur  Onslow,  Edgecombe  from  Baron  Richard 
Edgecombe,  Bladen,  after  Martin  Bladen,  Duplin,  after 
Lord  Duplin,  Baron  Hay,  Hertford,  Halifax,  Wilmington, 
Hillsboro,  Bute,  Richmond,  Northampton  after  the  father  of 
the  Earl  of  Wilmington,  after  noblemen  of  those  names,  all 
of  whom  held  places  of  trust  in  the  mother  country.  I  will 
tell  particularly  of  others. 

Of  all  the  statesmen  of  England  the  most  brilliant  was  the 
first  Wm.  Pitt,  fondly  named  by  the  people  the  Great  Com- 
moner. He  was  eminent  for  fiery  and  impetuous  eloquence. 
In  a  venal  age  the  purity  of  his  morals  were  unquestioned. 
He  made  Great  Britain  the  first  nation  of  the  world.  He 
wrested  Canada  from  the  French.  He  founded  the  British 
Empire  in  India.  As  Lamartine  says,  "He  was  a  public  man 
in  all  the  greatness  of  the  phrase — the  soul  of  a  nation  per- 
sonified in  an  individual — the  inspiration  of  a  people  in  the 
heart  of  a  patrician." 


THE    NORTH    CAROLINA    BOOKLET.  33 

In  1760,  in  the  plentitude  of  his  fame,  the  year  after 
Wolfe  fell  victorious  on  the  heights  of  Quebec,  by  the  influ- 
ence of  the  Royal  Governor  Dobbs,  a  new  county  formed 
from  Craven  was  called  after  the  great  English  minister. 

Lord  Carteret,  afterwards  Earl  Granville,  refused  to  part 
with  his  one-eighth  share,  and  to  him  in  1744  was  allotted  a 
territory  3,000  miles  long  and  about  70  miles  broad,  between 
the  parallel  near  the  centre  of  North  Carolina,  35  degrees  34 
minutes,  and  that  which  forms  the  Virginia  line.  The  coun- 
ties created  while  his  land  office  was  open  for  purchasers  de- 
rived their  rectangular  shape  from  being  made  conformable 
to  his  boundaries,  just  as  the  counties  of  our  new  States  are 
not  defined  by  running  streams  and  mountain  ridges  and  the 
curved  limits  of  swamps,  but  by  the  surveyor's  chain  and  the 
theodolite.  The  straight  line  north  of  Moore,  Montgomery, 
Stanly,  Cabarrus,  Mecklenburg,  and  south  of  Chatham,  Ran- 
dolph, Davidson,  Rowan  and  Iredell  shows  on  the  map  the 
southern  limit  of  Granville's  great  property. 

In  the  beginning  of  this  century  there  occurred  at  Raleigh 
a  battle  of  giants.  The  scene  of  the  conflict  was  the  Circuit 
Court  of  the  United  States.  The  arbiter  of  the  fray  was 
Judge  Henry  Potter.  On  the  side  of  the  plaintiffs  the  leader 
was  William  Gaston.  On  the  side  of  the  defendant  the  most 
eminent  was  Duncan  Cameron.  It  was  the  heirs  of  Earl 
Granville  struggling  to  get  back  from  the  people  of  North 
Carolina  the  magnificent  estate  which  they  had  won  by  the 
sword.  When  the  fight  was  ended  all  that  remained  to  the 
heirs  of  the  noble  Earl  was  the  honor  of  naming  one  of  our 
counties  Granville.  They  carried  their  futile  quest  to  the 
Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States,  but  the  war  of  1812 
was  coming  on  and  the  plaintiff  retired  from  the  pursuit, 
somewhat  placated  by  a  large  indemnity  from  the  British 
Treasury. 

3 


34  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

Lord  Carteret  took  possession  of  his  North  Carolina  terri- 
tory in  1744.  He  sent  forth  his  agents,  Childs,  Frohock  and 
others,  and  opened  his  land  offices  and  made  his  sales.  His 
practice  was  to  require  reservations  of  quit-rents  to  be  paid 
yearly.  The  settlers  had  the  double  burden  of  paying  rents 
on  their  lands  to  Granville  and  poll  taxes  to  the  royal  gov- 
ernor at  Newborn. 

The  money  raised  from  these  exactions  was  carried  to 
England  or  to  Newborn,  and  no  expenditure  was  made  of 
appreciable  benefit  to  taxpayers.  A  few  officials  about 
Hillsboro  gathered  large  fees,  and  grew  fat,  and  a  grand  Gov- 
ernor's Palace  was  built  in  a  far-off  town.  So  rage  grew 
fierce  and  tempers  waxed  fiery  hot,  and  the  old  flint  and 
steel  rifles  were  rubbed  up  and  oiled  and  bullets  were 
moulded,  and  rusty  scythe  blades  were  sharpened  for  swords, 
and  from  the  hills  of  Granville  to  the  secluded  gorges  of  the 
Brushy  Mountains  the  Regulators  banded  together,  and  the 
struggle  against  oppression  had  its  beginning. 

It  was  a  duty  that  we  the  inheritors  of  the  liberty  won  in 
part  by  their  valor,  should  show  our  appreciation  of  their 
efforts,  by  giving  to  one  of  the  most  thriving  counties  in  the 
State  the  name  of  Alamance,  from  the  name  of  the  battle 
which  crushed  them. 

Let  us  proceed  with  our  story.  There  were  four  counties 
created  by  Governor  Try  on  a  year  before  the  battle  of  Ala- 
mance, in  1770,  Guilford,  Surry,  Chatham  and  Wake. 
Whence  these  names  ? 

It  is  difficult  for  the  present  generation  to  understand  the 
feelings  of  onr  ancestors  towards  Lord  North,  afterwards 
Earl  of  Guilford.  He  was  not  a  bad  nor  a  cruel  man. 
He  was  in  England  personally  wonderfully  popular.  He 
combined,  like  our  Vance,  genins  and  power  with  multiform 
wit  and  unfading  good  humor.  But.  he  was  in  favor  of  tax- 
ing America,  and  we  hated  him. 


THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET.  35 

Previous  to  1770  the  county  of  Rowan  covered  nearly  all 
Granville's  territory  west  of  the  Yadkin,  and  much  east  of 
that  river.  Orange,  then  of  extensive  area,  joined  it  on  the 
east.  To  prevent  combination  among  the  Regulators,  Gover- 
nor Tryon  procured  the  incorporation  of  four  new  counties, 
and  wishing  to  please  all  parties  he  called  one  after  the  Earl- 
dom of  Guilford,  of  which  Lord  North  was  heir  apparent, 
another  Surry,  in  honor  of  Lord  Surrey,  afterwards  Duke  of 
Norfolk,  a  follower  of  Chatham;  a  third  Chatham,  after  the 
great  opponent  of  Lord  North,  with  its  county-seat  at  Pitts- 
borough,  and  the  fourth  after  the  maiden  name  of  his  wife. 

The  difference  between  the  new  and  the  old  country  grew 
and  became  more  angry  and  wide.  Again  was  the  sound  of 
cannon  heard  among  our  hills.  With  consummate  general- 
ship Greene  baffled  the  trained  soldiers  of  Cornwallis,  and  at 
Guilford  Court  House,  though  not  technically  a  victor,  pre- 
pared the  way  for  Yorktown. 

The  obstinate  King  and  his  minister  were  forced  to  yield 
and  a  new  ministry,  headed  by  one  of  the  warmest  friends  of 
the  colonies,  Charles  Watson  Wentworth,  Marquis  of  Rock- 
ingham, paved  the  way  for  the  acknowledgement  of  our  inde- 
pendence. And,  as  if  with  a  grim  irony,  our  ancestors  carved 
from  the  territory  of  Guilford,  as  a  punishment  for  its  name- 
sake's misconduct,  its  northern  half,  and  gave  to  it  and  its 
county-seat  the  names  of  his  conquering  rival.  To  the  great 
General  who  had  snatched  victory  from  defeat,  and  rescued 
from  British  tliraldom  the  Southern  province,  they  expressed 
their  gratitude  not  only  by  a  gift  of  25,000  acres  of  land, 
but  kept  his  memory  ever  honored  and  his  name  ever  green, 
by  assigning  it  to  a  rich  county  and  county  seat  in  the  east, 
and  to  the  county  seat  of  Guilford,  destined  to  become  a 
prosperous  inland  city. 

The  gratitude  of  our  ancestors  for  the  services  of  those 
abroad  and  at  home,  in  legislative  halls  and  in  the  conflicts  of 


36  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

war,  wlio  had  fought  for  our  liberties,  did  not  end  here.  By 
the  neighbor  of  old  Guilford  on  the  south  they  commemorated 
the  labors  and  virtues  of  the  first  President  of  the  Conti- 
nental Congress,  Peyton  Randolph,  whose  kinsmen,  Edmund 
Randolph  and  John  Randolph,  of  Roanoke,  afterwards  be- 
came so  conspicuous. 

Different  sections  of  old  Surry  bear  the  names  of  John 
Wilkes,  the  champion  of  liberty,  the  victorious  foe  of  arbi- 
trary arrests,  an  ardent  supporter  of  the  Marquis  of  Rock- 
iugham,  and  John  Stokes,  covered  with  honorable  scars  of  bat- 
tle, the  first  Judge  of  the  District  Court  of  North  Carolina. 
And  dotted  over  the  State  are  many  other  evidences  of  the 
gratitude  of  our  people  for  the  sufferings  and  success  of  the 
old  heroes,  not  in  brass  and  marble,  but  in  the  more  enduring 
forms  of  counties  and  town  of  fairest  lands  and  noblest  men 
and  women — such  as  Washington  and  Montgomery,  Warren 
and  Gates,  Lincoln  and  Wayne,  Franklin  and  Madison,  from 
other  States,  and  f  rom  our  own  limits,  Ashe,  Lenoir  and  Har- 
nett, Buncombe  and  Caswell,  Cleveland  and  McDowell,  Dav- 
idson and  Davie,  Xash  and  Person,  Robeson  and  Sampson, 
Rutherford  and  Stokes,  Alexander  and  Iredell,  Jones,  Moore 
and  Burke.  Their  friends  in  England,  the  leaders  of  the 
peace  party  which,  after  a  long  struggle,  forced  the  obstinate 
King  to  grant  independence  to  the  colonies,  not  only  the  Mar- 
quis of  Rockingham  and  John  Wilkes  and  Lord  Surrey, 
whom  I  have  named,  but  Chief  Justice  Camden  and  the 
Duke  of  Richmond  were  honored  in  this  land  so  far  from 
the  scene  of  their  labors. 

Governor  Gabriel  Johnston,  the  able  Scotchman,  who  was 
by  far  the  best  Governor  our  State  had  prior  to  the  Revolu- 
tion, died  in  1752,  a  year  memorable  for  the  change  of  Old 
Style  into  Xew  Style  Calendar.  Shortly  before  his  death 
the  county  of  Anson  was  created,  including  all  the  western 


THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET.  37 

part  of  the  State  and  Tennessee  south  of  Granville's  line. 
After  the  death  of  Johnston,  for  a  short  while  Nathaniel 
Rice,  and  on  his  death  Matthew  Rowan,  an  estimable  man, 
as  President  of  the  Council,  acted  as  Governor  until  super- 
seded by  the  Scotch-Irishman,  Governor  Dobbs. 

It  was  found  best  to  erect  a  new  county,  comprising  all  the 
lands  of  Lord  Granville  west  of  Orange.  The  new  county 
was  called  Rowan,  in  honor  of  the  acting  Governor.  Nine 
years  afterwards,  in  1762,  Mecklenburg  was  cut  off  from 
Anson  and  its  county  seat  was  called  Charlotte. 

In  1761,  the  Admiral  George,  Lord  Anson,  with  all  the 
pomp  and  splendor  which  the  British  navy  could  supply,  was 
bringing  from  Germany  a  blooming  bride  to  the  young  King 
George  III.  Her  name  was  Charlotte.  She  was  a  princess 
of  Mecklenburg-Strelitz. 

Few  men  stand  out  in  English  history  more  distinguished 
for  romantic  daring  as  a  navigator,  for  the  strong,  sturdy 
qualities  of  English  sailors,  descendants  of  the  old  North- 
men who  issued  from  their  frozen  fiords  in  Denmark,  Nor- 
way and  Sweden,  like  an  irresistible  torrent  to  conquer  the 
nations,  than  George  Lord  Anson.  He  led  a  squadron  around 
Cape  Horn  in  the  perils  of  winter,  and  after  many  captures 
of  Spanish  ships  and  towns,  circumnavigated  the  globe.  He 
was  the  pioneer  of  the  great  victories  of  the  English  navy. 

George  Lord  Anson  was  the  teacher  of  Nelson.  He  it  was 
who  gave  the  daring  order  which  has  led  to  so  many  victories 
over  overwhelming  odds,  by  English  over  French  and  Span- 
iards :  "Close  with  the  enemy,  gun  to  gun,  hand  to  hand,  cut- 
lass to  cutlass,  no  matter  what  odds  against  you."  In  early 
life  he  purchased  lands  on  the  waters  of  the  Peedee,  but  his 
dreams  of  forest  happiness  were  broken  by  the  alarm  of  war. 
In  1749,  when  at  the  zenith  of  his  popularity,  his  name  was 
given  to  the  vast  country  which  extended  from  the  limits  of 
Bladen  to  the  far  waters  of  the  mighty  Mississippi. 


38  THE    NORTH    CAROLINA   BOOKLET. 

George  the  Third  began  his  reign  in  1760,  for  a  few  short 
years,  one  of  the  most  popular  kings  who  ever  sat  on  a 
throne,  both  at  home  arid  in  the  colonies.  When  his  bride, 
the  homely  but  sensible  and  pious  Charlotte,  came  from  the 
north  of  Germany  to  England,  she  was  the  favorite  of  the 
day.  It  was  the  fashion  to  admire  everything  Prussian  from 
the  stern  Frederick,  then  striking  some  of  the  most  terrific 
blows  of  the  seven-year  war,  to  the  blooming  maiden,  whether 
princess  or  ganzemadchen.  The  bride  was  received  in  Lon- 
don with  enthusiastic  ovations.  Her  manner,  conversation 
and  dress  were  heralded  as  if  she  were  a  goddess.  Her  man- 
ners were  pronounced  by  no  less  a  judge  than  Horace  Wal- 
pole  as  "decidedly  genteel."  Her  dress  was  of  white  satin, 
brocaded  with  gold,  distended  by  enormous  hoops.  She  had 
a  stomacher  of  diamonds.  On  her  head  was  a  cap  of  finest 
lace,  stiffened  so  as  to  resemble  a  butterfly,  fastened  to  the 
front  of  the  head  by  jewels,  I  quote  one  of  her  speeches. 
When  she'  arrived  in  front  of  St.  James'  Palace,  where  she 
was  to  meet  the  groom,  the  bride  turned  pale.  The  Duchess 
of  Hamilton  rallied  her.  The  princess  replied:  "Yes,  my 
dear  Duchess,  you  may  laugh,  you  are  not  going  toi  be  mar- 
ried, but  it  is  no  joke  to  me."  It  was  a  tremendously  ex- 
citing time. 

Horace  Walpole  writes,  "Royal  marriages,  coronations  and 
victories  come  tumbling  over  one  another  from  distant  parts 
of  the  globe  like  the  words  of  a  lady  romance  writer — I 
don't  know  where  I  am — I  had  scarce  found  Mecklenburg- 
Strelite  with  a  magnifying  glass  on  the  map  before  I  was 
whisked  to  Pondicherry.  Then  thunder  go  the  Tower  guns; 
behold  the  French  are  totally  defeated  by  Duke  Ferdinand 
of  Brunswick,  at  the  battle  of  Minden."  The  joy  of  this 
period  and  the  satisfaction  over  this  marriage  extended  to 
the  wilds  of  North  Carolina,  and  the  good  queen's  name, 
Charlotte  of  Mecklenburg,  was  affixed,  as  soon  as  the  news 


THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET.  39 

came,  to  a  county  and  its  capital.  She  was  a  model  of  do- 
mestic virtue,  and  the  court,  through  her  influence,  was  pure 
in  the  midst  of  a  corrupt  society.  And  when  our  ancestors, 
in  the  angry  passions  of  war  in  1779,  expunged  from  the 
map  the  hated  name  of  Try  on,  when  the  inhabitants  of  this 
section  were  the  fiercest  fighters  against  her  husband,  their 
swords  as  sharp  as  hornet  stings,  they  allowed  the  name  of 
the  good  queen  to  remain  as  a  perpetual  tribute  to  all 
womanly  virtues. 

Note  the  coincidence,  that  just  as  Admiral  Anson  intro- 
duced Charlotte  of  Mecklenburg  into  England  as  its  queen, 
so  in  the  distant  colony  the  county  of  Anson  in  North  Caro- 
lina political  history,  went  before  and  was  usher  to  the  county 
of  Mecklenburg. 

It  should  be  a  warning  lesson  to  all  rulers  that  only  13 
years  after  this  ebullition  of  loyal  affection  the  most  defiant 
resolutions  and  the  most  spirited  action  against  England's 
king  came  from  those  enlightened  men  whose  county  and 
town  bore  the  name  of  England's  queen.  The  chords  of  sen- 
timental devotion  snapped  when  strained  by  hard  and  real 
assaults  on  inherited  liberties.  With  many  a  sigh  over  the 
sweet  past,  now  turned  into  bitterness,  our  ancestors  ad- 
dressed themselves  to  the  stern  task  before  them. 

Some  of  our  counties  bear  the  names  of  Indian  tribes 
which  once  roamed  over  these  hills  and  dales.  There  are 
Cherokee  and  Currituck,  Catawba  and  Chowan,  Watauga 
and  Pasquotank,  Alleghany  and  Perquimans,  Yadkin*  and 
Pamlico.  A  miserable  remnant  of  the  Cherokees  still  live 
under  the  shadow  of  the  Smokies.  As  these  people  passed 
away  toward  the  setting  sun  they  left  here  and  there  their 
musical  names,  well  nigh  the  sole  relic  of  their  language, 
their  sepulchral  mounds  and  mouldering  skeletons  and  tawdy 

*It  is  contended  by  some  that  Yadkin  is  a  corrupt  pronunciation  of  Adkin,  tht 
name  of  an  old  settler  on  this  river. 


40  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

ornaments  within,  almost  the  sole  reminders  of  their  stal- 
wart warriors  and  graceful  maidens;  their  arrows  and  toma- 
hawk heads,  the  harmless  mementos  of  their  once  dreaded 
weapons  of  war. 

CORNWALLIS  VS.   MORGAN  AND  GREENE. 

Two  of  the  Piedmont  counties,  Catawba  and  Yadkin,  have 
rivers  flowing  by  and  through  them,  bearing  their  names, 
which  bring  to  mind  most  thrilling  incidents  of  the  Revolu- 
tionary war.  The  gallant  Morgan,  fighting  in  defiance  of  the 
prudential  maxims  of  war,  had  humbled  Tarleton  at  Cow- 
pens  and  captured  many  prisoners,  guns  and  ammunition. 
Cornwallis,  only  25  miles  distant,  with  his  trained  army  of 
veterans,  hastened  to  avenge  the  disgrace.  It  was  in  the 
dead  of  winter.  The  roads  were  softened  by  continued  rains. 
For  twelve  days  the  pursuit  continued.  Nearer  and  nearer 
rushed  on  the  pursuing  foe.  Success  seemed  almost  in  Corn- 
wallis' grasp.  From  the  summit  of  every  hill  could  be  seen 
only  a  few  miles  off*  the  retreating  columns,  foot-store  and 
weary,  in  front  the  luckless  prisoners,  in  the  rear  the  daunt- 
less rear-guards.  Softly  and  pleasantly  flowed  the  river  over 
the  pebbles  of  its  Island  Ford.  Swiftly  and  easily  through 
the  waters  the  flying  column  passed.  Up  the  steep  hills  they 
toiled  and  then  rested  for  the  night,  while  the  vengeful 
British,  only  two  hours  behind,  waited  .until  the  morning  light 
should  direct  their  steps  to  sure  and  easy  victory. 

MAN    PROPOSES,    GOD    DISPOSES. 

The  race  is  not  always  to  the  swift  nor  the  battle  to  the 
strong.  As  the  Red  Sea  waves  saved  the  trembling  Israelites 
from  boasting  Pharaoh's  hordes,  as  Old  Father  Tiber  drove 
back  Lars  Porsena  of  Clnsium  from  the  gates  of  Rome,  where 
Horatins  kept  the  bridge,  so  the  mighty  Catawba  roused 
himself  in  his  fury  to  thwart  the  exulting  Briton.     From  the 


THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET.  4:1 

slopes  of  the  Brushy,  and  South  and  Linville  and  the  distant 
Blue  Ridge  Mountains  poured  the  angry  torrents,  and  when 
the  gray  light  of  morning  broke  a  yellow  flood,  swift  and 
deep  and  strong,  raged  in  his  front.  The  Greeks  or  the  Ro- 
mans would  have  deified  the  protecting  river,  and  in  a  lofty 
temple,  with  splendid  architectural  adornments,  would  have 
been  a  noble  statue  carved  with  wonderful  art  dedicated  to 
Catawba  Salvator,  the  protecting  river  god. 

After  a  short  rest,  Cornwallis,  who  was  an  active  and  able 
officer,  in  later  years  distinguished  as  Viceroy  of  Ireland  and 
Governor-General  of  India,  burnt  the  superfluous  baggage  of 
his  troops  and  hurried  to  overtake  and  destroy  Greene's  army, 
then  being  gathered  out  of  the  fragments  of  the  forces  of 
Gates  scattered  at  Camden.  Small  bodies  of  militia  guarded 
the  fords  of  the  Catawba,  now  become  passable.  At  Cowan's 
ford  was  a  young  officer,  who  had  gained  promotion  under 
the  eye  of  the  great  Washington  at  Brandywine,  Germantown 
and  Monmouth.  He  was  in  the  place  of  Rutherford,  cap- 
tured at  Camden,  Brigadier-General  of  the  militia  of  the  sec- 
tion. He  was  an  active  and  able  commander  who  had  in- 
fused his  fiery  energy  and  pluck  into  the  people.  Making  a 
pretended  attack  at  Beattie's  ford,  Cornwallis  directed  all 
the  force  of  his  army  at  Cowan's  ford.  A  spirited  resist- 
ance was  made  against  the  overwhelming  odds  and  the  young 
general  was  left  dead  on  the  bloody  field.  The  Continental 
Congress,  in  grateful  recognition  of  his  services,  voted  that 
a  monument  be  erected  to  his  memory,  but  a  hundred  years 
have  not  witnessed  the  inception  of  this  worthy  undertaking. 

North  Carolina  has  erected  a  far  more  enduring  cenotaph 
by  giving  the  name  of  William  Davidson  to  one  of  her  most 
prosperous  counties. 

Forward  in  rapid  retreat  push  the  thin  columns  of  Greene, 
forward  press  the  strong  forces  of  Cornwallis.      The  fortunes 


42  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

of  the  entire  Southern  country  tremble  in  the  balance.  If 
Greene's  army  shall  be  saved,  he  will  rally  around  him  the 
scattered  patriots  and  soon  confront  his  adversary,  ready  on 
more  equal  terms  to  contend  for  the  mastery.  If  it  shall  be 
overtaken  nothing  can  save  it  from  destruction,  and  from  the 
James  river  to  the  Chattahooche  the  standard  of  King  George 
will  be  raised  over  a  conquered  people.  The  eyes  of  all 
friends  of  liberty  are  turned  with  alarmed  anxiety  toward 
the  unequal  contest. 

Again  does  the  god  of  battle  interpose  to  thwart  the  well- 
laid  scheme.  Again  do  the  descending  floods  dash  their 
angry  waters  against  the  baffled  Britons.  Again  does  the 
flushed  and  furious  foe  stand  powerless.  The  noble  Yadkin 
emulates  her  sister,  Catawba,  and  interposes  her  swollen 
stream,  fierce  and  deep,  between  him  and  the  object  of  his 
vengeance. 

DAVIE  AND  THE   UNIVERSITY. 

Davie  was  the  Father  of  the  University.  Joseph  Cald- 
well was  its  first  President,  cared  for  it  in  its  early  years, 
while  Swain  carried  on  his  work.  Alfred  Moore,  and  John 
Haywood,  an  able  Attorney-General  and  Judge  of  the  Su- 
preme Court  of  the  United  States,  assisted  as  Trustees  in 
selecting  its  site,  while  Mitchell  lost  his  life  in  her  service. 
After  all  these  were  counties  named.  One  of  the  most 
active  co-fighters  with  Davidson  in  checking  the  enemy  and 
gaining  time  for  gathering  strength  to  meet  him  in  the  field 
was  William  Richardson  Davie,  at  first  a  cavalry  officer 
and  then  in  the  more  arduous  but  more  useful  position  of 
Commissary  General.  He  was  a  strong  staff  on  which  General 
Greene  had  leaned.  He  was  conspicuous  in  civil  pursuits ;  an 
able  lawyer,  an  orator  of  wide  influence.  He  was  afterwards 
Governor  of  the  State  ;  one  of  the  Envoys  of  the  United  States 
to  the  Court  of  France,  who  averted  a  threatened  war.     I 


THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET.  43 

find  him  styled  in  the  Journal  of  the  University  in  1810, 
"the  Father  of  the  University,"  and  he  well  deserves  the 
title.  We  have  his  portrait  at  the  University.  His  face 
shows  his  character,  elegant,  refined,  noble,  intellectual,  firm. 
It  was  most  fitting  that  Davidson  and  Davie  should  be  side- 
by-side  on  the  banks  of  the  rivers  which  witnessed  their 
patriotism,  and  in  the  country  whose  liberties  they  gained. 

The  county  of  Wayne  brings  to  our  minds  the  great  sol- 
dier, the  military  genius  of  whom  electrified  the  well-nigh 
despairing  colonists  by  the  brilliant  capture  of  Stony  Point. 

James  Glasgow  was  one  of  the  most  trusted  men  of  the 
Revolution.  In  conjunction  with  Alexander  Gaston,  the 
father  of  Judge  Gaston,  and  Richard  Cogdell,  grandfather  of 
George  E.  Badger,  he  was  one  of  the  Committee  of  Safety  of 
ISTewbern  District.  He  was  Major  of  the  Regiment  of  the 
county  of  Dobbs. 

When  North  Carolina,  on  the  18th  of  December,  1776, 
adopted  its  constitution  and  took  its  place  among  the  free 
States  of  the  earth,  Richard  Caswell  was  its  first  Governor 
and  James  Glasgow  its  first  Secretary  of  State.  A  grateful 
Legislature  gave  to  a  county  formed  out  of  old  Orange, 
mother  of  counties  of  great  men,  the  appellation  of  Caswell. 
And  when  it  expunged  from  our  map  the  odious  remem- 
brance of  Dobbs,  no-  name  was  found  more  worthy  to  desig- 
nate one  of  the  counties  carved  out  of  its  territory  than 
Glasgow. 

Behold  the  reward  of  dishonesty  and  crime:  The  name  of 
Greene  has  supplanted  on  the  map  that  of  the  obliterated 
Glasgow,  and  on  the  records  of  the  Free  and  Accepted  Ma- 
sons the  black,  dismal  lines  of  disgrace  are  drawn  around  the 
signature  of  the  poor  wretch,  who  was  weighed  in  the  balance 
and  found  wanting. 

Among  the  heroic  men  who  poured  out  their  life-blood  on 
distant  battlefields — on  the  far-away  hills  of  Canada — there 


44  THE  XOETH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

was  none  more  gallant  than  Benjamin  Forsyth,  whose  name 
survives  in  one  of  the  most  nourishing  counties  in  our  State. 
The  war  of  1812  does  not  seem  to  have  stirred  the  hearts 
of  our  people  to  great  extent,  as  I  find  no  county  names  from 
its  heroes  except  Forsyth.  I  feel  sure  that  Jackson  was  hon- 
ored for  his  Presidential  and  Creek  Indian  services  as  much 
as  for  the  victory  of  Xew  Orleans  and  Clay  for  his  popu- 
larity with  his  party,  long  after  his  service  as  War  Speaker 
of  the  House  of  Representatives. 

EASTERN  AXD  WESTERN  COXTBOVEE-SY. 

The  constitution  of  1776  was  formed  at  a  time  when  hatred 
and  fear  of  executive  power  and  of  kingly  government  were 
at  the  utmost.  Hence  resulted  an  instrument  under  which 
nearly  all  the  powers  were  in  the  hands  of  the  General  As- 
sembly. This  body  appointed  the  Governor,  and  chief  State 
officers,  the  Attorney-General  and  Solicitors,  the  Judges  and 
all  the  militia  officers,  and  likewise  controlled  their  salaries. 
Then,  as  now.  it  elected  the  Justices  of  the  Peace,  and  these 
officers  elected  the  Sheriffs  and  other  county  officers.  The 
Assembly  thus  controlled  the  executive  and  judicial  branches. 
It  had  unlimited  power  of  taxation  and  could  incur  unlimited 
public  debt.  It  could,  and  did,  tax  one  kind  of  property, 
and  exempt  others. 

The  powers  of  the  Legislature  of  1776  being  so  great  it 
was  important  that  the  different  sections  of  the  State  should 
have  in  the  elections  of  the  members  equivalent  voice.  But 
this  was  very  far  from  being  the  case.  The  Senate  consisted 
of  one  member  from  each  county.  The  House  of  two  from 
each  county  and  six,  afterwards  seven.  Borough  members. 
In  1776  there  were  25  Eastern  and  8  Western  counties.  In 
both  branches  the  West  was  outnumbered  3  to  1. 

The  wonderful  invention  which  is  effecting  greater  changes 
in  behalf  of  mankind  than  all  the  inventions  the  world  ever 


THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET.  45 

saw  before,  the  railroad,  inflamed  to  fever  heat,  the  hostility 
of  the  Western  people  to  the  old  constitution,  which  had 
been  quickened  a  dozen  years  before  when  canal  digging 
everywhere  had  been  inaugurated  by  the  finishing  of  the 
Erie  Canal,  of  New  York.  An  agitation  ensued  which  shook 
the  State  from  the  Smoky  Mountains  to  Chickamicomico — 
the  West  demanding  in  thunder  tones  the  correction  of  the 
abominable  inequality  and  injustice  of  representation  by 
counties. 

■  One  of  the  most  prominent  leaders  in  this  movement  so  im- 
portant to  the  West  was  Win.  Julius  Alexander,  in  1828 
Speaker  of  the  House  of  Commons,  afterwards  Solicitor  of 
the  Western  District,  in  his  prime  one  of  the  most  popular 
and  able  men  of  this  section.  He  was,  young  people  will  be 
interested  in  learning,  likewise  distinguished  for  having  won 
the  hand  of  a  most  beautiful  and  admired  belle,  Catharine 
Wilson,  whose  charms  attracted  visitors  from  distant  regions. 

Some  of  the  other  prominent  actors  in  this  struggle,  such 
as  Cabarrus,  Macon,  Gaston,  Yancey,  Stanly,  Swain,  Hen- 
derson, Graham,  are  represented  in  your  list  of  counties. 

The  deep  valleys  which  separate  the  hills  of  Devonshire 
in  England  are  called  "coombes,"  or  as  we  spell  it,  "combes." 
On  the  margin  of  the  Tamar,  which  with  the  Plym,  forms 
the  noble  harbour  of  Plymouth,  rises  a  hill  noted  for  its 
picturesque  loveliness.  It  is  called  Mount  Edgecombe  (the 
edge  or  margin  of  the  valley).  It  is  the  territorial  title  of 
an  English  Earl.  In  1733  Sir  Richard,  Baron  Edgecombe, 
was  a  lord  of  the  Treasury,  and  it  was  in  his  honor  that  the 
new-born  county  in  North  Carolina  was  called.  The  emi- 
nent Admiral,  George,  Earl  of  Edgecombe,  was  his  son. 

The  name  Wilson  brings  to  our  minds  one  of  the  best  types 
of  North  Carolina  statesmen.  He  was  long  the  trusted  rep- 
resentative in  the  State  Senate  of  a  people  who  required  of 
their  public  men,  prudence,  economy,  and  strictest  integrity. 


46  THE    NORTH    CAROLINA   BOOKLET. 

It  was  when  he  might  have  been  seeking  the  repose  of  an 
honorable  old  age  that  Louis  D.  Wilson  offered  his  services  as 
a  volunteer  in  the  war  with  Mexico.  It  was  a  grateful  act 
on  the  part  of  the  General  Assembly,  on  the  motion  of  the 
people  who  loved  him  and  whom  he  loved,  and  to  whose  poor 
he  bequeathed  the  bulk  of  his  fortune,  to  name  the  county 
cut  off  mostly  from  his  native  Edgecombe  in  his  perpetual 
honor. 

The  county  of  Nash  is,  like  Wilson,  the  dattgftter  of  Edge- 
combe. In  one  of  the  darkest  hours  of  the  Revolution,  after 
famine  and  freezing  cold  had  reduced  our  troops  almost  to 
despair,  fell  General  Francis  Nash,  brother  of  Governor 
Abner  Nash,  at  Germantown.  The  General  Assembly  in 
the  year  of  the  battle  created  this  county  as  his  monument. 
All  who  knew  his  nephew,  the  late  Chief  Justice  Frederick 
Nash,  so  distinguished  for  Christian  virtues  and  the  natural 
courtesy  of  the  perfect  gentleman,  could  trace  in  him  the 
features  of  the  chivalric  military  hero.  It  was  reserved  for 
a  large-hearted  citizen  of  Pennsylvania,  Mr.  John  F.  Wat- 
son, with  the  aid  of  his  townsmen  of  Germantown,  to  erect  a 
marble  shaft  over  his  dust  at  Kulpsville,  where  his  shattered 
body  was  interred  in  the  presence  of  Washington  and  his 
gallant  army  in  1777,  amid  the  falling  of  the  October  leaves. 

In  a  distant  part  of  the  State,  among  the  peaks  and  ra- 
vines of  the  Blue  Ridge,  is  the  memorial  county,  as  is  stated 
in  the  charter,  of  another  Revolutionary  hero,  who  was 
wounded  when  Nash  was  killed,  who  fought  also  at  Brandy- 
wine,  Camden,  Guilford  Court  House  and  Eutaw,  and  was 
a  leading  citizen  for  half  a  century  after  the  achievement  of 
our  independence,  Lieutenant-Colonel  William  Polk,  one  of 
our  earliest  and  wisest  friends  of  higher  education. 

Another  epoch  in  our  history  I  will  mention  and  my  paper 
will  be  finished.  It  is  the  great,  Civil  War,  in  which 
North  Carolina  struggled  for  the  victory  with  all  the  con- 


THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET.  47 

sciousness  of  rectitude,  with  all  the  devotion  of  patriotism 
and  the  desperate  energy  of  a  high-spirited  race  unused  to 
defeat  and  fighting  for  what  they  thought  their  rights.  She 
threw  without  grudging  the  sacrifice  into  the  tremendous  vor- 
tex the  most  valued  of  her  treasures  and  the  noblest  of  her 
sons.  Although  defeated  and  for  a  season  crushed,  she  could 
not  forget  those  who  at  her  bidding  served  so  faithfully  and 
strove  so  manfully,  albeit  vainly,  with  muscle  and  brain  to 
carry  out  her  orders.  She  bows  obediently  to  the  decision  of 
the  God  of  Battles,  yet  in  her  great  warm  heart  she  cherishes 
the  fame  and  the  sufferings  of  her  sons,  and  hence  we  find 
on  the  map  of  the  State  the  name  of  one  of  Lee's  best  gen- 
erals, the  gallant  Pender,  whose  blood  stained  the  heights  of 
Gettysburg,  and  of  him  who  after  a  short,  faithful  service  at 
the  front,  became  the  best  War  Governor  of  the  South,  who 
in  the  direst  needs  of  the  Confederacy  fed  and  clothed  our 
North  Carolina  soldiers  and  re-animated  their  drooping 
spirits  with  fervid  eloquence,  our  beloved  Senator,  Zebulon 
Baird  Vance.  Illustrating  this  and  other  periods  in  legisla- 
tive halls  is,  in  the  front  rank  of  our  statesmen,  William  A. 
Graham. 

It  is  most  fitting  that  the  extraordinary  advancement  in  in- 
dustrial enterprise,  first  inaugurated  in  the  town  of  Durham, 
should  be  recognized  by  our  law-making  power  in  the  creation 
of  the  county  of  the  same  n,ame.  May  it  be  an  incitement  to 
and  prognostication  of  the  development  of  our  resources  and 
the  increase  of  wealth  in  our  borders.  The  name  is  all  the 
more  fitting  because  to  the  Lords  Proprietors  were  given  the 
almost  royal  powers  of  the  Bishop  of  Durham. 

In  conclusion,  the  county  last  created  transfers  to  our  map 
the  name  of  the  land  so  full  of  associations  of  beauty  and  of 
grandeur,  from  which,  partly  by  direct  immigration,  partly 
by  way  of  North  Ireland,  so  many  of  our  ablest  and  best 
people  came — Scotland. 


48  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

And  now  let  us  point  the  moral  of  these  glimpses  of  past 
history.  When  you  hear  the  names  of  our  counties,  do  not 
stand  with  vacant  eyes.  Let  them  bring  to  mind  the  teach- 
ings associated  with  their  names,  the  various  epochs  of  our 
history,  Indian  traditions,  hereditary  aristocracy,  colonial 
systems,  the  horrors  of  war,  the  upward  march  toward  consti- 
tutional liberty,  the  triumphs  of  industry,  the  advance  of 
civilization  and  of  Christianty.  In  remembering  the  lead- 
ers do  not  forget  the  humble  followers,  "the  unnamed  demi- 
gods of  history,"  as  Kossuth  calls  them,  who  gained  so  much 
for  their  descendants  and  for  mankind  generally,  and  lie  in 
forgotten  graves. 

From  the  exterminated  Indians  learn  a  great  political  les- 
son. If  their  warring  tribes  could  have  united  and  opposed 
their  combined  strength  against  the  European  invaders,  they 
might  for  many  years  have  held  their  homes,  and  in  the  end 
amalgamated  with  their  conquerors.  Let  us  all  discard  past 
differences  and  cherish  the  union  of  the  States,  for  in  that 
Union,  the  States  "distinct  as  the  billows,  yet  one  as  the  sea," 
in  the  words  of  the  poet,  or  in  the  language  of  the  Supreme 
Court,  an  "undissoluble  union  of  indestructible  States,"  lies 
our  strength.  Let  the  hatreds  of  our  great  Civil  War  be 
buried  forever.  The  God  of  Battles  has  decided  against  the 
idea  of  secession.  On  the  walls  of  the  Atheneum  in  Boston 
are  two  swords  crossed,  their  deadly  mission  ended.  Under 
them  is  an  inscription  showing  that  they  belonged  to  the  an- 
cestors of  the  historian,  Prescott,-  who  fought  on  opposite 
sides  on  Bunker  Hill.  The  old  warfare  of  Whigs  and  Tories 
has  long  since  ceased,  and  in  like  manner  let  the  descendants 
of  those  who  followed  the  Stars  and  Stripes,  shoulder  to 
shoulder  with  those  above  whom  waved  the  Stars  and  Bars, 
strive  to  gain  all  moral  excellence  and  all  material  prosperity 
for  the  great  Republic  of  the  World. 


ADMIRAL  SIR  THOMAS  FRANKLAND. 


A  COLONIAL  ADMIRAL  OF  THE  CAPE  FEAR. 


BY   JAMES    SPBUNT,    BEITISH    VICE-CONSUL   AT   WILMINGTON,    N.    C. 


The  Colonial  plantations  on  the  lower  Cape  Fear  River 
have  long  yielded  to  the  patient  and  persevering  student  of 
local  literature  a  generous  contribution  of  interesting  history 
pertaining  to  the  eventful  years  which  marked  the  destiny  of 
a  brave  and  generous  people.  Throughout  the  Colonial  pe- 
riod these  important  estates  were  held  by  men  of  eminence 
and  of  action,  and  from  that  time  to  the  present  day  their 
owners  have  been  gentlemen  to  the  manner  born,  fitted  by 
birth  and  education  for  the  highest  social  and  civic  stations. 
Read,  for  example,  the  line  of  "Orton"  proprietors  who  have 
lived  upon  this  land  for  nearly  two  hundred  years. 
'  Originally  obtained  by  patent  from  the  Lords  Proprietors 
under  Charles  II.  in  1725,  to  Col.  Maurice  Moore,  then 
"King"  Roger  Moore,  William  Moore  2nd,  Governor  Arthur 
Dobbs,  Governor  Wm.  Tryon,  Richard  Quince  1st,  Richard 
Quince  2nd,  Richard  Quince  3rd,  Governor  Benjamin  Smith, 
Dr.  Fred  J.  Hill,  Richard  Currer  Roundell  (a  nephew  of 
Lord  Selbourne,  Lord  Chancellor  of  England),  and,  lastly, 
to  the  late  Col.  K.  M.  Murchison. 

The  lordly  residence  of  the  Chief  Justice  Eleazer  Allen, 
upon  the  adjacent  plantation  of  Lilliput,  which  was  distin- 
guished in  his  day  by  a  large  and  liberal  hospitality,  has  long 
since  disappeared,  but  the  grand  old  oaks  which  lifted  their 
majestic  branches  to  the  soft  south  breezes  in  Colonial  times, 
still  sing  their  murmured  requiem  above  a  "boundless  conti- 
guity of  shade." 

Here,  upon  the  banks  of  onr  historic  river,  which 
stretches  two  miles  to  the  eastern  shore,  is  heard  the  booming 
of  the  broad  Atlantic  as  it  sweeps  in  its  might  and  majesty 


50  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

from  Greenland  to  the  Gulf.  Along  the  shining  beach,  from 
Tisher  to  Fort  Caswell,  its  foaming  breakers  run  and  roar, 
the  racing  steeds  of  Neptune,  with  their  white  crested  manes, 
charging  and  reforming  for  the  never  ending  fray. 

The  adjacent  larger  plantation  of  Kendal,  originally 
owned  by  "King"  Roger  Moore,  from  whom  it  passed  to  others 
of  his  descendants,  was  later  the  property  of  James  Smith,  a 
brother  of  Governor  Benjamin  Smith's,  and  it  was  here,  near 
the  banks  of  Orton  creek,  which  divides  this  estate  from  the 
splendid  domain  of  Orton,  with  its  10,000  acres,  that  the 
quarrel  between  the  Smith  brothers  ended  by  the  departure 
of  James  to  South  Carolina,  where  he  assumed  his  mother's 
name,  Rhett,  leaving  his  intolerant  and  choleric  brother 
Benjamin  to  a  succession  of  misfortunes,  disappointments 
and  distresses,  which  brought  him  at  last  to  a  pauper's  grave. 
Aide  de  camp  to  Washington,  a  General  of  the  State  Militia, 
a  Governor  of  the  State,  a  benefactor  of  the  University,  a 
melancholy  example  of  public  ingratitude. 

Behind  Kendal  is  McKenzie's  Mill  Dam,  the  scene  of  a 
"battle  between  the  British  troops  and  the  minute  men  from 
Brunswick  and  from  Wilmington. 

We  linger  at  Orton,  the  most  attractive  of  all  the  old  Eng- 
lish estates  on  the  Cape  Fear.  For  a  hundred  and  eighty- 
one  years  it  has  survived  the  vicissitudes  of  war,  pestilence 
and  famine,  and  until  the  recent  death  of  its  last  proprietor 
has  maintained  its  reputation  of  Colonial  days  for  a  refined 
and  generous  hospitality.  Here  in  the  exhilaration  of  the 
hunter,  the  restful  seclusion  of  the  angler,  the  quiet  quest  of 
the  naturalist,  the  peaceful  contemplation  of  the  student,  is 
found  surcease  from  the  vanities  and  vexations  of  urban  life. 
For  nearly  two  centuries  it  has  been  a  haven  of  rest  and  recre- 
ation to  its  favoured  guests.  The  house,  or  Hall,  built  by 
"King"  Roger  Moore  in  1725,  with  its  stately  white  pillars 


THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET.  51 

gleaming  in  the  sunshine  through  the  surrounding  forest,  is 
a  most  pleasing  vista  to  the  passing  mariner.  The  river 
view  stretches  for  ten  miles  southward  and  eastward,  includ- 
ing "Big  Sugar  Loaf,"  Fort  Anderson,  Fort  Buchanan  and 
Fort  Fisher. 

We  love  its  traditions  and  its  memories,  for  no  sorrow  came 
to  us  there.  The  primeval  forest  with  its  dense  undergrowth 
of  dogwood  blossoms  which  shine  with  the  brightness  of  the 
falling  snow;  the  thickets  of  Cherokee  roses,  which  surpass 
the  most  beautiful  of  other  regions ;  the  brilliant  carpet  of 
wild  azaleas,  the  golden  splendour  of  the  yellow  jessamine, 
the  modest  drosera,  the  marvellous  dionea  mucipula,  and  the 
trumpet  saracenias ;  the  river  drive  to  the  white  beach,  from 
which  are  seen  the  distant  breakers ;  the  secluded  spot  in  the 
wilderness  commanding  a  wide  view  of  an  exquisite  land- 
scape where,  safe  from,  intrusion,  we  sat  upon  a  sheltered 
seat  beneath  the  giant  pines  and  heard  the  faint  "yo  ho"  of 
the  sailor,  outward  bound ;  a  place  apart  for  holy  contempla- 
tion when  the  day  is  far  spent,  where  the  overhanging 
branches  cast  the  shadow  of  a  cross  and  where  later,  through 
the  interlacing  foliage,  the  star  of  hope  is  shining;  the  joy- 
ful reception  at  the  big  house,  the  spacious  hall  with  its  ample 
hearth  and  blazing  oak  logs;  around  it,  after  the  bountiful 
evening  meal,  the  old  songs  were  sung  and  the  old  tales  were 
told,  and  fun  and  frolic  kept  dull  care  beyond  the  threshold. 

Through  the  quiet  lanes  of  Orton  to  the  ruins,  of  the  Pro- 
vincial Governor  Tryon's  palace,  is  half  a  mile.  Here  is  the 
cradle  of  American  independence,  for  upon  this  spot,  now 
hidden  by  a  dense  undergrowth  of  timber,  occurred,  between 
six  and  seven  o'clock  on  the  evening  of  the  19th  of  February, 
1766,  the  first  open  resistance  to  the  British  Stamp  Act  in 
the  American  colonies,  by  150  armed  men,  who  surrounded 
the  palace  and  demanded  the  surrender  of  the  custodians  of 
the  obnoxious  symbols  of  the  King's  authority. 


52  THE   NORTH    CAROLINA   BOOKLET. 

Ten  minutes  walk  farther  down  brings  us  to  the  ruins  of 
the  Colonial  Parish  Church  of  St.  Philip,  the  scene  of  many 
notable  incidents  and  the  resting  place  of  the  early  pioneers. 
It  was  built  by  the  citizens  of  Brunswick  and  principally  by 
the  landed  gentry  about  the  year  1740.  In  the  year  1751, 
Mr.  Lewis  Henry  deRosset,  a  member  of  Governor  Gabriel 
Johnston's  council,  and  subsequently  an  expatriated  Royalist, 
introduced  a  bill  appropriating  to  the  Church  of  St.  Philip 
at  Brunswick  and  to  St.  James'  Church  at  Wilmington, 
equally,  a  fund  that  was  realized  by  the  capture  and  destruc- 
tion of  a  pirate  vessel,  which,  in  a  squadron  of  Spanish 
buccaneers,  had  entered  the  river  and  plundered  the  planta- 
tions. A  picture,  ''Ecce  Homo,"  captured  from  this  pirate, 
is  still  preserved  in  the  vestry  room  of  St.  James'  Church  in 
Wilmington.  The  walls  of  St.  Phillip's  Church  are  nearly 
three  feet  thick,  and  are  solid  and  almost  intact  still;  the 
roof  and  floor  have  disappeared.  It  must  have  possessed 
much  architectural  beauty  and  massive  grandeur  with  its 
high-pitched  roof,  its  lofty  doors  and  beautiful  chancel 
windows. 

A  little  to  the  west,  surrounded  by  a  forest  of  pines,  lies 
Liberty  Pond,  a  beautiful  lake  of  clear  spring  water,  once 
stained  with  the  blood  of  friend  and  foe  in  a  deadly  conflict, 
hence  its  traditional  name.  It  is  now  a  most  restful,  tran- 
quil spot — the  profound  stillness,  the  beach  of  snow-white 
sand,  the  unbroken  surface  of  the  lake,  which  reflects  the 
foliage  and  the  changing  sky  line. 

Turning  to  the  southeast,  we  leave  the  woodland  and 
reach  a  bluff  upon  the  river  bank,  still  known  as  Howe's 
Point,  where  the  Revolutionary  patriot  and  soldier,  General 
Robert  Hovxe,  was  born  and  reared.  His  residence,  long 
since  a  ruin,  was  a  large  frame  building  on  a  stone  or  brick 
foundation,  still  remembered  as  such  by  several  aged  citizens 
of  Brunswick. 


THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET.  53 

A  short  distance  from  the  Howe  place,  the  writer  found 
some  years  ago,  in  the  woods  and  upon  a  commanding  site 
near  the  river,  under  many  layers  of  pine  straw,  the  clearly 
denned  ruins  of  an  ancient  fort,  which  was  undoubtedly  of 
Colonial  origin.  Mr.  Reynolds,  who  lives  at  his  place  near- 
by, says  that  his  great-grandfather  informed  him  forty  years 
ago  that  this  fort  was  erected  long  before  the  war  of  the  Revo- 
lution by  the  Colonial  Government  for  the  protection  of  the 
colonists  against  buccaneers  and  pirates,  and  that  he  remem- 
bers having  heard  of  an  engagement  in  1776  between  the 
Americans  who  occupied  this  fort  and  the  British  troops  who 
landed  from  their  ships  in  the  river,  in  which  battle  the 
British  drove  the  Americans  from  the  fort  to  McKenzie's 
Mill  Dam. 

Hence  to  the  staid  old  county  seat  is  a  journey  of  an  hour ; 
it  was  originally  known  as  Fort  Johnston,  a  fortification 
named  for  the  Colonial  Governor,  Gabriel  Johnston.  It  was 
established  about  the  year  1745  for  the  protection  of  the 
colony  against  pirates  which  infested  the  Cape  Fear  River. 
The  name  was  subsequently  changed  to  Smithville  in  honour 
of  Benjamin  Smith,  to  whom  reference  has  been  made,  who 
had  behaved  with  conspicuous  gallantry  under  Moultrie 
when  he  drove  the  British  from  Port  Royal ;  he  was  subse- 
quently elected  fifteen  times  to  the  Senate  and  became  Gover- 
nor of  the  Commonwealth  in  1810.  By  recent  authority  of 
the  State  Legislature  the  name  was  again  changed  to  South- 
port.  In  the  old  Court-house,  which  is  its  principal  build- 
ing, may  be  seen  the  evidence  that  on  the  death  of  Mr.  Allen, 
17th  January,  1749,  aged  57  years,  at  Lilliput,  where  he 
was  buried,  this  plantation  became  the  property  (and  it  is 
said  the  residence  for  a  brief  period)  of  the  great-grandson 
of  Oliver  Cromwell,  Sir  Thomas  Frankland,  Admiral  of  the 
White  in  the  British  navy,  a  position  of  great  distinction, 
which  he  attained  at  the  early  age  of  28  years,  and  of  his 


54  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

wife,  who  was  Sarah  Rhett,  the  daughter  of  Colonel  Rhett, 
of  South  Carolina,  and  a  niece  of  Chief  Justice  Allen. 

It  appears  also  from  the  Colonial  Records,  in  a  letter  from 
Rev.  John  McDowell,  who  served  the  twin  parishes  of  St. 
Philip's  at  Brunswick  and  St.  James'  at  Wilmington,  ad- 
dressed to  the  Secretary  of  the  Honourable  Society  which 
supported  him,  in  London,  and  written  from  Brunswick 
April  16,  1761,  and  also  by  subsequent  letters  with  particu- 
lar reference  to  the  long  delayed  completion  of  the  Parish 
Church  of  St.  Philips,  that  Admiral  Frankland  and  Lady 
Frankland  contributed  substantial  sums  of  money  for  its 
support. 

The  records  of  these  two  interesting  personages  in  the 
early  history  of  our  settlement  are  too  obscure  for  a  connected 
narrative.  All  of  my  endeavors  to  obtain  sufficient  material 
for  a  sketch  of  this  Colonial  Cape  Pear  Admiral,  in  Charles- 
ton, in  Boston,  in  the  National  Library  at  Washington  and 
in  London,  were  in  vain  until  I  obtained  an  introduction  to 
the  present  head  of  the  house,  the  great-grandson  of  Admiral 
Prankland,  Sir  Ralph  Payne  Gallway,  of  Thirkleby  Park, 
Thirsk,  Yorkshire,  one  of  the  most  beautiful  county  seats  in 
England,  who  has  been  good  enough  to  compile  for  me  the 
following  notes  with  reference  to  Sir  Charles  Frankland,  the 
Colonial  Collector  of  the  port  of  Boston,  and  his  romantic 
marriage  with  Agnes  Surriage,  and,  to  his  successor,  Sir 
Thomas  Frankland,  the  youthful  Admiral  and  rover  of  the 
seas,  of  whose  life  upon  the  Carolina  station  and  in  Charles- 
ton and  on  the  Cape  Fear  River  at  Lilliput,  there  is  unfor- 
tunately but.  fragmentary  and  unsatisfying  evidence. 

Sir  Charles  Frankland  was  born  in  1716  in  Bengal,  India ; 
he  died  at  Bath  in  1768.  He  was  the  eldest  son  of  Henry 
Frankland,  Governor  of  Bengal,  who  died  in  1728,  who  was 
a  brother  of  Sir  Thomas  Frankland,  third  Baronet  of  Thirk- 


THE   NORTH   CAROLINA  BOOKLET.  55 

leby,  the  latter  being  a  descendant  of  Cromwell  and  also  of 
Charles  I.  Sir  Charles  was  on  a  visit  to  Lisbon  during  the 
great  earthquake  of  1755.  He  returned  to  Lisbon  as  Consul 
General  of  Portugal  in  1757.  In  1763  Sir  Charles  re- 
turned to  Boston,  where  he  resumed  his  duties  as  "Collector 
of  the  Customs  of  the  Port,"  though  he  at  the  same  time  held 
his  office  as  Consul  General  of  Portugal  till  1767,  in  which 
year  he  returned  to  Thirkleby  and  died  the  following  one. 

Sir  Charles  Frankland's  romantic  marriage  with  Agnes 
Surriage  at  Lisbon,  where  she  rescued  him  from  the  ruins  of 
the  earthquake,  has  been  the  subject  of  several  books  and  ro- 
mances, even  plays,  as  well  as  the  beautiful  ballad  of  "Agnes,' 
by  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes."  The  history  of  Sir  Charles 
and  Agnes  Surriage,  or  "Boston  in  Colonial  Times,"  is  to  be 
found  in  a  book  by  the  Rev.  Elias  Mason.  A  more  recent 
work  on  the  same  subject  is  called  "Agnes  Surriage."  It  is 
by  Edwin  Lasetter  Bynner,  1886.  Agnes  Surriage  was  the 
daughter  of  a  poor  fisherman  at  Marblehead,  near  Boston. 
Sir  Charles  was  buried  for  several  hours  in  the  remains  of  a 
church  that  was  thrown  down.  Agnes  Surriage  searched  for 
him  until  she  heard  the  sound  of  his  voice,  and  then,  by  large 
offers  of  money,  and  all  the  jewelry  she  wore  at  the  time,  she 
persuaded  some  terrified  people  near,  who  chanced  to  be 
uninjured,  to  excavate  her  lover.  On  his  recovery  from  his 
wounds  Sir  Charles  at  once  married  his  rescuer  as  a  proof  of 
gratitude.  The  person  who  was  buried  alive  with  Sir  Charles 
at  Lisbon,  under  the  fallen  stones  of  the  church,  in  her  mad- 
ness and  pain  tore  a  piece  out  of  his  coat  with  her  teeth. 
This  coat,  with  the  rent  in  it,  was  preserved  at  Thirkleby  as 
a  memento  of  an  awful  experience  'till  it,  at  length,  fell  to 
pieces  from  age. 

In  1751  Sir  Charles  built  a  good  house  and  purchased  a 
fair  estate  at  Hopkinston,  near  Boston.  This  house  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire  January  23d,  1758,  but  on  the  same  site  a 


56  THE  NORTH   CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

new  house  was  ere  long  erected,  which  was  built  to  resemble 
the  old  one.  In  1747  Sir  Charles  succeeded  his  uncle,  the 
third  Baronet,  but,  owing  to  a  disputed  will,  did  not  for 
some  years  inherit  the  estates  at  Thirkleby  and  elsewhere. 

His  uncle,  whom  he  succeeded  in  the  title,  was  M.P  for 
Thirsk,  1711-1747,  and  a  Lord  of  the  Admirality ;  he  died  in 
1747.  He,  Sir  Thomas  Frankland,  third  Baronet,  made 
three  wills.  In  the  first,  dated  1741,  he  left  Thirkleby  and 
his  other  estates  to  his  nephew,  afterwards  Sir  Charles.  In 
1744,  he  altered  all  this  and  left  Thirkleby  to  his  widow  for 
her  life.  In  his  last  and  third  will  he  left  Thirkleby  and 
all  his  estates  to  his  widow  absolutely.  It  was  contended  by 
Sir  Charles,  his  successor,  that  the  last  will  was  made  when 
Sir  Thomas  was  of  unsound  mind,  and  under  undue  influ- 
ence. A  lawsuit  was,  therefore,  entered  on  by  Sir  Charles 
to  set  aside  Sir  Thomas's  last  will,  and  in  this  he  was  suc- 
cessful, and  hence  gained  Thirkleby  and  the  other  family 
estates. 

Sir  Charles  died  in  1768  at  Bath,  and  in  Weston  Church, 
in  the  suburbs  of  Bath,  there  is  a  long  inscription  to  him. 
He  was  twice  in  residence  at  Lisbon  as  Consul  General  of 
Portugal. 

Lady  Frankland  (Agnes  Surriage)  returned  to  Hopkinton, 
near  Boston,  after  her  husband's  death,  near  where  she  was 
born,  and  lived  until  Sir  Charles  took  her  away.  She  re- 
sided at  Hopkinton  'till  the  declaration  of  war,  and  for  a 
short  time  after.  She  witnessed  from  her  house  the  battle 
of  Bunker's  Hill,  a  bullet  breaking  the  glass  of  the  window 
she  was  looking  through. 

Being  a  Loyalist,  she  returned  to  England,  and  paid  a  long 
visit  to  Thirkleby.  She  then  moved,  in  1782,  to  Chichester, 
where  she  married  Mr.  John  Drew,  a  banker.  She  died  the 
following  year  and  is  buried  at  Chichester;  aged  57  years. 


THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET.  57 

Admiral  Sir  Thomas  Frankland  succeeded,  as  fifth.  Baro- 
net, his  elder  brother,  Sir  Charles,  in  the  family  estates  and 
title.  He  was  born  in  1718,  and  died  at  Bath,  1784,  aged 
Q6.  Member  of  Parliament  for  the  Borough  of  Thirsk  1747- 
1784.  Successively  Admiral  of  the  Red  and  then  of  the 
White  in  the  King's  navy.  Buried  at  Thirkleby.  Married 
Sarah,  the  daughter  of  Colonel  William  Rhett,  of  South 
Carolina,  May,  1743 ;  she  died  April,  1808,  aged  84.  Sir 
Thomas,  the  Admiral,  was  the  great  grandson  of  Oliver 
Cromwell  and  the  great  grandfather  of  the  writer  of  these 
notes.  The  inscription  to  the  Admiral  in  Thirkleby  Church 
is  as  follows : 

"Sir  Thomas  Frankland,  second  son  of  Henry  Frankland, 
Governor  of  Fort  William  in  Bengal.  Admiral  of  theWhite, 
who  represented  the  Borough  of  Thirsk  in  six  Parliaments. 
He  died  at  Bath  on  the  21st  of  November,  1784,  aged  66. 
He  married  Sarah,  daughter  of  William  Rhett,  Esq.,  of 
South  Carolina,  by  whom  he  left  seven  sons  and  three 
daughters." 

When  in  Boston,  in  1742,  Captain  Thomas  Frankland,  as 

he  then  was,  paid  a  visit  to  his  elder  brother,  Sir  Charles, 

whom  he  eventually  succeeded  in  title  and  Thirkleby  estates. 

Whilst  at  Charlestown  he  fell  in  love  with  Sarah  Rhett,  and 

on  his  subsequent  visit  there  he  married  her.       He  was  at 

that  time  Captain  of  H.  M.  Frigate  Rose,  though  only  25 

years  of  age.      Some  very  effusively  complimentary  verses 

were  printed  in  the  Boston  Evening  Post  on  the  occasion  of 

Captain  Frankland's  visit  to  Boston  in  1742.     A  few  of  these 

lines  I  quote,  but  the  poem  is  too  long  to  give  in  full  here : 

"  From  peaceful  solitude  and  calm  retreat 
I  now  and  then  look  out  upon  the  great. 
Praise  where  'tis  due  I'll  give,  no  servile  tool 
Of  honorable  knave,  or  reverend  fool; 
Surplice  or  red-coat,  both  alike  to  me, 
Let  him  that  wears  them  great  and  worthy  be." 


58  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

"We  see  thee  Frankland  dreadful  o'er  the  main 
Not  terrible  to  children,  but  to  Spain. 
Then  let  me  lisp  thy  name;  thy  praise  rehearse 
Though  in  weak  numbers  and  in  feeble  verse. 
Though  faint  the  whisper  when  the  thunder  roars, 
And  speak  thee  great  through  all  Hispanios  shores!  " 

I  have  had  a  photograph  purposely  done  of  Admiral  Sir 
Thomas  Frankland's  picture  here  to  accompany  these  notes. 
I  have  also  had  one  done  at  the  same  time  of  his  ship  pre- 
served in  model  form  in  the  hall  here.  Though  this  model 
is  six  feet  long  and  most  minutely  made,  and  also,  no  doubt, 
most  faithfully  copied  from  the  original  vessel  at  great  ex- 
pense ;  yet  we  do  not  know  her  name.  My  brother,  lately  a 
Post  Captain  in  the  navy,  did  all  he  could  to  ascertain  from 
the  Admiralty,  and  from  other  sources  her  name,  but  with- 
out success.  I  should  be  very  glad  if  the  name  could  be  dis- 
covered. On  the  sides  of  the  model  G.  R.  (George  Rex)  is 
painted  in  several  parts.  That  the  model  is  an  exact  copy  of 
the  original  there  can  be  do  doubt,  and  it  could  not  be  built 
now  at  less  than  £300,  at  least  so  an  expert  in  marine  model 
building  assures  me.  From  the  figure-head  of  the  model  she 
should  be  "Ajax,"  "Achilles,"  "Centurion,"  "Warrior,"  and 
the  most  likely  of  all,  "Perseus,"  as  on  the  shield  borne  by 
the  figure  on  the  prow  is  carved  the  head  of  "Medusa."  ISTone 
of  the  foregoing  names  belonged,  as  far  as  I  can  discover,  to 
any  ship  which  Admiral  Frankland  was  connected  with. 
Family  tradition  declares  that  the  model  is  of  the  ship  which 
Admiral  Frankland  was  aboard  when  he  captured  a  Spanish 
galleon.  The  galleon  is  said  to  have  had  so  much  treasure  on 
board  that  from  his  share  of  the  prize-money  the  Admiral 
settled  five  thousand  pounds  on  each  of  his  eight  daughters, 
though  only  three  of  these  survived  him.  However,  I  con- 
sider the  very  rich  Spanish  (so-called)  ship  that  Frankland 
captured  is  the  one  described  in  the  following  extract  from 
"A  New  Naval  History,  by  John  Entick,  M.A.,  1757": 


THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET.  59 

"The  Rose,  man  of  war,  20  guns,  commanded  by  Captain 
Frankland,  being  cruising  on  the  Carolina  station  on  Jan- 
uary 12th,  1744,  fell  in  with  the  Conception,  a  French  ship 
with  a  Spanish  register  of  400'  tons,  20  guns  and  326  men, 
bound  from  Carthagena  to  Havana.  After  a  smart  engage- 
ment of  eleven  glasses,  in  which  the  Conception  had  110 
men  killed,  the  Rose,  with  the  loss  of  only  5  men,  took  the 
prize  into  Charleston,  in  South  Carolina,  where  she  proved 
a  very  valuable  acquisition  Her  cargo*  consisted  of  800 
serons  of  cocoa,  in  each  of  which  was  deposited  a  bar  of  gold, 
of  the  total  value  of  310,000  pieces  of  eight;  wrought  plate 
of  equivalent  value ;  a  complete  set  of  church  plate ;  a  large 
quantity  of  pearls,  diamonds,  and  other  precious  stones,  and 
gold  buckles  and  snuff  boxes;  a  curious  silver  chaise,  the 
wheels,  axles  and  other  parts  of  it  being  all  of  silver.  There 
was,  besides,  600  pounds  weight  of  gold,  the  whole  of  which 
was  worth  £200,000." 

From  this  account  it  will  be  seen  that  the  Rose,  of  only 
20'  guns,  cannot  be  the  three-decker,  the  model  of  which  is 
now  at  Thirkieby.  The  model  is  of  a  man  of  war  that  has 
as  many  as  74  guns  in  three  tiers,  including  deck  guns,  and 
she  must  have  been  a  large  line  of  battleship  such  as  an  Ad- 
miral might  hoist  his  pennant  on  when  in  command  of  a  fleet. 
Perhaps  from  the  photograph  of  the  figure-head  of  the  model 
some  information  may  be  obtained  regarding  its  name,  which 
I  have  always  been  so  anxious  to  obtain.  There  is  no  doubt 
that — 

1.  The  model  is  a  copy  of  a  ship  commanded  by  Cap- 
tain (or  Admiral)  Frankland  at  one  time  of  his  naval  career. 

2.  Or,  that  the  model  is  a  copy  of  a  ship  captured  from  the 
enemy  by  Captain  (or  Admiral)  Frankland,  and  afterwards 
converted  into  a  British  man  of  war. 

We  know  that  the  model  has  been  here  at  Thirkieby  for 
some  150  years. 


60  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

You  desire  to  know  about  Sir  Thomas  Frankland's  resi- 
dence at  Lilliput  Plantation  on  the  Cape  Fear  River  in  North 
Carolina,  and  particularly  in  regard  to  his  life  in  North 
Carolina,  and  his  estates  on  the  Cape  Fear  River. 

It  occurs  to  me  that  the  Admiral  was  too  busy  chasing 
French  and  Spanish  ships  of  the  enemy  to  have  retired  to  an 
estate  in  Carolina,  and  to  have  had  a  house  on  a  plantation 
there,  especially  as  he  was  so  active  and  constant  in  his  ser- 
vices in  the  King's  Navy.  The  only  suggestion  I  can  find 
that  the  Admiral  (at  that  time  Captain)  did  retire  from  ac- 
tive service  for  a  short  time  is  hinted  in  the  first  two  lines  of 
the  poem  I  have  quoted,  and  which  run — 

"From  peaceful  solitude  and  calm  retreat, 
I  now  and  then  look  out  upon  the  great." 

The  old  early  Elizabethan  Hall  at  Thirkleby  was  pulled 
down  in  1793,  when  the  present  house  was  completed.  The 
old  house,  of  which  we  have  a  picture,  was  the  home  of  Ad- 
miral Frankland.  Many  flowers  of  the  old  gardens  still 
force  their  heads  above  the  soil  every  summer.  As  a  boy  of 
about  twelve  years  of  age  I  very  well  recollect  an  old  family 
game-keeper  who  lived  at  Thirkleby,  who  at  that  time  of  my 
life  was  just  90  years  of  age.  His  name  was  W.  Hudson. 
He  often  pointed  out  to  me  the  walnut  tree  in  the  park  here, 
up  which,  when  he  was  a  boy  of  ten  or  twelve,  the  Admiral 
used  to  order  him  to  climb  to  gather  the  walnuts ;  and  which 
the  Admiral  used  to  throw  his  big  crook-handled  stick  up 
among  its  boughs  to  try  and  knock  the  walnuts  down  himself. 
As  Hudson  was  born  in  1770  and  the  Admiral  died  in  1784, 
the  reminiscences  of  the  old  keeper  were  no  doubt  correct, 
and  enables  me  to  say  that  I  knew  a  man  who  knew  Admiral 
Sir  Thomas  Frankland,  who  was  born  in  1718,  and  it  is  quite 
probable  that  the  Admiral  knew  a  man,  who,  as  a  child,  saw 
Charles  the  First's  head  cut  off  at  Whitehall. 


THE  NOKTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET.  61 

On  the  subject  of  reminiscences,  though  rather  out  of 
place  here,  as  it  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  Prankland  fam- 
ily, I  may  relate  that  an  old  friend  of  mine,  now  alive  and 
well  and  but  72  years  of  age,  perfectly  recollects  his  grand- 
father, who  lived  to  a  great  age.  The  grandfather  in  ques- 
tion took  a  purse  of  gold  concealed  in  a  basket  of  strawber- 
ries to  Prince  Charlie  (the  Young  Pretender)  when  he  was 
keeping  court  at  Hobgood  Palace  in  1745.  The  messenger 
with  the  strawberries  was,  of  course,  a  child  at  the  time,  and 
was,  as  such,  selected,  by  partisans  of  the  Stewarts,  to  allay 
suspicion  as  to  the  real  object  of  his  visit  to  Hobgood,  which 
was  to  aid  the  Prince  with  money  to  establish  his  rights  to  his 
throne  in  Scotland.  This  incident,  (with  many  others  of  a 
similar  kind,  I  found  here  in  the  muniment  room  among  the 
papers  of  my  great  uncle,  Lord  Lavington,  who  was  Governor 
of  some  of  the  West  Indies  Islands  and  was  buried  there),  I 
had  printed  and  sent  to  the  late  Queen  Victoria  of  blessed 
memory.  Her  Majesty  was  greatly  interested  in  the  book  I 
compiled  and  sent  her,  the  only  thing  she  took  exception  to 
was  my  allusion  to  Prince  Charlie  as  "A  Pretender."  The 
young  pretender  was  tall  and  handsome,  and  the  beau  ideal  of 
a  gallant  cavalier,  but  he  died,  alas,  at  Florence,  as  a  dissi- 
pated and  drunken  wreck,  morally  and  physically. 

On  the  following  page  I  have  attached  a  photograph  I  have 
had  specially  taken  to  illustrate  these  notes. 

(N.  B. — The  gentleman  who  for  many  years  has  con- 
ducted in  the  most  able  manner,  at  very  moderate  cost,  in 
British  Museum,  a  great  deal  of  research  for  me,  historical, 
documentary  and  otherwise,  and  who  is  also  a  most  excellent 
copyist  of  old  illustrations,  is  William  Woodrow,  Esq.  The 
Beading  Boom,  British  Museum,  Bloomsbury,  London.) 


62  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

THE   BADGE   OF   ULSTER. 

Given  to  Sir  William  Frankland,  first  Baronet  of  Thirkle- 
by,  by  Charles  II.  in  1660  as  a  credential  of  bis  title.  Tbe 
only  Ulster  badge  in  existence,  excepting  one  tbat  is  supposed 
to  be  a  copy  of  it.  It  was  worn  as  a  proof  of  bis  rank  and 
person  by  Sir  Thomas  Frankland,  tbird  Baronet,  wben  on  a 
mission  abroad  at  tbe  service  of  bis  King. 

(Illustration  is  full  size.  Tbe  Red  Hand,  or  Bloody 
Hand,  is  on  white  porcelain  oval  set  round  with  stones.  Tbe 
date  of  confer  and  name  of  Baronet  and  bis  creation  on 
reverse  side.)  The  tradition  is  tbat  the  King  of  Ulster  and 
another  disputed  the  ownership  of  an  estate.  They  agreed 
to  race  to  it  from  a  certain  distance,  and  tbe  one  who  first 
touched  the  land  with  his  hand  was  to  possess  it.  Ulster, 
finding  himself  a  few  yards  behind  at  the  finish,  cut  off  his 
left  hand  and  threw  it  in  front  of  him  over  tbe  boundary 
fence,  and  thus  won  the  estate. 

A  characteristic  letter  from  Admiral  Frankland,  in  which 
he  refers  to  the  death  of  a  gardener  who<  has  been  inadvert- 
ently stifled  in  bis  master's  hot-house. 

"Bond   Street   (where  the  Admiral  owned  a  bouse)    1760. 

a.  p.  a 

"Mr.  Nugent,  they  say,  spoke  an  hour  against  opening  tbe 
distillery,  and  when  they  divided,  voted  for  it,  so  the  joke 
goes  that  he  acted  in  the  character  of  bis  country.  Surely 
money  never  was  so-  scarce,  we  can  hardly  get  enough  to 
carry  on  common  house  expenses.  We  shall  have  no  peace 
this  year  its  believed,  and  I  think  another  year  makes  us 
stop  payment,  as  our  enemies  have  done,  and  what  must  we 
do  who  have  our  all  in  the  stocks, 

"Have  you  read  Tristam  Shandy?  The  ladies  say  (my 
wife  and  daughters  read  it  not)  its  very  clever ;  now  pray  is 
it  indelicate  or  not  fit  ?  Upon  my  word  I  am  abused  and 
called  a  Prude  for  saying  its  scandalous  for  a  Clergyman  to 
write  such  (I  was  going  to  say  Bawdy),  a  rapsody  of  hard 
words. 


THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET.  63 

"I  hear  you  are  in  low  spirits  about  the  death  of  your 
gardener.  Good  God,  what  wretches  we  sailors  must  be.  I 
order  40  men  aloft  and  ye  mast  goes  and  they  are  drowned. 
Their  deaths  are  not  at  my  door.  I  order  the  ship  to  be 
smoked  to  prevent  sickness,  and  some  fools  stay  below  in  the 
smoke  and  dye ;  Sir,  am  I  to  charge  myself  with  their  deaths  ? 

"We  have  expeditions  fitting  out  now,  where  bound  a 
secret. 

(Signed)  Thos.  Frankland. 

(1)  There  is  a  long  article  on  Admiral  Frankland,  his 
life  and  adventures,  to  be  found  in  Charnock's  Biographic 
Vavalis,  Vol.  V— 1797— page  19. 

(2)  Also  see  Schomberg's  Naval  Chronology,  Vol.  I,  page 
220 — 1745.  In  this  latter  book  the  following  curious  inci- 
dent is  related : 

"Another  fortunate  circumstance  was  the  discovery  caused 
thro'  a  little  French  boy  that  Capt.  Frankland  had  taken 
into  his  service.  This  boy  made  a  complaint  against  one  of 
the  sailors  for  having  taken  from  him  a  stick  in  appearance  of 
no  value.  Captain  Frankland  recovered  it  for  the  boy,  and 
on  returning  it  to  him  gave  him  a  playful  tap  on  the  shoulder. 
The  head  of  the  stick  fell  off  then  and  diamonds  were  found 
inside  it  worth  20,000  pistoles.  When  the  enemy  surren- 
dered, the  Captain  gave  the  stick  to  the  boy  in  the  hopes  of 
saving  it,  not  imagining  that  such  a  trifle  would  ever  be 
noticed." 

In  Charnocks  Chronicles  a  graphic  account  is  given  of  Cap- 
tain Frankland's  fight  with  (1742)  three  of  the  enemies 
ships,  all  of  which  he  captured  and  took  into  Carolina.  One 
of  these  ships  tried  very  hard  to  escape,  the  reason  being 
that  its  captain  was  the  notorious  "Fandino,"  who  some  years 
before  had  cut  off  the  ears  of  Jenkins,  an  English  Captain. 
Frankland  sent  this  man  at  once  to  Hyland  to  be  tried  for  his 
life. 


64  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

I  see  Captain  Frankland  married  Miss  Rhett  (1743), 
daughter  of  Chief  Justice  of  Carolina,  by  whom  he  had  six 
sons  and  eight  daughters.  (He  had  nineteen  children  in 
all;  several  died  infants.) 

June,  1756,  made  Rear  Admiral  of  the  Blue;  retained  the 
command  of  the  Rose  'till  October,  1746,  when  he  was  pro- 
moted to  the  Dragon.  In  1755  appointed  Commodore  on  the 
Antigua  Station  and  hoisted  his  broad  pennant  on  board  the 
Winchester,  50  guns,  at  Spithead,  10th  August,  and  sailed 
very  soon  after  for  the  West  Indies.  On  his  arrival  there 
he  at  once  quarrelled  with  the  retiring  Commodore,  Pye,  be- 
cause this  sailor  had  condemned  his  ship,  the  Advice.  Ad- 
miral Frankland  reported  Commodore  Pye  for  doing  so,  and 
to  prove  he  was  wrong,  actually  fitted  up  the  Advice  for  him- 
self and  started  on  a  cruise  in  her  to  show  she  was  seaworthy, 
with  the  result  that  Admiral  Frankland  and  ship  nearly  went 
to  the  bottom  of  the  sea  together.  This  quarrel  and  Admiral 
Frankland's  career  is  to  be  found  in  a  story  that  appeared 
in  the  London  Magazine  of  1774-1775,  under  the  title  of 
"Edward  &  Maria,"  by  Capt.  Ed.  Thompson,  R.  K  In  this 
story  Admiral  Freeland  is  "Frankland,"  and  Commodore 
Pye  is  w'Sir  Richard  Spry,"  as  he  afterwards  became. 

British  Museum,  Add.  MS.  32,  935,  p.  447. 

Sir: — The  Barons  of  the  Exchequer,  having  ordered  me 
immediately  to  Lay  before  the  Hon'ble  and  Rev'd.  Mr.  Chol- 
mondeley,  Auditor  General  of  his  Maj'ts  Revenues  in 
America,  the  Amount  of  the  French  Ships  and  Cargoes  de- 
tained by  me  at  the  Leeward  Islands  before  the  Declaration 
of  War. 

The  Charge  attending  the  Dieting  the  Crews  of  those  being 
refused  to  be  allowed  me  in  those  Accounts,  and  as  it  cannot 
be  imagined  that  I  can  bear  those  Expenses,  Lett  me  entreat 
yonr  assistance  to  get  a  Dispensing  Order  to  the  Sick  and 
Hurt  Office  that  the  Account  there  may  be  paid  me.    As  they 


THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET.  65 

require  Vouchers  By  their  Establishment  which  the  Nature 
of  Those  Captures  could  not  produce. 

The  Governors  of  the  Three  Islands  absolutely  refused  to 
give  any  Receipts  for  the  French  men  Landed,  or  written 
Orders  for  their  Discharges. 

Their  Constant  Answers  were  they  never  had  received  the 
least  Orders  about  their  Detention. 

No  Cartel  was  settled  or  Commissarys  appointed.  There- 
fore how  could  I  produce  Vouchers  from  the  Latter. 

The  account  for  the  subsistance  of  those  men,  which  T  have 
now  Laying  before  the  Sick  and  Hurt  Office  is  such,  as  I  am 
ready  to  make  any  affirmation  to.  It  has  passed  thro  the 
Navy  Office,  in  regard  to  the  names,  and  Entrys  and  Dis- 
charges of  the  Particular  Crews. 

The  Men  sent  into  Hallifax  and  Jamacia  have  been  paid 
By  the  Publick.  But  as  where  I  commanded  there  was 
neither  Hospital  of  the  Kings  to  send  them  to,  or  Contract 
subsisting  for  me  to  have  ordered  them  Agents  to  have  vic- 
tualled them  or  had  I  ships  sufficient  to  have  keep  them  on 
board  and  victualled  them  afloat,  I  had  no  other  method  to 
follow. 

As  this  is  the  only  obstacle  that  hinders  my  finally  closing 
these  Accounts  let  me  again  beg  your  aid,  and  I  am,  sir, 
Yonr  most  obedient  and  very  humble  servant, 

Old  Bond  Street  Thos.  Frankland. 

18th  March,  1762. 

(Endorsed)     Ad'l.  Frankland. 

Public  Record  Ofeice — Frankland  Letters. 
(Adm.  See.  M.  Letters.) 

There  are  two  series  letters — one  covering  the  period  when 
stationed  at  the  Bahamas  as  Captain  of  the  Rose  (about  40). 

Another  series  when  stationed  at  the  Leeward  Islands  as 
Admiral,  (about  SO  to  100)  (1755-'59),  Pye  incident.  These 
letters  are  of  varying  interest  and  would  suggest  a  selection 
of  which  specimen  given  re-taking  the  Conception. 


66  THE   NORTH   CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

(Ad.  Sec.  M.  Letters,  No.  1782.) 
Captain  Thomas  Frankland  to  Secretary  of  the  Admiralty : 
His  Majesty's  Ship  "Rose,"  Cooper  River, 

South  Carolina,  Jan.  ye  23rd,  1744-5. 
My  last  was  dated  ISTov.  14th  acquainting  you  of  my  de- 
livering the  letters  as  I  was  directed  by  Sir  Chaloner  Ogle. 
I  proceeded  afterwards  off  St.  J  ago  de  Cuba,  and  so  between 
the  south  side  of  Cuba  and  the  N.  side  of  Jamaica  down  to 
the  Grand  Comanon,  where  I  watered,  wooded  and  heel'd, 
for  I  was  hurryed  out  of  Jamaica  without  time  to  get  or  do 
either  there.  I  then  intended  to  go  and  cruize  between  the 
Rogues  Cape  Florida  and  the  Pan  of  Matanzas  (on  the  1ST. 
side  of  Cuba),  but  on  my  way  on  (about  35  leagues  to  the 
w'ward  of  the  Havanna)  the  first  day  of  December  just  be- 
fore daylight  I  found  myself  almost  on  board  a  large  ship. 
We  were  to  windward  and  astern  with  all ;  I  kept  my  wind 
until  the  day  broke,  then  finding  she  had  but  one  tier  of  guns 
but  full  of  men  by  her  working,  for  before  I  showed  my 
colors,  she  run  her  courses  up,  bunted  her  mainsails,  and  I 
observed  everything  ready  to  engage  and  her  decks  crowded 
with  people.  About  seven  in  the  morning  we  began  our  en- 
gagement, which  lasted  until  half  after  noon ;  we  had  a 
fresh  gale  and  a  great  sea,  and  yet  we  were  alongside  of  one 
another  three  or  four  times,  for  he  would,  as  I  observed, 
fought  till  night  at  a  distance;  he  at  last  struck,  for  he  had 
near  a  hundred  men  killed  outright  and  four  of  his  guns  on 
one  side  disabled.  The  ship  is  called  the  Conception  of  St. 
Malo,  Mons.  Adrien  Mercan,  Master  from  Cartagena  bound 
to  Cadiz,  but  was  to  touch  at  the  Havannah  in  order  to  land 
upwards  of  two  hundred  seamen  besides  officers  that  belonged 
to  Don  Blase  de  Peso's  squadron  that  were  destroyed  at  Cart- 
agena ;  they  were  commanded  by  Sig 'r.  Don  Pedro  Lisagrale, 
a  Captain  of  a  Frigate  and  Major  of  the  Galleys.  We  killed 
an  officer,  which  will  be  a  great  loss  to  the  Spaniards,  being 
the  best  pilot  they  had  for  the  West  Indies ;  he  was  made  a 
Captain  de  Fregattes  by  Admiral  Tovas'  request  for  the  ser- 
vices he  did  him  that  way ;  his  name  is  Don  Pedro  Manuell 
Long. 

I  had  only  five  men  killed,  about  ten  or  a  dozen  danger- 


THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET.  67 

ously  wounded,  including  the  master,   and  several  slightly. 
The  cargo  was  hides  and  cocoa,  with  several  chests  of  gold 
and  silver,  containing  about  three  hundred  and  ten  pieces  of 
eight.      She  had  several  passengers  on  board,  from  which  we 
got  about  five  thousand  ounces  of  gold  in  doubling,  pistoles, 
bars.,  etc.     When  (we)  gott  all  the  prisoners  on  board  the 
Rose  and  had  manned  the  prize  with  my  best  people,  for  she 
was  torn  all  to  pieces,  and  began  to  count  our  numbers,  I  was 
very  .  .  .  ...  .,.  M.  .,.  .  .  .,  (some  words  are  covered  in  binding), 

but  one  hundred  seventy  and  seven  men,  officers  and  boys  at 

first,  the  prize  manned  20  so  wounded  could no  duty 

and  people  to  attend  them  that  we  had  two  Spaniards  to  one 
of  us  and  in  sight  of  their  own  shore  running  down  by  the 
Havanna  and  Matanzas  and  certain  three  or  four  of  their 
men  of  war  at  sea,  a  prize  astern  without  a  ......  mast  and 

all  her  other  masts  wounded,  as  was  my  main  mast  and  fore 
yard  that  I  immediately  resolved  within  myself  by  all  means 
to  land  them.      Fortune  favored  us  with  moderate  weather 

and  a  wind  to  fetch  Key  Sail  (it  ly E.  N"  E  15  leagues 

from  the   Bay  of  Matanzas  were    ......    and   put  all   the 

Spaniards  ashore,  giving  them  the  prize's  shallop  and  my 
cutter,  in  either  of  which,  taking  fair  weather,  they  may  go 
to  the  Havanna  in  20  hours ;  with  provisions,  tents  and  all 
other  conveniences  of  life.  We  stayed  at  that  key  till  we 
put  the  prize  to  rights  and  so  proceeded  down  the  gulf  to 
South  Carolina ;  I  arrived  the  17th  day  of  December.  I  am 
a  getting  a  new  mast  and  repairing,  for  I  received  some  dam- 
age from  the  enemy,  and  shall  put  for  the  sea  with  all  speed 
to  proceed  to  the  Bahamas  tho'  I  am  in  great  hopes  the  Albor- 
ough  is  coming  out  to  relieve  me,  for  I  have  represented  to 
their  Lordships  the  necessity  these  twelve  months  past. 

I  am  sorry  to  acquaint  you  that  the  Swallow  sloop  was  lost 
on  the  above  keys.  Captain  Jelfe  writes  by  this  opportunity 
and  has  sent  his  Lieut,  home,  who  I  suppose  will  wait  di- 
rectly on  their  Lordships. 

I  am,  sirs,  your  most  humble  servant, 

(Signed)  Thos.  Frankland. 

Eec'd.  and  read  20  Mar. 

To  Thos.  Corbett,  Esq. 


68  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

Dr.  John  Campbell  in  "The  Present  State  of  Europe," 
1761,  thus  tabulates  the  relative  naval  strength  of  the 
Powers : 

"If  the  shipping  of  Europe  be  divided  into  twenty  parts, 
then — 

Great  Britain,  etc.,  hath 6 

The  United  Provinces 6 

The  subjects  of  the  Northern  Crowns 2 

The  trading  cities  and  seaports  of  Germany  and  Austrian 

Netherland  s 1 

France 2 

Spain  and  Portugal 2 

Italy  and  rest  of  Europe 1 

List  of  Plans,  Maps,  etc.,  in  British  Museum. 

K.  122  (62)  Wilmington.     A  drawn  plan  of  the  town 

of  Wilmington,  in  New  Hanover  County, 
North  Carolina,  surveyed  and  drawn  in 
December,  1769,  by  C.  I.  Sauther. 

2  Tab.  122-51  A  complete  map  of  North  Carolina,  from 

an  actual  survey  by  Captain  Collet,  1770. 
Two  sheets. 

71965    (1)  Carolina.     A  general  map  of  C.  describ- 

ing its  sea  coast  and  rivers.  Printed  for 
K.  Blome  Loud  1672.  This  map  be- 
longs to  Blome's  "Description  of  the  Is- 
land of  Jamaica"  Loud  1672. 

71965  (6)  A  new  map  of  C.  by  P.  Lea  Loud  1700. 

S.  100  (18)  A  new  map  of  C.  by  J.  Thornton  &  W. 

Eisher  (a  large  draught  of  Ashley  and 
Cooper's  rivers)  Loud  1704. 

71965  (2)  A  map  of  North  and  South  Carolina  by  J. 

Lawson  Loud  1704.  This  map  belongs  to 
Lawson's  "New  voyage  to  Carolina"  Loud 
1709. 

71965  (7)  A  map  of  the  province  of  C.  divided  into 

its  parishes,  etc.,  by  H.  Wall  Loud  1710. 

71965  (3)  A  new  map  of  the  country  of  C.  by  J.  Gas- 

.  coigne,  Loud  1710. 

C.  13  A.  10  (3)  Carolina.  Several  maps — Carolina  de- 
scribed in  "A  Brief  Description  of  the 
Province  of  C."     Loud  1666. 


the  north  carolina  booklet.  69 

Naval  &  Military  Memoirs  of  Grt.  Britain  from  1727 
to  1783,  by  Robert  Beatson,  Esq.,  L.L.D.  Vol.  1,  p. 
281-283.     Loud  1804. 

The  Rose,  Captain  Frankland,  took,  after  a  long  and  ob- 
stinate engagement,  the  La  Conception,  of  four  hundred  tons, 
twenty  guns,  and  three  hundred  and  twenty-six  men,  from 
Cartagena  for  the  Havanna.  The  Rose  had  only  one  hun- 
dred and  seventy-five  men  on  board  when  the  action  began. 
The  enemy  had  one  hundred  and  sixteen  men  killed,  and 
thirteen  wounded.  The  prize  was  carried  into'  Charleston, 
South  Carolina,  and  proved  of  great  value,  having  on  board 
800  serons  of  cocoa,  sixty-eight  chests  of  silver,  gold  and 
silver  coin,  and  plate  to  a  great  amount,  a  curious  two- 
wheeled  chaise,  the  wheels  and  axletree  all  of  silver ;  some 
diamonds,  pearls,  and  precious  stones.  On  board  the  prize 
was  the  Viceroy's  Secretary,  and  other  persons  of  distinc- 
tion. To  form  a  proper  idea  of  the  immense  value  of  the 
prize,  we  shall  quote  the  words  of  a  very  respectable  author, 
viz.,  Peter  Henry  Bruce,  Esq.,  who  was  at  Charleston  when 
the  Conception  arrived : 

"Captain  Thomas  Frankland  brought  in  here  a  very  rich 
French  prize,  whose  principal  lading  consisted  in  pistoles,  a 
few  chests  of  dollars,  and  a  great  deal  of  wrought  gold  and 
silver.  The  quantity  was  so  great  that  the  shares  were  de- 
livered by  weight,  to  save  the  trouble  of  counting  it,  so  that 
the  pistoles  were  now  seen  in  greater  plenty  than  the  dollars 
had  been  in  Providence ;  which  could  not  be  very  mortifying 
to  Governor  Tinker,  who  was  thereby  deprived  of  the  profits 
accruing  from  her  condemnation,  considering  Captain  Frank- 
land  was  stationed  there.  But  he  met  with  this  mortifica- 
tion in  general,  as  no  privateer  would  we  enter  with  their 
prizes  into  the  harbor  of  Providence,  after  the  treatment 
that  Gibball  and  Dowall  had  met  with.  After  all,  when  the 
cargo  was  taken  out  of  this  prize,  and  the  vessel  was  to  be 
put  up  for  sale,  the  French  Captain  told  Captain  Frankland, 
that  if  he  would  engage  to  reward  him  handsomely,  he  would 
discover  a  hidden  treasure  to  him,  which  no  one  ever  knew 
of  but  himself.  Captain  Frankland  engaged  to  reward  him 
very  generously,  and  he  did  discover  thirty  thousand  pistoles 
in  a  place  where  no  one  would  have  thought  of  finding  them. 


70  THE  NORTH   CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

The  French  Captain  afterwards  told  Governor  Glenn,  that 
Captain  Frankland's  generosity  consisted  only  in  one  thou- 
sand pistoles,  a  poor  reward,  he  said,  for  so  great  a  discovery. 
Captain  Frankland  made  another  very  accidental  discovery; 
he  had  taken  into  his  service  a  brisk  little  French  boy,  who 
had  belonged  to  the  French  Captain,  who,  having  a  walking 
stick  of  no  value,  one  of  the  sailors  had  taken  it  from  him. 
The  boy  lamented  this  loss  so  much  that  Captain  Frankland 
ordered  search  to  be  made  for  it,  to  return  it  to  the  boy.  The 
stick  was  brought  to  the  Captain,  who,  seeing  it  was  of  no 
value,  asked  the  boy  how  he  could  make  so  much  ado  about 
such  a  trifle.  The  boy  replied  briskly,  he  could  not  walk 
like  a  gentleman  and  show  his  airs,  without  a  stick  in  his 
hand.  Upon  the  Captain's  going  to  return  him  the  stick,  he 
gave  him  a  tap  on  the  shoulder  with  it,  and  finding  something 
rattling  inside  of  it,  withdrew  to  a  room  by  himself,  and  tak- 
ing off  the  head  of  it,  he  found  jewels  (according  to  the 
French  Captain's  report)  worth  20,000  pistoles.  The  Cap- 
tain had  given  the  stick  to  the  boy  when  he  surrendered,  in 
hopes  of  saving  it,  imagining  no  person  would  take  notice  of 
such  a  trifle  in  the  hands  of  a  boy." 

Memoirs  of  the  Prolectoval — House  of  Cromwell,  by 
Mark  Noble,  F.  A.  S.  of  L.  &  E.,  Vol.  2,  pp.  434-5, 
Birmingham,  1787. 

Sir  Thomas  Frankland,  the  late  Baronet,  was  born  in 
July,  1718,  and  brought  up  to  the  Naval  Department.  He 
became  a  Captain  in  July,  1740,  and  in  December,  1744,  he 
was  so  fortunate  as  to  take  a  French  ship  of  great  value,  off 
the  Havannah,  with  a  Spanish  register,  homeward  bound, 
after  an  engagement  of  several  hours.  Upon  the  death  of 
his  brother  he  succeeded  to  the  title  of  Baronet.  He  rose 
afterwards  to  be  Vice-Admiral  of  the  Red  Squadron  of  his 
Majesty's  fleet,  and,  as  such,  was  one  of  the  supporters  of 
the  canopy  at  his  royal  highness  the  Duke  of  York's  funeral ; 
and  was  afterwards  an  Admiral  of  the  White.  He  repre- 
sented the  borough  of  Thirsk  in  five  successive  parliaments. 
His  lady  was  Miss  Sarah  Rhett,  granddaughter  of  the  Chief- 
Justice  of  South  Carolina,  in  North  America,  whom  he  mar- 


THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET.  71 

ried  in  that  province,  in  May,  1743.     Sir  Thomas  died  at 
Bath  Nov.  21,  1784;  he  had  five  sons  and  eight  daughters — 

(1)  Henry  Frankland,  who  died  an  infant. 

(2)  Sir  Thomas  Frankland,  the  present  baronet,  of  whom 
below. 

(3)  Hugh  Frankland,  who  died  an  infant. 

(4)  Will  Frankland,  fellow  of  All-Souls,  in  Oxford,  and 
a  member  of  the  Society  of  Gray's  Inn. 

(5)  Roger  Frankland,  B.A.,  a  student  at  Christchurch 
College,  Oxford,  and  designed  for  the  church. 

(6)  Mary,  married  to  Sir  Boyle  Roche,  bart. ;  there  is  no 
issue  of  this  marriage. 

(7)  Sarah,  died  young. 

(8)  Harriet,  unmarried. 

(9)  Ann,  married  March  24,  1778,  to  John  Lewis,  of 
Harpton  Court,  in  Radnorshire,  by  whom  she  has  Thomas 
Frankland  Lewis,  born  Mav  14,  1779,  and  Louisa,  born  July 
8,  1783. 

(10)  Dinah,  married  to  Will  Bowles,  of  Heale,  Wilts, 
Esq.,  by  whom  she  had  one  son,  William,  and  three  daugh- 
ters Ann,  Lncy,  and  Charlotte. 

(11)  Catherine,  married  to  Thomas  Whingates,  Esq.,  an 
officer  in  India;  their  issue  is  two  sons,  Thomas  and  Manners, 
and  also  several  daughters. 

(12)  Charlotte,  married  to  Rob.  Nichols,  of  Ashton- 
ITearns,  Wilts,  Esq.  They  have  two  sons  and  one  daughter, 
Edw.  Rob.  and  Charlotte. 

(13)  Grace,  who  is  unmarried. 

Sir  Thomas  Frankland,  the  present  and  sixth  Baronet,  was 
born  in  September,  1750,  and  was  educated  at  Eaton,  and 
Merton  College  in  Oxford ;  he  married  Dorothy,  the  daugh- 
ter of  Sir  Will  Smelt,  and  niece  of  Leonard  Smelt,  Esq., 
Sub-Governor  to  George,  Prince  of  Wales ;  their  issue  is  four 
children,  Henry,  Rob.,  Amelia  and  Marian. 

The  history  of  the  family  of  Frankland  is  taken  from  the 
baronetages,  various  other  writers,  and  corrected  and  en- 
larged by  information  which  I  had  the  honor  to  receive  from 
the  late  Lord  Grantham.,  the  late  Sir  Thomas  Frankland, 
Bart.,  and  the  present  baronet  of  that  name,  the  Rev.  De- 
Oreenhill.  the  Rev.   Sam  Pegge,  and   Sam  Pegge,  Esq.      It 


72 


THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 


may  be  necessary  to  correct  a  passage  in  the  history  of  the 
life  of  the  first  Sir  Thomas  Frankland  in  the  Baronetages : 
They  say  that  the  Earl  of  Fauconberg  was  descended  from 
Mary,  daughter  of  the  Protector,  Oliver;  but  his  Lordship 
married  that  lady  instead  of  being  descended  from  her,  as  is 
sufficiently  proved  in  these  Memoirs. 

BlOGRAPHIA  NIVALIS;   BY  JOHN   ChARNOCK,   VOL.    5,    PP.    18- 

21,  Lotjd,  1797. 

Frankland,  Sir  Thomas,  was  a  nephew  of  a  baronet  of  the 
same  name,  who  was  for  many  years  one  of  the  commission- 
ers for  executing  the  office  of  Lord  High  Admiral.  He  was 
on  the  15th  of  July,  1740,  promoted  to  the  command  of  the 
Rose  frigate ;  and  at  the  conclusion  of  the  year  was  ordered 
out  to  the  Bahama  Islands,  to  convey  thither  Mr.  Tinker, 
who  had  been  appointed  Governor  two  years  before.  After 
he  had  landed  his  passenger  he  continued  on  the  same  station, 
being  instructed  to  remain  there  and  cruise  for  the  protec- 
tion of  those  islands  and  the  adjacent  coast  from  the  depre- 
dations of  the  guarda-costas.  In  the  month  of  June,  1742, 
he  distinguished  himself  by  his  activity  in  capturing  a  Span- 
ish vessel  of  that  description,  together  with  three  vessels 
which  she  herself  had  made  prizes  of  a  short  time  before. 

The  guarda-costa,  which  carried  ten  carriage  and  as  many 
swivel  guns,  supported  by  two  of  the  prizes,  which  were 
armed  vessels,  engaged  the  Rose  for  nearly  three  hours,  but 
finding  her  too  powerful  and  too  well  conducted  to  afford 
them  any  hope  of  ultimate  success,  the  two  prizes  stood 
away,  one  keeping  to  windward,  the  other  large,  with  all  the 
sail  they  could  crowd.  The  guarda-costa  maintained  a  run- 
ning fight  for  an  hour  longer  through  the  desperation  of  her 
captain,  and  even  at  last,  the  crew,  in  opposition  to  him, 
hauled  down  the  colors  and  called  for  quarter. 

Captain  Frankland  shifted  the  prisoners  with  all  possible 
expedition,  and  having  put  some  of  his  own  men,  under 
proper  officers,  on  board  the  prize,  dispatched  her  after  the 
vessel  which  had  hauled  her  wind,  he  himself  following  the 
other  two.  So  successful  was  his  activity  on  this  occasion 
that  the  three  vessels  were  all,  without  difficulty,  captured 


THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET.  73 

and  carried  safely  into  Carolina.  The  cause  of  the  obstinate 
defence  made  by  the  Spanish  vessel  was,  on  enquiry,  discov- 
ered to  be  owing  to  her  Captain  being  Fandino,  the  fellow 
who  some  years  before  had  cut  off  the  ears  of  Captain  Jen- 
kins, and  thereby  caused  so  great,  so  just  and  general  an  in- 
dignation through  the  whole  British  nation.  Captain  Frank- 
land,  judging  a  monster  of  so  cruel  a  description,  who  had 
manifested  a  conduct  that  would  have  disgraced  a  pirate, 
might  be  released  as  a  prisoner  on  parole,  or  even  exchanged, 
sent  him  home  to  be  treated  as  administration  should  think 
proper. 

Captain  Frankland  continued  in  the  same  command,  and 
remained  on  the  same  station  some  years,  but  is  not  again 
particularly  mentioned  until  the  year  1744,  when  he  signal- 
ized himself  remarkably  in  an  action  with  a  very  large,  and, 
as  it  afterwards  proved,  valuable  Spanish  ship,  the  particu- 
lars we  shall  insert  at  length  from  the  account  officially 
given  of  this  very  spirited  encounter. 

Being  on  his  passage  to  his  station  as  a  cruiser  between  the 
Boques,  Cape  Florida,  and  the  Pan  of  Matanzas,  on  the 
North  side  of  Cuba,  about  thirty-five  leagues  to  the  West- 
ward of  Havannah,  on  December  21st,  just  before  daylight 
he  found  himself  almost  on  board  a  large  ship,  of  which  he 
was  to  windward  and  astern  withall.  Captain  Frankland, 
who  had  kept  his  wind  until  day-light,  then  found  his  antago- 
nist had  but  one  tier  of  guns,  but  was  by  her  working,  full  of 
men,  for  before  the  Captain  showed  his  colors  she  had  run 
her  courses  up,  bunted  her  mainsail,  and  had  everything 
ready  to  engage,  her  decks  being  crowded  with  people. 
About  seven  in  the  morning  they  began  an  engagement  which 
lasted  until  half  an  hour  past  twelve.  There  was  a  fresh 
gale  and  a  great  sea,  notwithstanding  which,  they  were  along- 
side each  other  three  or  four  times  before  the  enemy  struck. 
She  had  near  100  men  killed  outright,  and  four  of  her  guns 
on  one  side  disabled.  She  is  called  the  Conception,  of  St. 
Malo,  Adrian  Mercan,  Master,  bound  from  Cartagena  to 
Cadiz,  but  was  to  touch  at  Havana  to  land  upwards  of  200 
seamen,  besides  officers.  The  Rose  had  only  five  men  killed 
and  about  ten  or  twelve  dangerouslv  wounded,  including  the 


74  THE  NOBTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

master  and  several  slightly.  The  cargo  of  the  prize  con- 
sisted of  hides  and  cocoa,  with  seventy  chests  of  gold  and 
silver,  containing  about  three  hundred  and  ten  thousand 
pieces  of  eight.  She  had  several  passengers  on  board,  from 
whom  they  got  about  5,000  ounces  of  gold  in  dollars,  pis- 
toles, bars,  etc.  The  crew  of  the  Rose  of  no  more  than  one 
hundred  and  seventy-seven  men,  officers  and  boys  included. 
The  prize  was  safely  carried  into  South  Carolina. 

Captain  Frankland  retained  the  command  of  the  Rose  till 
the  month  of  October,  1746,  and  was  then  promoted  to  the 
Dragon,  of  sixty  guns,  in  which  ship  he  continued  until  the 
conclusion  of  the  war,  being,  in  1748,  on  the  West  India 
Station  with  Mr.  Pocock.  We  do  not  find  any  subsequent 
mention  made  of  him  till  the  month  of  July,  1755,  when  he 
was  appointed  Commodore  on  the  Antigua  Station.  He 
hoisted  his  broad  pennant  on  board  the  Winchester,  of  fifty 
guns,  at  Spitkead,  on  the  10th  day  of  August,  and  sailed 
very  soon  afterwards  for  the  West  Indies.  On  his  arrival 
there  his  first  operation  was  to  quarrel  with  Commodore  Pye, 
whom  he  was  sent  out  to  succeed.  The  first  pretence  was 
frivolous  in  the  extreme,  consisting  merely  in  an  exception, 
or  affront  Mr.  Frankland  thought  proper  to  take,  because  the 
former  had  not  struck  his  broad  pennant  on  the  instant  he 
was  informed  of  the  latter's  arrival. 

A  second,  and,  as  it  proved  afterwards,  equally  futile,  and 
indeed  unjust  cause,  was  a  more  serious  charge  of  miscon- 
duct against  his  predecessor,  in  having  condemned  the  Ad- 
vice, his  own  ship.  Mr.  Frankland  asserted  this  measure  to 
have  been  improper  and  made  a  regular  representation 
against  it  to  the  Board  of  Admiralty.  In  further  proof  of 
the  propriety  of  his  opinon,  as  if  he  supposed  his  own  hardi- 
npss  sufficient  to  establish  it,  he  ordered  the  Advice  to  be  fitted 
for  himself,  and  absolutely  went  so  far  as  to  make  a  short 
cruise  in  her.  The  final  event,  however,  did  not  reflect  any 
great  honor  on  Mr.  Frankland's  judgment;  the  ship  on  its 
return  to  England,  proved  so  very  defective  and  unfit  to  keep 
the  sea,  that  it  was  with  the  utmost  difficulty  the  crew  could, 
by  frapping  her  around  with  hausers  and  every  other  precau- 
tion, prevent  her  from  almost  literally  falling  to  pieces  during 
her  passage. 


THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET.  75 

Mr.  Frankland,  after  his  return  to  England,  appears  no 
more  in  the  character  of  a  Naval  Commodore.  In  the  month 
of  June,  1756,  he  was  advanced  to  be  rear-admiral  of  the 
Blue,  as  he  was  progressively  afterwards,  through  the  differ- 
ent gradations  and  ranks  of  flag-officers,  till  he  at  last  arrived 
at  that  of  Admiral  of  the  White,  the  highest  in  the  service, 
the  Admiral  of  the  fleet,  or  senior  admiral  on  the  list  ex- 
cepted. On  the  death  of  his  brother,  Sir  Charles  Frankland, 
at  Bath,  in  the  year  1768,  he  succeeded  to  the  title,  and  con- 
tinued during  his  life  totally  abstracted  from  all  public  busi- 
ness, further  than  his  occasional  attendance  in  the  House  of 
Commons,  as  representative  for  the  borough  of  Thirsk,  in 
Yorkshire,  for  which  place  he  had  been  member  ever  since 
the  year  1749.  Sir  Thomas  died  at  Bath  on  the  21st  No- 
vember, 1784. 


76  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 


INTRODUCTION  TO  BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES  AND 
OTHER  CO-INCIDENT  MATTERS. 


It  is  the  object  of  the  publishers  of  the  North  Carolina 
Booklet  to  enter  on  its  pages  short  sketches  of  the  lives  and 
times  of  those  men  and  women  of  the  State  who  have  contrib- 
uted to  its  columns,  from  its  inception  to  the  present.  To  the 
memory  of  those  writers  who  have  passed  from  earthly  exist- 
ence and  to  those  who  are  living,  the  North  Carolina  Society 
Daughters  of  the  Revolution  owe  a  debt  of  gratitude.  And 
in  no  way  can  they  better  show  -their  appreciation  than  by 
recording  their  names  among  those  other  historians  of  the 
State  who  have  helped  to  preserve  its  history,  for  in  these 
individual  records  may  be  found  available  material,  bearing 
on  important  periods,  which  may  aid  the  future  historian. 

v  '  f  I 

'  : 

■ 


THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET.  77 

MAJOR  GRAHAM  DAVES,  A.B. 


BY   MRS.   E.   E.    MOFFITT. 


Major  Graham  Daves  was  the  first  to  contribute  an  article 
for  the  North.  Carolina  Booklet,  which  first  number- appeared 
in  May,  1901. 

He  chose  for  his  subject  "Virginia  Dare,"  she  being  the 
first  English  child  born  in  America — a  fitting  subject  for  a 
magazine  issued  under  the  auspices  of  the  North  Carolina 
Society  "Daughters  of  the  Revolution,"  edited  by  women, 
and  the  proceeds  to  memorialize  the  heroism  of  women.  It  is 
also  a  noteworthy  fact  that  the  first  expeditions  for  discovery 
and  exploration  were  sent  out  under  the  orders  of  the  Virgin 
Queen,  that  the  new-found  country  was  called  Virginia  in 
her  honor,  and  that  these  first  colonists  having  landed  upon 
the  Island  of  Roanoke  were  first  greeted  by  the  wife  of  Gran- 
ganimeo,  the  Indian  king,  with  all  hospitality,  and  "enter- 
taining them  with  all  love  and  kindness."  All  of  this  no 
one  can  gainsay  that  women  helped  to  form  the  preface  to 
our  history,  and  to  which  facts  Major  Daves  has  made  special 
mention. 

Graham  Daves  was  born  in  New  Bern,  N.  C,  July  16, 
1836.  He  was  the  third  son  of  John  Pugh  Daves  and  Eliza- 
abeth  Batchelor  Graham,  his  wife,  and  grandson  of  Captain 
John  Daves,  who  served  in  the  Third  Regiment  of  the  North 
Carolina  Continental  Infantry.  His  father  died  when  he  was 
about  two  years  old.  He  attended  school  at  the  New  Bern 
Academy ;  and  at  the  age  of  fifteen  he  was  placed  as  a  cadet 
of  the  Maryland  Military  Academy,  where  he  remained  for 
two  years.  In  1853  he  entered  Trinity  College,  Hartford, 
Conn.,  from  which  he  graduated  in  July,  1857. 

After  his  graduation  he  read  law  with  Judge  Richmond 
M.   Pearson,  afterwards  Chief  Justice:  of  North   Carolina. 


78  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

On  January  1,  1859,  was  appointed  Private  Secretary  to 
Hon.  John  W.  Ellis,  Governor  of  North  Carolina,  his  brother- 
in-law.  He  held  this  position  until  the  outbreak  of  the  War 
between  the  States.  He  joined  the  Confederate  army,  serv- 
ing faithfully  as  Lieutenant,  Adjutant,  Assistant  Adjutant- 
General,  Captain,  Major,  and  Aide-de-Camp,  filling  all  of 
these  positions  with  honor  to  himself  and  fidelity  to  his  coun- 
try. The  field  of  his  activity  extended  from  Virginia  to 
Mississippi  during  the  whole  war.  He  was  paroled  April  26, 
1865,  at  Greensboro,  N.  C. 

Returning  to  his  home  in  New  Bern,  N.  C,  he  was  occu- 
pied at  different  times  in  mercantile  and  other  active  pur- 
suits. Major  Daves  married  on  November  27,  1862,  Alice 
Lord  DeRosset,  of  Wilmington,  N.  C,  daughter  of  Dr. 
Armand  DeRosset — Mrs.  Daves  died  on  September  2,  1897; 
their  only  child,  a  boy,  died  in  infancy. 

Major  Graham  Daves  retired  from  active  business  in  1891 
and  devoted  himself  to  the  study  of  North  Carolina  history, 
bringing  into  exercise  those  talents  with  which  he  was  so 
richly  endowed.  He  worked  diligently  to  reorganize  the 
dormant  North  Carolina  branch  of  the  Society  of  the  Cin- 
cinnati, and  on  April  4,  1896,  he  realized  the  consummation 
of  his  hopes ;  in  grateful  recognition  of  this  service  he  was 
elected  honorary  member  of  the  order,  and  remained  its 
faithful  devotee  to  the  day  of  his  death.  He  was  also  a 
member  of  the  North  Carolina  Society  of  Sons  of  the  Revolu- 
tion, and  Association  of  United  Confederate  Veterans.  To 
other  patriotic  organizations  he  was  equally  devoted.  As 
President  of  the  "Roanoke  Colony  Memorial  Association"  no 
one  could  have  accomplished  more  than  he.  This  Association 
was  instituted  to  commemorate  the  first  English  settlement  in 
America — and  to  this  day  the  outlines  of  Fort  Raleigh  are 
distinctly  visible  and  the  angles  are  now  permanently  marked 
by  granite  pillars. 


THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET.  79 

On  the  site  of  the  old  fort  stands  a  monument  erected  by 
this  Association,  the  base  of  which  is  North  Carolina  granite 
and  the  tablet  of  Virginia  granite.  The  tablet  bears  the 
following  inscription:  "On  this  site,  in  August,  1585,  the 
colonists  sent  from  England  by  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  built  the 
fort  called  the  New  Fort  in  Virginia." 

The  monument  was  dedicated  with  appropriate  religious 
exercises  on  28th  of  November,  1901,  and  an  address  was 
delivered  by  Major  Daves,  embodying  the  following  facts: 
that  these  colonists  were  the  first  settlers  of  the  English  race 
in  America;  they  returned  to  England  in  1586  with  Sir 
Francis  Drake;  here  was  born  on  the  18th  of  August,  1587, 
Virgia^oDare,  the  first  child  of  English  parents  born  in 
America,  the  daughter  of  Ananias  Dare  and  Eleanor  White, 
his  wife,  members  of  another  body  of  colonists  sent  out  by 
Sir  Walter  Raleigh  in  1587.  Two  days  after  her  birth  she 
was  baptized.  Manteo,  a  friendly  chief  of  the  Hatteras  In- 
dians, had  been  baptized  a  few  days  before.  These  baptisms 
were  the  first  celebrations  of  the  Christian  sacrament  in  the 
territory  of  the  thirteen  original  United  States. 

Major  Daves  was  a  recognized  type  of  the  Southern  gentle- 
man of  the  old  regime,  and  those  who  knew  him  can  never  for- 
get his  patrician  military  bearing  and  courtly  manners. 

He  contributed  many  articles  of  historical  value  to  the  col- 
umns of  various  periodicals.  He  died  in  Asheville  (where 
he  had  gone  seeking  restored  health)  on  October  27,  1902. 
Mourned  by  a  large  circle  of  admiring  friends,  well  deserving 
of  honor  is  the  memory  of  this  pure-minded  scholar  and 
writer,  whose,  name  will  go  down  to  posterity  as  a  master 
spirit  in  the  revival  of  interest  in  the  history  of  his  native 
State. 

(The  above  facts  are  chiefly  condensed  from  a  sketch  of  Major  Daves  in  the  Minutes 
of  the  North  Carolina  Society  of  the  Cincinnati  for  1903.) 


Genealogical  Department 

North  Carolina  Society 

DAUGHTERS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 


YOUR  ANCESTRY  CAN  BE  CAREFULLY  TRACED 


The  Colonial  Records  of  North  Carolina,  Eecords  of  different  States 
and   Counties,  family  papers,  State  histories  and  biogra- 
phies will  be  diligently  examined  for  parties  de- 
siring to  have  their  ancestry  traced. 


Fee  for  Such  Researches,  $5.20  for 
each  Line  Traced. 


Write  for  particulars,  enclosing  stamp  for  reply,  to 

Mrs.  Helen  DeBerniere  Wills. 
(Genealogist  for  N.  C.  D.  R.  and  Raleigh  Circle  Colonial  Dames.) 

Raleigh,  North  Carolina. 


Coats    of    Arms   Painted    at    Reasonable    Rates 

Burnt  on  Wood,  $3.00.  Painted,  $3.00. 

India  Ink  Dravcing,  $3.00. 
For  Coats  of  Arms,  etc.,  address, 

Miss  Mary  Hilliard  Hinton, 

"Midway  Plantation," 
Raleigh,  North  Carolina. 


Vol.  I 

'Colonial  New  Bern."  Sarah  Beaument  Kenneday. 
'  Greene's  Retreat,"  Prof.  Daniel  Harvey  Hill. 

Vol.  II 

'  Our  Own  Pirates,"  Capt.  S.  A.  Ashe. 

'  Indian  Massacre  and  Tuscarora  War,"  Judge  Walter  Clark. 

'Moravian  Settlement  in  North  Carolina,"  Rev.  J.  E.  Clewell. 

1  Whigs  and  Tories."  Prof.  W.  C.  Allen. 

'The  Revolutionary  Congresses,"  Mr.  T.  M.  Pittman. 

'  Raleigh  and  the  Old  Town  of  B'oomsburg." 

'  Historic   Homes,"  Bath.   Buncomb  Hall,   Hays,    Rodman,    Blount>, 

Dillard.  .         f 

'  Historic  Homes.   The   Groves,   Cape  Fear,    Wakefield,"    Burgwyn,,    CrfA- 

Waddell.  Haywood. 
'  County  of  Clarendon,"  Prof.  John  S.  Bassett. 
'  Signal  and  Secret  Service."  Dr.  Charles  E.  Taylor. 
'  Last  Days  of  the  War  "  Dr.  Henry  T.  Bahnson. 

Vol.  Ill 

'  Volunteer  State  Tennessee  as  a  Seceder,"  Miss  Susie  Gentry. 

'  Historic  Hillsboio,  Mr.  Francis  Nash 

'Was  Alamance  First  Battle  of  the  Revolution  V"  Mrs.  L.  A.  McCorkle. 

'Governor  Charles  Eden,"  Marshall  DeLancey  Haywood. 

'  Colony  of  Transylvania."  Judge  Walter  Clark. 

'Social  Conditions  in  Colonial   North  Carolina"  Col.  Alexander  Q. 

Holladay,  LL  D. 
'  Battle  of  Moore's  Creek  Bridge.  1776,"  Prof.  M.  C.  S  Noble. 
'North  Carolina  and  Georgia  Boundary,"  Daniel  Goodloe. 

Vol.  IV 

'Battle  Ramseur's  Mill,  1780."  Major  Wm.  A.  Graham. 

'  Quaker  Meadows."  Judge  A.  C.  A very. 

'Convention  of  1788,"  Judge  Henry  Groves  Connor. 

'  North  Carolina  Signers  of  Declaration  of  Independence,"  John  Penn 
and  Joseph  Hewes.  by  T   M   Pittman,  of  Walter  Sikes. 

'  Expedition  to  Cartagena.  1740."  Judge  Walter  Clark. 

'  First  English  Settlement  in  America,"  W.  J.  Peele. 

'Rutherford's  Expedition  Against  the  Indians,"  Capt.  S.  A.  Ashe. 

'  Changes  in  Carolina  Coast  Since  1585."  Prof.  Collier  Cobb. 

'Highland  Scotch  Settlement  in  N.  C,"  Judge  James  C.  McRae. 

'The  Scotch-Irish  Settlement." 

'  Battle  of  Guilford  Court-House  and  German  Palatines  in  North  Caro- 
lina," Major  J.  M.  Morehead,  Judge  O.  H.  Allen. 


Vol.  1,  single  copies  25c;  Vols.  2,  3,  4,  single  copies J.5c.  { 


EDITORS  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET 
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Commission  is  authorized  to  collect  and  publish  such 
material.  The  original  documents  are  preferred, 
but  if  these  cannot  be  secured,  arrangements  will 
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are  urged  to  co-operate  with  the  Commission  in 
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White's  Beginner's  History  of  the 
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By  Henry  Alexander  While,  of  Col- 
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is  written  on  the  biographical  plan, 
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!  Natural  Geographies 

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;  Brace's  United  States  History 

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New  Century  Physiologies 

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Petennan's  Civil  Government 


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the  family  government.  Special 
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Steps  in  English 


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Webster's  Dictionaries 


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in  all  leading  school  books.  Thor- 
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Milne's  Arithmetics 


Progressive  Speller 


Give  the  pupil  an  unusually  \\  Based  on  the  lines,  which  govern 
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American 

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Katherine  B.  Massey's  Story  of  Georgia. 

Stone  &  Fiekitt's  Every  Day  Life  in  the  Colonies. 

Bass'  Stories  of  Pioneer  Life. 

Horton's  The  Frozen  North. 

Kufl'er's  Stories  of  Long  Ago. 

Hyde's  Favorite  Greek  Myths. 

Firth's  Stories  of  Old  Greece. 

Brown's  Alice  and  Tom. 

Stone  &  Fickett's  Days  and  Deeds  of  a  Hundred  Years  Ago. 

Starr's  Strange  Peoples. 

Starr's  American  Indians. 

Fairbank's  The  Western  U.  S. 

Heath's  Home  and  School  Classics  (39  Vols,  of  the  finest  litera- 
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GREENSBORO,  N.  C. 

The  publisher  desires  to  say  without  fear  of  contradic- 
tion that  there  has  never  been  anywhere  in  the  United 
States  any  other  State  Biographical  venture  equalling 
the  Biographical  History  of  North  Carolina  in  scope, 
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X, 


Vol.  VI. 


OCTOBER,  1906 


No.  2 


&/?* 


North  Carolina  Booklet 


GREAT  EVENTS 

IN 

NORTH  CAROLINA 
HISTORY 


PUBLISHED  QUARTERLY 

BY 

THE   NORTH    CAROLINA   SOCIETY 

DAUGHTERS  of  the  REVOLUTION 


CONTENTS 

The  Borough  Towns  of  North  Carolina 
By  Francis  Nash 

Governor  Thomas  Burke  - 

By  J.  G.  d«  Roulhac  Hamilton,  Ph.  D. 

Colonial  and  Revolutionary  Relics  in  the  Hall  of  History 
By  Col.  Fred.  A.  Olds 

The  N.  C.  Society  D.  R.  and  its  Objects 
Biographical  and  Genealogical  Sketches 
By  Mrs.  E.  E.  Momtt 

(ILLUSTRATED) 


Page 
83 

103 

123 

146 
151 


SINGLE  NUMBERS  35  CENTS 


$1.00  THE  YEAR 


^^■s^nmmmmBmmmmBmmmmmsfc 


KNTKKKH   IN   THE   POST-OFPICB   AT   KAI.EIGH,   N.   C,   AS  SECOND-CLASS   MATTEK. 


The  North  Carolina  Booklet. 


Great  Events  in  North  Carolina  History. 


VOLUME  VI. 


Glimpses  of  History  in  the  Names  of  our  Counties, 

Kemp.  P.  Battle,  LL.  D. 
A  Colonial  Admiral  of  the  Cape  Fear  (Admiral  Sir  Thomas  Frank- 
land),  Mr.  James  Sprunt. 

The  Indian  Tribes  of  Eastern  North  Carolina,  Richard  Dillard,  M.  D. 
Gov.  Thomas  Burke,  .  .  .  Mr.  J.  G.  de  Roulhac  Hamilton. 
Some  North  Carolina  Histories  and  their  Authors, 

Professor  Edward  P.  Moses. 
The  Borough  Towns  of  North  Carolina,        .         .        Mr.  Francis  Nash. 

The  John  White  Pictures, Mr.  IV.  J.  Peele. 

Gov.  Jesse  Franklin,  ....        Professor  J.  T.  Alderman. 

Industrial  L,ife  in  Early  North  Carolina,  .  .  Mr.  T.  M.  Pittman. 
Colonial  and  Revolutionary  Costumes  in  North  Carolina, 

Miss  Mary  Milliard  Hinton. 
North  Carolina's  Attitude  to  the  Revolution,  Mr.  Robert  Cowan  Strong. 
The  Fundamental  Constitutions  and  the  Effects  on  the  Colony, 

Mr.  Junius  Davis. 

The  BOOKLET  will  contain  short  biographical  sketches  of  the  writers 
who  have  contributed  to  this  publication,  by  Mrs.  E.  E.  Moffitt. 

The  Booklet  will  print  abstracts  of  wills  prior  to  1760,  as  sources  of 
biography,  history  and  genealogy. 


The  Booklet  will  be  issued  quarterly  by  the  North  Carolina 
Society  of  the  Daughters  of  the  Revolution,  beginning  July, 
1906.  Each  BOOKLET  will  contain  three  articles  and  will  be  published 
in  July,  October,  January  and  April.  Price,  $1.00  per  year,  35  cents  for 
single  copy. 

Parties  who  wish  to  renew  their  subscription  to  the  Booklet  for 
Vol.  VI,  are  requested  to  notify  at  once. 

Address, 

MISS  MARY  HILLIARD  HINTON, 
"Midway  Plantation," 
Editors:  Raleigh,  North  Carolina. 

Miss  Mary  Hilliard  Hinton, 
Mrs.  E.  E.  Moffitt. 


Vol.  VI.  OCTOBER,  1906.  No.  2 

\ 

15he 

floRTH  CflROIilflfl  BOOKLET 


"Carolina!  Carolina!  Heaverf s  blessings  attend  her ! 
While  we  live  we  will  cherish,  protect  and  defend  her." 


Published  by 

THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  SOCIETY 

DAUGHTERS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 


The  object  of  the  Booklet  is  to  aid  in  developing  and  preserving 
North  Carolina  History.  The  proceeds  arising  from  its  publication  will 
be  devoted  to  patriotic  purposes.  Editobs. 


ADVISORY  BOARD  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 
BOOKLET. 

Mrs.  Spier  Whitakeb.  Mrs.  T.  K.  Bruner. 

Professor  D.  H.  Hill.  Mr.  R.  D.  W.  Connor. 

Mr.  W.  J.  Peele.  Dr.  E.  W.  Sikes. 

Professor  E.  P.  Moses.  Dr.  Richard  Dillabd. 

Dr.  Kemp  P.  Battle.  Mr.  James  Sprunt. 

Mr.  Marshall  DeLancey  Haywood.  Judge  Walter  Clark. 

EDITORS  : 
Miss  Mary  Hilliard  Hinton,  Mrs.  E  E.  Moffitt. 


OFFICERS  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  SOCIETY 
DAUGHTERS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION, 

1906-1908. 

REGENT : 

Mrs.  E.  E.  MOFFITT. 

vice-regent  : 
Mrs.  WALTER  CLARK. 

HONORARY  REGENT: 

Mrs.  SPIER  WHITAKER. 
{Nee  Hooper.) 

RECORDING   SECRETARY: 

Mrs.  J.  W.  THACKSTON. 

CORRESPONDING   SECRETARY : 

Mrs.  W.  H.  PACE. 

TREASURER : 

Mrs.  FRANK  SHERWOOD. 

REGISTRAR : 

Mrs.  ED.  CHAMBERS  SMITH. 

GENEALOGIST : 

Mrs.  HELEN  De  BERNIERE  WILLS. 


Founder  of  the  North  Carolina  Society  and  Regent  1896-1902: 
Mrs.  SPIER  WHITAKER. 

REGENT   1902: 

Mrs.  D.  H.  HILL,  Sr.* 

regent    1902-1906: 
Mrs.  THOMAS  K.  BRUNER. 


*Died  December  12,  1904. 


P    5T»    FHHUFP5    CHUl^©Hf 
ffertib    C^ir©!15osu 


f3> 


THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 


Vol.  VI  OCTOBER,  1906  No.  2 


THE  BOROUGH  TOWNS  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


BY   FRANCIS   NASH. 


Human  progress — human  life,  indeed — is  so  much,  the  re- 
sultant of  the  impact  of  external  forces  upon  peoples  or 
individuals,  that  freedom  of  action,  to  say  nothing  of  free- 
dom of  thought,  is  rather  ideal  than  real,  and  can  be  attained 
only  approximately,  never  absolutely.  We  inherit  our  tem- 
perament, our  tastes,  and  our  aptitudes;  so  much  so  that 
quite  frequently  the  habits  of  our  ancestors  become  instincts 
to  us.  We  are  also,  to  some  degree,  creatures  of  our  training 
and  environment,  and  as  members  of  society  we  are  subject 
to  the  will  of  that  society,  whether  expressed  in  its  legislation 
or  in  its  unwritten  law — public  opinion.  But  man  and 
nations  struggle  to  attain  this  ideal  freedom,  and  the  result 
of  this  struggle,  on  the  whole,  is  progress.  In  this  struggle 
are  two  opposing  forces — radicalism  and  conservatism — and 
these  are  but  the  outward  expression  of  two  instincts  that 
are  common  to  all  humanity — the  desire  for  the  new,  and 
the  love  of  the  old.  In  the  action  and  interaction  of  these 
forces  is  found  safety ;  for  radicalism  unchecked  by  conserv- 
atism is  destructive,  while  conservatism  uninspired  by  radi- 
calism is  stagnant. 

The  erection  of  little  hamlets  into  boroughs,  or  franchised 
towns,  in  our  early  colonial  history,  is  an  instance  of  con- 
servatism which  had  become  stagnant.  As,  regardless  of 
beauty,  privacy  and  utility,  the  colonists  located  their  resi- 
dences on  the  street  lines  of  these  towns,  because  their  ances- 
tors had  done  the  same  in  crowded  England  or  Scotland,  so 


84  THE  NOETH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

these  little  communities  of  twenty  or  thirty  families  must 
be  franchisee!  because  the  greater  towns  of  England  had  been. 
Thus  the  influence  of  inherited  tastes,  aptitudes  and  manners 
proved  stronger  than  common  sense. 

It  is  my  purpose  in  this  article  to  deal  with  these  towns  as 
political  entities.  I  could  by  no  possibility  compress  within 
the  limits  of  a  Booklet  article  any  satisfactory  account  of 
their  social,  industrial  and  educational  life  and  progress. 

In  England,  before  representative  government  was  estab- 
lished, the  term  "borough"  bore  the  signification  of  a  pledge ; 
that  is,  when  a  number  of  men  congregated  in  a  community, 
thus  forming  a  village  or  a  town,  that  town  or  village  became 
responsible  for  the  acts  of  its  inhabitants — became,  in  other 
words,  a  borough  or  pledge  for  their  good  conduct. 

Later,  as  the  merchants  increased  in  wealth,  and  through 
that  wealth  acquired  power,  the  monarch  conferred  the  fran- 
chise upon  these  towns,  both  as  a  reward  for  services  ren- 
dered and  that  there  might  be  some  check  upon  the  over- 
weening arrogance  of  the  landed  gentry. 

It  is  well  known  that  the  first  successful  struggle  for  liberty 
in  England  was  that  of  the  lords  and  barons  against  the  arbi- 
trary power  of  the  King;  the  second  was  that  of  the  com- 
mercial classes  against  the  tyranny  of  the  aristocracy.  In  the 
latter  struggle  the  King  was  on  the  side  of  commerce;  and 
so  trade,  through  these  franchised  towns,  was  represented  in 
Parliament.  The  system  itself  thus  forms  part  of  the  great 
scheme  of  checks  and  balances  upon  which  the  English  Con- 
stitution is  builded.  In  England  it  was  a  necessary  safe- 
guard against  the  encroachments  of  a  landed  aristocracy,  and 
so  constitutes  one  of  the  landmarks  in  man's  progress  towards 
civil  liberty.  In  the  Province  of  North  Carolina,  however, 
while  in  a  sense  there  was  a  landed  aristocracy,  in  no  sense 
was  there  any  appreciable  commerce. 


THE  BOROUGH  TOWNS  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA.       85 

The  Board  of  Trade,  September  8,  1721  (2  C.  R,  419), 
writes  thus  to  the  Secretary : 

"There  are  great  tracts  of  good  land  in  this  province,  and 
it  is  a  very  healthy  country,  hut  the  situation  renders  it  for- 
ever incapable"  (it  must  be  remembered  that  this  was  before 
the  day  of  railroads  and  river  and  harbor  bills)  "of  being  a 
place  of  considerable  trade,  by  reason  of  a  great  sound,  near 
sixty  miles  over,  that  lies  between  this  coast  and  the  sea, 
barred  by  a  vast  chain  of  sand-banks  so  very  shallow  and 
shifting  that  sloops  drawing  only  five-foot  water  run  great 
risk  of  crossing  them.  The  little  commerce,  therefore,  driven 
to  this  colony  is  carried  on  by  very  small  sloops,  chiefly  from 
New  England,  who  bring  them  clothing  and  ironware  in 
exchange  for  their  pork  and  corn,  but  of  late  they  have  made 
small  quantities  of  pitch  and  tar,  which  are  first  exported  to 
New  England  and  thence  to  Great  Britain." 

Besides,  in  North  Carolina  the  few  merchants  were  almost 
without  exception  also  land  owners.  If  they  resided  in  these 
towns  their  slaves,  under  the  direction  of  an  overseer,  culti- 
vated their  plantations  near  by.  Indeed,  the  merchants  were 
as  much  a  part  of  the  aristocracy  of  the  province  as  the  land 
owners  or  the  lawyers.  In  addition  to  this,  the  representa- 
tion of  these  boroughs  was  quite  frequently  in  the  hands  of 
lawyers  and  others  whose  interest  in  trade  was  only  secondary. 

The  right  to  confer  the  franchise  upon  a  town  was  part  of 
the  King's  prerogative.  At  first,  however,  it  was  not  asserted ; 
New  Bern,  Bath,  Edenton,  Wilmington  and  Brunswick  being 
created  boroughs  by  act  of  the  Assembly  (23  S.  B.,  pages  79, 
133,  251  and  398).  Section  31  of  the  Act  of  1715  reads 
thus :  "For  the  further  encouragement  of  this  town  of  Bath, 
and  all  other  towns  now  or  hereafter  built  within  this  govern- 
ment, it  shall  and  may  be  lawful  for  the  freeholders  of  said 
town  of  Bath,  and  of  all  other  towns  now  or  hereafter  built 
or  to  be  built  within  this  government,  at  all  times  hereafter, 


86  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

when  representatives  or  burgesses  are  to  be  chosen  for  the 
precinct  wherein  the  town  lies,  to  elect  one  burgess  to  repre- 
sent the  same  in  all  succeeding  Assemblies:  Provided,  that 
this  election  for  members  of  Assembly  to  serve  for  the  town 
of  Bath,  or  any  other  town  whatsoever,  shall  not  begin  nor 
commence  till  such  town  shall  have  at  least  sixty  families." 
In  the  next  section,  however,  New  Bern  is  allowed  to  send 
a  representative,  regardless  of  the  sixty-family  provision.  In 
the  time  of  Governor  Dobbs,  1754,  the  King's  prerogative  to 
confer  this  privilege  was  asserted  and  established.  (5  C.  R., 
pages  406-7 ;  see  also  6  C.  R.,  page  752,  and  23  S.  R.,  page 
251.) 

There  were  some  variations  in  the  qualifications  of  voters 
in  these  towns.  Stated  generally,  they  must  have  been  house- 
holder or  freeholder  residents  for  some  definite  period — in 
some  instances  three  and  others  six  months.  (23  S.  R.,  pages 
133  and  140.)  To  be  eligible  as  a  burgess,  one  must  have 
been  a  freeholder,  but  not  necessarily  a  resident. 

It  was  only  at  the  beginning  of  their  existence  that  any  of 
them  could  have  been  considered  pocket  boroughs,  in  the 
sense  that  a  single  man  or  family  could  dispose  of  an  election 
to  the  Assembly  from  them.  Later,  indeed,  the  elections  in 
many  instances  were  hotly  contested  and  the  majorities  were 
very  small. 

Bath. — Though  New  Bern  was  the  first  town  to  be  repre- 
sented in  the  General  Asembly,Bath  was  the  oldest  town  in  the 
province.  It  was  laid  off  in  1705,  but  was  not  represented  until 
after  1715.  Of  the  borough  towns,  therefore,  Bath  shall  be 
considered  first.  Rev.  William  Gordon,  an  intelligent  mis- 
sionary, gives  us  this  account  of  Bath  County  and  town  in 
1709  (1  C.  R.,  page  715) : 

"Bath  County  contains  most  of  that  land  which  lies  to  the 
southward  of  Albemarle  Sound  to  Pamlico  River  and  thirty 
or  forty  miles  more  southerly  to  the  ISTeuse  River,   which 


THE    BOROUGH   TOWNS    OF    NORTH    CAROLINA.  87 

(being  but  lately  peopled  by  a  few  French  who  left  Virginia) 
is  not  laid  down  on  the  draft.  They  have  divided  the  whole 
county  into  three  precincts  or  parishes,  though  the  inhabitants 
of  all  are  but  equal  in  number  to  any  one  of  the  other,  most 
of  which  are  seated  on  Pamlico  River  or  its  branches.  Here 
is  no  church,  though  they  have  begun  to  build  a  town  called 
Bath.  It  consists  of  about  twelve  houses  and  is  the  only  town 
in  the  whole  province.  They  have  a  small  collection  of  books 
for  a  library,  which  were  carried  over  by  Rev.  Dr.  Bray,  and 
some  land  is  laid  out  for  a  glebe,  but  no  minister  would  ever 
stay  long  in  the  place,  though  several  have  come  hither  from 
the  West  Indies  and  other  plantations  in  America ;  and  yet  I 
must  own  it  is  not  the  unpleasantest  part  of  the  country — 
nay,  in  all  probability  it  will  be  the  center  of  a  trade,  as 
having  the  advantage  of  a  better  inlet  for  shipping,  and  sur- 
rounded with  the  most  pleasant  of  savannahs,  very  useful  for 
stocks  of  cattle."  In  1711  that  picturesque  misfit  of  a  par- 
son, John  Urmston,  styled  it  the  most  obscure,  inconsider- 
able place  in  the  country.  He  wanted  Dr.  Bray's  library, 
though,  and  was  provoked  at  its  location  at  Bath,  (1  C.  R., 
page  772.)  During  the  Indian  outbreak  of  1711  that  town 
was  in  very  serious  danger,  but  it  was  protected  by  a  stock- 
aded fort  and  a  small  garrison,  so  its  inhabitants  were  not 
massacred,  though  in  much  alarm.  (1  C.  R.,  826.)  In  1714, 
Mr.  Urmston  again  .writes :  "We  expect  to  hear  that  famous 
city  of  Bath,  consisting  of  nine  houses,  or  rather  cottages, 
once  styled  the  metropolis  and  seat  of  this  government,  will 
be  totally  deserted;  and  yet  I  cannot  find  means  to  secure 
that  admirable  collection  of  books  sent  in  by  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Bray  for  the  use  of  the  ministers  of  this  province,  but  it  will 
in  all  probability  serve  for  a  bonfire  to  the  Indians.  (2  C.  R., 
144.) 

Dr.  Bray  had  been  a  missionary  to  the  province  and  had 
married  Martha,  daughter  of  Thomas  Pollock,  the  elder.    He 


88  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

is  said  to  have  been  learned  and  to  have  originated  the  first 
systematic  movement  in  the  Church  of  England  for  missions 
to  the  dependencies  of  Great  Britain.  When  he  returned 
home  in  1699  he  sent  a  few  of  his  own  books  to  the  colony, 
and  the  following  year,  1700,  was  instrumental  in  having 
others  sent  over.  (1  C.  R.,  572.)  The  Assembly,  in  1715, 
enacted  an  elaborate  law  to  secure  this  library.  (23  S.  R., 
76  et  seq.)  It,  however,  shared  the  fate  of  all  such  enter- 
prises in  communities  where  there  are  few  readers  and  no 
book  lovers.  Commenting  on  this  act  in  1731,  Governor 
Burrington  said:  "This,  though  a  long  act,  only  concerns  a 
town  where  little  improvements  have  been  made,  and  for 
securing  a  small  library  that  was  too  much  embezzled  before 
the  act  was  made."     (3  C.  R.,  187.) 

At  its  foundation  there  were  some  anticipations  of  a  future 
greatness  which  have  never  been  realized.  In  1716  the  Pro- 
prietors made  it  a  seaport  town,  with  the  privileges  of  the 
same.  It  was  the  county-seat  of  Bath  County,  and  many  of 
the  prominent  officials  of  the  province  lived  in  its  neighbor- 
hood, including  Tobias  Knight  and  Teach,  the  pirate.  It 
was  badly  located,  however  (on  sixty  acres  of  land  lying  on 
Old  Town  Creek,  a  short  tributary  on  the  north  side  of  Pam- 
lico River),  and  was  crowded  to  the  wall  first  by  New  Bern 
and  then  by  Beaufort  and  Washington.  For  these  reasons,  it, 
in  its  best  estate,  grew  slowly,  and  never  at  any  time  became 
an  important  point.  It  has  long  since  ceased  to  be  more  than 
a  memory.  It  was  disfranchised  by  the  Constitution  of  1776. 
The  following  is  a  list  of  its  representatives,  so  far  as  they 
can  now  be  ascertained,  to  the  adoption  of  the  State  Consti- 
tution : 

Roger  Kennion,  John  Lahey,  Roger  Kennion,  Robert  Tur- 
ner, Richard  Rigby,  Robert  Turner,  Michael  Coutanche, 
Wyriot  Ormond,  Michael  Coutanche,  Robert  Palmer,  Wyriot 
Ormond,  Patrick  Gordon,  John  Maule,  Wyriot  Ormond  and 


THE  BOROUGH  TOWNS  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA.       89 

William  Brown.     The  latter  also  represented  Bath  in  each 
of  the  four  Provincial  Congresses  or  Conventions. 

jSTew  Bern. — New  Bern  was,  from  DeGraffenreid's  own 
narration,  the  child  of  his  sorrow.  Hunger  and  starvation, 
disease  and  death  preyed  upon  the  Palatines  after  their  arrival 
in  the  province  in  1710,  and  when  he  came  later  in  the  same 
year  with  his  Bernese  he  found  them  in  despair.  "I  cannot," 
said  he  (1  C.  R.,  910),  "enough  insist  on  the  wretched  and 
sorrowful  state  in  which  I  found  these  poor  people  on  my 
arrival — nearly  all  sick  and  at  the  last  gasp,  and  the  few  who 
had  kept  their  health  despairing  entirely."  Mrs.  Kennedy 
thus  beautifully  describes  the  tongue  of  land  on  which  they 
had  been  located :  "A  long  point  of  land,  bounded  north  and 
south  by  a  strip  of  shining  river ;  and  on  this  land  a  virgin 
forest,  draped  in  long,  gray  moss ;  here  and  there  a  tangle 
of  vines,  a  rainbow  blending  of  parti-colored  blossoms,  with 
brilliant  grosbeaks  and  red-winged  blackbirds  darting  like 
living  flowers  through  the  golden  sunshine,  leaving  a  trail  of 
song  behind,  or  whip-poor-wills  and  chuck-will-widows  calling 
wistfully  to  each  other  through  the  lonesome  darkness.  And 
out  beyond  the  apex  of  the  tongue  of  land  the  two  rivers, 
blended  into  one  wide  current,  flowing  ceaselessly  to  the  dis- 
tant waiting  sea."  Over  this  beautiful  scene  hovered  the 
Angel  of  Death.  Many  of  these  recent  comers  from  the  purer 
atmosphere  of  the  Upper  Rhine  and  the  mountains  of  Switz- 
erland were  prostrated  by  the  fever  that  lurked  in  the  low- 
grounds  and  swamps  which  surrounded  them.  The  coming 
of  DeGraffenreid  with  his  Switzers,  however,  inspired  the 
dejected  colonists  with  new  life,  and  they  entered  more  heart- 
ily into  the  improvement  of  their  surroundings.  The  town 
of  New  Bern  was  founded  and  many  settlements  were  cleared 
about  it.  They  were  beginning,  as  their  crops  were  maturing 
the  following  year,  1711,  to  look  with  hope  to  the  future, 
when  the  Indians  in  overwhelming  force  burst  upon  them, 


90  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

massacred  eighty  of  them  and  carried  twenty  or  more  ofi 
into  captivity.  During  the  rest  of  that  war  they  were  lit- 
tle troubled  by  their  savage  foes.  DeGraffenreid,  himself 
escaping  death  and  imprisonment,  had  made  a  treaty  with 
them,  by  which  his  colonists  would  be  exempt  from  attack  so 
long  as  they  remained  neutral  in  the  war,  which  in  a  desul- 
tory way  continued  four  years  longer.  Financial  and  other 
troubles  coming  thick  upon  DeGraffenreid,  he,  after  making 
over  all  his  property  to  Thomas  Pollock,  left  his  colonists 
and  the  country,  and  they  (the  Palatines  and  Swiss)  being 
scattered  about  the  section,  lost  their  distinctive'  organization. 
In  1715  the  town  was  franchised,  and  in  1723  it  was  incor- 
porated and  its  limits  extended  to  include  250  acres.  A 
curious  provision  of  this  law  was  contained  in  section  7 :  "If 
any  person  or  persons  shall  die  possessed  of  any  of  said  lots 
without  leaving  heir  or  without  making  a  will  of  the  said  lot, 
then  and  in  such  case!  the  absolute  fee  to  the  same  shall  come 
and  revert  to  said  Cullen  Pollock,  his  heirs  and  assigns,  for- 
ever." 

The  Assembly  for  the  first  time  met  in  New  Bern  in  1738. 
The  seat  of  government  was  fixed  there  in  1746.  (23  S.  R., 
252.)  This,  however,  did  not  mean  that  the  Governor  was 
to  reside  there,  nor  that  he  could  not  call  the  Assembly  to- 
gether at  another  place.  It  will  appear  later  that  it  met  at 
other  places  after  this  period.  Indeed,  until  Tryon  came, 
New  Bern  seems  not  to  have  been  a  favorite  of  any  of  the 
Governors.  Johnston  was  evidently  partial  to  the  new  town, 
Wilmington  on  the  Cape  Fear,  while  Dobbs,  living  at  Bruns- 
wick, did  all  he  could  to  make  that  an  important  place.  New 
Bern,  despite  of  this,  continued  to  grow  in  population  and  to 
thrive  commercially,  and  when  the  Tryon  Palace  was  com- 
pleted in  1770  it  became  the  political  metropolis  of  the  prov- 
ince. The  following  were  its  burgesses  to  the  adoption  of  the 
Constitution :    Walter  Lane,   Samuel  Powell,  Walter  Lane, 


THE  BOROUGH  TOWNS  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA.       91 

George  Bould,  William  Wilson,  John  Caruthers,  Jeremiah 
Vail,  Solomon  Rew,  James  Davis,  Joseph  Leech,  Alexander 
Emsley,  Richard  Caswell,  Christopher  Neale,  and  in  the  first 
Convention  Abner  Nash  and  Isaac  Edwards;  second  idem, 
Abner  Nash,  James  Davis,  William  Tisdale  and  Richard 
Ellis ;  third  idem,  Abner  Nash ;  fourth  idem,  Abner  Nash. 

Edenton. — The  Towne  on  Queen  Anne's  Creek  was  estab- 
lished by  an  act  of  the  Assembly  in  1712.  There  a  court- 
house was  to  be  built  and  a  house  to  hold  the  Assembly  in. 
In  1722  it  was  incorporated  as  the  town  of  Edenton.  It  was 
located  in  what  was  then  the  best  settled  and  the  most  pros- 
perous section  of  the  province.  And  thus  it  continued  for 
many  years,  but,  the  center  of  population  moving  further  west 
and  south,  it  was  found  too  much  out  of  the  way  to  remain  a 
political  capital.  So  much  culture,  wealth  and  ability  were 
grouped  about  it,  however,  that  no  community  had  so  great 
an  influence  upon  affairs  in  the  province,  and  later,  in  the 
founding  of  the  State,  as  Edenton.  Men  like  Samuel  John- 
ston, Thomas  Jones,  Joseph  Hewes,  James  Iredell  and  others 
could  scarcely  be  found  elsewhere  in  North  Carolina,  or,  if 
found,  had  not  formed  themselves  into  a  compact  and  efficient 
coterie.  From  1720  to  1738  the  Assembly  met  in  Edenton. 
In  1738  and  1739  it  met  in  New  Bern.  It  resumed  its  sit- 
tings in  Edenton  in  1740,  but  in  1743  was  the  last  of  its  meet- 
ings in  that  place.     The  following  were  its  burgesses  to  1777  : 

Thomas  Parris,  Robert  Lloyd,  William  Williams,  Charles 
Westbeer,  William  Badham,  James  Craven,  Samuel  Still- 
well,  Thomas  Barker,  Joseph  Hewes,  Samuel  Johnston,  Jos- 
eph Hewes,  Samuel  Johnston,  Joseph  Hewed,  and  Joseph 
Hewes,  in  all  of  the  Provincial  Congresses,  with  Jasper 
Charlton  with  him  in  the  second  Congress. 

Wilmington. — If  there  was  any  section  of  North  Caro- 
lina that  vied  with  Edenton  in  culture  and  wealth,  it  was  the 
Cape  Fear  section.     Governor  Johnston,  writing  of  the  in- 


92  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

habitants  of  this  section,  December  24,  1734,  says:  "They 
are  a  very  sober  and  industrious  set  of  people  and  have  made 
amazing  progress  in  their  improvement  since  their  first  set- 
tlement, which  was  about  eight  years  ago.  As  proof  of  this 
I  find  by  the  Collector's  books  forty-two  ships  went  loaded 
from  this  river  within  these  twelve  months  last  past.  There 
are  now  several  of  them  planting  mulberries  for  raising  of 
raw  silks,  and  cultivating  vines  for  producing  wine,  in 
which  they  seem  very  expert.  Some  few  are  likewise  making 
attempts  for  oil  from  the  olive  and  from  divers  sorts  of  nuts 
and  seeds  which  grow  almost  spontaneously  here,  for  all  which 
both  climate  and  soil  seem  wonderfully  adapted." 

The  little  hamlet  of  Newton  existed  as  early  as  1732,  and 
Governor  Johnston  opened  a  land  office  there  on  the  13th  of 
May,  1735.  It  was  incorporated  in  March  of  that  year  (4 
C.  R.,  page  43).  Governor  Johnston  became  the  patron  of 
this  little  town,  very  much  as  Governor  Dobbs  afterwards  be- 
came the  patron  of  Brunswick  and  Governor  Tryon  of  Hills- 
boro.  He  owned  lands  adjoining  it  on  the  northeast,  and  in 
1739  had  it  incorporated  as  a  town  under  the  name  of  Wil- 
mington, and  made  a  borough  (23  S.  R.,  page  133).  It  was 
found  necessary  to  include  in  the  borough  those  who  resided 
out  of  the  limits  of  the  town  "between  the  bounds  of  said  town 
upwards  and  Smith's  Creek,  and  within  120  poles  of  the 
northeast  branch  of  the  Cape  Fear  River,"  and  who  should  be 
the  inhabitant  of  a  brick  house  of  the  length  of  thirty  feet 
and  width  of  sixteen  feet.  It  was  through  Governor  Johnston's 
influence  that  one  session  of  the  Assembly  was  held  at  Wil- 
mington in  1741  and  one  session  in  1746.  During  his  long 
administration,  with  these  exceptions  and  also  a  session  at  Bath 
in  1752,  the  Assembly  met  at  New  Bern.  Wilmington  was 
granted  a  royal  charter,  March  5,  1763  (23  S.  R.,  654.)  The 
following  were  the  Burgesses  from  Wilmington  from  1740  to 
1777 :  William  Farris,  Thomas  Clark,  Lewis  DeRosset,  Cor- 


THE  BOROUGH  TOWNS  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA.       93 

nelius  Harnett ;  to  the  first  Convention,  Francis  Clayton ;  to 
the  second,  Cornelius  Harnett  and  A.  Maclaine ;  to  the  third, 
Cornelius  Harnett;  to  the  fourth,  William  Hooper. 

Brunswick. — The  Moore®,  Maurice  and  Roger,  were  the 
founders  of  Brunswick.  It  was  begun  in  1725,  but  Governor 
Johnston  threw  his  influence  in  favor  of  its  rival,  Newton, 
and  it  was  not  incorporated  until  1745,  and  was  franchised  by 
special  act  of  the  Assembly  in  1754,  though  it  did  not  contain 
more  than  twenty  families.  (5  C.  R.,  158  and  151.)  There 
was  for  years  great  rivalry  between  Brunswick  and  Wilming- 
ton, but  the  open  roadstead  of  the  former,  together  with  the 
better  location  of  the  latter,  soon  settled  the  fate  of  both  towns. 
The  site  of  Brunswick  is  known  now  only  from  the  ruins  of 
St.  Philip's  Church,  while  Wilmington  is  a  thriving  city  of 
30,000  inhabitants.  The  Burgesses  of  Brunswick  to  its  dis- 
franchisement by  the  Constitution  of  1776,  were  as  follows: 
Maurice  Moore,  William  Dry,  Maurice  Moore,  and  in  the 
first  Convention  unrepresented,  in  the  second,  Maurice  Moore, 
in  the  third,  the  same,  in  the  fourth,  Parker  Quince. 

Halifax. — This  town  was  incorporated  in  1757.  The 
Assembly  applying  the  old  Bath  town  60  family  law  of  1715, 
admitted  Stephen  Dewey  as  Burgess  from  Halifax  in  April, 
1760,  and  again  in  1761,  Alexander  Emsley,  but  this  was 
disapproved  in  England  (6  C.  R.,  752).  In  1764,  however, 
a  charter  was  granted  to  the  town  by  Governor  Dobbs,  and 
thence  forward  until  1835  it  continued  to  send  Burgesses  to 
the  General  Assembly.  It  is  well  known  that  in  and  about 
Halifax  from  1770  until  the  Civil  War,  there  continued  to 
be  many  well-to-do  and  cultured  planters  and  merchants.  Dur- 
ing the  Revolutionary  War  it,  too,  became  an  important 
political  point,  thethird  and  fourth  Provincial  Conventions 
meeting  there.  There  the  first  instructions  for  independence 
were  adopted,  April,  1776,  and  there,  too,  was  the  birth  of 
the  State  in  December  of  the  same  year.     A  session  of  the 


94  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

Legislature  of  1780  was  also  held  in  Halifax  in  1781.  The 
Burgesses  of  the  town  from  1764  to  the  adoption  of  the  Con- 
stitution were:  Abner  Nash,  Joseph  Montfort;  in  the  first 
Convention,  John  Geddy;  in  the  second,  Willie  Jones  and 
Francis  ISTash ;  in  the  third  and  fourth,  Willie  Jones. 

Salisbury. — Salisbury  was  laid  off  by  William  Churton, 
that  founder  of  towns  in  the  middle  section  of  the  Province, 
in  1753,  although  it  appears  not  to  have  been  regularly  incor- 
porated until  1770.  Governor  Tryon,  no  doubt  influenced 
by  the  inequality  of  representation  between  the  East  and  the 
West,  created  it  a  borough  by  charter  in  1765  or  1766.  The 
Burgesses  from  it  to  the  adoption  of  the  Constitution  of  1776 
were :  John  Mitchell,  John  Dunn  and  Hugh  Montgomery ; 
to  the  first  Convention,  William  Kennon ;  to  the  second,  Hugh 
Montgomery  and  Robert  Rowan;  to  the  third  and  fourth, 
David  Nesbit. 

Hillsboro. — In  1754  William  Churton  laid  off  a  town 
on  the  north  bank  of  the  Eno  River,  where  the  great  Indian 
tiail  crossed  it.  This  town  was  in  1759  incorporated  under 
the  name  of  Childsburg.  In  1766  its  name  was  changed  to 
Hillsboro.  Governor  Tryon  seemed  to  be  much  interested  in 
this  flourishing  settlement  in  the  back  country,  and,  July  9, 
1770,  made  it  a  market  town  and  borough  by  charter.  He 
has  been  criticised  for  this,  it  being  said  that  he  franchised  a 
little  hamlet  that  his  friend,  Edmund  Eanning,  who  had 
been  defeated  by  Herman  Husband  in  the  county,  might  have 
a  pocket  borough  to  represent  in  the  Assembly.  I  suppose 
that  the  desire  to  have  Eanning  in  the  Assembly  did  influence 
the  Governor  in  thus  exercising  the  royal  prerogative,  but  in 
doing  so,  he  at  no  point  strained  the  law.  Bath,  Edenton 
and  New  Bern  were  the  only  boroughs  in  the  province  that 
had  been  franchised  by  the  Assembly.  It  was  attempted  in 
the  case  of  Wilmington,  Brunswick  and  Halifax,  but  in  each 
case  the  act  of  the  Assembly  was  repealed  in  England,  and 


THE    BOROUGH   TOWNS    OF    NORTH    CAROLINA.  95 

these  boroughs  were  re-franchised  by  charter.  The  old  Bath 
60-family  act,  1715,  had  been  construed  as  allowing  a  town 
with  due  proof  that  it  contained  60  families  to  apply  to  the 
governor  for  a  charter,  and  thus  construed  it  did  not  limit  the 
King's  prerogative,  but  it  did  not  and  could  not  prevent  the 
King  or  his  viceroy,  the  Governor,  from  chartering  a  town, 
though  it  might  have  contained  less  than  60  families.  This 
was  done  in  the  case  of  Salisbury  in  1766,  a  smaller  town 
than  Hillsboro.  It  is  very  probable,  too,  that  the  latter 
place,  counting  free  blacks  as  well  as  whites,  had  the  full 
complement  of  60  families  in  1770.  The  following  were  the 
Burgesses  from  Hillsboro  to  the  adoption  of  the  Constitution : 
Edmund  Fanning,  Francis  ISTash ;  unrepresented  in  the  first 
Convention ;  in  the  second,  William  Armstrong  and  Nathaniel 
Rochester;  in  the  third  and  fourth,  William  Johnston. 

Campbelton. — Campbelton  was  incorporated  as  a  town  in 
1762.  Being  at  the  head  of  the  navigation  of  the  Cape  Fear 
River,  and  having  dependent  upon  it  for  a  market  an  exten- 
sive and  fertile  back  country,  then  rapidly  filling  up  with 
settlers,  it  was  thought  that  it  was  one  of  the  most  eligible 
localities  in  the  Province  for  a  town.  It  soon  had  a  rival, 
however,  in  the  near-by  village  of  Cross  Creek,  the  latter 
seeming  to  absorb  the  lion's  share  of  the  trade.  The  Legis- 
lature of  1778,  first  session,  included  Cross  Creek  in  Camp- 
belton, and  so  that  village  ceased  to  have  a  legal  existence 
independent  of  the  latter  place.  Campbelton  was  made  a 
borough  by  charter  in  1773,  Martin  being  Governor.  In 
April,  1783,  the  Legislature,  reciting  that  the  said  town  from 
its  convenience  to  the  western  settlements  and  the  easy  trans- 
portation of  goods  down  the  Cape  Fear  River,  must  necessa- 
rily become  a  great  mart  for  the  produce  of  the  interior 
country,  changed  its  name  to  Fayetteville.  Campbelton  was 
disfranchised  by  the  Constitution  of  1776,  but  Fayetteville 
was  franchised  by  an  ordinance  of  the  Convention  of  1789, 


96  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

which,  had  met  at  that  place  to  consider,  and,  in  fact,  adopt 
the  Federal  Constitution.  The  Burgesses  from  Campbelton 
to  its  disfranchisement  were:  William  Hooper,  Robert  Row- 
an; in  the  first  Convention  it  was  unrepresented;  in  the  sec- 
ond, James  Hepburn;  in  the  third,  Arthur  Council;  in  the 
fourth,  Thomas  Hadley. 

Disfranchisement. — Bath,  Brunswick  and  Campbelton 
were  disfranchised  by  the  Constitution  of  1776,  leaving  jSTew 
Bern,  Wilmington,  Edenton,  Halifax,  Hillsboro  and  Salis- 
bury still  boroughs,  and  as  above  stated,  Fayetteville  again 
became  a  borough  town  in  1789.  The  Convention  of  1835  did 
away  entirely  with  all  borough  representation.  The  Act  of 
January  5,  1835,  (the  Convention  Act,)  gave  the  Convention 
a  discretion  to  abolish  borough  representation  in  whole  or  in 
part.  The  act  itself,  thus  committing  their  fate  to  the  Con- 
vention, was  enacted  by  the  aid  of  the  borough  members.  The 
debate  in  the  Convention  arose  on  a  resolution  of  Dr.  James 
S.  Smith,  a  representative  from  Orange  and  for  forty  years 
a  resident  of  Hillsboro,  in  these  words :  "It  is  expedient  to 
abolish  borough  representation  entirely."  Judge  Gaston  op- 
posed this,  because,  first,  the  towns  had  certain  definite  and 
distinct  interests  of  their  own,  which  could  be  adequately  pro- 
tected only  by  their  own  representatives.  In  them  property 
was  in  a  more  concentrated  form,  and  they  paid  a  large  pro- 
portion of  the  taxes  of  the  county  in  which  they  were  located ; 
second,  agriculture  was  represented  through  the  counties — 
trade  and  commerce  should  be  represented  through  the  towns ; 
third,  boroughs  were  more  apt  than  the  counties  to  send  their 
best  men  to  the  Legislature.  Later  in  the  same  day,  June  10, 
1835,  he  elaborated  the  second  point  thus:  "It  is  vain  to 
deny -that  commercial  communities  have  pecidiar  interests  of 
their  own.  These  they  must  endeavor  to  protect  and  ad- 
vance through  some  agent  or  other.  If  we  deny  them  a  con- 
stitutional agent,  they  will  be  driven  to  get  agents  of  another 


THE  BOROUGH  TOWNS  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA.       97 

kind.  If  they  are  to  have  no  member  in  the  hall  of  legisla- 
tion, they  may  be  compelled  to  send  you  lobby  members. 
Heard  in  the  Legislature,  they  can  do  no  harm.  So  few  in 
number,  their  voice  can  be  effectual  only  when  it  is  the  voice 
of  truth  and  justice.  But  when  members  of  the  Assembly 
shall  be  approached  through  the  other  agents,  means  of  per- 
suasion may  be  used  of  a  different  character.  The  intelli- 
gent may  indeed  be  addressed  by  reason,  and  the  just  by  fair 
statements — but  the  uninformed  may  be  misled  by  falsehood, 
and  those  whose  consciences  are  in  their  pockets,  may  be 
convinced  by  arguments  directed  to  the  seat  of  their  sensi- 
bility." 

These  arguments  were  met  by  the  suggestions,  first,  repre- 
sentation in  the  House  of  Commons  was  to  be  based  upon 
Federal  population.  If  these  small,  though  compact  and 
populous  communities,  were  to  be  allowed  a  special  repre- 
sentative this  principle  would  have  to  be  disregarded,  and  as 
a  consequence  there  would  be  an  unequal  representation,  the 
very  evil  that  the  Convention  had  been  called  to  remedy. 

Second,  if  there  had  ever  been  anything  in  the  doctrine  that 
trade  and  commerce  were  entitled  to  special  representation, 
the  Federal  Constitution  had  removed  this  by  placing  inter- 
state and  foreign  commerce  under  the  care  of  the  Federal 
Government.  On  this  point  Mr.  Jesse  Wilson,  of  Perqui- 
mans, trenchantly  asked:  "If  it  be  true  that  this  right  of 
representation  is  essential  to  the  protection  of  their  interests, 
why  has  not  the  fostering  care  of  the  Legislature,  for  more 
than  fifty  years,  been  able  to  prevent  them  from  sinking  into 
ruin  ?  Halifax,  sir,  is  gone ;  Edenton  is  gone,  and  New  Bern 
is  not  far  behind."  And  again:  "But,  sir,  it  is  said  that 
there  are  mysteries  about  this  trade  and  commerce  that  only 
mercantile  gentlemen  can  understand.  Why  then,  sir,  do 
they  not  send  merchants,  instead  of  lawyers  or  doctors  V 


98  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

Third,  though  it  was  true  that  the  majority  of  borough  rep- 
resentatives were  men  of  intelligence  and  character,  the  coun- 
ties may  still  avail  themselves  of  the  services  of  such  men,  so 
the  State  will  in  reality  lose  little  in  this  regard.  But  what 
seemed  to  have  most  weight  with  the  members  of  the  Conven- 
tion was  the  debauchery  and  corruption  and  violence  that 
accompanied  nearly  all  these  borough  elections.  In  1825,  in 
a  contest  between  that  brilliant,  but  thoroughly  unprincipled, 
firebrand,  Robert  Potter,  and  Jesse  A.  Bynum  in  Halifax, 
the  election  became  first  a  free  fight  and  then  a  riot  in  which 
one  man  was  killed  and  a  number  injured.  Dr.  Smith  said 
in  the  Convention :  "Has  the  moral  condition  of  the  borough 
towns  been  improved  by  the  privilege  which  they  possess  of 
sending  members  to  the  Legislature  ?  On  the  contrary,  the 
annual  elections,  it  is  notorious,  in  most  of  the  towns  are 
productive  of  feuds,  quarrels  and  bloodshed.  Mechanics  and 
others  are  excited  by  the  parties  interested  in  such  elections, 
business  is  neglected,  and  the  morals  of  the  people  are  cor- 
rupted." This  of  Hillsboro.  Mr.  Charles  Fisher,  of  Salis- 
bury, said :  "Who  has  not  witnessed  the  excitement  caused 
by  these  borough  elections  ?  Who  has  not  seen  the  worst  pas- 
sions of  our  nature  brought  into  active  exercise  by  them  ? 
Who  has  not  heard  that  corruption  of  the  basest  kind  is  fre- 
quently practised  to  carry  a  doubtful  contest.  He  knew 
these  things  and  how  the  whole  system  worked.  Every  man 
is  known,  as  are  his  calling  and  necessities.  His  weak  side  is 
sought  out,  that  he  may  be  successfully  approached.  Sir," 
(to  the  Chair,  Judge  Daniel,  of  Halifax),  "you  know  all  these 
things.  Have  you  not  witnessed  at  the  elections  in  your 
borough  scenes  of  the  most  violent  character,  which  not  un- 
f  requently  terminated  in  bloodshed  ?  Have  you  not  seen 
men  pressed  for  their  debts,  in  order  to  drive  them  to  pursue 
a  course  in  direct  opposition  to  their  convictions  of  right  ? 
Have  you  not,  sir,  like  myself,  seen  the  elective  franchise 


THE    BOROUGH   TOWNS    OF    NORTH   CAROLINA.  99 

abused  in  every  variety  of  form  ?  *  *  *  I  have  seen  in  these 
contests  family  arrayed  against  family — carried  to  the  ex- 
tremes of  bitterness.  I  have  seen  neighbors  separated  and 
estranged,  and  social  intercourse  destroyed.  Yes,  sir,  even 
has  this  pestiferous  influence  penetrated  the  church,  and  dis- 
turbed its  harmony  and  brotherhood."  And  then  Mr.  Holmes, 
of  Wilmington:  "But,  sir,  great  as  are  the  evils  which  he 
(Mr.  Fisher)  portrayed,  they  are  infinitely  magnified  in  our 
commercial  towns.  Our  population  is  of  a  more  abandoned 
cast.  We  have  more  dependent  and  more  pliable  materials 
to  work  upon.  He  alluded  to  seamen  and  others  who  went 
to  their  employers  to  know  how  they  should  vote.  Nothing 
was  more  common  than  a  day  or  two  before  the  election  to 
house  the  voters  as  they  housed  their  cattle.  This  was  no 
extravagance ;  he  had  participated  in  these  contests  and  knew 
the  fact." 

Certainly  there  could  not  have  been  a  more  forcible  arraign- 
ment of  the  whole  system  than  this,  and  it  proved  effective, 
notwithstanding  it  was  opposed  by  such  able  men  as  Gaston, 
Swain,  Daniel  and  Toomer.  These  sought  to  save  from  the 
general  wreck  of  the  borough  towns,  Edenton,  New  Bern, 
Wilmington  and  Fayetteville,  but  could  not.  After  debating 
the  question  for  two  days,  it  was,  on  June  11,  1835,  referred 
to  a  committee  of  26,  at  whose  head  was  Governor  Swain. 
That  committee  reported  on  June  23  in  favor  of  the  franchise 
for  Edenton,  New  Bern,  Wilmington  and  Eayetteville.  The 
report,  after  discussion  on  the  25th,  was  disagreed  to  by  a  vote 
of  50  yeas  to  73  nays,  and  so,  though  other  votes  were  taken 
with  the  same  result,  all  these  towns  were  disfranchised. 

Mr.  Wilson,  of  Perquimans,  said  irreverently  in  the  debate : 
"The  monkey  is  not  the  only  imitative  animal.  Men  are 
equally  so.  Our  forefathers  scarcely  touched  this  soil  before 
they  began  to  exercise  this  imitative  faculty.  You  have  seen, 
sir,  little  misses  dressing  their  dolls,  and  boys  switching  their 


100  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

stick  horses.  Like  them,  in  the  exercise  of  imitative  powers, 
our  fathers,  to  ape  Great  Britain  with  her  Manchester,  her 
Birmingham,  and  her  Liverpool,  gave  the  right  of  representa- 
tion to  Halifax,  to  Edenton,  and  to  Hillsboro."  However 
defective  Mr.  Wilson's  knowledge  of  history  may  have  been, 
it  must  be  admitted  that  there  is  some  truth  in  his  assertion. 
The  fact  that  neither  Birmingham  nor  Manchester  was  a 
franchised  town  until  after  the  Reform  Bill  became  a  law  in 
1832,  may  impeach  his  accuracy,  but  it  detracts  little  from' 
the  force  of  his  remarks. 

From  the  Lords  Proprietors'  day  to  the  beginning  of  the 
Civil  War,  those  in  authority  in  North  Carolina  continued 
to  deplore  the  lack  of  an  adequate  seaport.  Among  the 
earliest  of  the  Proprietors'  instructions  was  one  requiring  the 
establishment  of  three  towns  in  the  Colony.  In  addition  to 
what  has  already  been  said  of  the  physical  difficulties  in  the 
way  of  such  a  project,  was  this,  which  has  been  suggested  by 
Capt.  S.  A.  Ashe:  In  the  early  days  the  small  vessels  ply- 
ing to  colonial  ports  could  readily  approach  the  private 
wharves  of  the  rich  planters,  thus  rendering  the  concentra- 
tion and  regulation  of  trade  difficult.  On  this  account  the 
attempt  to  establish  central  marts  was  a  failure.  This  of 
course  applies  only  to  the  towns  on  navigable  waters.  As 
to  the  interior  towns  other  reasons  prevailed.  The  inhabi- 
tants of  the  country  districts  had  few  interests  in  common 
with  those  of  the  towns.  Says  Prof.  C.  L.  Raper:  aTown 
life  never  became  very  attractive  to  many  of  the  colonists  of 
North  Carolina,  and  what  few  towns  there  were  became  much 
more  important  as  centers  of  political  activity  than  they  did 
of  commercial,  industrial  or  social  life.  They  were  centers 
of  local  government,  and  often  of  political  conflicts.  They 
were  places  where  a  few  products  were  bought  and  sold — not 
places  of  their  making.  The  surplus  products  of  the  farms 
for  miles  about  them  were  taken  there  and  exchanged  for 


THE    BOROUGH    TOWNS    OF    NORTH    CAROLINA.  101 

a  few  simple  articles,  salt  being  a  very  important  one,  and 
now  and  then  converted  into  currency.  At  times  they  were 
the  centers  of  religious  devotion  and  of  intellectual  life. 
There  churches  were  erected,  but  during  the  last  fifty  years 
of  the  province  more  places  for  religious  worship  were  to 
be  found  in  the  country  than  in  the  towns.  Here,  too,  were 
a  few  schools  and  libraries,  but  there  were  more  in  the  rural 
districts." 

Of  course  the  making  of  certain  of  these  towns  boroughs 
was,  throughout  their  whole  history,  intended  as  a  stimulus 
to  their  growth,  but  it  may  well  be  doubted  whether  the 
possession  of  the  franchise  added  anything  to  their  com- 
mercial or  industrial  development.  The  Convention  of  1776, 
still  impressed  with  the  view  that  commerce,  being  a  special 
interest,  was  entitled  to  special  representation  in  the  Legis- 
lature, determined  to  continue  the  tide-water  towns  as 
boroughs.  Selecting  these — New  Bern,  Wilmington  and 
Edenton — there  immediately  arose  a  political  necessity,  in 
order  to  placate  the  western  interest,  to  continue  an  equal 
number  of  the  western  towns  as  boroughs.  The  continuing 
of  the  franchise  to  Salisbury,  Hillsboro  and  Halifax  was 
probably  based  wholly  on  such  a  compromise  as  this.  By 
1835,  however,  the  people  had  thoroughly  tested  the  system, 
and  no  doubt  they  were  wholly  right  in  doing  away  with  it 
forever. 

There  is  a  debt  of  gratitude  that  the  State  owes  these  towns, 
to  which  I  must  refer  before  I  close.  They  had  been  recipi- 
ents of  special  favors  from  the  royal  government,  and  might 
perhaps  have  been  excused  for  some  degree  of  lukewarmness 
in  the  controversy  between  that  government  and  its  colonies. 
But  they  were  not  lukewarm.  Instead,  the  history  of  the 
times,  properly  interpreted,  shows  that  the  revolutionary 
movement  had  its  origin  in  these  towns  and  spread  from 
them  to  the  country  districts,  where,  finding  excellent  food 


102  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

to  feed  upon,  it  grew  so  great  as  to  cover  the  whole  province. 
Wilmington,  New  Bern  and  Edenton  were  the  head  and  front 
of  this  "sedition  and  treason,"  and  following  immediately 
after  them  were  Halifax,  Hillsboro  and  Salisbury.  The 
story  of  the  Revolution  in  North  Carolina  would  be  very 
tame,  very  fragmentary,  very  inconclusive,  if  the  part  that 
the  great  men  who  lived  in  or  about  these  towns  took  was 
eliminated  from  it.  They  were  the  men  whom  Providence 
raised  up  for  the  emergency,  and  without  them  ISTorth  Caro- 
lina would  probably  have  remained  a  hot-bed  of  Toryism. 
So  we  who  live  to-day  may  well  acknowledge  our  indebtedness 
to  them. 


•\-  3 


GOVERNOR  THOMAS  BURKE. 


BY 

J.  G.  deRoulhac  Hamilton,  Ph.D., 

ASSOCIATE  PROFESSOR  OP  HISTORY,  UNIVERSITY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA. 


Among  those  who  accompanied  William  of  Normandy  on 
his  victorious  expedition  to  England  in  1066  were  two  broth- 
ers sons  of  Eustice  de  Burgo,  Serlo  and  John  de  Bur  go,  or, 
as  it  soon  became,  Burke.  For  their  services  the  Conqueror 
rewarded  them  with  the  grant  of  several  manors  in  York, 
where  Serlo  built  the  castle  of  Knaresborough.  Dying  with- 
out issue,  he  was  succeeded  by  his  brother  John,  now  called 
Monoculus,  on  account  of  the  loss  of  one  of  his  eyes.  The 
latter  married  a  Norman  lady  of  large  fortune,  Beatrice  de 
Vessey  by  name,  and  from  this  union  were  born  two  sons, 
James  of  Knaresborough  and  Richard  the  Red.  Richard 
had  one  son,  Walter,  who  in  turn  was  the  father  of  three 
distinguished  sons,  Haburt,  Earl  of  Kent  and  Chief  Justice 
of  England ;  Jeffrey,  Bishop  of  Ely ;  and  William,  surnamed 
de  Adelmel,  who  was  sent  to  Ireland  by  Henry  II  and  was 
given  a  grant  comprising  the  greater  part  of  the  Province  of 
Connaught.  The  line  of  descent  of  the  branch  of  the  family 
remaining  in  England  must  have  been  lost,  as  a  letter  from 
Edanus  Burke  to  Thomas  Burke,  dated  December  2,  1769, 
states  that  all  trace  of  the  family  in  England  had  disappeared. 
Of  the  Irish  branches  the  same  writer  states  that  from  the 
similarity  of  arms1  until  1627  he  judged  that  all  were  re- 
lated.    One  of  these  branches  was  known  as  the  Burkes  of 

1  The  arms  were  as  follows : 

The  field.  Or.  Cross-Gules,  in  the  dexter  canton,  a  Lion  Rampant,  Sable. 

Crest:  A  wreath,  a  cat  and  mountain.     Proper. 

Motto:  Un  Proy,  Une  foy,  Une  Loy. 


104  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

Tyaquin,  after  the  family  estate  which  had  descended  line- 
ally since  Henry  II,  and  from,  this  branch  was  born  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch. 

Thomas  Burke,  the  son  of  Ulick  Burke  and  Letitia  Ould, 
was  born  in  G-alway,  Ireland,  about  1747.  Almost  nothing 
is  known  of  his  early  life,  except  that  he  spent  some  time  at 
a  university,  probably  Dublin.  Before  he  reached  manhood 
he  became  involved  in  some  family  quarrel,  the  particulars 
of  which  are  unknown,  and  about  1764  he  came  to  Acco- 
mac  County,  Virginia,  and  commenced  the  study  and  practice 
of  medicine.  He  tells  in  a  letter  to  an  old  acquaintance  in 
Ireland,  a  Mrs.  Jones,  that  his  proficiency  was  equal,  if  not 
superior,  to  that  of  most  physicians  in  the  colonies,  and  that 
his  success  was  very  great.  But  the  pecuniary  rewards  were 
small,  and  he  soon  found  that  law  would  be  more  profitable 
and  of  far  less  responsibility.  After  pursuing  his  studies 
for  a  few  months  with  great  earnestness,  he  was  licensed  at 
his  first  examination,  and,  as  he  said,  "with  great  applause." 
At  some  time  during  this  period  he  removed  to  Norfolk, 
where,  in  1770,  he  married  Mary  Freeman. 

Soon  after  this,  probably  about  1771,  he  moved  to  North 
Carolina  and  settled  in  Orange  County,  about  two  miles  north 
of  Hillsboro,  on  a  place  which  he  named  Tyaquin,  after  the 
family  place  in  Ireland.  He  had  already  gone  to  Halifax 
wuh  d  view  to  settling  there,  but  decided  in  favor  of  Hills- 
boro. There  he  was  licensed  to  practice  before  the  Superior 
Court  in  March,  1772.  In  his  new  home  he  soon  won  dis- 
tinction in  his  profession  and  made  many  friends. 

When  the  relations  between  the  colonies  and  the  mother 
country  became  strained  in  consequence  of  the  Stamp  Act 
and  other  measures  which  the  colonies  thought  oppressive, 
Burke  was  a  strong  advocate  of  American  rights.  While 
living  in  Virginia  he  had  written  against  the  Stamp  Act. 
Concerning  his  position  he  wrote  his  uncle :    "I  am  and  ever 


GOVERNOR    THOMAS    BURKE.  105 

shall  be  avowedly  a  passionate  lover  of  Liberty  and  Hater  of 
Tyranny.  The  essentials  of  the  former  I  take  to,  being  gov- 
erned by  Laws  made  with  Constitutional  consent  of  the  com- 
munity, ultimately  Judged  by  that  Community,  and  enjoying 
and  disposing  of  their  property  only  agreeable  to  Will,  and 
the  latter  is  undeniably  anything  Subversive  of  those  Privi- 
leges. How  far  the  Stamp  Act  was  so,  sufficiently  appears 
upon  the  very  face  of  it." 

Dr.  Burke's  first  official  public  service  was  as  a  member 
from  Orange  to  the  Provincial  Congress  which  met  in  !N"ew 
Bern  in  1775.  He  was  again  a  member  of  the  Congress  which 
met  in  Hillsboro  August  20,  1775.  In  the  first  day's  session  he 
was  placed  upon  two  important  committees — the  first,  to  pre- 
pare a  test  to  be  signed  by  all  the  members  of  the  Congress ;  the 
other,  to  confer  with  such  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  province 
as  might  entertain  religious  or  political  scruples  in  regard 
to  taking  part  in  the  American  cause,  with  a  view  of  in- 
ducing them  to  unite  in  the  common  defence  of  the  rights  of 
the  province.  The  test,  as  prepared  and  signed,  declared 
that  the  Parliament  of  Great  Britain  had  no  right  to  impose 
taxes  upon  the  colonies,  and  that  any  attempt  to  do  so  ought 
to  be  resisted  by  the  people ;  that  the  people  were  bound  by 
the  acts  of  the  Continental  and  Provincial  Congresses,  be- 
cause they  were  representative  of  them ;  and,  finally,  the 
members  bound  themselves  to  support  all  such  acts  to  the 
utmost  of  their  power.  A  few  days  later  Burke  was  placed 
upon  the  committee  to  prepare  an  address  to  the  inhabitants 
of  the  province.  He  was  also  a  member  of  the  Ways  and 
Means  Committee,  of  which  Richard  Caswell  was  chairman. 

Dr.  Burke  was  also  a  member  of  the  Congress  which  met 
in  Halifax  April  4,  1776.  In  this  body  he  was  on  the  fol- 
lowing committees :  Privileges  and  Elections ;  Claims ;  to  take 
into  consideration  the  usurpations  and  violences  attempted 
by  the  King  and  Parliament  of  Britain  against  America,  and 


106  THE  XOKTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

the  further  measure  to  be  taken  for  frustrating  the  same; 
and  for  the  better  defence  of  the  province ;  Ways  and  Means ; 
to  prepare  a  temporary  civil  Constitution;  to  supply  the 
province  with  arms  and  ammunition;  a  standing  committee 
to  form  a  temporary  form  of  government;  and  ways  and 
means  to  prevent  the  desertion  of  slaves.  He  was  chairman  of 
the  Committee  of  Secrecy,  Intelligence  and  Observation,  and 
was  also  on  nine  minor  special  committees.  On  April  12th 
the  Committee  on  Usurpations  reported  a  resolution  empower- 
ing the  delegates  of  the  colony  to  the  Constinental  Congress 
to  concur  with  the  delegates  of  the  other  colonies  in  declaring 
independence,  reserving  for  the  colony  the  sole  right  of  form- 
ing a  Constitution  and  laws  for  the  colony,  and  of  appointing 
from  time  to  time  delegates  to  meet  those  from  the  other 
colonies  in  regard  to  matters  of  common  welfare.  This  was 
passed  unanimously.  Before  the  Congress  adjourned  Burke 
was  elected  paymaster  of  militia  for  the  Hillsboro  district. 

Before  he  went  to  Halifax  the  people  of  Orange  had  caused 
Burke  to  sign  certain  instructions  which,  it  is  said,  he  wrote 
himself,  in  regard  to  the  form  of  the  proposed  new  govern- 
ment.    In  brief,  they  were  as  follows : 

1.  Political  power  of  two  kinds,  principal  and  supreme,  derived  and 
inferior. 

2.  Principal  possessed  only  by  the  people  at  large.  Derived  by  their 
servants. 

3.  Whatever  persons  chosen  by  people  can  possess  only  derived  power. 

4.  Whatever  constituted  by  principal  power  can  be  altered  only  by 
people. 

5.  Rules  for  derived  power's  exercise  made  by  principal. 

6.  No  power  but  principal  shall  exist. 

7.  Derived  power  never  to  subvert  principal. 

8.  Constitution  to  be  submitted  to  the  people. 

9.  No  established  religion. 

10.  Three  branches  of  government,  Executive,  Legislative,  and  Judi- 
cial, all  distinct. 

11.  Two  houses  in  Assembly. 

12.  All  elections  by  ballot. 

13.  Executive  elected  every  year. 


GOVERNOR    THOMAS    BURKE.  107 

The  election  of  delegates  to  the  Congress  held  at  Halifax 
in  November  of  the  same  year  was  accompanied  by  great 
tumult,  and  in  consequence  a  petition  was  sent  up  against 
those  elected,  with  a  request  for  a  new  election.  The  Con- 
gress at  first  refused  to  unseat  the  sitting  members,  but  later 
rescinded  their  action  and  ordered  a  new  election.  This  was 
probably  due  in  large  part  to  Burke's  influence,  as  he  was 
present  at  the  sessions  of  the  body.  It  is  very  likely  that  the 
leaders  in  the  body  wished  for  his  presence.  When  the  new 
election  was  held  he  was  among  those  elected,  and  took  his 
seat  on  December  16th.  Here,  besides  being  placed  on  a 
number  of  minor  committees,  he  was  a  member  of  a  com- 
mittee appointed  to  consider,  prepare  and  report  on  the  busi- 
ness necessary  to  be  transacted  by  the  Congress.  The  Bill  of 
Bights  and  Constitution  adopted  at  this  session  is  said  to 
have  been  largely  the  work  of  Thomas  Jones,  Thomas  Burke, 
and  Bichard  Caswell. 

On  December  20th,  Burke,  with  William  Hooper  and 
Joseph  Hewes,  was  elected  a  delegate  to  the  Congress  of  the 
United  States.  For  their  services  each  was  allowed  the  sum 
of  $2,000  per  annum.  Dr.  Burke  now  resigned  his  position 
as  paymaster  of  militia,  but  remained  at  Halifax  until  the 
close  of  the  session,  December  23,  1776. 

In  the  Congress  Burke  seems  to  have  taken  quite  a  promi- 
nent part  in  the  debates,  particularly  when  he  thought  the 
rights  of  the  individual  States  were  threatened.  His  letters 
express  great  fear  lest  an  attempt  should  be  made  to  give 
Congress  more  power  than  was  compatible  with  the  rights 
of  the  States.  In  fact,  he  was  opposed  to  any  forms  of  gov- 
ernment, not  absolutely  necessary,  being  set  up  until  entire 
independence  should  be  secured. 

During  the  first  part  of  his  attendance  upon  the  sessions 
of  Congress,  Burke  wrote  regular  and  full  accounts  of  the 
proceedings  to  Governor  Caswell,  but  this  did  not  continue. 


108  THE  NORTH   CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

In  April,  1777,  he  was  re-elected.  At  the  same  session  of 
the  General  Assembly  a  new  county  was  erected  from  a  part 
of  Rowan  and  was  named  in  his  honor.1 

In  the  autumn  of  that  year  Burke  left  the  sessions  of 
Congress  for  a  few  clays  and  took  part  as  a  volunteer  in  the 
battle  of  Brandywine.  This  adventure  of  his  was  the  in- 
direct cause  of  a  serious  quarrel  later.  He  became  convinced 
that  the  American  defeat  there  was  largely  due  to  the  ineffi- 
ciency of  Gen.  John  Sullivan,  and  preferred  charges  against 
him  in  Congress.  General  Sullivan  wrote  a  letter  to  Con- 
gress containing  reflections  on  Burke,  though  he  was  not 
mentioned  by  name.  A  correspondence  between  the  two  fol- 
lowed, resulting  in  a  challenge  from  Burke,  and  seconds  were 
named.  No  meeting  was  ever  brought  about,  probably  on 
account  of  the  distance  separating  them. 

In  October  Dr.  Burke  returned  to  North  Carolina,  and 
on  December  1st  took  his  seat  as  a  member  of  the  House  of 
Commons,  to  fill  the  unexpired  term  of  Nathaniel  Rochester, 
who  had  shortly  before  resigned  to  become  Clerk  of  the  Court 
of  Orange.  As  usual,  Burke  seems  to  have  served  upon  most 
of  the  important  committees. 

It  is  not  known  when  Burke  returned  to  Philadelphia,  but 
he  was  there  by  the  middle  of  February,  1778.  The  pre- 
ceding summer  he  had  recommended  the  appointment  of 
Hand,  of  Pennsylvania,  as  an  additional  brigadier  for  North 
Carolina,  and  this  excited  great  feeling  among  the  North 
Carolina  troops  and  in  the  State.  Probably  this  was  the 
reason  why  he  was  not  re-elected  to  Congress  in  April,  1778. 

1  There  has  been  some  discussion  as  to  whether  or  not  Burke  county 
was  named  for  Governor  Burke  or  Edmund  Burke.  Wheeler  says  it  was 
for  the  latter,  and  his  statement  has  usually  been  accepted.  But  the 
following  extract  from  a  letter  of  Abner  Nash  seems  final  authority  on 
the  subject :  "Our  Assembly  have  paid  a  compliment  to  our  worthy 
delegate  Dr.  Burke,  which  no  private  man  has  experienced  before.  A 
new  county  taken  from  Surry  (sic)  is  called  for  him." 


GOVERNOR    THOMAS    BURKE.  109 

He  was,  however,  very  anxious  to  get  home,  and  this  may 
have  had  something  to  do  with  it,  though  it  is  scarcely  prob- 
able. But  for  an  incident  which  occurred  in  April,  1778, 
his  political  career  might  have  closed  here. 

The  report  of  a  committee  of  Congress  appointed  to  reply 
to  a  letter  of  General  Washington  contained  certain  expres- 
sions which  seemed  to  reflect  upon  Washington.  A  pro- 
longed and  bitter  debate  followed,  in  which  Burke  took  an 
active  part  in  opposition  to  the  reply  of  the  committee.  The 
opposition  was  so  strong  as  to  secure  an  amendment  to  the 
reply.  The  final  vote  on  the  amended  reply  came  late  at 
night.  It  was  then  discovered  that  there  was  no  quorum, 
nine  votes  being  necessary,  and  Dr.  Burke,  who  was  worn  out 
by  the  long  session,  having  gone  to  his  lodgings  and  to  bed. 
A  messenger  was  sent  for  him,  and  returned  with  a  most 
violent  message  of  refusal  to  comply  with  the  demand  of 
Congress.  It  turned  out  that  the  messenger  had  not  made 
himself  clearly  understood  to  Dr.  Burke,  who  thought  that 
he  was  hearing  a  message  from  Colonel  Duer,  of  New  York. 
He  repeatedly  expressed  his  regret  for  his  language,  but 
when  Congress  was  not  inclined  to  accept  his  explanation, 
but  debated  the  matter  for  fifteen  days  and  actually  served 
a  rule  upon  him  as  for  contempt,  Burke,  while  acknowledging 
that  he  had  been  wrong  in  absenting  himself  without  the  con- 
sent of  Congress,  which  had  a  right  to  compel  the  attendance 
of  its  members,  said : 

"  An  unreasonable  exercise  of  any  power  is  tyranny  and  to  keep  a 
member  at  such  unreasonable  hours,  and  under  such  circumstances  is, 
in  my  opinion,  tyranical,  and  I  will  not  submit  to  it  but  by  force  upon 
my  person.  I  consider  every  freeman  as  having  a  right  to  judge  for 
himself  when  the  exercise  of  any  power  is  unreasonable,  and  if  I  err  in 
my  judgment,  the  power  of  punishment  lies  within  the  State  which  I 
I  represent." 

He  further  stated  that  he  would  regard  any  attempt  of 
Congress  to  act  in  the  matter  as  an  infringement  upon  the 


110  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

rights  of  his  State,  and  that  to  North  Carolina  alone  would 
he  be  responsible.  Congress  then  appealed  to  the  General 
Assembly  of  North  Carolina,  which  referred  the  matter  to  a 
committee  headed  by  William  Hooper.  Before  the  commit- 
tee could  report,  the  Assembly  elected  Dr.  Burke  and  Whit- 
mel  Hill  as  additional  delegates  to  Congress,  thus  showing 
where  the  sympathies  of  the  members  were.  The  committee 
reported,  August  14th,  exonerating  him  from  all  blame  and 
agreeing  with  him  that  Congress  had  no  power  in  the  matter. 
This  naturally  closed  the  incident. 

Burke  was  again  elected  in  1779  and  1780.  In  October, 
1779,  he  and  Whitmel Hill  were  invited  to  the  State  Senate  and 
formally  thanked  by  the  Speaker  for  their  long  and  faithful 
service  in  Congress.  The  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Commons 
also  expressed  the  thanks  of  that  body.  In  May  of  the  same 
year  Burke  had  been  elected  by  the  Legislature  a  trustee  of 
Granville  Hall,  an  institution  of  learning  in  Granville 
County. 

By  this  time  Burke  had  become  heartily  tired  of  Philadel- 
phia, and  in  April,  1780,  he  wrote  Cornelius  Harnett  that 
his  health  was  declining,  and,  said  he :  "I  am  satisfied  that 
another  year's  close  application  in  Congress  would  make  a 
perpetual  citizen  in  Philadelphia  and  give  me  a  right  to  the 
soil  from  whence  nothing  short  of  the  final  Judgment  of  the 
World  could  evict  me." 

"In  the  summer  of  1780  Burke  returned  to  Hillsboro.  His 
presence  at  the  time  was  most  fortunate,  for  the  conditions 
in  the  section  around  Hillsboro  were  most  distressing  and 
alarming.  General  Gates,  with  the  army,  was  there  on  his 
way  south,  and  no  provision  having  been  made  for  feeding 
the  troops,  they  subsisted  for  the  most  part  by  foraging  and 
impressment.  Not  only  was  food  taken,  but  there  was  wan- 
ton destruction  of  property.  Horses  and  wagons  were  seized, 
horses  were  turned  into  fields  of  standing  grain,  and  numer- 
ous other  outrages  were  committed,  which  excited  the  anger 


GOVERNOR    THOMAS    BURKE.  Ill 

of  the  most  loyal  and  roused  the  slumbering  disaffection  of 
those  already  inclined  to  Toryism.  This  was  increased  by 
the  insolence  and  haughtiness  of  the  officials  who  had  charge 
of  the  matter  of  procuring  supplies.  Burke  declared  that  he 
would  resist  any  such  injustice  with  force,  and,  his  neighbors 
appealing  to  him  for  advice  and  assistance,  he  at  once  entered 
into  correspondence  with  General  Gates  and  the  President  of 
Congress,  stating  that  he  would  see  that  supplies  were  fur- 
nished if  the  people  were  fairly  treated.  To  him,  largely, 
belongs  the  credit  of  settling  what  threatened  to  be  a  most 
serious  matter. 

On  June  25,  1781,  the  General  Asembly  which  met  at 
Wake  Court  House  elected  Dr.  Burke  Governor  to  succeed 
Abner  Nash,  and  he  entered  upon  the  duties  of  his  office  the 
next  day.  The  Speaker  of  the  Senate,  Alexander  Martin,  in 
his  announcement  speech,  said,  among  other  things: 

"  It  gives  me  a  particular  pleasure  to  have  at  the  head  of  the  Executive, 
a  Gentleman  on  whose  Integrity,  Firmness,  and  Abilities,  we  can  rely  with 
confidence  at  a  Time  this  State  is  invaded  by  a  cruel  Enemy,  and  threat- 
ened with  all  the  Horrors  of  War,  which  to  oppose  and  avert  call  for  the 
most  spirited  Exertions  of  this  Country,  that  Independence  and  Peace 
be  secured  to  it  on  a  lasting  Basis." 

Governor  Burke,  in  expressing  his  thanks  and  appreciation 

for  the  honor  conferred  upon  him,  said : 

"  At  any  period  less  difficult,  dangerous  and  critical  than  the  present, 
I  should  beg  leave  to  decline  an  office  so  much  above  my  abilities  and 
so  illy  suiting  my  private  Inclinations  and  Circumstances.  But  no  con- 
siderations of  private  convenience  or  of  difficulty  or  danger  shall  deter 
me  from  any  duty  to  which  my  Country  may  call  me  while  her  affairs 
labor  under  unfavorable  Appearances.  I  therefore  consent  to  take  upon 
me  the  Office  and  Dignity  to  which  the  Honorable  the  General  Assembly 
have  been  pleased  to  elect  me,  and  shall  entirely  devote  myself  to  the 
Establishing  of  Internal  Peace,  Order,  and  Economy  and  Security  from 
External  Enemies." 

For  the  next  three  months  Burke  devoted  all  his  energies 
to  the  task  of  properly  arming  and  equipping  the  North  Caro- 
lina troops.     He  became  involved  in  a  disagreement  in  regard 


112  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

to  executive  power  with  the  Board  of  War,  but  notified  them 
that  he  had  the  alternative  of  obeying  the  Constitution  or  the 
laws,  and  preferred  the  former,  and  that  if  he  could  not 
exercise  the  powers  given  him  under  the  Constitution,  he 
would  immediately  resign.     This  ended  the  discussion. 

He  spent  most  of  the  summer  in  Halifax,  but  early  in 
September  came  to  Hillsboro.  When  he  reached  there  he 
heard  that  McJSTeill  and  Fanning  were  advancing  with  a 
large  force  against  General  Butler,  who  was  on  Haw  River. 
Burke  warned  Butler,  and  the  Tories  were  disappointed  in 
the  main  object  of  their  expedition.  But  they  at  once  turned 
to  Hillsboro,  and,  before  daylight  on  September  12,  1781,  cap- 
tured the  town.  Burke  was  then  residing  on  Queen  street, 
at  what  is  now  the  residence  of  Mrs.  Edwin  Heartt.  The 
house  was  besieged,  and  Burke,  believing  that  all  would  be 
massacred  if  they  surrendered,  decided  to  hold  out  as  long 
as  possible.  After  some  hot  firing,  a  British  officer,  brought 
up  by  Captain  Reid,  Burke's  aid-de-camp,  assured  him  of 
proper  treatment  and  received  his  surrender.  The  jail  was 
then  opened  and  the  town  sacked.  The  party  then  set  out 
for  Wilmington.  At  Cane  Creek  they  were  attacked  by  the 
Whigs,  who,  if  properly  led,  would  have  won  a  decisive  vic- 
tory. As  it  was,  a  drawn  battle  was  the  result.  Colonel 
McNeill  was  killed  and  Fanning  was  wounded.  A  bit  of 
contemporary  doggerel  on  the  subject  is  interesting: 

"The  Governor  and  Council  in  Hillsborough  sought 
To  establish  some  new  laws  the  Tories  to  stop. 
They  thought  themselves  safe  and  so  went  on  with  their  show, 
But  the  face  of  bold  Fanning  proved  their  overthrow. 
We  took  Governor  Burke  with  a  sudden  surprise, 
As  he  sat  on  horseback  and  just  ready  to  ride. 
We  took  all  their  cannon  and  colors  in  town, 
And  formed  our  brave  boys  and  marched  out  of  town. 
But  the  rebels  waylaid  us  and  gave  us  a  broadside 
That  caused  our  brave  Colonel  to  lie  dead  on  his  side. 
The  flower  of  our  company  was  wounded  full  sore 
'  Twas  Captain  McNeill  and  two  or  three  more." 


GOVERNOR    THOMAS    BURKE.  113 

Governor  Burke  was  taken  to  Wilmington  and  kept  as  a 
prisoner  of  State  for  some  time.  From  there,  in  October,  he 
wrote  to  Willie  Jones,  giving  a  rather  humorous  account  of 
his  uncomfortable  surroundings.  He  described  his  room  as 
a  erotto  in  winter  and  a  hot-house  in  summer,  and  said  it  had, 
at  first,  utterly  lacked  furniture,  but  that  later  he  had  been 
given  a  bed  and  some  other  furniture  by  a  Mr.  William 
Campbell.  He  stated  that,  although  he  was  not  shut  up  in  a 
seraglio,  yet  he  was  as  difficult  of  access  as  his  Majesty  of 
Constantinople.  The  following  extracts  from  his  letter  seem 
worthy  of  quotation: 

"  My  pride  if  I  have  any,  has  this  consolation  that  my  most  trifling 
movements  are  considered  as  dangerous  to  a  Prince  who  is  lord  of  so 
many  brave  battalions  and  so  invincible  a  navy  and  such  inexhaustible 
resources  as  his  Majesty  of  Great  Britain.  And  this  perhaps  it  is,  that 
has  restored  my  good  humor.  I  knew  before  that  I  was  upon  the  axle- 
tree  of  the  chariot  but  never  thought  that  I  made  much  of  the  surround- 
ing dust.  You  will  no  doubt  perceive  I  sometimes  smile  while  I  am 
writing,  but  I  beg  you  not  to  conclude  from  thence  that  I  am  upon  a  bed 
of  roses  and  that  I  may  well  stay  there  sometime  longer.  You  know, 
Sir,  that  tho'  I  have  some  firmness,  I  have  also  much  sensibility  of  spirit, 
that  tho'  the  one  enables  me  to  bear,  the  other  obliges  me  to  feel  my 
situation,  and  with  peculiar  poignancy,  that  restraint  which  prevents 
me  from  employing  such  talents  as  nature  has  given  me,  be  they  what 
they  may,  for  the  bringing  to  a  complete  and  happy  Issue  the  cause  in 
which  our  country  is  engaged.  You  know  me  well  enough  to  believe 
that  I  cannot  lose  sight  of  what  I  was,  nor  cease  to  compare  it  what  I 
now  am  and  what  I  have  the  prospect  of  being  if  this  absurd  and  vexa- 
tious question  1  should  be  drawn  to  any  length. 

********  * 

"  I  will  not  injure  you  by  thinking  it  necessary  to  urge  you  to  hasten 
my  exchange.  I  will  only  add  that  the  opinion  my  enemies  entertain 
of  my  power  of  injuring  them  ought  to  have  some  weight  with  my  coun- 
try since  I  must  be  capable  of  serving  her  in  proportion,  but  do  not  take 
this  as  a  promise.  I  will  be  assured  always  to  do  my  best,  but  the 
Enemy  think  me  capable  of  more  than  I  ever  thought  myself,  altho'  I 
am  no  pretender  to  humility,  but  enough  in  all  conscience  on  such  a 
subject." 

1  Governor  Burke  was  here  referring  to  the  difficulties  which  were 
being  put  in  the  way  of  his  exchange,  and  the  question  as  to  whether 
he  was  a  prisoner  of  State  or  merely  a  prisoner  of  war. 
3 


114  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

From  Wilmington  Governor  Burke  was  removed  to  Sulli- 
van's Island,  where  he  was  closely  confined.  Burke  at  once 
wrote  Lieutenant-Colonel  Balfour,  the  commandant  at 
Charleston,  demanding  an  explanation  of  the  difference  be- 
tween his  treatment  and  that  of  the  other  prisoners.  Colonel 
Balfour  answered  that  he  could  make  no  decision,  but  offered 
to  parole  him  to  James  Island.  On  Xovember  6th  Burke 
accepted  the  parole  and  went  to  James  Island,  where  he  was 
treated  with  consideration  and  respect.  After  he  had  been 
there  for  some  time  a  number  of  refugees  were  sent  there. 
They  were  of  the  lowest  type,  and  outrage  and  crime  at  once 
became  frequent.  Many  of  them  were  from  North  Carolina, 
and  Burke  was  to  them  an  object  of  venomous  hatred.  He 
was  often  threatened,  but  at  first  made  no  complaint,  hoping 
that  he  would  soon  be  exchanged. 

Finally  a  group  at  his  quarters  was  fired  on,  and  a  man 
standing  on  one  side  of  him  was  killed  and  one  on  the  other 
wounded.  Further  violence  was  only  prevented  by  a  British 
officer  who  interfered.  The  next  morning  Burke  wrote  Gen- 
eral Leslie,  explaining  the  danger  of  his  situation  and  re- 
questing a  parole  within  the  American  lines.  Xo  answer 
was  made  to  the  letter,  nor  was  anything  done  for  his  safety. 
For  sixteen  days  he  waited,  exposed  always  to  great  danger 
and  finding  it  necessary  to  change  his  sleeping  place  con- 
stantly and  secretly.  Finally  he  was  notified  that  General 
Leslie  was  prevented  from  keeping  his  promise  of  paroling 
him  to  Xorth  Carolina  by  Major  Craig's  making  it  a  point 
that  the  governor  should  be  kept  as  a  subject  of  retaliation 
for  the  Tories  in  Xorth  Carolina,  particularly  Fanning. 
Governor  Burke  had  seen  a  letter  from  Major  Craig  to  Abner 
Nash,  in  which  he  said  he  would  not  hesitate  to  deliver  to 
those  who  were  in  arms  for  the  King  such  prisoners  as  would 
most  gratify  them  in  their  sentiments  of  revenge.  After 
thinking  over  the  treatment  he  had  received,  and  remember- 


GOVERNOR    THOMAS    BURKE.  115 

ing  how  James  Island  was  regarded  with  horror  in  Charles- 
ton, even  by  the  British,  he  decided  that  he  had  been  exposed 
intentionally  to  the  dangers  of  the  place.  Nor  can  the  im- 
partial student  of  the  facts  in  the  case  fail  to  arrive  at  a  simi- 
lar conclusion. 

After  long  reflection,  he  decided  that  as  a  parole  was  given 
in  exchange  for  protection,  failure  to  protect  a  prisoner  would 
have  the  effect  of  releasing  him  from  his  parole.  He  then 
decided  to  make  his  escape,  and  wrote  a  letter  to  North  Caro- 
lina, asking  that  the  laws  might  be  executed  against  the 
Tories,  regardless  of  him.  Finally,  on  January  16,  1782, 
he  made  good  his  escape  and  at  once  went  to  General  Greene's 
headquarters.  From  there,  at  the  advice  of  General  Greene, 
he  wrote  to  General  Leslie,  informing  him  of  his  escape.  He 
said  at  the  close: 

"But  though  I  carried  this  resolution  to  escape  into  effect,  I  do  not 
thereby  intend  to  deprive  you  of  the  advantages  which  my  capture,  by 
the  rights  of  war,  entitle  you  to.  I  purpose  returning  to  my  Govern- 
ment, and  there  to  expect  an  answer  from  you  to  the  following  propo- 
sition : 

"I  will  endeavor  to  procure  for  you  a  just  and  reasonable  equivalent 
in  exchange  for  me,  or  if  this  cannot  be  effected,  I  will  return  within 
your  lines  on  parole,  provided  you  will  pledge  your  honor  that  I  shall 
not  be  treated  in  any  manner  different  from  the  officers  of  the  Conti- 
nental Army  when  prisoners  of  War." 

No  answer  was  returned,  and  Governor  Burke,  who  had 
gone  to  Halifax,  North  Carolina,  where  his  wife  had  been 
during  his  captivity,  notified  General  Greene  that  he  would 
wait  no  longer  than  April  1st  before  assuming  the  reins  of 
government.  This  was  his  most  fatal  mistake,  but  there  were 
many  reasons  to  cause  him  to  make  it.  When  he  left  Greene's 
headquarters  it  was  with  the  avowed  intention  of  having 
nothing  to  do  with  political  affairs.  He  expected  to  find  the 
General  Assembly  in  session  at  Salem  and  to  resign  to  them 
his  office.  But  it  did  not  meet,  and  Governor  Burke  decided 
to  go  to  some  other  State  in  order  not  to  embarrass  the  acting 


116  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

Governor.  But  Alexander  Martin,  the  Speaker  of  the  Sen- 
ate, reminded  him  that  the  office  of  Speaker  would  expire  at 
the  next  general  election,  and  that  the  State  would  be  left 
without  an  executive  head.  So  Burke,  fearing  that  confusion 
and  injury  to  the  affairs  of  the  State  would  result,  decided  to 
undertake  again,  and  at  once,  the  duties  of  his  office,  comfort- 
ing himself  by  coming  to  the  conclusion  that  it  was  not 
unjustifiable  unless  his  escape  was  equally  so,  which  he 
declined  to  concede. 

In  the  meantime  General  Leslie  had  written  to  General 
Greene  that  the  reasons  Burke  had  advanced  were  so  chimeri- 
cal that  he  could  not  give  them  the  smallest  credit,  and  ex- 
pressing the  belief  that  General  Greene  would  at  once  direct 
Burke  to  deliver  himself  up  to  the  commissary  of  prisoners 
at  Charleston,  where  he  would  be  assured  of  every  protec- 
tion. General  Greene  replied  that  while  he  could  not  justify 
the  breaking  of  a  parole,  he  could  not  agree  with  him  in 
regard  to  Governor  Burke's  reason  for  doing  so,  stating  that 
Colonel  Washington  had  said  that  he  would  prefer  a  dungeon 
to  going  on  parole  to  James  Island.  He  desired  to  know  in 
what  light  Governor  Burke  was  regarded — whether  as  a  pris- 
oner of  war  or  of  state. 

As  might  be  expected,  criticism  was  at  once  aroused  by 
Burke's  action.  Col.  William  R.  Davie  wrote  him  in  Feb- 
ruary from  Salisbury  that  Colonel  Williams,  who  had  lately 
come  from  Greene's  headquarters,  had  stated  that  Greene 
and  his  officers  believed  that  his  conduct  was  reprehensible 
and  dishonorable  to  the  State,  and  that  the  enemy  still  had 
a  claim  on  him.  He  advised  Burke  to  take  some  measures 
for  his  justification,  at  the  same  time  offering  his  services  in 
the  matter.  Governor  Burke  at  once  wrote  General  Greene, 
stating  what  had  been  said  and  thanking  him  for  his  efforts 
to  procure  an  exchange.  At  the  same  time  he  informed  him 
that  he  would  not  feel  bound  to  consent  to  any  arrangement 


GOVERNOR    THOMAS    BURKE.  117 

which  provided  for  his  return,  as  he  had  decided  that  if 

General  Leslie  did  not  answer  him  he  was  done  with  him, 

and  that  if  he  (General  Leslie)  asked  anything  unreasonable 

he  would  not  feel  bound  to  accede. 

On  March  18th,  on  learning  that  Burke  had  resumed  the 

duties  of  his  office,  Greene  wrote  him,  expressing  his  regret 

that  he  had  done  so,  and  informing  him  that  all  attempts 

at  exchange  had  proved  futile.     On  April  8th  he  again  wrote 

him,   denying  that  Colonel  Williams  had  any  authority  to 

make  the  statements  concerning  Burke.   In  his  letter  he  shows 

that  he  thought  Burke's  escape  justifiable,  though  he  said  on 

another  occasion  that  his  idea  of  the  sacredness  of  a  parole 

was  such  that  he  would  sooner  have  abided  the  consequences 

than  left  the  enemy's  lines.     Burke  had  already  written  to 

Colonel  Williams,  accusing  him  of  misrepresentation.     His 

letter  shows  traces  of  the  bitterness  which  was  already  rising 

within  him  at  the  general  misunderstanding  and  disapproval 

of  his  course.     April  12th  he  wrote  Greene  that  the  enemy 

placed  a  higher  value  upon  him  than  his  own  country  did, 

but  that  he  was  fast  preparing  to  take  a  final  leave  of  all 

public  business.     Greene  replied,  expressing  sympathy  for  his 

hard  case,  and  closing  the  personal  part  of  his  letter  with 

these  words  of  advice: 

"If  the  people  intend  to  treat  you  with  ingratitude,  I  am  sorry  for  it. 
Much  is  due  to  your  zeal  and  ability  and  as  far  as  I  am  acquainted  with 
the  people  of  your  State,  they  think  your  captivity  a  very  great  misfor- 
tune. I  beg  you  will  not  copy  the  example  of  many  other  great  men 
who  have  gone  before  you,  refuse  your  services  because  the  people  ap- 
pear at  the  time  to  be  insensible  of  their  importance.  We  all  have  our 
dark  days.  No  man  has  been  under  greater  censure  and  reproach  than 
myself;  but  I  was  always  determined  to  persevere  to  the  end  in  the  per- 
suasion that  the  public  would  be  just  at  last." 

The  General  Assembly  met  on  April  16,  1782.  Governor 
Burke,  in  his  message,  gave  the  members  a  full  account  of  the 
circumstances  of  his  capture   and  escape.      On  April  23d, 


118  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

when  the  election  of  Governor  came  up,  he  was  placed  in 
nomination.  He  at  once  wrote  the  Assembly,  in  part,  as  fol- 
lows: 

"This  afternoon  is  appointed  for  the  Election  of  a  Governor,  and  I  am 
in  nomination.  Permit  me  to  say  it  was  my  wish  that  the  several  Inti- 
mations I  have  given  the  General  Assembly  might  have  prevented  any 
Gentleman  from  naming  me  as  a  candidate  for  an  office  which  I  sincerely 
wish  to  be  filled  by  a  much  abler  man,  or  by  any  man  rather  than  my- 
self. When  the  General  Assembly  did  me  the  honor  to  make  choice  of 
me  for  their  Chief  magistrate,  tho'  nothing  could  be  more  injurious  to 
me  or  repugnant  to  my  inclinations,  I  accepted  the  trust  because  I  was 
apprehensive  that  declining  it  would  be  construed  into  a  doubt  of  our 
success,  which  at  a  time  when  our  prospects  were  overcast,  might  have 
had  bad  Consequences.  Happily  that  reason  no  longer  exists,  and  I  do 
not  now  feel  the  necessity  of  sacrificing  my  time  and  Industry  which  are 
absolutely  necessary  to  retrieve  my  private  affairs  from  the  ruin  in  which 
my  being  constantly  employed  in  public  Service  for  several  years  has 
very  nearly  involved  them.  My  misfortunes  during  this  year  have  been 
heavy  and  complicated  and  have  involved  me  in  debts  and  in  private 
distresses  which  it  would  be  painful  to  particularize.  I  hope  it  may  be 
sufficient  to  say  that  it  will  require  the  best  exertions  of  my  Industry  to 
Extricate  me  from  them." 

The  General  Assembly  at  once  passed  a  resolution  of 
thanks  to  Burke  for  his  services  as  Governor,  and  elected 
Alexander  Martin  to  succeed  him. 

Burke  was  notified  on  October  25th  of  his  exchange.  The 
following  extract  from  General  Greene's  letter  is  interesting, 
particularly  when  Burke's  States'  Rights  views  are  remem- 
bered : 

"That  you  can  retire  from  public  life  with  honor  I  never  had  a  doubt, 
but  I  am  by  no  means  satisfied  that  you  should.  Your  State,  and  in- 
deed all  the  Southern  States,  require  many  singularities  and  improve- 
ments to  render  civil  government  perfect.  Few  men  have  the  necessary 
abilities  and  still  fewer  a  proper  degree  of  industry  to  effect  it.  Many  im- 
provements are  also  wanting  in  the  plan  of  Confederation  and  national 
government.  Those  characters  who  have  long  been  in  Congress  and 
have  had  their  views  and  ideas  enlarged  and  their  minds  unfettered  from 
local  attachments  and  directed  to  National  policy  are  the  only  men  fit 
for  this  undertaking.     Unless  our  governments  are  rendered  more  per- 


GOVERNOR    THOMAS    BURKE.  119 

feet  and  our  Union  more  complete  I  fear  we  shall  feel  but  in  a  negative 
way  the  blessings  we  expected  from  Independence.  Think  not  there- 
fore of  retiring  too  soon.  Private  interest  has  its  advantages  and  do  - 
mestic  ease  its  charms ;  but  the  glory  of  establishing  a  great  empire  is  a 
noble  object  and  worthy  of  great  sacrifices,  and  that  you  may  think  on 
the  matter  with  perfect  freedom  and  independence,  I  have  the  pleasure 
to  inform  you  of  your  exchange." 

Burke  seems  to  have  been  approached  in  regard  to  remov- 
ing to  Georgia,  but  the  plan  did  not  suit  him  and  he  declined 
to  consider  it.  There  was  much  criticism  of  his  conduct  in 
the  State,  and,  while  he  still  had  the  confidence  and  friend- 
ship of  men  like  Davie,  Johnston,  Hooper,  Iredell  and  Mc- 
Claine,  the  reproach  of  others,  which  he  felt  to  be  undeserved 
and  ungrateful,  rankled.  With  his  capacity  for  making 
warm  friends,  he  had  its  usual  accompaniment — the  capacity 
for  making  bitter  enemies,  and  these  were  very  active. 
Burke's  was  a  most  sensitive  nature,  and  the  accusations 
which  affected  his  honor  were  more  than  he  could  bear.  He 
seems  to  have  given  himself  over  to  dissipation,  and  died, 
December  2,  1783,  at  Tyaquin.  His  body  rests  in  a  grave, 
unmarked  save  for  a  heap  of  stones,  in  a  grove  on  his  old 
plantation. 

He  had  only  one  child,  a.  daughter,  named  Mary,  who, 
after  teaching  for  many  years  in  Hillsboro,  moved  to  Ala- 
bama, and  died  there,  unmarried,  after  the  close  of  the  Civil 
War.  His  wife,  a  few  years  after  his  death,  married  a  Major 
Dogherty.     Of  this  marriage  there  are  numerous  descendants. 

Taking  into  consideration  all  the  known  facts  of  his  his- 
tory, Burke  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  and  certainly  the 
most  pitiful  figure  in  North  Carolina  history.  That  he  made 
a  mistake  in  violating  his  parole  and  then  assuming  the  reins 
of  government  is  undeniable,  but  it  cannot  be  believed  that 
his  conscience  was  otherwise  than  free  of  guilt  in  the  mat- 
ter. Further  than  this,  it  must  be  believed  that  he  was  actu- 
ated by  the  motives  of  purest  patriotism. 


120  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

Burke's  personality  seems  to  have  been  particularly  attrac- 
tive. In  person  he  was  of  middle  stature,  well  formed,  with 
his  face  much  marked  with  smallpox,  which  had  caused  the 
loss  of  his  left  eye.  In  spite  of  this,  it  is  said  that  his  face 
was  not  without  charm.  His  remaining  eye  was  blue  and 
very  expressive.  He  was  very  convivial,  a  capital  raconteur, 
sang  a  good  song,  and,  without  effort,  wrote  verses,  of  which 
many  are  preserved,  that,  while  possibly  as  good  as  the  gener- 
ality, even  a  partial  critic  could  not  adjudge  of  much  merit. 
Most  of  them  are  addressed  by  him  to  some  fair  Chloe  or 
Phyllis,  for  he  was  inclined  to  be  very  gallant.  But  the  fol- 
lowing is  of  a  different  kind.  Two  passages — one  to  Pitt  and 
the  other  to  the  ladies — are  quoted: 

"  Triumph  America  !     Thy  patriot  voice 
Has  made  the  greatest  of  mankind  rejoice, 
Immortal  Pitt,  an  everglorious  name ! 
Far,  far  unequalled  in  the  Rolls  of  Fame, 
What  Breast  ( for  Virtue  is  by  all  approved 
And  Freedom  even  by  Asia's  slaves  beloved  ) 
What  Breast  but  glows  with  Gratitude  to  Thee, 
Boast  of  Mankind,  great  Prop  of  Liberty." 
********* 

"  And  you,  ye  fair,  on  whom  our  hopes  depend 
Our  future  Fame  and  Empire  to  Extend, 
Whose  Fruitful  Beds  shall  dauntless  Myriads  yield 
To  Fight  for  Freedom  in  some  Future  Field 
Resign  each  dear. 

To-day  let  gladness  beam  in  every  face, 
Soften  each  Smile  and  Brighten  every  Grace, 
While  the  glad  roof  with  lofty  notes  resound, 
With  Grace  Harmonious  move  the  Mazy  Round  ; 
Make  our  Hearts  feel  the  long  forgetted  Fire, 
Wake  into  Flame  each  spark  of  soft  Desire ; 
Too  long  Indignant  Tumults  and  Alarms 
Have  made  us  heedless  of  your  lovely  Charms; 
With  Freedom  blest,  our  care  will  be  to  please, 
Each  day  the  genial  pleasure  to  improve 
And  add  new  Sweetness  to  Connubial  Love." 


GOVERNOR    THOMAS    BURKE.  121 

These  qualities,  as  may  be  imagined,  coupled  with,  a  genial 
and  frank  manner  and  great  cordiality,  won  for  him  numer- 
ous friends.  He  was  of  an  ardent  temperament  and  was  fre- 
quently betrayed  into  rash  acts.  Ready  to  resent  any  fancied 
insult,  he  was  equally  ready  to  atone  for  any  wrong  he  might 
commit.  He  was  probably  the  most  versatile  of  the  men  of 
his  time  in  North  Carolina. 

Mention  has  already  been  made  of  his  quarrel  with  General 
Sullivan.  He  also  became  involved  in  a  difficulty  with  Rich- 
ard Henry  Lee,  which  would  probably  have  resulted  in  a 
duel  but  for  the  intervention  of  General  Wayne,  who  settled 
the  difficulty,  which  was  one  of  misunderstanding. 

Burke  was  a  Roman  Catholic,  but  there  seems  to  have 
been  no  question  of  his  right  to  hold  office.  His  case  was 
quoted  in  the  Convention  of  1835  as  proof  that  there  was  no 
intent  to  bar  Roman  Catholics  from  office. 

He  was  a  man  of  good  education,  as  is  shown  by  his  letters. 
The  following  catalogue  of  his  library,  an  unusually  good 
one  for  the  time,  is  somewhat  indicative  of  his  tastes: 

Piere  Williams'  Reports,  Atkyns'  Reports,  Burrows'  Re- 
ports, Brown's  Abridgment,  Raymond's  Reports,  Carthew's 
Reports,  Gilbert's  Reports,  Finch's  Reports,  Nay's  Reports, 
Salmon's  Abridgment  of  State  Trials,  Shower's  Cases  in 
Parliament,  Treatise  on  Equity,  Dalton's  Justice,  Dawson's 
Origin  of  Law,  Abridgment  of  Cases  in  Equity,  Lillie's  En- 
tries, Coke's  Institutes,  Laws  of  North  Carolina  (two  vol- 
umes), Jacobs'  Dictionary,  Cases  in  Chancery,  Blackstone's 
Commentaries,  Sidney  on  Government,  Abbe  DuBois'  Criti- 
cal Reflections,  Ferguson  on  Civil  Society,  Attorneys'  Prac- 
tice in  Civil  Pleas,  Law  of  Devises,  etc.,  Moley's  Maritime 
Law,  Law  of  Evidence,  B.  G.,  Gilbert's  History  and  Practice 
of  Civil  Actions,  Collection  of  Statutes,  Foster's  Law  of 
Trade,  Bacon's  Law  Tracts,  Law  of  Errors,  Lutwyche's  Re- 
ports (Abridged),  Law  of  Trespass,  Foster's  Crown  Law, 
Lord  Francis'  Principles  of  Equity,  Wilson's  Reports,  Hub- 


122  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

bart's  (sic)  Reports,  Hale's  Pleas  of  the  Crown,  Shower's 
Cases  in  Parliament,  Cases  in  Chancery,  Coke's  Reports, 
Robertson's  Lexicon,  Boyer's  French  and  English  Dictionary, 
Dormat's  Civil  Law,  Lord  Littleton's  Works,  Political  Dis- 
quisitions, Smellger's  Midwifery,  Gibson's  Surveying;  2d, 
3d  and  5th  volumes  of  Pope's  Iliad ;  1st  and  5th  of  the 
Odyssey,  Pope's  Essays,  Euclid's  Elements,  Locke's  Human 
Understanding,  Orrery's  Pliny,  Littleton's  Henry  II,  Beat- 
tie's  Essay  on  Truth,  Robertson's  History  of  Charles  V,  Ver- 
gil, Horace,  Terence,  Juvenal,  Cicero's  Orations,  and  Caesar's 
Commentaries. 

As  to  his  ability,  it  was  undoubtedly  equal  to  that  of  any 
of  his  contemporaries.  His  whole  course  as  a  public  man 
would  indicate  that,  without  the  testimony  of  men  well  quali- 
fied to  judge.  Samuel  Strudwick  said  he  was  "the  ablest 
advocate  and  completest  orator  our  country  affords."  Abner 
Nash,  his  predecessor  as  Governor,  said  he  was  "a  gentleman 
of  activity,  experience  and  ability  and  public  spirit."  Rich- 
ard Henderson  wrote  Judge  John  Williams  in  1778  regard- 
ing Dr.  Burke's  conduct  of  the  case  of  the  Transylvania  Com- 
pany before  the  Virginia  Assembly:  "It  is  universally  given 
up  on  all  hands  that  Mr.  Burke  did  Justice  to  the  Cause,  and, 
for  my  own  part,  think  we  could  not  have  been  better  served 
on  or  off  the  Continent." 

Taking  him  as  he  was,  with  all  his  faults  and  mistakes, 
and  they  were  comparatively  few,  he  deserves  honor  and 
grateful  remembrance  from  North  Carolinians. 

Authorities:  State  Records,  X-XVII,  Encyclopaedia  of  American  Biog- 
raphy, The  University  Magazine,  Carruthers,  Old  North  State  in  J776, 
McRee,  Life  and  Letters  of  James  Iredell,  and  certain  unpublished  re- 
cords of  Orange  county. 

The  writer  also  wishes  to  acknowledge  his  indebtedness  to  Mr.  Mar- 
shall DeLancey  Haywood's  sketch  of  Governor  Burke  in  the  Biographi- 
cal History  of  North  Carolina,  and  to  Mr.  Francis  Nash  for  much  material 
relating  to  Burke,  and  for  numerous  suggestions  in  regard  to  this  paper. 


COLONIAL  AND    REVOLUTIONARY    RELICS  IN 
THE  HALL  OF  HISTORY. 


BY  COL.  FEED  A.  OLDS. 


The  development  of  literary  activity  in  North  Carolina 
during  the  past  five  years  has  been  accompanied  by  the  ripen- 
ing of  a  taste  for  historical  research  and  for  the  collection  of 
matter  bearing  upon  the  history  of  North  Carolina — not  only 
documents,  but  the  more  tangible  and  personal  things  which 
have  gone  to  form  the  history  of  the  State,  and  which,  more 
than  aught  else,  put  the  people  of  this  day  and  generation 
in  touch  with  those  of  the  olden  time.  Thus  it  has  come 
about  that  the  "Hall  of  History"  has  taken  its  place  very 
firmly  as  a  feature  of  historical  development — one  of  those 
outward  and  visible  signs  which  indicate  a  great  movement, 
and  which  is  full  of  hope  and  promise  of  yet  greater  things 
to  come.  When  the  agricultural  building  was  enlarged  it 
was  decided,  at  the  request  of  this  writer,  to  build  a  noble 
room  especially  for  the  proper  display  of  those  objects  which 
bear  directly  upon  the  history  of  the  State,  and  on  the  15th 
of  December,  1902,  the  work  of  installation  began,  the  writer 
having  been  engaged  since  1885  in  collecting,  always  hoping 
that  such  a  place  for  historical  objects  would  be  sooner  or 
later  provided.  North  Carolina  is  yet  rich  in  such  objects, 
notably  of  the  Colonial  and  Revolutionary  period;  but  until 
this  collection  began,  a  little  over  three  years  ago,  nothing 
had  been  done,  except  in  what  may  be  termed  very  justly  a 
local  way,  to  gather  together  such  objects.  By  such  failure  the 
State  has  suffered  enormous  loss,  due  to  the  burning  of  court- 
houses, public  buildings,  and,  most  of  all,  private  homes,  in 
some  of  which  there  were  extensive  groups  of  objects,  the 
loss  of  which  is  irreparable.     But  at  last  the  gathering  to- 


124  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

gether  at  Raleigh,  where  by  all  manner  of  means  the  col- 
lection ought  to  be,  has  been  begun,  and  the  fact  that  the 
number  of  objects  now  exceeds  the  4,000  mark  shows  not 
only  zeal  in  collecting,  but  also  an  awakened  public  interest. 
It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  collecting  is  no  easy  matter, 
since,  first,  there  must  be  obtained  knowledge  of  the  exist- 
ence of  particular  objects ;  next,  of  their  location  and  owner- 
ship ;  then  coming  the  work  of  getting  in  touch  with  the 
owners  and  securing  the  objects,  as  loans  or  gifts — their 
acquisition  by  either  of  these  methods  being  desirable  at  the 
earliest  possible  moment,  since  losses  by  the  failure  to  acquire 
them  are  occurring  all  the  while.  It  is  felt  that  the  present 
Hall  of  History  is  what  may  truly  be  termed  a  stepping-stone 
to  higher  things ;  in  other  words,  that  it  is  but  a  forerunner 
of  a  far  more  noble  one,  generous  as  to  space,  and  built  on 
the  most  modern  lines  as  regards  the  elimination  of  risk  by 
fire.  Given  such  a  building,  and  the  writer  can  undertake 
to  secure  almost  everything  in  North  Carolina ;  only  rela- 
tively few  persons  being  unwilling  to  place  objects  in  such 
safe-keeping.  Of  course  there  are  a  few  who  hide  their  treas- 
ures away,  "under  a  bushel,"  so  to  speak,  instead  of  letting 
them  be  set  broad  and  fair  before  all  the  world  to  instruct 
and  to  stimulate  the  people  of  their  State  who  pour  through 
the  great  North  Carolina  Museum  by  so  many  thousands 
every  year. 

The  task  of  telling  a  story  about  a  collection  so  great  and 
with  so  wide  a  scope  as  the  one  here  presents  no  little  diffi- 
culty, since  if  there  be  too  much  detail  it  is  very  apt  to  degen- 
erate into  a  sort  of  catalogue ;  and  so  it  will  be  the  effort  now 
to  touch  only  upon  those  salient  things  which  stand  out  and 
which  ought  to  be  seen,  as  taking  a  place  in  the  State's  his- 
tory from  the  remotest  time  of  which  there  are  white  men's 
records. 

In  another  room  will  be  found  the  relics  of  the  Indians, 


COLONIAL  AND  REVOLUTIONARY  RELICS.        125 

since  it  is  extremely  difficult  to  locate  the  period  of  the  lat- 
ter; the  making  of  weapons  of  war,  and  the  chase,  as  well 
as  various  other  Indian  articles  of  domestic  use,  sport,  etc., 
having  been  continued  until  a  comparatively  recent  period. 
The  story,  therefore,  as  told  by  the  objects  in  the  Hall  of 
History,  begins  with  the  coming  of  the  white  men,  those 
daring  voyagers  who,  sent  out  by  the  great  Raleigh,  crossed 
the  sea  and  landed  on  the  Isle  of  Roanoke.  The  story  of  this 
landing  of  the  whites  themselves,  and  the  Indians,  is  set  be- 
fore the  visitor  in  a  wonderful  series  of  pictures,  photographic 
reproductions  of  the  engravings  on  copper  in  the  1590  edition 
of  DeBry's  book,  the  first  to  contain  the  pictures,  from  the 
drawings  made  by  John  White,  the  special  artist  sent  over 
with  the  expedition  of  1585.  A  map  in  this  series  of  twenty- 
four  pictures  shows  the  English  vessels  and  also  one  of  their 
small  boats  going  to  the  Isle  of  Roanoke,  with  an  Englishman 
holding  up  a  cross  in  the  bow  of  the  boat,  which  is  nearing 
the  island  on  which  is  the  Indian  town,  with  its  palisade  or 
stockade  of  sharpened  timbers,  this  seeming  to  occupy  a  spot 
very  near  that  on  which  the  Englishmen  built  their  first  fort 
in  what  is  now  the  United  States,  this  being  "Fort  Raleigh," 
which  is  wonderfully  preserved,  and  of  which  a  map,  photo- 
graphs and  a  painting  are  also  shown.  Among  the  objects  in 
the  cases  are  ballast  brought  over  by  the  English  vessels  and 
thrown  out  at  a  point  on  Roanoke  Island  yet  known  as  "Bal- 
last Point,"  and  charcoal  which  was  dug  up  a  few  years  ago 
when  the  excavation  was  made  for  the  monument  to  Virginia 
Dare,  which  now  stands  in  the  center  of  the  venerable  earth- 
work, and  of  which  there  are  also  special  pictures.  When  the 
writer  was  at  the  fort  last  January,  soundings  were  made  with 
slender  steel  rods  all  over  the  place.  The  well  which  the 
colonists  used  was  by  this  means  located.  ]Sk>  objects  were 
found,  and  it  was  discovered  that  for  perhaps  much  more 
than  a  century  the  ground,  both  within  and  without  the  fort, 


126  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

had  been,  again  and  again  the  object  of  curiosity  to  relic  or 
treasure  seekers.  Gone  are  the  tiny  cannon  which  the  colo- 
nists left  there  when  they  abandoned  the  fort,  and  which  were 
seen  somewhere  about  1615,  and  only  a  low  mound,  like  a 
star,  marks  the  boundary  of  this  most  interesting  of  Ameri- 
can fortifications.  It  is  a  neglected  spot,  the  rude  fence  and 
ruder  gateway  having  almost  completely  decayed.  In  any 
other  State  than  this  it  would  be  marked  in  a  splendid 
fashion,  and  it  would  be  also  a  place  of  pilgrimage. 

There  is  a  long  skip  in  white  life  in  North  Carolina  after 
the  abandonment  of  Roanoke,  an  intermission  of  almost  three- 
quarters  of  a  century.  The  next  document  bears  upon  a 
meeting  held  in  what  is  now  Perquimans  County  in  1684. 
Then  there  is  a  will  of  John  Trueblood,  of  the  Province  of 
Albemarle,  dated  1692,  and  this  is  interesting  as  showing 
that  the  style  of  handwriting  had  changed  hardly  at  all  from 
the  date  of  the  great  days  of  Queen  Elizabeth  and  the  knightly 
Raleigh,  that  fosterer  of  adventure  and  promoter  of  daring 
deeds,  to  whom  North  Carolina  owes  so  much.  There  are 
memorials  of  the  oldest  towns  in  North  Carolina,  the  chief 
one  being  Bath,  which  was  really  founded  about  1694,  though 
its  charter  was  not  granted  until  eleven  years  later.  Bath, 
as  the  picture  shows,  is  unique  in  North  Carolina,  as  being 
the  one  place  at  least  where  time  has  stood  quite  still.  The 
pictures  of  the  oldest  church  in  the  State  and  of  the  oldest 
residence,  formerly  known  as  "Government  House,"  the 
chimney  of  which,  the  largest  in  the  United  States,  was  built 
for  use  as  a  fort,  a  place  of  refuge  and  defence,  tell  the  story 
of  the  quaint  village  far  better  than  any  words.  There  are 
relics  of  the  historic  Blackbeard,  or  Teach,  that  bloodiest  of 
all  pirates  along  this  coast,  together  with  his  pistol,  a  button 
from  his  coat,  a  brick  from  his  house  at  Bath,  and  part  of 
a  wine  bottle  or  flagon  from  which  no  doubt  that  roystering 
devil  had  drank  deeply  many  a  time  and  oft.     There  is  an 


COLONIAL  AND  REVOLUTIONARY  RELICS.        127 

English  coin  from  Bath,  taken  from  a  pit  near  Teach's  house, 
in  which  some  three  thousand  or  more  were  found,  this  being 
of  the  reign  of  William  and  Mary  and  dated  1694,  and  there 
are  other  strange  coins  of  that  time,  known  as  brass  farth- 
ings, which  were  taken  from  the  same  hoard. 

Some  of  the  oldest  papers  are  records  of  the  Quakers,  who 
got  an  early  footing  in  eastern  North  Carolina,  particularly 
in  Perquimans,  where  there  is  yet  quite  a  colony  of  these 
worthy  people.  A  document  of  a  singular  character  tells  of 
one  of  the  two  recorded  Spanish  invasions  of  North  Carolina, 
if  these  may  be  termed  invasions — one  being  an  attempt  at 
the  capture  of  Beaufort,  and  another  an  attempt  upon  old 
Brunswick,  when  it  was  the  seat  of  government,  on  the  Cape 
Fear  river,  below  Wilmington.  The  document  in  question 
is  a  bill  for  looking  after  the  wounded  Spaniards  who  were 
taken  at  Beaufort,  and  part  of  it  is  for  "physiking  and  diet- 
ing" them;  the  charges  including  quite  a  variety  of  food  and 
drink.  One  of  the  most  thrilling  periods  of  North  Carolina 
history  was  that  of  the  Tuscarora  war,  in  the  days  of  brave 
old  Governor  Thomas  Pollock,  who,  to  be  sure,  with  all  his 
English  courage,  was  well  put  to  it  to  save  his  colony  from 
what  looked  like  almost  sure  extermination;  and  had  not 
South  Carolina  come  to  his  aid  with  whites  and  friendly 
Indians  in  great  numbers,  the  Tuscaroras  must  needs  have 
gotten  the  upper  hand  and  have  soon  killed  ten  where  they 
had  slain  one  of  the  settlers.  There  is  the  treaty  of  peace 
between  the  whites  on  the  one  hand  and  the  portion  of  the 
Tuscaroras  headed  by  Tom  Blount,  who  was  declared  to  be 
the  king  of  those  most  bloodthirsty  of  all  red  men  in  North 
Carolina.  The  treaty  itself  breathes  cruelty  in  every  line, 
though  cruelty  in  that  day  meant  safety.  The  text  of  the 
treaty  is  as  follows : 


128  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

"Preliminary  articles  in  order  to  a  Gen'l.  Peace,  had,  made,  concluded 
and  agreed  upon  this  25th  day  of  November,  Anno  Domini,  1712,  be- 
tween Tom  Blunt,  Saroona,  Heunthanohnoh,  Chountharuntshoe,  Ne- 
woonttootsere,  chief  men  of  several  of  ye  Tuskarora  Townes  for  and  on 
behalf  of  themselves  and  ye  Townes  of  Eukurknornet,  Rarookshee, 
Tostohant,  Rauroota,  Tarhunta,  Keuta,  Toherooka,  Juninits,  Conso- 
toba,  on  ye  one  part  and  the  Honble.  Thos.  Pollock,  Esq.,  Presdt.,  of 
and  ye  rest  of  ye  Councill  for  and  on  behalf  of  themselves  and  this 
Government  of  North  Carolina  on  ye  other  part,  Witnesseth:  — 

"Imprimis.  The  afs'd  Great  Men  doe  hereby  covenant  and  agree  to 
&  with  ye  said  Presdt.  and  Council  that  they  shall  and  will  with  ye 
utmost  Expedition  and  Dilligence  make  warr  ag't.  all  ye  Indyans  be- 
longing to  ye  Townes  or  Nations  of  Catachny,  Cores,  Nuse,  Bare  River 
and  Pamlico  and  that  they  shall  not  nor  will  not  give  any  Quarter  to 
any  male  Indyan  of  those  Townes  or  Nations  above  ye  age  of  fourteen 
yeares  and  also  that  they  shall  and  will  sell  off  and  dispose  of  all  ye 
males  under  that  age,  and  that  further  after  they  shall  have  destroy'd 
those  Townes  or  soe  soon  as  this  Government  shall  think  proper  to  re- 
quire it,  the  said  Great  Men  doe  hereby  promise  to  join  ye  English 
Avith  soe  many  Men  as  may  be  thought  proper  to  distroy  and  cutt  off 
all  Matchapungo  Indyans. 

"2dly.  The  afs'd.  Great  Men  doe  hereby  covenant  and  agree  that  if 
in  this  Warr  they  shall  take  any  amies  which  shall  be  proved  to  have 
been  owned  by  ye  English  and  taken  away  in  ye  late  horrid  massacre 
such  arms  shall  be  delivered  to  ye  right  owners  thereof. 

"3dly.  It  is  hereby  further  agreed  by  said  Great  Men  that  they  shall 
and  will  well  and  truly  deliver  up  to  ye  English  all  ye  white  captives 
and  horses  that  they  shall  find  among  ye  Ind\rans. 

"4thly.  It  is  hereby  further  agreed  by  ye  Great  Men  afs'd.  that  these 
Severall  Townes  of  Tostochant,  Rauroota,  Tarhunta,  Keutah,  Tohe- 
rooka, Junitis,  Caunookehoe,  nor  any  of  ye  Indyans  belonging  to  them 
or  either  of  them  shall  not  nor  will  not  hunt  nor  range  among  ye  Eng- 
lish plantations  or  stocks  without  leave,  or  then  above  the  number  of 
three  at  one  tyme,  neither  shall  they  clame  any  proprty  in  ye  land  on 
ye  southside  of  Nuse  caled  Chatooka  River  nor  below  Catachny  Creek 
on  Neuse  nor  below  Bare  Creek  at  Not-Sha-Hun-Han-Rough  on  ye 
south  side  of  Pamptico  River. 

"5thly.  It  is  mutually  agreed  by  and  between  all  ye  said  parties  to 
these  presents  that  if  any  injurey  shall  hereafter  be  done  on  either  side, 
upon  complaints  made  to  such  persons  as  shall  hereafter  be  appointed 
for  that  purpose,  full  satisfaction  shall  be  made. 

"6thly.  The  afs'd.  Great  Men  doe  hereby  agree  that  from  &  after  ye 


COLONIAL  AND  REVOLUTIONARY  RELICS.        129 

Ratification  of  a  Gen'l.  Peace  they  shall  and  will  pay  into  this  Govern- 
ment such  a  yearly  Tribute  as  hereafter  shall  be  agreed  upon. 

"7thly.  The  afs'd.  Great  Men  doe  hereby  further  agree  that  for  ye 
full  &  true  performance  of  all  and  every  ye  above  articles  on  their  part 
to  be  performed,  ye  several  Townes  of  Tostehant,  Rauroota,  Tarhunta, 
Keuta,  Toherooka,  Juninits  &  Caurookehee  shall  bring  in  and  deliver 
up  to  this  Government  at  ye  Honble.  Col.  Thos.  Pollock's  six  of  ye 
chiefest  women  and  children  from  each  Towne,  for  Hostages,  by  ye 
nexte  full  moons,  provided  that  they  doe  not  distroy  ye  Enemy  afs'd. 
by  that  tyme. 

"8thly.  The  said  President  &  Councill  doe  hereby  covenant  and  agree 
with  ye  Great  Men  afs'd.  that  upon  the  just  and  true  performance  of 
-these  articles  the  severall  hostages  afs'd.  shall  be  well  and  truly  deliv- 
ered up  againe  and  a  free  and  open  trade  shal  be  had  with  said  Indyans 
as  existed  formerly. 

"Lastly,  the  afs'd.  Great  Men  doe  hereby  agree  that  they  will  en- 
deavor to  bring  in  to  some  of  their  Townes  alsoe  Chauaneckquockene- 
rook,  Enuquner-called  Johetaoin  shrdluap  uapapup  called  John  Pagett, 
Ekehorquest  called  Lawson,  Correuiena,  called  Barbar,  Colsera,  called 
Henry,  Lyahe  Oumskinneree,  called  Suarehooks,  Touhquinanch,  Erun- 
vanhyne  and  Young  Yyler,  and  send  two  Runners  to  Mr.  Redding's  Gar- 
rison, give  there  three  Hoops,  then  show  a  white  cloth  for  a  signale  in 
order  to  pilott  such  prsons  as  we  shall  think  proper  to  send  to  see  the 
operation  done  upon  ye  afs'd.  murderers;. 

"In  witness  hereof  the  several  parties  to  these  presents  have  inter- 
changeably sett  their  hands  and  seals  the  day  and  yeare  first  above 
written. 

•TOM  T.  B.  BLUNT, 

"I.  P.  SAROONTA, 

"H.    HEUNSHANOHNAH, 

"T.  OHAUNTHARUNTSHOE, 

"I.  NEWOONTTOOTSERY, 

"SAROONTHA  HORUNTTOCKEN,  absent. 

There  is  also  a  map  of  the  lands  which  the  whites'  gave  to 
Tom  Blount  in  return  for  his  co-operation  with  them,  these 
lying  in  Bertie  County,  and  to  this  day  being  known  as  the 
"Indian  Woods."  Surveyors  in  those  days  were  generous, 
and  when  in  later  years  it  was  found  necessary  to  re-survey 
this  tract,  it  was  discovered  that  the  area  was  more  than 
thrice  as  great  as  originally  stated.  There  are  tomahawks, 
4 


130  THE  NORTH   CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

made  of  iron  and  evidently  obtained  from  the  Indian  traders ; 
that  is,  white  men  who  sold  guns,  ammunition,  tomahawks 
and,  worst  of  all,  "fire-water" — that  is,  whiskey — to  the  red 
men,  and  who  aided  more  in  debauching  them  than  did  the 
very  worst  Indians.  The  tomahawks  show  by  their  shape 
that  they  were  for  no  peaceful  purpose,  far  unlike  the  Eng- 
lish hatchets,  and  their  very  lines  seem  to  tell  a  story  of  those 
days  of  horror. 

While  DeBry's  pictures  were  the  first  ever  printed  about 
North  Carolina  (then  "Virginia"),  it  was  a  great  many 
years  before  the  colony  printed  its  own  first  book,  and  this 
did  not  appear  until  1752,  being  a  compilation  of  the  laws 
of  the  colony,  printed  by  James  Davis,  the  official  printer,  at 
New  Bern.  It  was  bound  in  yellow  leather,  and  hence  became 
known  in  common  language  as  the  "Yellow  Jacket."  The 
example  of  it  shown  is  perfect.  New  Bern  had  then  become 
a  place  of  importance.  It  was  the  east  which  in  those  days 
was  the  real  seat  of  life,  progress,  culture  and  development, 
since  the  colonial  towns  were  necessarily  along  the  streams 
or  sounds  or  broad  estuaries — places  which  could  be  easily 
reached  by  vessels  from  the  other  side  of  the  ocean.  The 
early  settlers  showed  much  judgment  in  their  selection  of 
sites  for  their  towns,  and  to  this  day  the  site  of  old  Bath  will 
strike  any  person  with  a  practical  eye,  by  reason  of  its  situa- 
tion. Old  Brunswick,  Edenton,  Hertford,  Plymouth,  New 
Bern  and  other  points  were  all  well  chosen.  The  collection 
is  rich  in  objects  illustrating  the  colonial  life  in  all  of  these. 

Edenton  remains  the  most  interesting  of  all  the  towns  in 
the  State,  from  a  colonial  point  of  view,  and  the  illustrations 
of  it  show  that  it  ought  to  be  a  place  of  pilgrimage  for  the 
Colonial  Dames  and  the  Daughters  of  the  Revolution  as  well, 
since  there  is  a  remarkable  blending  of  life  of  the  two  periods 
in  North  Carolina. 

The  stately  court-house,  with  a  "spring  floor"  on  the  upper 


COLONIAL  AND  REVOLUTIONARY  RELICS.        131 

story,  built  for  the  special  purpose  of  dancing,  was  modeled 
after  assembly  rooms  in  England,  at  such  places  as  Bath  and 
Tunbridge  Wells.  On  this  second  floor  is  the  Masonic  Hall, 
with  the  chair  in  which  Washington  sat  when  master  of  the 
lodge  of  Masons  at  Alexandria,  Va.  Very  beautiful  pictures 
of  "Hays,"  the  great  estate  of  the  rich  and  powerful  Samuel 
Johnston  at  Edenton,  show  this  building  to  be  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  of  all  existing  country  houses  in  America,  and 
photographs  which  are  wonderfully  fine  reproductions  show 
some  of  the  treasures  of  the  library  at  this  house,  which  has 
come  down  through  a  century  and  a  half  in  such  perfect  con- 
dition. Of  these  treasures  is  the  only  known  copy  of  the  ISTew 
Bern  Gazette  of  June  16,  1775,  containing  the  Mecklenburg 
Resolves  of  May  31,  1775,  this  paper  having  been  sent  to 
Richard  Caswell,  then  a  member  of  the  Congress  at  Phila- 
delphia, by  Richard  Cogdell,  the  chairman  of  the  ISTew  Bern 
Committee  of  Safety,  this  letter  saying,  in  part:  "You  will 
observe  the  Mecklenburg  Resolves  exceed  all  other  commit- 
tees or  the  Congress  itself.  I  send  you  the  paper  in  which 
they  are  inserted,  and  I  hope  this  will  soon  come  to  hand." 
This  letter  is  dated  June  18th.  These  resolves  did  not  ap- 
pear in  the  Wilmington  Mercury  until  a  week  after  they  had 
appeared  in  the  ~New  Bern  Gazette.  There  are  water-colors 
of  the  House  with  a  Cupola,  once  the  residence  of  Francis 
Corbin,  Lord  Granville's  agent,  and  of  the  house  where  the 
patriotic  women  held  the  "tea  party,"  and  there  are  photo- 
graphs of  the  former  building  and  of  the  bronze  tea-pot  which 
Mr.  Julian  Wood  has  placed  on  the  site  of  the  tea-party 
house. 

A  pair  of  pistols  of  unique  and  striking  form  were  the 
property  of  Capt.  Hugh  Waddell,  and  were  carried  by  him 
in  the  expedition  against  the  French  and  Indians  in  1758,  at 
which  time  the  British  troops  and  militia  captured  Fort 
DuQuesne,  in  Pennsylvania,  and  by  the  capture  really  broke 


132  THE  NOETH   CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

the  French  power  in  the  colonies.  These  weapons  are  per- 
fectly preserved  and  have  what  are  known  as  cannon  barrels, 
because  of  their  shape,  tapering  from  breech  to  muzzle. 

Recent  acquisitions  to  the  collection  are  portraits  of  the 
first  Lords  Proprietors,  these  being  photographs,  the  gift  of 
Mr.  James  Sprunt,  of  Wilmington,  of  the  portraits  in  his 
private  collection,  which  are  copies  made  to  his  order  of  the 
originals,  which  are  in  libraries  and  private  homes  in  Eng- 
land. They  include  King  Charles  and  all  of  the  first  Pro- 
prietors except  Sir  John  Colleton,  whose  portrait  has  never 
been  found.  There  is  the  Earl  of  Craven,  who  gave  his 
name  to  the  county  of  that  name;  Hyde,  who  is  yet  paid  a 
similar  honor;  that  Berkeley  who  was  the  only  one  of  the 
Lords  Proprietors  who  came  over  to  this  side  and  whose  stay 
here  was  marked  by  death  and  destruction,  mainly  the  exe- 
cution of  Governor  Drummond  of  Virginia  and  the  burning 
of  Jamestown,  the  next  place  settled  after  ill-fated  Roanoke. 
There  is  Anthony  Ashley  Cooper,  Sari  of  Shaftesbury,  who 
wrote  the  Habeas  Corpus  Act,  and  for  whom  Locke  wrote 
his  "Fundamental  Constitutions,"  which  was  intended  as  a 
chart  of  laws  for  the  government  of  the  colony  of  North 
Carolina,  and  who  himself  made  additions  to  that  interesting 
document,  which  to  be  sure  provided  a  most  impracticable 
mode  of  government,  hard  to  be  even  imagined  in  these  latter 
days.  There  is  a  deed  by  the  Lords  Proprietors  to  George 
Burrington  for  the  fisheries  in  North  Carolina  for  the  term 
of  seven  years,  this  being  a  striking  document,  of  great  size, 
on  parchment,  and  bearing  the  autographs  and  seals  of  the 
gentlemen  who  then  owned  North  Carolina.  Later  it  came 
about  that  all  of  the  Lords  Proprietors  except  Granville  sur- 
rendered their  proprietorships.  There  are  interesting  docu- 
ments signed  by  him  and  by  his  agents,  one  of  whom  was 
Francis  Corbin  of  Edenton,  whose  house  is  yet  perfectly  pre- 
served and  who  was  visited  by  the  "Regulators"  and  made  to 


COLONIAL  AND  REVOLUTIONARY  RELICS.        133 

give  bond  that  he  would  be  just  and  true  in  his  financial 
dealings  with  the  people.  There  are  also  deeds  signed  by 
Nisbet,  Granville's  agent  in  the  up-country,  for  lands  granted 
to  the  United  Brethren,  otherwise  the  Moravians,  whose 
headquarters  were  then  and  now  are  at  Salem.  There  are 
royal  seals,  some  weighing  a  quarter  of  a  pound  and  of  wax ; 
bullet-moulds,  button-moulds,  candle-sticks,  snuffers,  pewter 
platters  and  plates,  tuning  forks  and  scores  of  other  relics  of 
the  Colonial  times.  There  are  deeds  and  newspapers  bear- 
ing the  stamps  used  in  collecting  the  stamp  tax,  which  pres- 
ently became  so  odious  as  to  form  one  of  the  key-notes  of  the 
Revolutionary  uprising.  There  are  relics  of  the  earliest 
Scotch  settlement  along  the  Cape  Fear,  with  its  center  at 
Fayetteville,  including  wonderfully  fine  pictures  of  "Bonnie 
Prince  Charlie"  and  his  savior,  the  brave  though  unlucky 
Flora  McDonald. 

Very  interesting  indeed  is  the  collection  of  maps  of  the 
State,  dating  from  1585,  the  most  accurate  of  the  early  ones 
being  that  by  Lawson,  the  Surveyor-General  of  this  colony, 
which  was  made  about  1708.  An  original  edition  of  Law- 
son's  history  of  the  State  is  on  view.  This  particular  copy 
is  a  gift  from  President  James  Madison,  to  replace  a  much- 
prized  one  lost  in  the  fire  which  destroyed  the  State  capitol 
here  in  June,  1831. 

Photographs  of  Edenton  include  the  burial-place  of  a  num- 
ber of  notables,  among  these  governors  Pollock  and  Eden,  and 
the  wife  .of  Governor  Edward  Moseley,  who  is  truly  a  lost 
governor,  since  no  amount  of  search  has  so  far  availed  to  find 
his  remains.  Capt.  Samuel  A.  Ashe,  so  well  informed  about 
all  things  North  Carolinian,  thinks  that  his  grave  is  at  Pocky 
Point,  Pender  County,  and  search  will  probably  be  made 
there.  These  remains  of  notables  were  gathered  at  various 
points  and  interred  in  this  cemetery  of  old  St.  Paul's  Church, 
Edenton. 


134  THE  NORTH   CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

There  are  many  extremely  fine  examples  of  penmanship  in 
the  collection  of  colonials,  and  notable  among  these  are  maps 
or  plots  of  lands,  some  of  these  going  back  to  the  time  when 
the  Roanoke  River  was  known  as  the  Morotoke  or  Morotuck. 
These  maps  show  the  origin  of  many  of  the  present  names. 
One  of  them  shows  the  location  of  an  Indian  town,  Tauhunta, 
which  was  on  the  Tau  river,  now  known  as  the  Tar. 

Of  the  Regulators  there  are  a  number  of  relics,  chief 
among  these,  perhaps,  being  the  bell  which  they  used  for  the 
double  purpose  of  calling  themselves  together,  having  no 
drum,  and  also  giving  notice  of  the  approach  of  the  British. 
The  bell  has  a  very  thin  and  peculiar  tone,  like  a  cow- 
bell. There  is  a  pay-roll  of  the  company  commanded  by 
Captain  David  Hart,  of  the  Orange  County  Regiment,  which 
served  70  days  in  what  was  then  termed  the  "Insurrection." 
There  is  also  a  plan  of  the  battlefield  of  Alamance,  made  on 
the  spot  by  an  engineer  the  day  after  the  battle,  and  showing 
the  positions  of  the  militia  under  Governor  Tryon  and  the 
Regulators. 

But  few  old  taverns  yet  remain  in  North  Carolina,  yet 
fortunately  there  is  a  very  striking  example  at  Hertford,  the 
building  being  of  wood,  long  and  rambling,  two-storied,  with 
double  portico  its  entire  length,  and  this  is  excellently  illus- 
trated by  photographs. 

The  most  noted  collection  of  letters  in  all  North  Carolina 
is  unquestionably  that  of  the  Iredells,  now  in  the  possession 
of  Col.  Charles  Earl  Johnson,  of  Raleigh,  this  being  very 
extensive  and  containing  letters  from  practically  every  man 
in  high  public  life  in  this  colony  and  the  others  during  the 
late  colonial  period  and  throughout  the  Revolution.  Two 
cases  of  these  documents  are  shown  and  there  are  some  strik- 
ing relics  among  these,  one  a  proclamation  by  Governor  Josiah 
Martin,  who  used  on  public  documents  his  private  seal  in- 
stead of  the  State  seal.     There  are  other  special  cases,  contain- 


COLONIAL  AND  REVOLUTIONARY  RELICS.        135 

ing  the  documents  of  the  Devereux  family,  which  go  back  to 
the  time  of  Governor  Pollock;  documents,  rare  books,  etc., 
collected  by  Bishop  Joseph  Blount  Cheshire,  and  the  very 
important  collection  of  autograph  letters  made  by  Governor 
Swain  while  in  office,  this  being  of  documents  from  the  execu- 
tive office,  and  covering  not  only  the  Colonial  period  but  the 
Revolutionary,  and  coming  down  to  a  later  date. 

The  period  during  the  Revolution,  when  North  Carolina 
was  what  may  be  termed  an  independent  commonwealth,  is 
illustrated  by  various  articles,  but  certainly  by  none  more 
striking  than  the  currency  issued  by  authority  of  congress  at 
Halifax,  April  2,  1776.  This  money  is  excellently  well 
printed,  the  plates  having  been  made  on  copper,  and  the 
designs  are  striking,  being  in  sharp  contrast  with  money 
issued  a  little  later.  Very  perfect  copies  of  the  journals  of 
two  of  the  most  notable  State  conventions  are  on  view;  one, 
that  held  at  Hillsboro  in  1788,  which  declined  to  ratify  the 
Federal  Constitution;  the  other,  that  at  Fayetteville  the  fol- 
lowing year,  which  ratified  that  great  document.  The  "Re- 
solves" of  the  Committee  of  Safety  of  Surry  County  and  of 
Tryon  County  are  unique  as  showing  on  their  face  that  there 
was  great  loyalty  to  the  King,  while  there  was  the  sternest 
opposition  to  the  policy  of  oppression  practiced  upon  the  colo- 
nies by  England.  The  Surry  County  resolves,  exquisitely 
written,  bear  in  graceful  design  upon  the  cover  the  inscrip- 
tion, "Liberty  or  death.     God  save  the  King." 

Mention  has  been  made  of  the  Johnson  collection,  covering 
a  number  of  Iredell  documents.  A  special  case  in  this  col- 
lection is  devoted  to  the  portraits  of  Colonial  and  Revolu- 
tionary celebrities,  including  Willie  (or  Wiley)  and  Allen 
Jones,  the  former  of  whom  was  to  exercise  a  remarkable  in- 
fluence upon  John  Paul  Jones,  the  first  admiral  of  the  United 
States  Navy,  the  patronage  and  affection  shown  by  Willie 
Jones  having  led  John  Paul  to  add  Jones  to  his  name  and  to 


136  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

show  in  many  other  ways  his  regard  for  the  great  and  warm- 
hearted [North  Carolinian  who  had  done  so  much  for  him. 
There  is  in  the  Swain  collection  a  characteristic  note  written 
by  the  Chevalier  Paul  Jones,  while  in  Paris,  to  a  friend,  de- 
siring a  copy  of  the  Constitution  of  jSTorth  Carolina  to  be 
shown  to  a  gentleman  in  high  favor  at  the  French  court.  The 
collection  of  portraits  is  mostly  composed  of  etchings,  and 
upon  the  borders  of  some  of  these  Mrs.  Robertson,  a  daughter 
of  the  late  Col.  Cadwallader  Jones,  has  painted  in  colors  the 
family  arms,  she  being  the  official  painter  to  both  the  Colonial 
Dames  and  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution  in  the 
United  States.  The  collection  embraces  portraits  of  the  three 
signers  of  the  Federal  Declaration  of  Independence  at  Phila- 
delphia— Hooper,  Hewes  and  Penn — and  there  are  various 
other  memorials  of  these  worthies. 

The  Mecklenburg  Declaration  of  Independence,  claimed 
by  some  to  have  been  made  on  the  20th  day  of  May,  1775, 
and  by  others  to  have  been  made  (in  the  shape  of  what  have 
been  known  as  the  Resolves)  May  31,  1775,  is  a  disputed 
point  in  JSTorth  Carolina.  The  evidence  as  to  the  31st  is  be- 
yond any  human  question.  There  is  a  special  collection  of 
autographs  of  Hezekiah  Alexander  and  others,  whom  it  is 
asserted  signed  the  Declaration  of  May  20th.  As  has  already 
been  stated,  the  Resolves  of  May  31st  appear  in  the  ISTew 
Bern  Gazette  of  date  sixteen  days  later,  and  also  in  the 
Charleston  Gazette,  the  latter  paper  having  been  sent  to  Eng- 
land, and  the  most  obnoxious  of  the  Resolves  having  been 
marked  by  the  royal  governor,  the  original  of  this  particular 
paper  being  in  the  British  archives,  but  the  photographic  copy 
l>eing  of  the  precise  size  and  very  clear. 

Of  the  Revolutionary  period  proper  there  are  over  four 
hundred  relics,  among  these  some  of  Richard  Caswell,  the 
first  governor  under  American  rule,  being  naturally  promi- 
nent, including  a  cup  and  saucer  made  in  France  for  him, 


COLONIAL  AND  REVOLUTIONARY  RELICS.        137 

while  there  are  particularly  valuable  documents  bearing  his 
autograph  and  the  State  seal  of  the  time. 

As  has  been  stated,  it  is  difficult  to  draw  the  line  between 
the  Colonial  and  the  Revolutionary  periods,  so  much  do  these 
blend  in  certain  respects.  Thus  there  are  shown  superb 
copies  of  the  Bible  and  Prayer  Book  of  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land, both  royal  gifts  from  King  George  III.  to  the  vestry 
of  Christ  Church  in  the  good  town  of  ISTew  Bern,  when  it  was 
the  capital  of  the  State.  These  books  were  in  continuous  use 
in  the  church  until  a  comparatively  recent  period.  The 
''Palace"  of  Governor  Tryon,  at  New  Bern,  built  at  what  was 
considered  a  vast  expense  in  those  days,  is  illustrated  by  a 
very  old  wood-cut.  This  building  did  not  a  little  part  to 
fan  the  flame  of  unrest  of  the  "Regulators."  They  harped 
upon  it,  and  not  a  few  of  the  colonists  objected  to  paying 
taxes  because  of  the  fact  that  their  money  was  going  towards 
paying  for  this  edifice,  which  provoked  both  their  contempt 
and  their  hatred.  It  was  the  boast  of  Tryon  that  the  build- 
ing was  to  be  the  handsomest  in  the  southern  colonies  if  not 
in  the  whole  country.  Of  it  but  a  wing  remains,  long  used 
as  a  stable,  but  now  as  a  private  residence. 

There  is  a  "letter  of  orders"  from  the  Bishop  of  London 
(Compton),  authorizing  the  holding  of  services  in  the  Colony 
by  a  clergyman.  There  is  money  issued  at  a  number  of  points 
in  the  State  prior  to  the  Revolution  and  during  that  period. 
Some  of  the  colonial  currency  is  what  was  known  as  "Procla- 
m  at  ion  Money,"  and  the  enormous  depreciation  of  the  revolu- 
tionary currency  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  in  a  bill  rendered 
in  1786  iron  is  quoted  at  four  pounds,  English  money,  the 
pound ;  sugar  12  pounds,  pepper  90  pounds,  rum  165  pounds 
a  gallon,  a  glass  tumbler  75  pounds.  This  bill,  by  the  way, 
is  for  a  total  of  over  1,500  poimds,  and  two  of  its  entries  are 
in  these  strange  words :  "By  spirits  rum  drank  at  my  fa- 
ther's funeral,  45  pounds."     "A  difference  of  seven  pounds; 


138  THE  NORTH   CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

so  near  a  balance  that  a  drink  of  grogg  settles  it."  Of  the 
money  issued  during  the  Revolution  some  was  emitted  at 
Hillsboro,  some  at  New  Bern,  and  some  at  Smithfield  and 
Fayetteville.  There  is  a  journal  of  the  Provincial  Congress 
at  Halifax,  April,  1776.  Some  of  the  bills  issued  by  the 
Provincial  Congress  at  Hillsboro,  August  21,  1775,  are  signed 
by  Richard  Caswell  and  Samuel  Johnston.  There  is  a  printed 
order,  dated  at  Johnston  Court-House,  December  24,  1775, 
signed  by  Cornelius  Harnett,  the  president  of  the  council. 
Another  document  which  shows  how  stirring  were  the  times  is 
a  letter  from  the  Wilmington  Committee  of  Safety,  or  Com- 
mittee of  Intelligence,  as  it  was  termed,  to  the  New  Bern  com- 
mittee, signed  by  Cornelius  Harnett  and  others,  dated  July  2, 
1775. 

In  striking  contrast  to  the  bell  used  by  the  Regulators,  so 
thin  in  material  and  in  tone  as  well,  is  a  great  hand-bell 
which  was  used  by  Governor  Tryon  at  the  "Palace"  and  later 
by  the  provincial  assembly  and  by  Governor  Caswell.  It  is 
deep  in  tone,  rotund  and  heavy. 

The  wearing  apparel  of  the  blended  periods  is  shown,  and 
from  it,  certainly  as  to  the  shoes,  we  learn  that  our  grand- 
mothers were  addicted  to  high  heels  and  the  most  papery  of 
slippers,  with  toes  so  pointed  as  to  put  to  blush  any  modern 
creations.  There  are  buckles  of  paste  and  other  gewgaws  of 
the  time,  and  from  these  relics  of  the  gay  days  of  old  there 
floats  out  like  incense  the  subtle  yet  pervasive  odor  of  sandal- 
wood, since  my  lady  of  those  far-away  days  must  needs  have 
a  case  of  this  wood  in  her  boudoir,  to  contain  some  at  least  of 
her  fripperies.  What  tales  of  dancing  days,  of  the  stately  old 
assemblies,  the  graceful  if  slow  minuet,  of  hoops  so  great  as 
to  render  the  curled  darlings  of  the  time  unapproachable  to 
caresses  unless  they  bent  over  like  a  tree  in  a  storm;  with 
towering  headdresses,  tier  upon  tier,  hair  and  feathers,  with 
powder  galore,    and   the   faces,    fair   enough,    disfigured   by 


COLONIAL  AND  REVOLUTIONARY  RELICS.        139 

rouge  and  beauty-spots  most  cunningly  placed.  There  are 
combs  of  tortoise-shell  most  daintily  carved,  which  were  a 
fad  in  those  days,  and  one  of  these  was  worn  oy  a  lady,  her- 
self a  member  of  a  great  family,  who  it  is  said  was  for  a 
number  of  years  engaged  to  one  of  the  signers  of  the  National 
Declaration  of  Independence  and  who  yet  never  became  his 
bride.     Soon  after  her  death  he  died,  brokenhearted. 

There  are  more  humble  articles  of  domestic  use,  including 
a  foot-warmer,  in  those  days  thought  to  be  a  necessity  for 
those  who  went  abroad  in  vehicles ;  lamps,  made  in  some  cases 
by  a  native  blacksmith,  to  contain  lard  and  twisted  wicks  of 
cotton;  some  being  in  rude  imitation  of  ancient  Greek  and 
Roman  lamps;  flax-hackles,  linen  cloth,  spun  and  woven  by 
the  good  house-keepers  of  that  time,  cotton  not  being  in  much 
favor  then,  some  of  this  cloth  having  been  made  by  Mary 
Slocumb,  a  revolutionary  heroine ;  pins  made  in  rudest  fash- 
ion, the  head  being  twisted  around  the  shank  and  rudely 
soldered. 

There  are  Revolutionary  warrants  which  were  issued  by 
the  State  to  soldiers  as  pay,  and  there  are  also  warrants  which 
the  State  issued  for  considerable  sums,  one  being  for  $7,500 ; 
this  particular  one  being  endorsed  as  having  been  "Rejected 
by  the  United  States  in  1791,  upon  presentation  on  loan." 
There  is  the  roster  of  the  North  Carolina  troops  who  served 
in  the  Continental  line,  some  of  whom  had  such  hard  fortune 
in  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  British  at  the  capture  of 
Charleston. 

Written  school-books  are  another  evidence  of  the  hardships 
of  those  early  days,  one  being  an  arithmetic  written  with 
great  skill  and  at  infinite  labor  and  showing  large  numbers  of 
examples  under  all  the  various  heads. 

The  early  Moravian  life,  from  the  first  settlement  by  the 
United  Brethren  of  the  region  round  about  Salem,  is  illus- 
trated in  various  ways,  and  a  catechism  printed  in  Germany 
for  use  by  the  Brethren  in  North  Carolina  is  quite  unique. 


140  THE  NORTH   CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

The  illustrations  of  Colonial  and  Revolutionary  architec- 
ture are  both  numerous  and  varied.  Happily  a  number  of 
the  older  buildings,  which  have  escaped  the  usual  fate  of  de- 
struction by  fire,  have  not  been  tampered  with.  Some  have 
been  destroyed  by  fire  and  some  torn  down.  There  are  some 
iconoclasts  in  North  Carolina,  and  these  do  not  spare  upon 
occasion.  Some  of  the  handsome  structures  on  the  great 
estates  in  the  eastern  counties  have  been  destroyed  or  so 
changed  as  to  be  unrecognizable,  while  the  noble  groves  around 
others  have  been  cut  down  and  sold.  In  other  ways  icono- 
clasts have  shown  what  they  can  do.  The  church  at  Bath  is 
a  pitiful  example.  The  old  windows  were  recently  taken 
out,  the  antique  high  pews  removed  and  the  tiled  floor  except 
the  aisle;  the  lofty  pulpit  with  its  shell-shaped  sounding- 
board  was  carted  off  as  rubbish,  and  now  unsightly  modern 
benches  fill  the  church,  the  pulpit  is  something  of  the  com- 
monest, while  the  windows  are  those  vari-colored  abomina- 
tions which  one  can  see  in  any  cheap  new  church  here  and 
there  in  the  little  towns  and  sometimes  in  the  country.  Over 
the  front  of  this  striking  old  building  is  a  brown-stone  slab 
containing  date  of  erection,  etc.  This,  too,  was  removed, 
and  some  relic-hunter  took  it  up  to  Washington,  !N\  C,  where 
luckily  it  was  found  on  a  hotel  counter  and  given  to  a  lady 
of  the  place,  who  took  it  to  Bath  and  had  it  replaced  where 
it  belonged.  This  is  only  one  story  out  of  many.  The  en- 
larged and  very  striking  picture  of  the  church  at  Bath  shows 
it  as  it  is  to-day. 

Among  the  Revolutionary  autographs  will  be  found  those 
of  generals  Wayne,  Lincoln,  Davidson,  Greene,  ]STash  and 
Davie.  The  fact  developed  upon  inspection  of  these  that 
General  Davidson  sometimes  signed  his  name  simply  William 
Davidson  and  sometimes  William  L.  Davidson.  Of  Davie, 
who  was  so  eminent  in  civil  life,  there  are  very  interesting 
memorials,  one  of  these  being  his  appointment  as  an  envoy 


COLONIAL  AND  REVOLUTIONARY  RELICS.        141 

extraordinary  to  France,  bis  letter  of  credit  issued  by  that 
country,  and  also  a  note  from  Citizen  Joseph  Bonaparte,  ex- 
pressing his  appreciation  of  a  call  by  Davie  during  the 
Frenchman's  illness. 

The  Revolutionary  battlegrounds  are  being  illustrated.  The 
picture-story  of  that  at  Guilford  Court-House  is  very  com- 
plete and  impressive.  It  has  the  honor  of  being  the  best 
marked  of  all  the  Revolutionary  battlegrounds,  and  this  has 
been  done  to  a  large  extent  privately,  though  the  State  has 
aided  somewhat  by  an  annual  appropriation.  Pictures  are 
to  be  made  of  the  battlefield  at  Alamance  and  the  monument 
there,  and  also  of  that  at  Moore's  Creek,  the  latter  being  a 
battle  which  had  a  notable  effect  in  cheering  the  patriots, 
having  been  the  first  success  of  the  American  arms  in  the 
struggle.  Mention  has  been  made  of  the  Regulators  and  of 
the  battle  of  Alamance.  Of  them  and  of  this  engagement 
there  are  two  views  in  North  Carolina,  one  being  that  the 
affair  bore  directly  upon  the  Revolution  and  tended  as  much 
as  anything  else  to  precipitate  the  latter ;  the  other  view  being 
that  there  was  no  connection  between  the  two  and  that  the 
Regulator  movement  was  merely  what  some  writer  has 
termed  "An  uprising  of  peasants."  The  juster  view  seems 
to  be  that  the  affair  did  bear  upon  the  Revolution,  though  in 
a  somewhat  indirect  way,  having  perhaps  as  much  connection 
with  it  as  did  John  Brown's  raid  upon  the  Civil  War — dis- 
connected yet  connected.  Of  King's  Mountain,  so  important 
an  engagement  of  the  Revolution,  there  is  not  a  single  relic, 
strange  to  say,  though  there  are  several  of  these  in  the  State 
and  a  number  in  other  States,  one  or  two  being  in  the  posses- 
sion of  the  United  States  government.  Of  Revolutionary 
uniforms  there  is  not  an  example,  only  the  gloves  of  Benjamin 
Cleveland  being  shown.  Of  the  weapons  of  the  Revolutionary 
period  there  are  a  number  of  examples,  including  swords, 
pistols,   and  muskets.     The  most  interesting  of  these  is   a 


142  THE  NORTH   CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

musket  of  extremely  fine  workmanship,  for  that  date,  which 
was  carried  by  a  soldier  in  one  of  the  Scotch  regiments  which 
was  in  the  army  of  Lord  Cornwallis,  who  fought  at  Guilford 
Court-house  and  then  marched,  or  as  we  may  say,  retreated, 
to  Wilmington.  There  this  particular  soldier  was  on  duty 
when  Cornwallis  surrendered  at  Yorktown,  and  then  he  and 
his  musket  went  together  into  what  is  now  Robeson  county 
and  settled.  The  Revolutionary  swords  of  home  manufac- 
ture show  what  the  native  blacksmiths  could  do  at  that  day, 
as  their  construction  was  not  upon  lines  at  all  graceful,  but 
solely  for  lethal  purposes.  The  bullet-moulds  are  of  the  time 
when  the  women  used  to  lend  their  hands  and  make  the  bul- 
lets, and  when,  upon  occasion,  they  could  shoot  them,  too. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  places  in  the  State  during  the 
Revolution  was  Hillsboro,  a  small  town  but  containing  noted 
men  and  being  much  visited  by  those  from  the  low-country, 
being  considered  much  in  the  west  at  that  time,  before  the 
mountains  became  civilized  enough  for  resort.  Hillsboro  has, 
until  recently,  preserved  a  number  of  its  old  examples  of 
architecture,  and  its  streets,  paved  with  cobblestones,  were 
reminders  of  the  days  when  Cornwallis  sojourned  there  and 
of  that  yet  earlier  period  when  Tryon  paid  the  place  visits. 
It  is  most  unfortunate  that  illustrations  were  not  made  years 
ago  of  such  places  as  Hillsboro,  as  now  but  few  striking  fea- 
tures remain.  One  of  these  is  the  court-house,  in  the  belfry 
of  which  are  a  clock  and  bell,  the  gifts  of  King  George  III., 
who  seems  to  have  had  much  regard  for  the  town,  which  was 
named  in  honor  of  the  Earl  of  Hillsboro,  while  the  county 
bears  what  may  be  termed  a  royal  name,  in  honor  of  that 
Dutch  King  who  came  over  and  saved  England  at  so  critical 
a  time.  There  is  a  picture  of  the  court-house  and  some  other 
views  of  places  of  note.  There  is  luckily  a  picture,  the  only 
one  known,  of  the  building  at  Fayetteville,  long  destroyed, 
where  the   convention  met  which   ratified  the   constitution. 


COLONIAL  AND  REVOLUTIONARY  RELICS.        143 

These  pictures  are  found  to  tell  the  stories  as  well  as  direct 
objects  and  this  process  of  illustration  is  to  continue  until 
every  part  of  the  State  which  is  historical  is  covered.  The 
writer  last  January  made  the  first  tour  for  the  express  pur- 
pose of  gathering  historical  objects  of  any  and  all  periods. 
This  was  in  what  may  be  termed  in  the  footsteps  of  the 
pioneers,  embracing  Fayetteville,  Wilmington,  Southport, 
New  Bern,  Washington,  Bath,  Plymouth,  Hertford,  Elizabeth 
City,  Edenton  and  Roanoke  Island.  It  was  a  resultful  tour, 
as  no  fewer  than  four  hundred  objects  were  collected,  in 
'addition  to  more  than  one  hundred  photographs,  most  of  the 
latter  being  originals  made  by  special  order.  The  result  is 
that  there  is  to-day  more  knowledge  by  the  mass  of  the  people 
as  to  the  fine  old  towns  in  the  early  settled  parts  of  the  State 
than  ever  before.  There  pass  through  the  State  Museum 
and  the  Hall  of  History  each  year  more  than  100,000  visitors, 
representing  nearly  every  county  in  North  Carolina,  and  a 
large  number  of  other  States.  The  interest  in  the  historical 
collection  is  not  local,  not  confined  to  Raleigh  or  North  Caro- 
lina, but  is  widespread  and  some  acquisitions  to  the  collection 
come  from  persons  from  other  States,  who  thus  show  their  ap- 
preciation of  the  work  of  preservation  which  is  being  so  earn- 
estly pressed.  One  of  the  facts  which  is  very  plain  is  the 
influence  which  North  Carolina  has  had  upon  other  parts  of 
the  country  in  settlement  and  otherwise,  notably  in  the  great 
middle-west.  Visitors  from  that  part  of  the  country  mani- 
fest the  keenest  interest  in  the  Colonial  and  Revolutionary 
objects  in  view,  and  there  are  students  of  those  periods  who 
are  availing  themselves  of  the  Hall  of  History  as  a  medium 
of  information.  To  show  the  scope  of  the  collection  already, 
it  may  be  stated  that  books  are  being  illustrated  by  pictures 
made  of  the  objects  therein,  notably  readers  and  histories  by 
such  writers  as  Capt.  Ashe,  Prof.  D.  H.  Hill  and  Prof.  R.  D. 
W.  Connor.      The  photographs  taken  are  not  only  of  pictures, 


144  THE  NOKTH   CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

but  of  objects  in  every  department.  The  Colonial  Dames 
and  the  Daughters  of  the  Revolution  are  frequent  visitors  to 
and  close  students  of  the  exhibits  which  closely  interest  them, 
and  they  have  been  no  small  contributors,  while  their  influence 
is  regarded  as  of  very  high  value  by  the  writer.  It  is  felt 
that  more  ought  to  be  done  in  regard  to  the  Revolutionary 
period.  The  fact  that  articles  are  equally  available  as  loans 
or  gifts  should  have  its  weight  upon  the  public  mind,  and  the 
Colonial  Dames  and  the  Daughters  of  the  Revolution,  so 
closely  linked  in  their  work,  should  see  to  it  that  the  most 
notable  objects  in  private  collections  should  come  here.  There 
is  in  the  Raleigh  a  picture  of  King  George  III,  which  is  of 
deep  historical  interest.  Upon  its  back  these  words  are 
written  with  reel  chalk,  "O,  George !  Hide  thy  face  and 
mourn!"  General  Xathaniel  Greene  wrote  those  words  him- 
self, having  turned  the  King's  face  to  the  wall  in  a  house  at 
Salisbury. 

What  has  been  written  here  is  designed  merely  to  show  in 
a  partial  way  what  has  been  done  in  so  brief  a  space,  com- 
paratively speaking,  in  forming  North  Carolina's  first  col- 
lection of  historical  objects.  This  much  may  be  added,  that 
no  collection  was  ever  made  at  so  small  an  expense,  the 
writer's  work  being  solely  that  of  a  volunteer,  and  this  very 
fact  being  an  incentive  of  endeavor  to  make  the  collection  as 
good  and  as  complete  as  if  it  were  the  work  of  some  paid 
specialist.  Surely  the  people  of  North  Carolina  will  give 
hearty  co-operation,  and  will  see  to  it,  sooner  or  later,  that 
every  object  which  bears  upon  their  colonial  and  State  history 
comes  here. 

The  oldest  documents  in  North  Carolina  connected  with 
the  history  of  any  family  now  living  are  those  of  the  de  Ros- 
sets  at  Wilmington,  which  reach  well  back  into  1500,  and 
are  mainly  commissions  issued  by  the  kings  of  France. 

The  writer,  it  may  be  said,  keeps  very  closely  in  touch  with 


COLONIAL  AND  REVOLUTIONARY  RELICS.        145 

the  North  Carolina  Historical  Commission,  which  by  gift 
has  placed  a  number  of  extremely  interesting  pictures  in  the 
flail  of  History,  and  he  has  had  these  prepared  under  the 
auspices  of  the  Commission.  There  is,  of  course,  also  close 
co-operation  with  the  North  Carolina  Literary  and  Historical 
Association,  as  chairman  of  its  Museum  Committee.  The 
co-operation  of  the  North  Carolina  Department  of  Agricul- 
ture has  been  very  thorough  and  generous;  in  fact,  all  the 
surroundings  and  influences  have  been  such  as  to  very  greatly 
aid  in  facilitating  the  work. 

It  is  proposed  to  make  special  tours  through  other  portions 
of  the  State  than  the  east,  and  to  revisit  that  particular  sec- 
tion also.  Wherever  such  visits  are  made  there  are  confer- 
ences with  and  addresses  made  to  such  bodies  as  the  Colonial 
Dames  and  the  other  societies  of  ladies,  and  these  have  proved 
resultful  in  every  case.  It  is  found  that  the  personal  equa- 
tion enters  very  largely  into  this  matter.  State  pride  and 
family  pride  go  well  together,  and  the  time  is  arriving  when 
the  large  hall,  already  so  nearly  filled,  will  be  crowded.  The 
facilities  for  caring  for  documents  and  any  and  all  objects, 
of  whatever  material,  are  of  the  best,  with  cases  which  are 
moth-proof,  dust-proof,  and  are  also  thoroughly  guarded 
against  any  and  all  insects.  The  fact  that  the  collection,  of 
which  only  two  departments  are  here  treated  of,  is  so  wide  in 
its  scope  is  found  to  add  to  the  general  interest  in  it,  since 
something  is  afforded  for  the  student  of  any  period.  It  has 
been  a  distinct  inspiration  to  teachers,  of  whom  more  than 
twelve  hundred  visited  it  in  a  body  during  the  present  year. 
It  is  set  before  the  Legislature  as  an  object-lesson  and  as  the 
very  best  and  most  practical  way  of  showing  that  it  is  worthy 
of  the  most  complete  preservation. 


THE  N.  C.  SOCIETY  DAUGHTERS  OF  THE  REVO- 
LUTION  AND  ITS  OBJECTS. 


BY  MRS.  E.  E.  MOFFITT,  REGENT. 


The  Society  "Daughters  of  the  Revolution"  was  founded 
by  Mrs.  Flora  Adams  Darling,  October  11,  1890.  It  was 
organized  August  20,  1891,  and  was  duly  incorporated  under 
the  laws  of  the  State  of  New  York  as  an  organization  national 
in  its  work  and  purpose. 

The  occasion  of  its  founding  was  to  provide  a  society  whose 
terms  of  membership  should  be  based  upon  direct  descent 
from  Revolutionary  ancestors,  in  which  organization  admis- 
sion upon  collateral  claims  would  be  impossible.  This  rule, 
clearly  stated  at  time  of  organization,  has  been  rigidly  ob- 
served, and  the  Society  is  justly  proud  of  its  membership, 
representing  as  it  does  the  direct  descendants  of  soldiers  and 
statesmen  of  the  Revolution. 

The  distinctive  feature  of  the  government  of  the  Society  is 
its  system  of  State  Societies  and  local  Chapters ;  the  officers 
and  Board  of  Managers  of  the  General  Society  have  entire 
superintendence  and  management  of  the  whole  organization, 
while  subject  to  this  oversight,  State  Societies  regulate  and 
direct  their  own  affairs.  A  State  Society  may  be  organized 
wherever  there  are  at  least  twenty  members  residing  within 
the  State,  and  a  local  Chapter  may  be  formed  by  five  mem- 
bers living  in  the  same  locality.  The  State  membership  in- 
cludes all  members  of  local  Chapters  formed  in  the  State. 

The  objects  of  the  Society  as  stated  in  the  Constitution  are : 
"To  perpetuate  the  patriotic  spirit  of  the  men  and  women 
who  achieved  American  Independence ;  to  commemorate  prom- 
inent events  connected  with  the  War  of  the  Revolution ;  to 
collect,  publish  and  preserve  the  rolls,  records  and  historic 
documents  relating  to  that  period ;  to  encourage  the  study  of 


THE    SOCIETY   AND   ITS    OBJECTS.  147 

the  country's  history,  and  to  promote  sentiments  of  friendship 
and  common  interest  among  the  members  of  the  Society." 

THE    NORTH    CAROLINA    SOCIETY. 

Founded  by  Mrs.  Spier  Whitaker,  a  lineal  descendant  of 
Wm.  Hooper,  a  signer  of  the  National  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence, July  4,  1776,  a  biographical  sketch  of  whose  life 
by  Mrs.  Whitaker  was  published  in  the  North  Carolina 
Booklet  of  July,  1905. 

The  North  Carolina  Society  was  organized  in  Raleigh,  Oct. 
19,  1896,  the  anniversary  of  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis;  and 
a  Constitution  and  By-Laws  adopted  on  April  6,  1897,  its 
declaration  upon  honor  being,  that  "if  admitted  to  membership 
in  this  Society,  I  will  endeavor  to  promote  the  purposes  of 
its  institution,  and  observe  the  Constitution  and  By-Laws." 

MEMBERSHIP    AND    QUALIFICATIONS. 

"Any  woman  shall  be  eligible  who  is  above  the  age  of  eigh- 
teen years,  of  good  character,  and  a  lineal  descendant  of  an 
ancestor  who  (1)  was  a  signer  of  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence, a  member  of  the  Continental  Congress,  or  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Congress,  Legislature  or  General  Court  of  any  of 
the  Colonies  or  States ;  or  ( 2 )  rendered  civil,  military  or 
naval  service  under  the  authority  of  any  of  the  thirteen  Colo- 
nies, or  of  the  Continental  Congress;  or  (3)  by  service  ren- 
dered during  the  War  of  the  Revolution  became  liable  to  the 
penalty  of  treason  against  the  government  of  Great  Britain: 
provided,  that  such  ancestor  always  remained  loyal  to  the 
cause  of  American  Independence." 

As  will  be  seen,  the  watchword  of  the  Society  is  "Patriot- 
ism." Love  of  Liberty,  Home  and  Country  is  a  heaven-born 
instinct  not  bounded  by  latitude  or  longitude,  nor  is  it  con- 
fined by  wealth  or  position.  It  is  imperative  and  should  be 
absolutely  understood  in  all  social  and  official  acts  members 


148  THE  WORTH   CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

should  avoid  all  semblance  of  sectional  feeling,  or  political  or 
religious  partisanship. 

That  such  a  society  for  women  was  needed  is  attested  by 
its  sure  growth — its  patriotic  activity  in  marking,  Revolution- 
ary sites,  erecting  monuments,  the  finding  and  preservation  of 
records  vital  to  the  history  of  the  Nation  and  which  in  many 
instances  have  been  preserved  from  destruction  through  the 
efforts  of  patriotic  Societies  which  had  gained  a  knowledge  of 
their  value. 

The  North  Carolina  Society  grew  in  strength  of  purpose, 
more  than  numerically.  Their  meetings  were  held  on  im- 
portant anniversary  days — valuable  historical  papers  were 
read  by  members  on  the  Revolutionary  services  of  their  an- 
cestors, all  of  which  are  preserved  in  our  archives. 

In  December,  1900,  it  was  determined  to  take  up  some 
special  work.  At  this  meeting  a  very  interesting  account  of 
the  "Edenton  Tea  Party  of  October  25,  1774,"  by  Dr.  Rich- 
ard Dillard  of  Edenton,  was  read,  and  the  idea  of  commemora- 
ting in  some  tangible  way  this  important  event  filled  the  minds 
of  all  present.  It  was  then  determined  to  erect  a  memorial 
to  the  heroism  and  patriotism  of  those  women  of  the  State  who 
by  their  aid  and  zeal  helped  to  make  this  country  a  free  and 
independent  Nation,  thereby  in  a  measure  setting  aside  that 
ignorant  prejudice  which  has  hedged  them  in  with  such  false 
ideas  of  their  place  and  power,  that  the  history  of  mothers, 
even  of  the  greatest  men,  is  not  easy  to  obtain.  As  the  eye 
of  history  is  opening  to  the  fact  that  some  credit  is  due  the 
women  of  the  past  for  the  success  of  the  War  of  the  Revolu- 
tion, a  motion  then  prevailed  to  erect  in  this  State  a  memo- 
rial to  the  brave  and  patriotic  women  who  organized  and 
participated  in  the  aforementioned  "Edenton  Tea  Party  of 
October  25,  1774,"  who  met  to  endorse  the  "Resolves  of  the 
Provincial  Deputies"  in  New  Bern,  August  25,  1774,  "not  to 
drink  any  more  tea  or  wear  any  more  British  cloth"  until  the 


THE    SOCIETY    AND   ITS    OBJECTS.  149 

tax  had  been  removed  by  Parliament  from  these  foreign  com- 
modities. 

On  the  reception  of  this  news,  obedient  to  the  instinct  of 
womanhood,  ever  ready  to  do  her  duty,  a  meeting  was  called 
to  testify  and  put  on  record  their  adherence  and  co-operation 
in  any  movement  for  the  peace  and  happiness  of  their  country. 
Fifty-one  ladies  signed  this  document,  an  act  which  deserves 
an  enduring  monument. 

Ways  and  means  for  the  accomplishment  of  this  purpose 
were  discussed,  and,  on  motion  of  Mrs.  Helen  Wills,  a  com- 
mittee of  the  following  ladies  was  appointed  to  consider  the 
matter:  Mrs.  Walter  Clark,  Mrs.  Hubert  Haywood,  Miss 
Martha  Haywood,  Miss  Grace  Bates  and  Mrs.  Ivan  Proctor. 
The  committee  reported  at  the  next  meeting  that  they  would 
adopt  a  suggestion  of  Miss  Martha  Haywood  to  issue  a 
monthly  publication  on  great  events  in  North  Carolina  his- 
tory. The  idea  was  adopted  unanimously,  and  Miss  Martha 
Haywood  and  Mrs.  Hubert  Haywood  (nee  Emily  Benbury) 
volunteered  to  begin  the  enterprise.  The  treasury  furnished 
means  for  issuing  circulars,  for  postage,  etc. 

Through  the  indefatigable  efforts  and  enthusiasm  of  our 
Regent,  Mrs.  Whitaker,  and  her  associates,  "The  North 
Carolina  Booklet"  has  become  an  assured  success.  The 
first  number  appeared  in  May,  1901,  and  consisted  of  a  mono- 
graph by  Maj.  Graham  Daves  on  Virginia  Dare,  she  being 
the  first  English  child  born  in  America — "a  fitting  subject  for 
a  magazine  issued  under  the  auspices  of  the  North  Carolina 
Society  'Daughters  of  the  Revolution,'  edited  by  women,  and 
the  proceeds  to  memorialize  the  patriotism  of  women." 

After  two  years  of  arduous  labor  freely  given  to  the  cause, 
the  editors  resigned  and  were  succeeded  by  Miss  Mary  Hilliard 
Hinton  and  Mrs.  E.  E.  Moffitt.  For  the  first  four  years  the 
Booklet  was  published  as  a  monthly,  beginning  in  May  each 
year.  In  1905  it  was  decided  to  issue  it  quarterly,  and  the 
first  number  of  Volume  V  was  issued  in  July  of  that  year. 


150  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

The  subscription  list  continues  to  justify  the  publication, 
and  the  profits  therefrom  have  brought  to  the  treasury  of  the 
Society  a  creditable  amount. 

Having  in  bank  a  sufficient  amount  for  the  erection  of  the 
memorial,  the  accomplishment  of  its  object  has  been  delayed 
in  order  to  secure  historical  evidence  beyond  contradiction, 
that  the  heroic  act  of  these  patriotic  women  really  took  place. 
A  correct  list  of  the  names  of  those  who  signed  the  document 
has  been  obtained,  through  the  continuous  efforts  of  Mrs. 
Spier  Whitaker,  who  in  correspondence  with  Rev.  H.  S.  Ire- 
dell, of  Tunbridge  Wells,  England,  secured  a  correct  list 
from  the  "Morning  Chronicle  and  London  Advertiser  of  Mon- 
day, January  16,  1775" ;  and  through  Mr.  R.  T.  H.  Halsey,  a 
member  of  the  Grolier  Club  of  New  York,  and  author  of  a 
late  work  entitled  "The  Boston  Port  Bill  as  Pictured  by  a 
Contemporary  Boston  Cartoonist."  Additional  evidence  has 
been  obtained  through  Mr.  Horner  Winston,  of  Durham,  N. 
C,  now  at  Christ's  College,  Oxford,  England,  winner  of  the 
Cecil  Rhodes  scholarship.  The  plans  are  so  far  perfected  as 
to  insure  the  unveiling  on  the  next  anniversary. 

The  North  Carolina  Society  Daughters  of  the  Revolution 
appeals  to  the  patriotism  of  all  descendants  of  those  who  will 
be  commemorated,  and  of  North  Carolinians  all  over  the 
United  States,  to  co-operate  in  the  work  of  "rescuing  from 
oblivion  the  virtuous  actions"  of  their  ancestors,  and  with 
such  encouragement  and  co-operation  the  Booklet  will  con- 
tinue to  succeed  in  its  work  for  other  patriotic  purposes. 


RICHARD  D1LLARD,  M.D 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND  GENEALOGICAL 
MEMORANDA. 


COLLECTED  AND  COMPILED  BY  MRS.  E.   E.   MOFFITT. 


DR.  RICHARD  DILLARD. 

There  needs  no  apology  for  presenting  with  this  article  the 
picture  of  Dr.  Richard  Dillard,  the  one  who  revived  that  in- 
cident in  North  Carolina  history  of  the  notable  "Edenton 
Tea  Party  of  October  25,  1774."  His  researches  on  the 
subject  have  been  exhaustive  and  scholarly.  As  nearly  all 
of  the  information  regarding  that  important  event  has  been 
derived  directly  or  indirectly  from  his  original  researches, 
he  may  justly  be  called  the  "Reviver  of  the  Edenton  Tea 
Party"  incident. 

A  monograph  which  he  wrote  on  the  subject  in  1892  was 
so  well  received  that  it  was  republished  in  1898.  It  was 
the  reading  of  this  article  that  inspired  the  "North  Carolina 
Society  Daughters  of  the  Revolution"  to  memorialize  in  a 
fitting  way  the  heroism  and  patriotism  of  representative  wo- 
men of  the  State  preceding  the  stormy  days  of  the  Revolu- 
tion. The  desire  to  endorse  the  proceedings  of  the  Provincial 
Congress  took  shape  in  the  "Tea  Party,"  and  the  resolves 
were  signed  by  fifty-one  ladies.* 

Dr.  Dillard,  bachelor,  born  at  "Farmers  Delight,"  Nanse- 
mond  County,  Va.,  December  5,  1857,  descended  from  the 
old  cavalier  stock,  which  early  in  our  history  had  settled 
along  the  shores  of  the  Albemarle;  received  literary  edu- 
cation at  University  of  North  Carolina,  1875-'77;  studied 
medicine  at  University  of  Virginia ;  graduated  at  Jefferson 
Medical  College  of  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  in  1879 ;  since  that 
time  has  been  practicing  at  Edenton,  1ST.  C. 

Many  honors  have  been  bestowed  upon  him  by  his  State. 

*  American  Archives,  Vol.  1,  p.  891. 


152  THE  NOBTE  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

Among  these,  the  honorary  degree  of  Master  of  Arts  was  con- 
ferred npon  him  by  Rutherford  College  in  1899.  He  was 
ajDpointed  a  member  of  the  first  Historical  Commission  by 
Governor  Aycock;  has  contributed  a  number  of  historical 
papers  to  various  magazines ;  was  a  contributor  to  the  old 
Magazine  of  American  History,  so  ably  edited  by  Mrs.  Martha 
J.  Lamb,  in  which  magazine  appeared  his  article  on  the 
"Edenton  Tea  Party,"  and  which  reappeared  in  the  Booklet 
in  August,  1901.  The  original  of  the  picture  of  this  Tea 
Party  was  upon  glass,  and  by  some  misadventure  became 
mutilated  and  broken  into  several  fragments.  Dr.  Dillard, 
in  1893,  had  the  painting  reproduced  on  canvass,  and  pre- 
sented it  to  the  State.  He  was  also  the  owner  of  the  only 
portrait  in  existence  of  Martin  Ross,  the  celebrated  evangelist, 
called  the  "St.  Paul  of  North  Carolina,"  which  he  presented 
last  year  through  the  venerable  Dr.  Hufham  to  Wake  Forest 
College. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  North  Carolina  Society  "Sons  of 
the  Revolution,"  through  the  services  of  Col.  John  Campbell, 
who  was  a  member  of  three  Provincial  Congresses,  during' 
and  prior  to  the  Revolution,  to- wit,  the  one  which  met  at 
New  Bern  in  August,  1774,  at  Hillsboro  in  1775,  and  at 
Halifax  in  spring  of  1776.  Is  passionately  fond  of  botany 
and  flowers,  and  contributes  to  the  "House  and  Garden  Maga- 
zine." 

He  resides  at  his  old  home  in  Edenton,  which  he  has  fitted 
up  elaborately  and  named  "Beverly  Hall,"  in  honor  of  his 
mother. 

His  descent  from  his  Revolutionary  ancestor,  Col.  Camp- 
bell, is  contained  in  the  manuscript  archives  of  the  North 
Carolina  Society  "Sons  of  the  Revolution." 


BIOGRAPHICAL   AND   GENEALOGICAL    MEMORANDA.  153 

FRANCIS  NASH. 

I.  Francis  Nash,  bom  at  Floral  College,  N.  C,  1855.  Son 
of  Rev.  Frederick  K.  Nash  and  Annie  M.  McLean.  His 
father  was  a  distinguished  Presbyterian  minister,  who  died 
in  his  early  career. 

II.  Grandson  of  Chief  Justice  Frederick  Nash  and  Mary 
G.  Kollock,  his  wife — Frederick  Nash  was  bom  in  Tryon's 
Palace  at  New  Bern  during  his  father's  incumbency  of  the 
gubernatorial  office,  February  19,  1781 ;  he  graduated  from 
Princeton  College  in  1799 ;  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  1801 ; 
married  Miss  Mary  G.  Pollock,  of  New  Jersey,  with  whom 
he  lived  fifty-five  years;  he  died  in  1858,  distinguished  as 
legislator,  jurist  and  orator  of  high  rank,  and  a  Christian 
gentleman.  The  controlling  motive  of  his  conduct  through 
life  was  a  sense  of  accountability  to  God. 

III.  Great  grandson  of  Gov.  Abner  Nash,  the  able  and 
active  friend  to  the  rights  of  the  people,  and  a  member  of  the 
Provincial  Congress  in  1774.  Governor  1780 ;  member  Con- 
tinental Congress  1781-1786;  died  1786. 

IV.  Great  grand  nephew  of  Gen.  Francis  Nash,  of  Revo- 
lutionary fame. 

I.  Francis  Nash,  subject  of  this  sketch,  and  a  worthy 
descendant  of  the  above,  was  left  an  orphan  when  a  child, 
was  reared  by  his  aunts,  the  Misses  Nash,  of  Hillsboro,  edu- 
cated at  the  school  of  Misses  Nash  and  Kollock  and  the  R.  II. 
Graves  schools.  At  sixteen  he  began  life  for  himself  as  clerk ; 
began  study  of  law  at  night;  clerk  in  law  office  of  Judge 
George  Howard,  of  Tarboro;  obtained  license  1877,  and  was 
given  a  partnership  by  Judge  Howard;  by  reason  of  failing 
health  resigned.  After  a  year  of  rest  in  the  country  he 
resumed  the  practice  of  law  in  Tarboro ;  was  elected  Mayor ; 
Presiding  Justice  of  Inferior  Court  of  Edgecombe  County 
1883 ;  again  became  partner  with  Judge  Howard,  but  his 
health  again  failing  he  retired  from  the  practice  for  ten  years. 


154  THE   NORTH    CAROLINA   BOOKLET. 

Resumed  practice  in  1894  in  Hillsboro;  has  filled  for  short 
terms  U.  S.  Commissioner  and  Referee  in  Bankruptcy.  He 
is  a  writer  of  ability.  A  series  of  papers  on  Judicial  Evolu- 
tion, published  in  Albany  Law  Journal  1890-1 ;  "Belleville," 
1897-8,  a  story  of  Reconstruction  period;  "The  Mac  Travis 
Sketches"  in  1898;  "A  Lawyer's  Mistake"  in  1899;  and 
"Wiolusing,"  a  sequel  to  "Belleville,"  in  1900-1 ;  "Hillsboro, 
Colonial  and  Revolutionary."  For  the  "Biographical  His- 
tory," which  is  being  published  by  Charles  1ST.  Van  Noppen, 
he  has  written  twenty-three  sketches  of  the  worthies  of  North 
Carolina.  He  wrote  "Historic  Hillsboro"  for  the  August 
number  of  the  "Booklet"  in  1903.  He  has  written  many 
other  legal,  political  and  historical  articles. 

In  1879  he  married  Miss  Jessie  P.  Baker,  of  Tarboro,  N. 
C,  who  died  1896,  leaving  two  daughters — one  a  teacher  of 
English  in  Goldsboro  High  School,  the  other  of  Mathematics 
in  the  Lucy  Cobb  Institute,  Athens,  Georgia. 


J.  G.  de  ROULHAC  HAMILTON.  Ph.D. 

J.  G.  de  Roulhae  Hamilton,  the  author  of  this  sketch,  was 
born  in  Hillsboro,  1ST.  C,  August  6,  1878.  Was  educated  at 
the  University  of  the  South,  Sewanee,  Tenn.,  1896-1900. 
Instructor  at  the  celebrated  Horner  Military  School,  'N.  C, 
1901-'02,  student  of  Columbia  University  1902-'04,  Ph.D. 
1906,  Principal  of  Wilmington,  K  C,  High  School  1904-'06, 
and  now  Associate  Professor  of  History,  University  of  1ST.  C. 
Member  of  the  American  Historical  Association,  Southern 
History  Association,  N.  C.  Literary  and  Historical  Associa- 
tion. 

I.  Son  of  Daniel  Heyward  Hamilton  (Major  of  13th  E\ 
C,  C.  S.  A.,  later  Adjutant  1st  South  Carolina)  ;  married 
Erances  Gray  Roulhae,  on  maternal  side  a  granddaughter  of 
Chief  Justice  Ruffin. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  AND   GENEALOGICAL   MEMORANDA.  155 

II.  Grandson  of  Daniel  Heyward  Hamilton,  of  S.  C. ; 
member  of  S.  C.  Convention  of  1851 ;  Colonel  1st  S.  C. 
Regiment,  C.  S.  A. ;  married  Rebecca  Middleton,  a  descend- 
ant of  Mrs.  Rebecca  Motto,  of  Revolutionary  fame,  and  rela- 
tive of  Arthur  Middleton,  the  signer  of  the  Declaration  of 
Independence 

III.  Great  grandson  of  James  Hamilton;  soldier  of  1812 ; 
member  S.  C.  Legislature;  member  of  Congress;  Governor  of 
S.  C. ;  President  of  Nullification  Convention ;  Ambassador  to 
the  Court  of  St.  James  from  the  Republic  of  Texas ;  Senator- 
elect  from  Texas  at  death ;  married  Elizabeth  Heyward,  a 
grand-daughter  of  Thos.  Heyward,  a  signer  of  the  Declaration 
of  Independence. 

IV.  Great,  great  grandson  of  James  Hamilton;  Major  in 
Continental  line  on  Washington's  staff;  married  Elizabeth 
Lynch,  a  sister  of  Thomas  Lynch,  Jr.,  the  signer  of  the  Declar- 
ation, and  a  daughter  of  Thos.  Lynch,  a  member  of  the  Con- 
tinental Congress  of  1776. 


COL.  FRED.  A.  OLDS. 

Col.  F.  A.  Olds  began  newspaper  work  in  1877  in  Raleigh, 
and  has  been  continuously  in  this  profession  ever  since,  hav- 
ing in  1886  become  the  correspondent  of  out-of-town  papers 
and  devoting  himself  to  this  line  of  work,  writing  consider- 
ably for  magazines.  For  twenty  years  he  has  been  collecting 
historical  objects,  and  since  December,  1902,  has  given  much 
time,  labor  and  study  to  the  Hall  of  History.  He  is  the 
Chairman  of  the  Museum  Committee  of  the  North  Carolina 
Literary  and  Historical  Association  and  the  Director  of  the 
Hall  of  History,  and  he  also  co-operates  very  heartily  and 
extensively  with  the  1ST.  C.  Historical  Commission.  He  has 
written  many  historical  articles  and  stories,  which  have  been 
in  most  cases  illustrated,  and  he  edited  a  new  edition  of 
Lawson's  History  of  North  Carolina,  which  was  published  by 
the  Charlotte  Observer,  and  has  prepared  for  publication  a 


156  THE  NORTH   CAROLINA   BOOKLET. 

new  edition  of  De  Bry's  edition  of  Hariot's  narrative  of  the 
discovery  of  Roanoke  Island.  Last  January  Colonel  Olds 
made  a  tour,  which  was  extremely  successful,  of  the  older 
towns  in  Eastern  North  Carolina,  in  the  interest  of  the  his- 
torical collection,  and  will  later  visit  other  sections.  By  the 
co-operation  of  the  citizens  of  North  Carolina,  Colonel  Olds 
would  be  greatly  aided  in  the  work  he  has  undertaken  of 
collecting  relics  and  documents  vital  to  the  interest  of  the 
State's  history — besides  making  a  place  of  general  interest 
to  the  students  of  our  city,  and  in  fact  to  all  visitors  to  the 
Hall  of  Historv. 


The  North  Carolina  Booklet 


A  QUARTERLY  PUBLICATION   ISSUED  UNDER 
THE  AUSPICES  OF  THE 

NORTH  CAROLINA  SOCIETY  DAUGHTERS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION" 


^%  "  'yv  

THIS  PUBLICATION  treats  of  important 
events  in  North  Carolina  History,  such 
as  may  throw  light  upon  the  political,  social 
or  religious  life  of  the  people  of  this  State 
during  the  Colonial  and  Revolutionary 
periods,  in  the  form  of  monographs  written 
and  contributed  by  as  reliable  and  pains- 
taking historians  as  our  State  can  produce. 
The    Sixth   Volume   began   in    July,    1906. 


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scription is  desired. 

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sent  to 

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Midway  Plantation,  Raleigh,  N.  C. 


Some  Booklets  for  Sale 


Vol.  I 

"  Colonial  New  Bern,"  Sarah  Beaument  Kennedy. 
"  Greene's  Retreat,"  Prof.  Daniel  Harvey  Hill. 

Vol.  II 

"  Our  Own  Pirates,"  Capt.  S.  A.  Ashe. 

"  Indian  Massacre  and  Tuscarora  War,"  Judge  Walter  Clark. 

"Moravian  Settlement  in  North  Carolina,"  Rev.  J.  E.  Clewell. 

"  Whigs  and  Tories,"  Prof.  W.  C.  Allen. 

"The  Revolutionary  Congresses,"  Mr.  T.  M.  Pittman. 

"  Raleigh  and  the  Old  Town  of  Bloomsbury." 

"  Historic  Homes — Bath,  Buncomb    Hall,    Hays,"  Rodman,    Blount, 
Dillard. 

"County  of  Clarendon,"  Prof.  John  S.  Bassett. 

"  Signal  and  Secret  Service,"  Dr.  Charles  E.  Taylor. 

"  Last  Days  of  the  War."  Dr.  Henry  T.  Bahnson. 

Vol.  Ill 

"  Trial  of  James  Glasgow,"  Kemp  P.  Battle,  L.L.  D. 

"  Volunteer  State  Tennessee  as  a  Seceder,"  Miss  Susie  Gentry. 

"  Historic  Hillsboro,"  Mr.  Francis  Nash. 

"  Life  in  Colonial  North  Carolina,"  Charles  Lee  Raper,  Ph.  D. 

"  Was  Alamance  First  Battle  of  the  Revolution  ?"  Mrs.  L.  A.  McCorkle. 

"  Governor  Charles  Eden,"  Marshall  DeLancey  Haywood. 

"  Colony  of  Transylvania,"  Judge  Walter  Clark. 

"Social  Conditions  in  Colonial  North  Carolina,"  Col.  Alexander  Q. 
Holladay,  LL  D. 

"  Battle  of  Moore's  Creek  Bridge,  1776,"  Prof.  M.  C.  S.  Noble. 

"  North  Carolina  and  Georgia  Boundary,"  Daniel  Goodloe. 

Vol.  IV 

"  Battle  Ramseur's  Mill,  1780,"  Major  Wm.  A.  Graham. 

"  Quaker  Meadows,"  Judge  A.  C.  Avery. 

"  Convention  of  1788,"  Judge  Henry  Groves  Connor. 

"  North  Carolina  Signers  of  Declaration  of  Independence,  John  Penn 

and  Joseph  Hewes,"  by  T.  M.  Pittman,  and  E.  Walter  Sikes. 
"  Expedition  to  Cartagena,  1740,"  Judge  Walter  Clark. 
"  First  English  Settlement  in  America,"  W.  J.  Peele. 
"  Rutherford's  Expedition  Against  the  Indians,"  Capt.  S.  A.  Ashe. 
"  Changes  in  Carolina  Coast  Since  1585,"  Prof.  Collier  Cobb. 


''Highland  Scotch  Settlement  in  N.  C,"  Judge  James  C.  McRae. 
"The  Scotch-Irish  Settlement,"  Rev.  A.  J.  McKelway. 
"  Battle  of  Guilford  Court-House  and  German  Palatines  in  North  Caro- 
lina," Major  J.  M.  Morehead,  Judge  O.  H.  Allen. 

Vol.  V— (Quarterly). 

No.1. 

*'  Genesis  of  Wake  County,"  Mr.  Marshall  DeLancey  Haywood. 
"St.  Paul's   Church,  Edenton,  N.  C,  and  its  Associations,"  Richard 
Dillard,  M.  D. 

"  N.  C.  Signers  of  the  National  Declaration  of  Independence,  Part  II ' 
William  Hooper,"  Mrs.  Spier  Whitaker. 

No.  2. 

"  History  of  the  Capitol,"  Colonel  Charles  Earl  Johnson. 

"  Some  Notes  on  Colonial  North  Carolina,  1700-1750,"  Colonel  J.  Bryan 

Grimes. 
"  North  Carolina's  Poets,"  Rev.  Hight  C.  Moore. 

No.  3. 

"Cornelius  Harnett,"  Mr.  R.  D,  W.  Connor,  "Edward  Moseley,"  Prof. 
D.  H.  Hill. 

"  Celebration  of   the   Anniversary  of   May  20,   1775,"  Major  W.    A. 
Graham. 

No.  4. 

''  Governor  Thomas  Pollok."  Mrs.  John  W.  Hinsdale, 

''  Battle  of  Cowan's  Ford,"  Major  W.  A.  Graham. 

''  First   Settlers  in  North  Carolina  not  Religious  Refugees,"  Rt.  Rev. 
Joseph  Blount  Cheshire,  D.  D. 


Vols.   I,   II,   III,   IV,   Single    Booklets,   25   Cents    Each. 
Vols.  V  and  VI,  Single  Booklets,  35  Cents  Each. 


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careful  attention,  guaranteeing  satisfaction,  before  remittance. 
If  Libraries  handled  on  commission  and  best  prices  guaranteed.  All 
kinds  of  books  bought,  sold  and  exchanged;  best  bargains  ever  offered 
Missing  Nos.  in  files  of  all  North  Carolina  Magazines  and  newspapers 
supplied  at  publishers  prices;  all  other  Magazines  at  a  very  low  rale. 
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NATURE  has  done  her  best  in  the  now  famous  Mineral  Springs  of 
Chloride  Calcium,  the  only  known  water  of  its  kind  in  this  country  or 
Europe;  and  of  Lithia,  containing  many  fine  medicinal  properties  besides 
the  amount  of  Lithia  equal  to  any  in  existence,  the  combined  use  of  which 
splendid  waters  effects  wonderful  cures  in  cases  of  Rheumatism,  Eczema, 
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Capital  Stock,       .         .         $100,000.00 
Surplus,        .          .         .  60,000.00 

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Under  its  charter  acts  as  Executor,  Administrator  and  Guardian. 
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J.  J.  THOMAS,  President.  B.  S.  JERMAN,  Cashier. 

A.  A.  THOMPSON,  Vice-President.  H.  W.  JACKSON,  Asst.  Cashier. 


THE 


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Published  at  the  Capital  City 

It  reaches  the  whole  State 

Largest  circulation  in   North  Carolina 

The  State's  Representative  Newspaper 


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896,  3,100  subscribers 

897,  4,200  subscribers 


1900,  5,700  subscribers 

1 901,  6,500  subscribers 

1902,  7,054  subscribers 

1903,  8,201  subscribers 


898,  4,880  subscribers         1904,     9,111  subscribers 

899,  5,200  subscribers         1905,  10,000  subscribers 


Jiorth  Carolina 

Historical 

Commission 


MEMBERS 

W.  J.  PEELE,  Chairman,      ....        Raleigh,  N  C. 
R.  D.  W.  CONNOR,  Secretary,  .        .        Raleigh,  N.  C. 

J.  BRYAN  GRIMES, Raleigh,  N.  C. 

CHARLES  L.  RAPER,  .        .        .        Chapel  Hill,  N.  C. 

THOMAS  W.  BLOUNT,  ....  Roper,  N.  C. 


r'HE  Commission  wishes  to  be  informed  of  the 
location  of  any  unpublished  mamiscripts ,  let- 
ters, documents  or  records ,  public  and  private \ 
relating  to  the  history  of  North  Carolina.  The 
Commission  is  authorized  to  collect  and  publish  such 
material.  The  original  documents  are  preferred, 
but  if  these  cannot  be  sectcred,  arrangements  will 
be  made  to  have  certified  copies  made  without  cost 
to  the  owners.  The  possessors  of  such  documents 
are  urged  to  co-operate  with  the  Commission  in 
their  efforts  to  preserve  a?id  render  available  the 
sources  of  the  history  of  our  State. 


All  communications  should  be  addressed  to 
the  Secretary, 


v^_^  (incorporated  ) 


CAPITAL  STOCK 
$30,000 


Af  personal  investigation  will  convince  anyone  that  KING'S  is 
absolutely  the  Largest,  Best  Equipped  and  Most  Successful 
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English  in  the  Carolinas,  regardless  of  any  claims  the  small  fry 
are  making.     Strong  financial  backing. 

Reference:  Every  Bank  and  Leading  Business  Concern  in  Raleigh 

or  Charlotte. 
College  Journal  and  Special  Offers  FREE. 
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Address  King's  Business  College,  =■£?&£&.  *.  e. 


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Address 

Miss  MARY  HILLIARD  HINTON, 

Editor  N.  C.  Booklet, 
Midway  Plantation,  Raleigh,  N.  C. 


FOR 


IRortb  Carolina  Schools 


White's  Beginner's  History  of  the 
United  States 

By  Henry  Alexander  White,  of  Col- 
umbia, 8.   C. 

In  this  interesting  narrative,  which 
is  written  on  the  biographical  plan, 
special  attention  is  paid  to  the  acts 
of  heroism  and  devotion  of  the  men 
of  the  South. 

Lee  Readers 

The  best  literature  and  the  best 
thought  of  the  South,  prepared  by 
an  experi need  Southern  teacher. 

The  Rose  Primer 

Contains  a  small  vocabulary,  with 
carefully  selected  and  graded  mat- 
ter and  frequent  reviews. 

Spencer's  Practical  Writing 

Teaches  a  plain  practical  hand' 
moderate  in  slant,  and  free  from  or- 
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Steps  in  English 


Meet  modern  conditions  in  every 
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Milne's  Arithmetics 


Give  the  pupil  an  unusually 
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of  arithmetic  and  a  readiness  in  ap- 
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Natural  Geographies 


The  most  widely  used  series  ex- 
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turally and  logically,  with  Man  and 
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Brace's  United  States  History 


Written  by  a  Southern  author  for 
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New  Century  Physiologies 


Represents  the  latest  scientific  re- 
search and  study,  with  the  best 
methods  of  instruction  in  right 
living. 


Peterman's  Civil  Government 


Gives  a  good  knowledge  of  politi- 
cal institutions,  commencing  with 
the  family  government.  Special 
edition  for  North  Carolina. 


Webster's  Dictionaries 


The  standard  authority  followed 
in  all  leading  school  books.  Thor- 
oughly revised  and  up- to  date. 


Progressive  Speller 


Based  on  the  lines  which  govern 
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New    York,  Chicago,  London 

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DESIRABLE   BOOKS 

That  Should  be  on  the  Shelves  of  the 
Libraries  of  Every  North  Carolina  Home 


Lutie  Andrews    McCorkle's  Old-Time  Stories  of  the  Old  North 
State. 

Warren's  Stories  from  English  History. 

Pratt's  America's  Story  for  America's  Children.     Five  Vols. 

Katherine  B.  Massey's  Story  of  Georgia. 

Stone  &  Fickitt's  Every  Day  Life  in  the  Colonies. 

Bass'  Stories  of  Pioneer  Life. 

Horton's  The  Frozen  North. 

Kuffer's  Stories  of  Long  Ago. 

Hyde's  Favorite  Greek  Myths. 

Firth's  Stories  of  Old  Greece. 

Brown's  Alice  and  Tom. 

Stone  &  Fickett's  Days  and  Deeds  of  a  Hundred  Years  Ago. 

Starr's  Strange  Peoples. 

Starr's  American  Indians. 

Fairbank's  The  Western  U.  S. 

Heath's  Home  and  School  Classics  (39  Vols,  of  the  finest  litera- 
ture for  young  people  in  the  world ) . 

Eckstorms'  Bird  Book   (a  natural  history  of  birds). 


These  or  any  other  publications  from  our  large  and  valuable  list 
may  be  secured  from  your  local  book  seller  or  from 

D.  C.  HEATH  &  COMPANY 

225  Fourth  Avenue 
NEW  YORK 


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Fi  Mil  Fins  10  lie  Present 

SAM'L  A.  ASHE,  Editor-in-Chief      CHAS.  L.  VAN  NOPPEN,  Publisher 

GREENSBORO,  N.  G 

The  publisher  desires  to  say  without  fear  of  contradic- 
tion that  there  has  never  been  anywhere  in  the  United 
States  any  other  State  Biographical  venture  equalling 
the  Biographical  History  of  North  Carolina  in  scope, 
selectness  of  subjects,  excellence  of  literary  and  his- 
torical matter  and  general  mechanical  and  artistic 
book-making. 

The  Biographical  History  will  cover  the  entire  history  of  the 
State  and  will  contain  sketches  signed  by  authoritative  writers  of 

All  the  Governors. 

All  the  Chief-Justices. 

All  the  United  States  Senators. 

All  the  Federal  judges. 

All    those    who    have    held     Cabinet    and    Diplomatic 

positions. 
Nearly  all  those  distinguished  in  the  Confederate  service. 
Nearly  all  the  Supreme  Court  Justices. 
Many  of  the  Superior  Court  Judges. 
Distinguished  Generals,  Military  Men  and  Naval  officers. 

All  the  more  prominent  Editors,  Educators,  Ministers, 
Authors,  Doctors,  Lawyers,  Agriculturists  and  Politicians. 
All   the   more    prominent    Industrial    and    Commercial 

workers. 
The  most  distinguished  women. 
In  a  word,  as  complete  a  publication  as  possible  of  all 

those  who  have  adorned  the  annals  of  North  Carolina. 

Write  for  Booklet  of  Reviews  and  Testimonials. 


CHAS.  L  VAN  NOPPEN,  Publisher 


GREENSBORO, 


North  Carolina 


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€xtensively  used  in  Women's  Clubs. 

Should  be  on  the  shelves  of  every 
public  and  private  library. 

THE     MCMILLAN     COMPANY 

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Send  for  descriptive  circular  or  call  and  examine  the  books  at  our  Summer  School 
text-book  exhibit  in  Raleigh. 


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MINIATURES  ON   IVORY  OR  PORCELAIN 

Access  to  State  Library  where  copies  can  be  made  oa  Minia- 
ture from  old  portraits. 

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» 


Vol.  VI. 


JANUARY,  1907 


No.  3 


K6e 


North  Carolina  Booklet 


GREAT  EVENTS 

IN 

NORTH  CAROLINA 
HISTORY 


PUBLISHED  QUARTERLY 

BY 

THE  NORTH   CAROLINA  SOCIETY 

DAUGHTERS  ofthe  REVOLUTION 


CONTENTS 


Page 

159 


A  State  Library  Building  and  Department  of  Archives 
and  Records       ------ 

By  R.  D.  W.  Connor 

The  Battle  of  Rockfish  Creek 1  77 

By  J.  O.  Carr 

Governor  Jesse  Franklin      -         -         -         -         -         -185 

By  J.  T.  Alderman 

North  Carolina's  Historical  Exhibit  at  Jamestown  Exposition   204 

Biographical  Sketches  -         -         -         -         -         -206 

By  Mrs.  E.  E.  Moffitt  * 

(ILLUSTRATED) 


SINGLE  NUMBERS  35  CENTS 


$1.00  THE  YEAR 


& 


ENTERED  IN  THE  POST-OFFICE  AT  RALEIGH,  N.  C,  AS  SECOND-CLASS  MATTER. 


The  North  Carolina  Booklet 


Great  Events  in  North  Carolina  History, 


VOLUME  VI. 


Glimpses  of  History  in  the  Names  of  our  Counties, 

Kemp.  P.  Battle,  LL.  D. 
A  Colonial  Admiral  of  the  Cape  Fear  (Admiral  Sir  Thomas  Prank- 
land),  Mr.  James  Sprunt. 

The  Indian  Tribes  of  Eastern  North  Carolina,  Richard  Dillard,  M.  D. 
Gov.  Thomas  Burke,  .  .  .  Mr.  J.  G.  de  Roulhac  Hamilton. 
Some  North  Carolina  Histories  and  their  Authors, 

Professor  Edward  P.  Moses. 
The  Borough  Towns  of  North  Carolina,  .  .  Mr.  Francis  Nash. 
The  John  White  Pictures,  .        .        .        .        .        Mr.  W.  J.  Peele. 

Gov.  Jesse  Franklin,  ....        Professor  J.  T.  Alderman. 

Industrial  pife  in  parly  North  Carolina,  .  .  Mr.  T.  M.  Pittman. 
Colonial  and  Revolutionary  Costumes  in  North  Carolina, 

Miss  Mary  Milliard  Hinion. 
North  Carolina's  Attitude  to  the  Revolution,  Mr.  Robert  Cowan  Strong. 
The  Fundamental  Constitutions  and  the  Pffects  on  the  Colony, 

Mr.  Junius  Davis. 

The  Booklet  will  contain  short  biographical  sketches  of  the  writers 
who  have  contributed  to  this  publication,  by  Mrs.  P.  P.  Moffitt. 

The  Booklet  will  print  abstracts  of  wills  prior  to  1760,  as  sources  of 
biography,  history  and  genealogy. 


The  Booklet  will  be  issued  quarterly  by  the  North  Carolina 
Society  of  the  Daughters  of  the  Revolution,  beginning  July, 
1906.  Pach  Booklet  will  contain  three  articles  and  will  be  published 
in  July,  October,  January  and  April.  Price,  $1.00  per  year,  35  cents  for 
single  copy. 

Parties  who  wish  to  renew  their  subscription  to  the  Booklet  for 
Vol.  VI,  are  requested  to  notify  at  once. 

Address, 

MISS  MARY  HILLIARD  HINTON, 
"Midway  Plantation," 
Pditors:  Raleigh,  North  Carolina. 

Miss  Mary  Hilliard  Hinton, 
Mrs.  P.  P.  Moffitt. 


LaFayette  Examining  Canova's  Statue  of  Washington    in  the  Rotunda 
of  the  State  House,  1825. 


Vol.  VI.  JANUARY,  1907.  No.  3 


15 he 


JIorth  Carolina  Booklet 


"  Carolina!  Carolina!  Heaven1  s  blessings  attend  her  ! 
While  we  live  we  will  cherish,  protect  and  defe7id  her," 


Published  by 

THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  SOCIETY 

DAUGHTERS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 


The  object  of  the  Booklet  is  to  aid  in  developing  and  preserving 
North  Carolina  History.  The  proceeds  arising  from  its  publication  will 
be  devoted  to  patriotic  purposes.  Editors. 


ADVISORY  BOARD  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 
BOOKLET. 

Mrs.  Spier  Whitaker.  Mrs.  T.  K.  Bruner. 

Professor  D.  H.  Hill.  Mr.  R.  D.  W.  Connor. 

Mr.  W.  J.  Peele.  Dr.  E.  W.  Sikes. 

Professor  E.  P.  Moses.  Dr.  Richard  Dillard. 

Dr.  Kemp  P.  Battle.  Mr.  James  Sprunt. 

Mr.  Marshall  DeLancey  Haywood.  Judge  Walter  Clark. 

EDITORS  : 
Miss  Mary  Hilliard  Hinton,  Mrs.  E  E.  Moffitt. 


OFFICERS  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  SOCIETY 
DAUGHTERS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION, 

1906-1908. 

REGENT : 

Mrs.  E.  E.  MOFFITT. 

VICE-REGENT : 

Mrs.  WALTER  CLARK. 

HONORARY  REGENT: 

Mrs.  SPIER  WHITAKER. 

( Nee  Hooper.) 

RECORDING   SECRETARY: 

Mrs.  HELEN  De  BERNIERE  WILLS. 

CORRESPONDING   SECRETARY : 

Mrs.  W.  H.  PACE. 

TREASURER: 

Mrs.  FRANK  SHERWOOD. 

REGISTRAR : 

Miss  MARY  HILLIARD  HINTON. 

GENEALOGIST : 

Mrs.  HELEN  De  BERNIERE  WILLS. 


Founder  of  the  North  Carolina  Society  and  Regent  1896-1902: 
Mrs.  SPIER  WHITAKER. 

REGENT  1902: 
Mrs.  D.  H.  HILL,  Sr.* 

regent   1902-1906: 
Mrs.  THOMAS  K.  BRUNER. 

*  Died  December  12,  1904. 


THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

Vol.  VI  JANUARY,  1907  No.  3 

A  STATE  LIBRARY  BUILDING  AND  DEPART- 
MENT OF  ARCHIVES  AND  RECORDS. 


BY   K.    D.    W.  CONNOR. 


"The  roots  of  the  Present  lie  deep  in  the  Past,  and  the 
Past  is  not  dead  to  him  who  would  understand  how  the 
Present  came  to  be  what  it  is." 

A  people  who  will  constantly  hear  this  great  truth  in 
mind  will  come  to  regard  their  history  as  something  more 
than  a  fascinating  story  with  which  to  beguile  a  winter's 
evening;  they  will  think  of  their  Past  as  something  better 
than  merely  a  subject  for  Fourth-of-July  orations ;  they  will 
study  the  careers  of  their  great  men  with  higher  and  nobler 
purposes  than  as  stepping  stones  for  membership  into  the 
"Sons"  of  this  or  the  "Daughters"  of  that  patriotic  organi- 
zation. ]STot  that  the  romance  of  history,  or  the  eloquence 
of  the  orator,  or  the  formation  of  patriotic  societies,  are  to 
be  put  aside  as  unworthy  of  serious  consideration.  But  the 
study  of  history  does  have  another  and  more  important  side 
to  it,  and  a  side  too  that  often  escapes  the  notice  of  those 
most  in  need  of  a  knowledge  of  their  Past.  It  is  this :  no 
men  can  safely  be  entrusted  with  the  control  of  the  Present 
who  are  ignorant  of  the  Past;  and  no  people  who  are  in- 
different to  their  Past  need  hope  to  make  their  Future  great. 

This  is  a  lesson  which  those  states  of  the  Union  that  enjoy 
the  greatest  historical  and  literary  reputation  learned  many 
years  ago;  it  is  a  lesson  which  our  own  state  needs  to  take 
seriously  to  heart.  I  am  happy  in  thinking  that  our  people 
are  learning  it  and  that  they  realize  to-day  more  than  ever 


160  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

before  the  value  of  the  steadying  ballast  which  an  accurate 
knowledge  of  the  Past  gives  to  the  Present.  But  it  is  a 
lesson  which,  though  fully  appreciated,  will  be  of  little  value 
unless  the  material  is  preserved  which  is  necessary  to  make 
the  Past  intelligent  to  the  Present  and  the  Future.  To  this 
feature  of  the  lesson  I  desire  your  closest  attention. 

We  North  Carolinians  are  very  proud  of  our  history  and 
indulge  ourselves  in  the  pleasure  of  a  great  deal  of  boasting 
about  it.  But  frequently  when  this  indulgence,  like  an 
opiate,  begins  to  soothe  our  spirits  and  we  doze  away  in 
blissful  contemplation  of  the  greatness  of  our  Past,  it  comes 
like  a  cold-water  shock  to  find  that  the  World,  instead  of 
gazing  in  admiring  astonishment,  is  either  whirling  along 
in  densest  ignorance,  or  vigorously  disputing  our  most  cher- 
ished claims.  Then  we  wake  up,  begin  to  say  harsh  things 
about  our  traducers,  and  clamor  loudly  about  envy  and 
jealousy.  But  the  critical  World,  searching  the  pages  of  the 
great  historians  of  our  country  and  finding  no  mention  of 
those  "cherished  claims,"  naturally  asks  for  proof;  and  lo! 
we  look,  and  the  proof,  which  we  believe  would  settle  our 
•claims  beyond  all  dispute,  has  been  lost,  destroyed,  burned, 
or  stolen  by  envious  partisans.  Whom  can  we  blame  but 
ourselves,  for  who  else  should  take  care  to  preserve  this 
proof  %  Surely  it  is  an  anomaly  in  our  character  as  a  people 
and  as  a  state  that  we  should  be  so  proud  of  our  history  and 
so  careless  in  the  preservation  of  the  records  that  would 
establish  our  claims  forever.  It  may  be  doubted  if  any 
other  of  the  thirteen  original  states  has  suffered  more  in  this 
respect  than  North  Carolina,  or  is  now  taking  so  little  care 
for  the  preservation  of  the  evidences  of  her  greatness.  Sure- 
ly 'this  is  modesty  run  in  the  ground ! 

Even  this  very  carelessness  illustrates  the  influence  of  the 
Past  upon  the  Present,  and  the  value  of  a  study  of  the  Past 
if  for  no  other  purpose  than  to  avoid  its  blunders.      Our 


A   STATE    LIBRAKY   BUILDING.  161 

carelessness  in  the  preservation  of  our  historical  sources 
seems  to  have  come  down  to  us  as  an  unwelcomed  legacy 
from  the  Past.  As  long  ago  as  1748  Governor  Gabriel 
Johnston  in  a  letter  to  the  Lords  of  the  Board  of  Trade 
wrote : 

"The  Publick  Records  lye  in  a  miserable  condition,  one 
part  of  them  at  Edenton  near  the  Virginia  Line  in  a  place 
without  Lock  or  Key ;  a  great  part  of  them  in  the  Secretarys 
House  at  Cape  Fear  above  Two  Hundred  Miles  Distance 
from  the  other ;  Some  fewT  of  'em  at  the  Clerk  of  the  Coun- 
cil's House  at  RTewbem,  so  that  in  whatever  part  of  the 
Colony  a  man  happens  to  be,  if  he  wants  to  consult  any 
paper  or  record  he  must  send  some  Hundred  of  Miles  before 
he  can  come  at  it."* 

It  seems  that  our  ancestors  had  no  more  regard  for  their 
valuable   documents   than   their   posterity  have. 

]STo  better  illustration  of  the  effect  of  this  almost  criminal 
negligence  in  caring  for  our  historical  sources  can  be  found 
than  the  history  of  the  documents  relating  to  the  Mecklen- 
burg Declaration  of  Independence.  The  people  of  North 
Carolina  are  so  firmly  convinced  that  their  story  of  this 
interesting  event  is  correct  that  they  swear  by  it  spite  of  lost 
documents ;  they  have  placed  on  the  flag  of  their  state  the 
date,  "May  20th,  1775,"  in  the  face  of  all  Thomas  Jeffer- 
son's disbelieving  sarcasm ;  they  even  lose  patience  with 
anybody  who  hints  that  the  event  might  have  taken  place 
on  May  31.  And  yet  not  one  of  the  leading  historians  of 
the  United  States,  from  Bancroft  to  Woodrow  Wilson,  has 
accepted  our  version.  Why  ?  Whose  the  fault '?  The  fol- 
lowing facts  will  answer  these  very  natural  questions.  Dr. 
George  Graham,  whose  work  on  the  "Mecklenburg  Declara- 
tion of  Independence"  is  the  fullest  and  best  treatment  in 
existence,  quotes  the  following  paragraph  from  Martin's  His- 
tory of  North  Carolina : 

*Colonial  Records  of  North  Carolina,  Vol.  IV.,  p.  1165. 


162  THE    NORTH    CAROLINA   BOOKLET. 

"These  resolutions  [of  May  20,  1775]  were  unanimously 
adopted  and  subscribed  by  the  delegates.  James  Jack,  then 
of  Charlotte,  but  now  residing  in  the  State  of  Georgia,  was 
engaged  to  be  the  bearer  of  the  resolutions  to  the  President  of 
Cougress,  and  directed  to  deliver  copies  of  them  to  the  dele- 
gates in  Congress  from  North  Carolina.  The  President  re- 
turned a  polite  answer  to  the  address  which  accompanied  the 
resolutions,  in  which  he  highly  approved  of  the  measures 
adopted  by  the  delegates  of  Mecklenburg,  but  deemed  the 
subject  of  the  resolutions  premature  to  be  laid  before  Con- 
gress. Messrs.  Caswell,  Hooper  and  Hewes  forwarded  a 
joint  letter,  in  which  they  complimented  the  people  of  Meck- 
lenburg for  their  zeal  in  the  common  cause." 

What  has  become  of  these  two  letters — these  very  im- 
portant letters,  either  of  which  would  settle  the  dispute  for- 
ever ?  In  all  the  years  of  controversy  over  the  Mecklenburg 
Declaration,  no  one  has  produced  them,  or  copies  of  them. 
Is  it  not  strange  that  documents  so  valuable  should  not  have 
been  carefully  preserved  ?  But  even  this  is  not  all.  Dr. 
Graham  continues : 

"At  the  meeting  of  the  delegates  in  Charlotte,  John 
McKnitt  Alexander  was  chosen  secretary,  and  thus  became 
custodian  of  the  records.  In  April,  1800,  twenty-five  years 
after  this  meeting,  these  records,  including  the  Mecklenburg 
Declaration,  were  burned  in  Alexander's  house.  In  the 
meantime,  however,  the  old  secretary,  as  he  is  called,  had 
transcribed  not  less  than  five  copies  of  the  original  resolu- 
tions  There  is  abundant  evidence  to  prove  that 

at  least  seven  authentic  copies  of  these  resolutions  were  in 
existence  before  the  proceedings  of  the  convention  were 
burned  in  1800.  Of  these  seven  transcripts,  four,  at  the 
direction  of  the  delegates,  were  transmitted  to  Congress  at 
Philadelphia  by  John  McKnitt  Alexander,  shortly  after  the 


A  STATE   LIBRARY  BUILDING.  163 

meeting  at  Charlotte  adjourned.  One  to  the  President,  and 
one  copy  each  to  the  three  members  from  North  Carolina. 
A  fifth  copy  appeared  in  the  Cape  Fear  Mercury  in  June, 
1775,  within  thirty  days  after  the  declaration  was  adopted. 
A  sixth  copy  was  presented  by  Alexander  to  Dr.  Hugh  Wil- 
liamson, who  was  then  writing  a  history  of  the  State.  .  .  . 
And  a  seventh  copy  of  the  declaration,  which  the  author  says 
was  obtained  before  1800,  the  year  the  records  were  burned, 
is  preserved  in  Martin's  History  of  North  Carolina." 

These  facts  show  that  at  one  time  there  certainly  was 
plenty  of  evidence  in  existence  to  settle  beyond  controversy 
what  took  place  in  Charlotte  in  May,  1775.  What  became 
of  it  ?  This  was  an  event  generally  regarded  as  the  proudest 
in  a  proud  history.  Is  it  possible  that  a  people  proud  of 
their  history  and  proud  that  they  are  proud  of  it,  would 
complacently  permit  every  one  of  these  valuable  documents 
to  be  destroyed  without  making  one  single  effort  to  preserve 
them  ?  And  yet  read  the  story  as  told  in  Tompkins'  History 
of  Mecklenburg  County.     He  says: 

"The  official  papers  [of  the  20th  of  May  meeting]  were 
burned  iu  the  fire  which  destroyed  John  McKnitt  Alex- 
ander's house  in  1800." 

"A  copy  of  the  original  was  sent  before  the  burning  of  the 
house  to  the  historian,  Williamson,  in  New  York,  and  it, 
together  with  the  other  sources  o2  his  history,  were  (sic) 
destroyed  by  a  fire  in  that  city." 

"The  Martin  copy  is  so  called  from  its  publication  in 
Martin's  History  of  North  Carolina.  .  .  .  As  to  this 
particular  document  of  the  Mecklenburg  Declaration,  Mar- 
tin .  .  .  obtained  it  in  the  western  part  of  the  State 
prior  to  the  year  1800.  .  .  .  The  papers  from  which 
Martin  compiled  his  history  were  sent  to  France  and  have 
disappeared." 


164  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

"A  third  copy,  called  the  Garden  copy,  was  published  in 
1828  by  Alexander  Garden  of  Lee's  Legion,  and  this  is 
almost  exactly  identical  with  the  Martin  copy,  which  is  re- 
garded as  the  authentic  copy."  After  showing  that  Garden 
could  not  have  obtained  his  copy  from  Martin,  Tompkins 
says :   "The  data  for  Garden's  anecdotes  has  (sic)  been  lost." 

But  what  about  the  Cape  Fear  Mercury  of  June,  1775  ? 
"No  copy  of  the  Cape  Fear  Mercury  of  June,  1775,"  says 
Tompkins,  "has  ever  come  to  light  except  the  copy  which 
Gov.  Martin  sent  to  London  and  which  Mr.  Stevenson,  of 
Virginia,  borrowed  and  did  not  return." 

The  letter  of  the  President  of  Congress  gone ;  the  joint 
letter  of  the  delegates  gone ;  Alexander's  copy  burned ;  Wil- 
liamson's copy  burned ;  Martin's  copy  lost ;  Garden's  copy 
lost;  the  Cape  Fear  Mercury  stolen — is  it  any  wonder  that 
Jefferson  characterized  the  Declaration  as  "a  very  unjusti- 
fiable quiz,"  saying  that  for  proof  it  appeals  to  "an  original 
book,  which  is  burnt,  to  Mr.  Alexander,  who  is  dead,  to  a 
joint  letter  from  Caswell,  Hughes  (sic),  and  Hooper,  all 
dead,  to  a  copy  sent  to  the  dead  Caswell,  and  another  sent  to 
Doctor  Williamson,  now  probably  dead." 

These  facts  tell  us  why  the  historians  do  not  accept  our 
story,  and  they  place  the  responsibility  on  our  shoulders, 
where   it  belongs. 

Another  illustration  of  this  point  is  found  in  the  burning 
of  the  State-house  at  Raleigh  in  the  morning  of  June  21, 
1831.  The  Raleigh  Register  of  June  23  contained  the  fol- 
lowing  account : 

"It  is  our  painful  and  melancholy  duty  to  announce  to 
the  public  another  appalling  instance  of  loss  by  fire,  which 
will  be  deeply  felt  and  lamented  by  every  individual  in  the 
State.  It  is  nothing  less  than  the  total  destruction  of  the 
capitol  of  our  State  located  in  this  city.     .     .     .     The  State 


The  Ruins  of  Canova's  Statue  of  Washington, 
now  in  the  hall  of  history  at  raleigh 


A   STATE   LIBRARY   BUILDING.  165 

Library  is  also  consumed,  and  the  statue  of  Washington, 
that  proud  monument  of  national  gratitude,  which  was  our 
pride  and  glory,  is  so  mutilated  and  defaced,  that  none  can 
behold  it  but  with  mournful  feelings,  and  the  conviction 
involuntarily  forces  itself  upon  their  (sic)  minds,  that  the 
loss  is  one  that  cannot  be  repaired.  The  most  active  exer- 
tions were  made  to  rescue  this  chef  d'oeuvre  of  Canova  from 
the  ravages  of  the  devouring  element,  nor  were  they  desisted 
from  until  the  danger  became  imminent." 

The  same  paper  of  June  30  adds  this  information: 

"Nothing  was  saved  from  the  Library,  nor  could  any 
attempt  for  that  purpose  be  made  by  reason  of  the  suffo- 
cating smoke  which  filled  the  room.  It  was  in  its  infancy 
and  the  loss  can  easily  be  repaired  with  one  or  two  excep- 
tions. We  allude  to  the  collection  of  our  old  Legislative 
Journals,  brought  down  in  almost  unbroken  succession  from 
1715  to  the  present  day.  Lawson's  history  of  the  State, 
valuable  only  however  for  its  antiquity,  was  also  burnt." 

The  Raleigh  Star  of  June  23  tells  the  story  in  the  fol- 
lowing words: 

"Great  concern  was  manifested  for  the  preservation  of  the 
statue  of  Washington,  which  stood  in  the  center  of  the 
rotunda,  and  an  effort  was  made  to  save  it;  but  it  was  vain 
and  fruitless ;  and  this  monument,  reared  by  the  grateful 
and  patriotic  citizens  of  North  Carolina,  in  honor  of  the 
father  of  our  country,  at  an  expense  of  about  $30,000,  and 
which  was  said  to  be  the  finest  piece  of  sculpture  in  the 
world,  was  abandoned  in  despair  to  share  the  fate  of  the 
superstructure  which  it  had  so  long  graced." 

Unfortunate  as  was  the  destruction  of  this  splendid  work, 
its  loss  was  not  the  worst  feature  of  the  incident;  the  very 
worst  feature  was  the  fact  that  the  statue  could  have  been 
saved  but  for  the  short-sightedness  and  parsimony  of  the 


166  THE    NORTH    CAROLINA   BOOKLET. 

legislature.  A  noble  statue  of  the  greatest  of  Americans, 
costing  $30,000,  a  monument  no  less  to  the  wisdom,  patriot- 
ism and  liberality  of  our  forefathers  than  to  the  genius  of 
the  great  Italian  sculptor,  was  destroyed  because  a  few  poli- 
ticians, without  courage,  without  the  generous  fire  of  patri- 
otic impulse,  thinking  to  incur  the  favor  of  the  populace, 
refused  to  appropriate  the  sum  of  $1,200  to  secure  its  safety. 
The  wretched  story  is  told  in  the  following  paragraph  from 
the  Cape  Fear  Recorder,  which,  after  lamenting  the  loss 
of  the  statue,  says : 

"Alfred  Moore,  Esq.,  one  of  the  members  from  Brunswick 
County,  made  a  motion  in  the  first  session  of  the  General 
Assembly,  after  the  statue  was  conveyed  to  Raleigh,  that 
it  should  be  placed  on  rollers,  and  that  the  doors  of  the  capi- 
tol  should  be  enlarged,  so  as  to  render  it  practicable  to  move 
it  from  the  edifice  in  the  event  of  a  fire.  The  expense  was 
estimated  at  $1,200.  The  motion  of  Mr.  Moore  was  renewed 
at  the  following  session  and  was  grounded  on  his  observation 
of  the  carelessness  and  negligence  of  the  menials  and  work- 
men employed  about  the  capitol,  and  on  these  facts  he  pre- 
dicted the  event  which  now  affects  so  extensively  and  so 
deeply  the  inhabitants  of  the  State;  and  he  rung  and  re- 
rung  this  prediction  in  the  ears  of  his  colleagues — that  the 
capitol  would  be  burned!  The  warning  was  unheeded;  and 
we  naturally  enquire,  on  what  defensible  ground  was  it? 
Is  it  not  to  be  imputed  to  those  narrow  views  of  economy, 
which  are  not  only  opposed  to  the  counsels  of  liberal  patriot- 
ism, in  instances  such  as  this,  but  also  too  often  shed  a  blight- 
ing influence  on  the  lasting  interests  and  prosperity  of  the 
public?"* 

*  Of  this  great  work  of  Canova,  the  Countess  Albrizzi  in  "The  Works 
of  Antonio  Canova,"  illustrated  by  Henry  Moses  the  great  English  en- 
graver, says: 

"In  this  fine  composition  Canova  has  not  only  maintained  the  dignity 
of  his  subject,  but   (warmed  by  admiration  of  the  amiable  qualities  of 


A  STATE   LIBRARY  BUILDING.  167 

A  third  illustration  of  our  carelessness  with  our  records 
occurring  in  our  own  time  was  related  to  me  recently  by 
Colonel  Fred  A.  Olds,  the  enthusiastic  and  zealous  director 
of  the  Hall  of  History.  In  the  basement  of  the  court-house 
in  Cumberland  County  a  few  years  ago,  as  he  was  informed, 
were  stored  hundreds  of  records  and  other  documents  run- 
ning back  to  the  first  settlement  of  Cross  Creek.  Dust  and 
cobwebs  of  course  covered  them,  and  this  fact,  which  rather 
added  value  to  them  in  the  eyes  of  the  historian  and  the 
antiquary,  led  the  county  board  of  health  to  condemn  the  lot 
as  breeders  of  germs.  At  their  orders  these  precious  docu- 
ments  were   dumped    in   the    street   and   reduced   to    ashes ! 

this  illustrious  man)  has  also  infused  into  the  statue  an  expression  of 
the  gentleness  and  benevolence  which  attempered  his  severer  virtues. 

"The  hero  is  sitting  with  an  air  of  elegant  simplicity  on  an  elegant 
seat,  raised  on  a  double  square  base.  Nothing  can  surpass  the  dignity 
of  the  attitude  or  the  living  air  of  meditation  which  it  breathes;  and 
the  grandeur  of  the  style,  the  force  and  freedom  of  the  execution,  the 
close  and  animated  resemblance  to  the  original,  all  conspire  to  place 
the  statue  in  the  highest  rank  of  art.  The  fine  tunic  which  he  wears 
is  seen  only  at  the  knee,  being  covered  by  an  ample  ornamental  cuirass; 
above  which  is  a  magnificent  mantle  fastened  by  a  clasp  on  the  right 
shoulder,  and  flowing  down  behind  in  majestic  folds.  Beneath  his  right 
foot,  which  is  extended  forward,  is  a  parazonium  sheathed,  and  a  sceptre, 
signifying  that  the  successful  termination  of  the  war,  had  rendered  them 
now  useless. 

"The  hero  is  in  the  act  of  writing  on  a  tablet  held  in  his  left  hand,  and 
resting  on  the  thigh,  which  is  slightly  raised  for  its  support.  From  the 
following  words  already  inscribed  on  it,  we  learn  the  subject  which 
occupies  his  mind — 'George  Washington  to  the  people  of  the  United 
States — Friends  and  Felloic-citizens.'  In  his  right  hand  he  holds  the 
pen  with  a  suspended  air.  as  if  anxiously  meditating  on  the  laws  fitted 
to  promote  the  happiness  of  his  countrymen ;  a  border  of  the  mantle, 
raised  to  the  tablet  by  the  hand  which  supports  it,  gives  a  fine  effect  to 
this  graceful  and  decorous  action.  In  his  noble  countenance  the  sculptor 
has  finely  portrayed  all  his  great  and  amiable  qualities,  inspiring  the 
beholder  with  mingled  sensations  of  affection  and  veneration.  This 
statue  is  only  in  a  slight  degree  larger  than  life;  his  robust  form  cor- 
responding with  his  active  and  vigorous  mind. 

"If  to  this  great  man  a  worthy  cause  was  not  wanting,  or  the  means 
of  acquiring  the  truest  and  most  lasting  glory,  neither  has  he  been  less 
fortunate  after  death,  when,  by  the  genius  of  so  sublime  an  artist,  he 
appears  again  among  his  admiring  countrymen  in  this  dear  and  venerable 
form;  not  as  a  soldier,  though  not  inferior  to  the  greatest  generals,  but 
in  his  loftier  and  more  benevolent  character  of  the  virtuous  citizen  and 
enlightened  lawgiver." 


168  THE  NOETH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

With  the  ascending  smoke  vanished  forever  a  mine  of  his- 
torical sources  which,  had  it  been  opened,  would  have  told 
the  story  of  one  of  the  most  inspiring  events  in  the  history 
of  North  Carolina. 

Many  other  instances  of  the  destruction  of  valuable  his- 
torical sources  through  carelessness,  negligence,  indifference 
and  ignorance  might  easily  be  cited,  but  they  would  add  no 
new  force  to  those  already  given.  The  important  question 
is,  What  shall  we  learn  from  these  facts  ? 

First  of  all,  we  ought  to  learn  that  "those  narrow  views 
of  economy,  which  are  not  only  opposed  to  the  counsels  of 
liberal  patriotism,  .  .  .  but  also  too  often  shed  a  blight- 
ing influence  on  the  lasting  interests  and  prosperity  of  the 
public,"  can  be  defended  on  the  ground  neither  of  economy 
nor  of  patriotism.  Was  it  economy  to  refuse  the  appropri- 
ation of  $1,200  to  insure  the  safety  of  a  work  which  cost 
$30,000  ?  Putting  it  merely  on  a  material  basis,  how 
many  times  $1,200  would  the  state  have  made  during  all 
these  years  from  the  visitors  who  would  have  come  to  our 
capital  city  to  see  this  noble  work  of  art !  Who  can  estimate 
the  thousands  spent  annually  by  visitors  to  Dresden  who  go 
from  the  four  corners  of  the  earth  to  see  the  great  Sistine 
Madonna  ?  Was  it  patriotic — that  is  to  say,  was  it  a  faith- 
ful fulfilment  of  the  trust  imposed  in  them  by  their  con- 
stituents, for  the  members  of  the  legislature  to  refuse  the 
appropriation  of  $1,200  for  the  preservation  of  an  object 
that  would  have  been  a  source  of  inspiration  to  generations 
of  their  sons  and  daughters  ?  It  was  neither  economical  nor 
patriotic;  nor  did  the  refusal  to  make  the  appropriation 
come  from  an  honest  desire  to  be  either ;  it  sprang  from  a 
want  of  trust  in  the  good  sense  and  patriotism  of  the  people. 

So  it  is  neither  economical  nor  patriotic  to  permit  our 
present  State  Library,  Supreme  Court  Library  and  the  col- 


A   STATE   LIBRARY   BUILDING.  169 

lection  in  the  Hall  of  History  to  remain  day  after  day  in 
constant  danger  of  destruction  by  fire  for  the  lack  of  a 
suitable  building.  We  have  a  State  Library  creditable  to 
North  Carolina.  It  contains  40,000  volumes  exclusive  of 
the  pamphlets  and  bound  newspapers  in  which  the  history 
of  the  state  is  written.  The  destruction  of  this  library 
would  be  a  calamity  to  North  Carolina  from  which  there 
would  be  no  recovery— thousands  of  books  that  could  never 
be  replaced ;  hundreds  of  newspapers  nowhere  else  to  be 
found ;  hundreds  of  pamphlets  that  could  not  be  bought  with 
gold.  A  very  conservative  estimate  of  the  money-value  of 
this  library  would  place  it  from  $150,000  to  $200,000.  In 
addition  to  the  State  Library,  the  same  unprotected  building 
holds  the  Supreme  Court  Library,  one  of  the  best  state  law 
libraries  in  our  country,  containing  17,000  volumes,  worth 
at  the  lowest  estimate  $75,000.  Adjoining  this  building  is 
the  Hall  of  History,  a  large  hall  at  one  end  of  the  State 
Museum.  Through  the  enthusiastic  efforts  of  Colonel  Fred 
A.  Olds,  who  deserves  the  thanks  of  all  patriotic  citizens  for 
his  unselfish  labors,  more  than  4,000  historic  relics,  docu- 
ments, papers  and  pictures  have  been  collected  there  illus- 
trating every  period  and  almost  every  phase  of  the  life  of 
the  state.  It  is  doubtful  if  any  other  state  in  the  Union 
has  a  more  valuable  or  more  instructive  collection  of  historic 
relics.  In  an  interesting  story  of  the  Hall  of  History,  Col- 
onel Olds  says:* 

"North  Carolina  is  yet  rich  in  such  objects,  notably  of  the 
Colonial  and  Revolutionary  periods;  but  until  this  collection 
began,  a  little  over  three  years  ago,  nothing  had  been  done, 
except  in  what  may  be  termed  very  justly  a  local  way,  to 
gather  together  such  objects.  By  such  failure  the  State  has 
suffered  enormous  loss,  due  to  the  burning  of  court-houses, 
public  buildings,  and,  most  of  all,  private  homes,  in  some  of 

*North  Carolina  Booklet,  October,  1906. 


170  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

which  there  were  extensive  groups  of  objects,  the  loss  of 
which  is  irreparable.  But  at  last  the  gathering  together  at 
Raleigh,  where  by  all  manner  of  means  the  collection  ought 
to  be,  has  been  begun,  and  the  fact  that  the  number  of 
objects  now  exceeds  the  4,000  mark  shows  not  only  zeal 
in  collecting,  but  also  an  awakened  public  interest.  .  .  . 
It  is  felt  that  the  present  Hall  of  History  is  what  may  truly 
be  termed  a  stepping-stone  to  higher  things ;  in  other  words, 
that  it  is  but  the  forerunner  of  a  far  more  noble  one,  gener- 
ous as  to  space,  and  built  on  the  most  modern  lines  as  re- 
gards the  elimination  of  risk  by  fire.  Given  such  a  building, 
and  the  writer  can  undertake  to  secure  almost  anything  in 
ISTorth  Carolina." 

It  is  impossible  to  place  anything  like  a  money-value  on 
these  three  collections — the  State  Library,  the  Supreme 
Court  Library,  and  the  Hall  of  History.  They  represent 
thousands  of  dollars  and  years  of  patriotic  labor.  They  are 
beyond  all  price,  and  yet  year  after  year  they  are  left  in 
buildings  inadequate  in  size  and  arrangement,  hardly  credit- 
able to  a  great  state  in  appearance,  and  totally  unprotected 
from  fire.  A  fire  once  started  in  either  would  sweep  like  a 
hurricane  through  both  and  reduce  the  whole  to  smoke  and 
ashes  in  spite  of  all  human  effort.  Is  it  economy  to  leave 
these  public  treasures  thus  exposed  to  destruction  ?  Is  it 
patriotic  ?  Does  not  the  destruction  of  the  Mecklenburg 
Declaration  papers  teach  us  a  useful  lesson?  Has  the  burn- 
ing of  the  capitol  no  warning  for  us,  the  loss  of  the  library, 
the  destruction  of  the  great  statue  of  Washington  %  And 
shall  we  let  these  warnings  go  unheeded  ?  Is  it  possible  that 
the  people  of  ISTorth  Carolina  care  so  little  for  their  great 
Past,  for  the  development  of  an  interest  in  their  history, 
for  the  cultivation  of  literature  and  art  among  their  children, 
that  they  would  frown  down  an  appropriation  from  their 


A  STATE   LIBRARY  BUILDING.  171 

public  money  for  the  erection  of  a  fire-proof  building  in 
which  these  treasures  would  be  safe  ?  The  very  question  is 
almost  a  slander  on  the  good  name  of  the  state. 

The  state  is  amply  able  to  erect  such  a  building — a  build- 
ing absolutely  fire-proof,  stately  in  architectural  design,  and 
ample  for  the  purposes  to  which  it  shall  be  devoted.  It 
would  be  much  more  than  a  library  building.  Patriotic 
societies  would  have  rooms  there  for  their  meetings  and 
records;  the  State  Literary  and  Historical  Association  would 
have  offices  and  record  rooms  set  apart  for  its  work;  there 
too  would  be  offices  and  archive  rooms  for  a  State  Commis- 
sioner of  Records  and  Archives ;  a  spacious  hall  would  be 
dedicated  as  a  Hall  of  History  which  would  be  the  instructor 
of  thousands  in  the  history  of  ISTorth  Carolina: — in  a  word 
it  would  be  the  headquarters  for  all  the  historical  and  liter- 
ary activities  of  future  generations  of  ISTorth  Carolinians. 
The  hallways  would  be  lined  with  statues,  the  walls  with 
portraits,  preserving  the  forms  and  features  of  the  great 
men  and  women  who  have  served  the  state  and  nation.  On 
the  walls,  too,  would  hang  paintings  executed  by  native  ar- 
tists of  the  great  events  in  our  history — the  landing  of  the 
first  Englishmen  on  Roanoke ;  the  famous  May-day  scene 
of  '75  at  Charlotte;  the  greater  event  at  Halifax  in  April 
of  '76 ;  the  mad  charges  up  the  sides  of  King's  Mountain ; 
the  steady  resistance  at  Guilford  Court  House;  Davie  and 
his  fellows  resting  under  the  old  poplar  on  a  balmy  October 
day  dreaming  of  a  great  university;  James  C.  Dobbin  in 
the  halls  of  legislation  pleading  with  a  power  surpassing 
eloquence  for  those  who  could  not  plead  for  themselves ;  the 
long  gray  line  sweeping  up  the  slopes  of  Gettysburg — all 
these  and  many  more  such  historic  scenes  would  be  there  to 
inspire  hundreds  of  ISTorth  Carolina  boys  and  girls  with  a 
desire  to  "serve  so  good  a  state  and  so  great  a  people."    And 


172  THE   NORTH    CAROLINA   BOOKLET. 

there,  too,  would  come  students  to  search  its  treasures  who 
would  do  for  North  Carolina  and  the  South  all  that  Bryant 
and  Lowell  and  Longfellow  and  Holmes  and  Emerson  and 
Bancroft  and  Fiske  and  a  host  of  other  great  names  have 
done  for  Massachusetts  and  New  England.  Visited  every 
year  by  thousands,  such  a  building,  like  a  great  beacon-light 
on  a  hill,  would  shed  an  inspiring  light  on  the  historical, 
literary  and  educational  life  of  the  state  that  would  be  worth 
a  hundred  times  over  all  the  money  expended  in  its  con- 
struction. It  is  not  possible  that  the  people  of  North  Caro- 
lina would  regard  with  disfavor  an  appropriation  for  such 
a  purpose;  sensible  and  patriotic  people  will  applaud  the 
legislature  that  takes  this  great  forward  step. 

A  second  lesson  equally  valuable  and  equally  necessary 
which  the  illustrations  I  have  given  ought  to  impress  on  us 
is  the  importance  of  collecting,  copying,  editing  and  publish- 
ing the  historical  sources  now  in  existence  while  they  are 
yet  in  existence.  I  have  shown  how  hundreds  of  invaluable 
documents  and  other  sources  have  been  lost  or  destroyed 
through  the  carelessness,  indifference  and  ignorance  of  their 
owners.  Those  are  hopelessly  gone,  and  with  them  a  mass 
of  historical  wealth  that  can  never  be  regained.  But  thou- 
sands of  others  remain  which  should  be  preserved.  I  have 
in  mind  now  a  collection  of  the  papers  of  one  of  North  Caro- 
lina's greatest  sons  containing  dozens  of  most  valuable  let- 
ters, never  published,  from  nearly  all  of  his  great  contem- 
poraries in  the  state  and  many  in  the  nation:  letters  from 
Swain,  Badger,  Graham,  Euffin ;  from  John  Randolph  of 
Roanoke,  Webster,  Marshall,  Story,  Hamilton,  Kent  and 
many  more.  There  is  no  more  valuable  collection  of  private 
papers  in  the  state  and  yet  for  the  lack  of  such  a  building  as 
I  have  described  and  the  absence  of  a  means  of  making  use 
of  them,  they  will  doubtless  soon  be  lost  to  North  Carolina. 


A   STATE   LIBRARY   BUILDING.  173 

The  owner,  who  lives  in  a  distant  state,  has  already  ex- 
pressed her  intention  of  presenting  them  to  the  Library  of 
Congress  at  Washington,  and  I  must  reluctantly  confess  that 
under  present  conditions  I  could  not  urge  her  to  present 
them  to  North  Carolina,  although  I  know  they  properly  be- 
long here. 

There  are  many  other  such  collections  in  and  out  of  the 
state,  stuffed  away  in  dark  corners,  and  dusty  archives,  in 
pigeon  holes,  vaults,  desks,  attics  and  cellars,  containing 
thousands  of  records,  public  and  private  letters,  and  other 
manuscripts  of  great  value.  Yet  as  matters  now  stand  they 
are  as  absolutely  useless  to  their  owners  or  to  the  state  as 
the  miser's  gold  to  the  miser ;  but  if  collected,  edited  and 
published,  would  be  a  source  of  mental  and  moral  wealth  to 
North  Carolina  beyond  that  which  the  gold  of  all  the  misers 
could  buy.  Many  of  the  owners  of  these  collections  would 
willingly  part  with  them  if  the  state  had  a  safe  place  for 
their  preservation  and  would  provide  for  their  publication. 

What  then  can  the  state  do?  The  state  can  follow  the 
example  of  Alabama,  Mississippi,  New  York,  Wisconsin, 
Iowa,  Pennsylvania,  South  Carolina,  and  all  the  New  Eng- 
land states,  and  make  appropriations  for  their  preservation 
and  publication.  The  states  of  Alabama  and  Mississippi 
are  doing  more  than  any  other  Southern  states  for  the  eluci- 
dation of  their  history  and  present  the  best  examples  for  our 
own  state  to  follow.  Each  of  these  states  has  created  a 
State  Department  of  Archives  and  Records  with  a  commis- 
sioner in  charge  whose  duty  it  is  to  care  for  their  historical 
sources.  Let  us  follow  their  examples.  Such  a  department, 
with  a  commissioner  appointed  by  the  Historical  Commis- 
sion, would  not  cost  over  $4,000  or  $5,000  a  year — a  trifling 
sum  in  comparison  with  its  value  to  the  state.  The  Ala- 
bama act  recites  the  duty  of  the  Alabama  commissioner  as 
follows : 
2 


174  THE    NORTH    CAROLINA   BOOKLET. 

"He  shall  have  control  and  direction  of  the  work  and 
operations  of  the  department,  he  shall  preserve  its  collections, 
care  for  the  official  archives  that  may  come  into  its  custody, 
collect  as  far  as  possible  all  materials  bearing  on  the  history 
of  the  state  and  of  the  territory  included  therein  from  the 
earliest  times,  prepare  the  biennial  register  hereinafter  pro- 
vided, diffuse  knowledge  in  reference  to  the  history  and  re- 
sources of  the  state ;  and  he  is  charged  with  the  particular 
duty  of  gathering  data  concerning  Alabama  soldiers  in  the 
war  between  the  states." 

The  biennial  register  mentioned  must  contain:  "(1)  Brief 
sketches  of  the  several  state  officials,  the  members  of  Con- 
gress from  Alabama,  the  supreme  court  judges,  the  members 
of  the  senate  and  house  of  representatives  of  the  State  of 
Alabama;  (2)  rosters  of  all  state  and  county  officials;  (3) 
lists  of  all  state  institutions,  with  officials ;  (4)  state  and 
county  population  and  election  statistics,  and  (5)  miscella- 
neous statistics." 

We  cannot  do  better  in  North  Carolina  than  follow  the 
example  of  the  state  of  Alabama.  All  patriotic  citizens 
would  aid  the  commissioner  in  his  work.  Those  who  possess 
documents  of  historical  value  would  gladly  place  them  at  his 
disposal.  Thousands  of  originals  or  certified  copies  of  church 
and  court  records,  letters,  maps,  old  newspapers,  portraits, 
manuscripts  of  all  kinds,  and  other  material  of  value  to  the 
student  of  history,  would  be  entrusted  to  him  for  the  benefit 
of  the  public  and  a  safe  repository  would  be  provided  for 
their  preservation.  All  material  which  cannot  be  parted 
with  permanently  would  be  returned  to  the  owners  after 
copies  were  made;  and  provision  would  be  made  for  copying 
such  documents  as  the  owners  are  unwilling  to  part  with 
at  all.  The  expenses  of  the  work  would  of  course  be  met 
by    the    department.      The    material    after    being   carefully 


A  STATE   LIBRARY   BUILDING.  175 

edited  would  be  published  at  the  expense  of  the  state  and 
due  acknowledgment  would  be  made  to  all  who  aided  in  the 
work.  The  great  value  of  such  work  to  the  state  is  splen- 
didly illustrated  by  the  monumental  work  of  Colonel  Wil- 
liam L.  Saunders  and  Chief  Justice  Walter  Clark  in  the 
editing  and  publication  of  the  Colonial  and  State  Records 
prior  to  the  year  1790.  Until  these  volumes  revealed  the 
true  story  of  the  first  century  and  a  half  of  the  state's  his- 
tory, it  was  fashionable  among  historians  to  pass  it  over  with 
slurs  and  sneers  or  to  ignore  it  altogether.  But  such  an 
attitude  now  would  very  justly  condemn  any  author  to  de- 
served oblivion.  What  citizen  of  North  Carolina  is  there 
who  is  not  gratified  and  proud  of  the  rescue  by  these  two 
loyal  sons  of  the  good  name  of  their  mother  ? 

But  as  great  as  this  work  is,  the  complete  history  of  North 
Carolina  can  never  be  written  until  a  similar  work  is  done 
for  every  decade  subsequent  to  1790.  It  is  a  work  that 
cannot  be  accomplished  except  through  the  medium  of  the 
state.  It  is  a  work  that  cannot  be  accomplished  within  a 
year,  nor  within  two  years,  but  is  rather  the  work  of  a 
generation.  Let  us  earnestly  hope  that  the  intelligent 
patriotism  of  the  state  will  demand  that  it  shall  be  done  and 
thoroughly  done  at  the  public  expense  through  a  State  De- 
partment of  Records  and  Archives. 

Need  any  one  urge  upon  intelligent  men  the  necessity  for 
such  work  ?  Says  Judge  Johnson  in  his  "Life  of  Nathanael 
Greene" :  "There  is  and  perhaps  ought  to  be  a  clannish  spirit 
in  the  states  of  the  Union,  which  will  ever  dispose  the 
writers  they  produce  to  blazon  with  peculiar  zeal  the  virtues 
and  talents  of  the  eminent  men  of  their  respective  states. 
.  .  .  It  will  probably  happen  in  future  times,  that  the 
states  that  have  produced  the  ablest  writers  will  enjoy  the 
reputation  of  having  produced  the  ablest  statesmen,  generals 


176  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

and  orators."  Just  so  it  happens  that  the  World  knows  by 
heart  the  story  of  Samuel  Adams,  but  even  his  own  people 
have  forgotten  the  equally  great  services  of  Cornelius  Har- 
nett; the  praise  of  Richard  Henry  Lee  is  on  every  tongue, 
but  no  tongue  speaks  the  name  of  William  R.  Davie;  the 
services  of  John  Jay  have  been  justly  commemorated,  but 
the  more  brilliant  judicial  career  of  James  Iredell  is  un- 
known among  his  own  people.  Had  the  story  of  Virginia 
Dare  occurred  in  Massachusetts,  can  it  be  supposed  that  no 
Longfellow  would  have  been  found  to  wrap  it  up  in  immortal 
verse  ?  Consider  for  a  moment  how  barren  is  the  story  of 
Evangeline  when  compared  to  that  of  the  little  heroine  of 
the  Lost  Colony;  yet  the  pen  of  the  poet  has  brought  tears 
to  the  eyes  of  the  royal  descendant  of  him  in  whose  name 
the  cruel  deed  was  done.  The  friendship  of  an  Indian  chief 
probably  saved  our  colony  from  annihilation,  while  the  hos- 
tility of  King  Phillip  came  near  to  destroying  the  settlement 
of  the  Puritan;  but  no  Irving  has  told  the  story  of  Tom 
Blunt.  All  the  World  knows  by  heart  the  story  of  the  mid- 
night ride  of  Paul  Revere  because  a  great  poet  commanded, 

"Listen,  my  children,  and  you  shall  hear 
Of  the  midnight  ride  of  Paul  Revere." 

But  no  poet  has  commanded  the  World  to  harken  to  the 
thrilling  midnight  ride  of  Mary  Slocum. 

And  there  will  be  no  Bancroft,  no  Fiske,  no  McMaster 
to  tell  our  story ;  no  Longfellow  and  no  Irving  to  write  our 
literature  until  the  work  of  preserving  and  preparing  for 
use  the  sources  of  our  history  has  been  done.  So  long  as  we 
neglect  it  we  need  not  be  surprised,  nor  will  it  be  manly  to 
complain,  if  the  "scorner  shall  snear  at  and  the  witling  de- 
fame us." 


THE  BATTLE  OF  ROCKFISH  CREEK  IN  DUPLIN 

COUNTY. 


BY  J.  O.  CARR. 


A  period  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  years  has  elapsed 
since  the  battle  of  Rockfish  Creek  was  fought  in  Duplin 
County  on  the  2d  of  August,  1781 ;  but  not  one  line  has  ever 
been  written  to  commemorate  this  event,  and  few  historians 
know  of  its  occurrence. 

In  order  that  the  reader  may  better  understand  the  subject 
of  this  sketch,  it  is  well  to  give  an  account  of  the  relative 
movements  of  the  American  and  British  armies  in  North 
Carolina  at  that  time. 

About  the  first  of  February,  1781,  Maj.  James  H.  Craig, 
a  British  military  officer  of  repute,  entered  the  Cape  Fear 
River  with  several  hundred  soldiers  prepared  to  take  and  hold 
Wilmington.  He  had  been  sent  from  Charleston  by  Lord 
Cornwallis  with  instructions  to  seize  the  town  and  make  it 
a  place  of  refuge  for  the  Tories  and  a  place  of  retreat  for  the 
British  army  in  case  of  any  disaster,  while  Cornwallis  him- 
self proceeded  to  the  Piedmont  section  of  the  state  with  the 
hope  of  completing  the  conquest  of  North  Carolina. 

On  the  very  day  that  Craig  entered  Wilmington  the  battle 
of  Cowan's  Ford  was  fought,  in  which  the  brilliant  and  gal- 
lant William  L.  Davidson  was  killed,  and  Cornwallis  and 
Gen.  Nathaniel  Greene  were  engaged  in  the  famous  cam- 
paign of  1781.  Craig  immediately  issued  a  proclamation 
urging  the  people  of  North  Carolina  to  renew  their  allegiance 
to  the  royal  government,  and  the  Tories  throughout  the  State 
were  rallying  around  the  standard  of  the  enemy — some  be- 
cause of  their  loyalty  to  the  English  government,  and  others 
because  they  saw  no  hope  in  further  resistance;  but  there 


178 


THE  WORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 


were  yet  many  who  were  willing  to  die  in  the  cause  they  had 
espoused.  It  is  said  that  twelve  out  of  fifteen  companies  of 
militia  in  Bladen  County  were  at  heart  favorably  disposed  to 
the  Crown,  though  still  enlisted  in  the  American  cause.  To 
some  extent  a  similar  condition  existed  in  Duplin  and  ISTew 
Hanover  Counties,  and  in  June,  1781,  out  of  a  draft  of  70 
in  Duplin  for  the  Continental  army  only  24  appeared  (1). 


HOME  OF  ALEXANDER  LILLINGTON. 


Immediately  after  arriving  in  Wilmington,  Maj.  Craig 
began  depredations  in  the  county  and  sent  a  party  up  the 
North.  East  River  to  the  "great  bridge,"  which  spanned  the 
river  about  twelve  miles  north  of  Wilmington,  where  it  was 
crossed  by  the  Duplin  road.  The  bridge  was  demolished  and 
some  American  store-ships,  which  lay  concealed  there  for 
safety,  were  burned.  It  was  not  easy  to  understand  why  the 
bridge  was  destroyed  unless  it  be  that  Craig  feared  an  at- 
tack from  the  Militia  of  the  adjoining  counties.  This  was 
the  main  crossing  into  the  northern  part  of  ISTew  Hanover  and 
Duplin,  and  continual  vigilance  was  kept  at  this  post  by  the 
opposing  forces.  The  Militia  of  ISTew  Hanover,  Bladen  and 
Duplin,  consisting  of  about  seven  hundred  men,  took  position 
here   to  prevent   incursions   into   the   country.      Temporary 

(i)   Colonial  Records,  vol.  XV,  p.  490. 


THE  BATTLE  OF  KOCKFISH  CREEK.  179 

fortifications  were  made  and  after  some  skirmishing  across 
the   river    Craig's   men   returned   to   Wilmington,    and   the 

^*  s*^  y  Militia    under    com- 

^^^^^^^^jjjjj^/^-t-^  mand  of  Gen.  Alex- 
*    ^^*^>«r-7^C^  ander  Lillington  con- 

^*  "**">SJ  tinued    to    hold    the 

post  until  the  army  of  Cornwallis  entered  Wilmington  in 
April,  1781.  Realizing  the  impossibility  of  holding  the  place 
longer,  Gen.  Lillington  ordered  a  hasty  retreat  to  Kinston, 
where  he  disbanded  the  Militia,  except  one  company,  on  the 
28th  of  April,  1781,  at  which  time  Cornwallis  had  proceeded 
to  the  center  of  Duplin,  where  he  was  carrying  consternation 
to  the  hearts  of  the  people.  Checkmated  and  outgeneraled 
by  Greene  in  his  marvelous  retreat  through  the  State,  Corn- 
wallis was  wreaking  vengeance  on  the  inhabitants  and  was 
leaving  behind  him  desolation  and  ruin.  He  left  Craig  still 
in  charge  at  Wilmington  for  the  purpose  of  rallying  the 
Tories  and  keeping  the  Whigs  subdued  in  the  surrounding 
country,  and  there  did  not  remain  a  semblance  of  an  Ameri- 
can army  in  North  Carolina.  However,  Craig's  repeated  ex- 
peditions into  New  Hanover,  Duplin  and  Onslow  made  it 
necessary  to  reorganize  the  Militia,  and  four  hundred  men 
were  collected  in  Duplin  under  Col.  Kenan,  and  quite  a  num- 
ber in  Bladen  under  Col.  Brown. 

After  the  departure  of  Cornwallis,  Craig's  forces  first  pro- 
ceeded toward  New  Berne  with  the  purpose  of  subduing  all 
the  country  east  of  the  North  East  River,  and  on  June  28th, 
1781,  Gen.  Lillington  sent  a  dispatch  from  Richlands,  Ons- 
low County,  to  Major  Abraham  Molton  in  Duplin,  informing 
him  that  the  British  with  about  eight  hundred  Tories  and 
regulars  were  advancing  from  Rutherfords  Mill  (x)  towards 

(!)  Rutherford's  Mill  was  east  of  the  Northeast  River,  between  Wil- 
mington and  Richlands. 


180  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

Richlands,  and  instructing  him.  to  muster  all  the  forces  he 
could  without  delay  (3).  Molton  immediately  informed  Gov. 
Burke  of  the  situation  and  proceeded  to  raise  a  levy  of  troops 
in  Duplin.  It  seems  that  Col.  Kenan  was  otherwise  engaged 
at  this  time,  probably  guarding  the  crossing  at  Rockfish  Creek. 
On  July  6th,  Col.  Kenan  wrote  Gov.  Burke  that  one  hun- 
dred Duplin  men  had  marched  to  join  Gen.  Lillington  at 
Richlands  Chapel  and  fifty  others  were  ready  to  go.  Again 
on  July  9th,  he  wrote  the  Governor  that  the  enemy,  which 
was  moving  toward  Richlands,  had  returned  to  Rutherford's 
Mill,  and  that  he  had  ordered  a  draft  of  two  hundred  men  to 
be  made  from  Duplin  immediately,  but  that  he  had  no  pow- 
der nor  lead — not  one  round — and  urged  the  Governor  to 
supply  them  with  ammunition,  as  they  could  not  take  the 
field  until  supplied.  And  again  on  July  15th,  he  wrote  the 
Governor  that  the  enemy  had  moved  out  of  Wilmington  and 
were  rebuilding  the  "long  bridge" ;  that  it  was  their  inten- 
tion to  give  no  more  paroles,  but  would  sell  every  man's 
property  who  would  not  join  them ;  that  they  had  one  hundred 
light  horse,  well  equipped,  and  four  hundred  and  seventy 
foot ;  and  that  he  was  informed  that  they  were  determined  to 
be  at  Duplin  County  House  the  next  Monday.  (2)  He  further 
stated  that  they  had  no  ammunition  and  could  get  none,  and 
renewed  his  request  to  be  supplied.  On  July  24th,  Gen. 
Alexander  Lillington  wrote  the  Governor  that  a  part  of  Cas- 
well's army  had  reached  Rockfish,  in  Duplin  County,  which 
was  then  held  by  Col.  Kenan,  and  that  Col.  Kenan  had 
informed  him  by  letter  that  he  had  no  ammunition.  (3)  It  is 
apparent  from  all  these  communications  that  Kenan,  Caswell 
and  Lillington  regarded  the  situation  as  serious,  and  thought 

(i)   Colonial  Records,  vol.  XV,  pp.  496  and  499. 

(2)  Colonial  Records,  vol.  XV,  p.  535. 

(3)  Colonial  Records,  vol.  XV,  p.  567. 


THE  BATTLE  OF  ROCKFISH  CHEEK. 


181 


it  very  important  that  Craig's  army  should  be  checked  in  its 
march  through  the  State.  The  importance  of  this  resistance 
is  readily  seen  when  we  consider  the  fact  that  Cornwallis  had 
traverse'd  the  State  and  had  just  passed  into  Virginia  with- 
out serious  damage  to  his  own  army;  for,  while  he  had  won 
no  decisive  victory,  yet  he  had,  in  effect,  subdued  the  State 


MAP 

BATTLER-ROCK  FISH 


Thb  Battle  Ground. 


and  had  left  it  with  no  organized  army ;  and  Craig's  expedi- 
tions were  intended  to  give  courage  to  the  Tories,  who  were 
ready  to  support  the  enemy  at  any  time. 


182  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

Rockfish  Creek,  now  the  dividing  line  between  Duplin  and 
Pender  Counties,  was  then  the  boundary  between  Duplin  and 
ISTew  Hanover.  The  old  Duplin  road  leading  from  Wilming- 
ton, along  which  Cornwallis  had  marched,  crossed  the  creek 
about  a  half  mile  east  of  the  Wilmington  and  Weldon  Rail 
Road,  and  passed  a  few  yards  west  of  where  the  present 
county  bridge  now  stands.  This  was  the  most  convenient 
place  for  an  army  to>  make  its  passage,  but  it  was  hoped,  and 
without  much  reason,  that  the  Militia  would  be  able  to  entrap 
the  British  here  and  win  a  signal  victory,  and  likely  such 
would  have  been  the  result  had  our  troops  been  supplied  with 
ammunition.  Col.  Kenan,  who  was  chief  in  command  at  this 
time,  and  who  had  planned  the  attack,  fortified  himself  on 
Rockfish  Creek,  at  the  crossing  above  described,  by  throwing 
up  dirt-works  just  north  of  the  ford,  slight  traces  of  which 
can  now  be  seen,  and  waited  the  approach  of  the  enemy.  The 
fortifications  were  well  planned  so  as  to  give  the  Militia  every 
possible  advantage  as  the  enemy  was  crossing  the  creek,  for 
their  only  hope  was  to  make  an  attack  while  a  crossing  was 
being  attempted.  Craig  had  light  artillery,  some  cavalry  and 
over  four  hundred  footmen,  all  well  equipped,  and  was  more 
than  prepared  to  resist  any  force  that  the  Whigs  could  put 
in  the  field.  On  the  2d  of  August,  1781,  he  attempted  to 
cross  the  creek  and  was  vigorously  attacked  by  the  brave 
Militiamen  under  Col.  Kenan,  though  without  ammunition 
sufficient  to  even  give  hope  of  success.  Craig  used  his  entire 
force,  including  his  artillery,  and  the  inevitable  result  was 
the  defeat  of  our  troops,  outnumbered  and  unequipped  as  they 
were.  There  is  now  in  existence  an  old  cannon  ball,  about 
three  inches  in  diameter,  which  was  left  at  the  place  of  battle 
by  the  British  army ;  and  while  it  is  insignificant  as  com- 
pared with  modern  instruments  of  warfare,  yet  it  was  much 
superior  to  anything  used  by  the  Duplin  Militia. 

The  accounts  of  this  battle  have  only  been  preserved  by 


THE  BATTLE  OF  EOCKFISH  CREEK.  183 

two  eye-witnesses,  and  these  are  not  as  complete  as  we  would 
like  to  have  them ;  however,  they  throw  some  light  on  the 
matter,  and  without  them  we  would  have  nothing  reliable. 

Col.  Kenan  on  the  same  day  wrote  the  Governor  as  fol- 
lows^1) 

Duplin,  August  2d,  1781. 

Sir  :  — I  imbodied  all  the  Militia  I  Could  in  this  County  to  the  Amount 
of  about  150  men  and  was  reinforced  by  Gen'l  Caswell  with  about  180 
and  took  post  at  a  place  Called  rockfish.  The  British  this  day  Came 
against  me  and  the  Militia  again  after  a  few  rounds  Broak  and  it  was 
out  of  my  power  and  all  my  Officers  to  rally  them.  They  have  all 
Dispersed.  Before  the  men  Broak  we  lost  none,  But  the  light  horse 
pursued  and  I  am  afraid  have  taken  20  or  30  men.  I  Cannot  Give  You 
a  full  acct.,  but  the  Bearer,  Capt.  James,  who  was  in  the  Action,  Can 
inform  your  Excellency  of  any  Particular.  He  acted  with  Becoming 
Bravery  during  the  whole  action.  I  am  now  Convinced  this  County 
with  Several  others  will  be  Overrun  by  the  British  and  Tories.  Your 
Excellency  will  Excuse  as  I  cannot  Give  a  more  full  accot. 
I  am  Sir  Your  very  humbl  St. 


%^?7&<?7 


On  the  30th  of  November,  1784,  William  Dickson,  who 
participated  in  the  fight,  wrote  a  letter  to  his  cousin  in  Ire- 
land, which  contained  the  following  reference  to  the  battle: 

"Col.  Kenan's  Militia  had  not  made  a  stand  more  than  ten 
days  when  Maj.  Craig  marched  his  main  force,  with  field 
pieces,  defeated  and  drove  us  out  of  our  works,  and  made 
some  of  our  men  prisoners  (here  I  narrowly  escaped  being 
taken  or  cut  down  by  the  dragoons).  The  enemy  stayed 
several  days  in  Duplin  County  (this  being  the  first  week  in 
August,  1781).  The  Eoyalists  gathered  together  very  fast, 
and  we  were  now  reduced  again  to  the  uttermost  extremity. 


(i)    Colonial  Records,  vol.  XV,  p.  593. 


184  THE   NORTH   CAROLINA   BOOKLET. 

The  enemy  were  now  more  cruel  to  the  distressed  inhabitants 
than  Cornwallis'  army  had  been  before.  Some  men  collected 
and  formed  a  little  flying  camp  and  moved  near  the  enemy's 
lines  and  made  frequent  sallies  on  their  rear  flanks,  while 
others  fled  from  their  homes  and  kept  out  of  the  enemy's 
reach.  Maj.  Craig  marched  from  Duplin  to  ]STewbern,  plun- 
dered the  town,  destroyed  the  public  stores,  and  then  im- 
mediately marched  back  to  Wilmington  to  secure  the  garri- 
son." (x) 

The  battle  of  Rockfish  is  not  one  of  the  important  battles 
of  the  Revolution,  and  its  result,  whatever  it  might  have  been, 
could  in  no  way  have  affected  the  ultimate  issue  of  the  war. 
However,  it  throws  some  light  on  the  history  of  the  times  and 
shows  us  what  the  brave  home  guard  of  the  Revolution  had 
to  contend  with,  and  how  important  a  part  of  the  great  army 
it  was.  Without  the  "Militia,"  life  would  have  been  intoler- 
able in  Duplin  during  the  great  struggle,  and  Toryism  would 
have  deterred  the  people  from  giving  support  and  aid  to  the 
far-away  soldier,  who  was  doing  battle  for  our  freedom. 
After  the  defeat  of  the  "Duplin  Militia"  at  Rockfish,  Craig 
laid  his  cruel  hand  upon  the  inhabitants  of  Duplin,  robbed 
them  of  their  property,  and  inflicted  upon  them  every  indig- 
nity and  outrage  known  to  merciless  warfare. 

Note. — Sir  James  Henry  Craig  was  born  in  Gibralter  in  the  year  1749. 
He  entered  the  English  Army  at  the  age  of  fourteen  and  was  well  trained 
in  the  art  of  soldiery.  He  came  to  America  in  the  year  1774  and  was 
in  service  here  from  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill  until  the  evacuation  of 
Charleston  in  1781.  He  was  thirty-two  years  of  age  when  he  took  pos- 
session of  Wilmington  and  began  his  work  of  devastation  in  the  sur- 
rounding counties.  In  1807  he  was  made  Governor-General  and  Com- 
mander-in-Chief of  Canada.  He  was  a  soldier  of  fair  ability,  but  as  a 
civil  officer  was  a  petty  tyrant  and  oppressor.  His  administration  as 
Governor  of  Canada  was  a  failure,  and  he  returned  to  England  in  1811, 
where  he  died  the  following  year. 

(!)   Dickson  Letters,  p.  17. 


GOVERNOR  JESSE  FRANKLIN. 


BY  J.  T.  ALDERMAN. 


The  name  Franklin  suggests  an  ancestry  worthy  of  noble 
sons.  The  name  may  have  come  down  from  an  illustrious 
family  of  Norman  nobles  which  established  itself  in  Britain 
after  the  Norman  Conquest.  It  may  have  originated  from 
an  expression  signifying  "free-man."  We  leave  a  discussion 
of  this  to  the  antiquarian  and  the  philologist. 

True  nobility  will  assert  itself  even  among  the  hills  and 
forests  of  frontier  life.  When  home  and  country  call  for 
men  to  face  the  oppressor  and  break  away  the  tyrant's  yoke, 
noble  spirits  and  brave  hearts  lead  the  way.  He  who  vali- 
antly wields  his  sword  in  a  cause  that  is  just,  yielding  to 
neither  difficulties  nor  discouragements,  reveals  a  spirit  that 
is  noble  born. 

It  was  during  the  dark  period  of  the  Revolution,  when 
home  and  liberty  were  in  jeopardy  from  foreign  foe  and 
internecine  strife  that  Jesse  Franklin  appeared  in  the  full 
strength  of  young  manhood.  He  was  born  on  March  24th, 
1760.  His  parents  were  Bernard  and  Mary  Franklin,  who 
at  the  beginning  of  the  Revolutionary  war  lived  in  Orange 
County,  Virginia.  He  was  the  third  of  seven  sons.  Owing 
to  the  turbulence  of  the  times  his  educational  opportunities 
were  very  limited.  He,  however,  acquired  the  rudiments  of 
a  practical  education. 

When  he  was  about  seventeen  years  old,  during  the  year 
1777,  he  volunteered  in  the  Continental  service  and  held  a 
lieutenant's  commission  in  Washington's  army.  It  is  not 
known  how  long  he  remained  with  the  army  or  where  his 
service  took  him.  When  his  term  of  enlistment  had  expired 
he  returned  to  his  father's  home. 


186  THE   NORTH    CAROLINA   BOOKLET. 

Attracted  by  the  excellent  range  and  fertile  valleys  of 
Piedmont  North  Carolina,  a  large  number  of  good  people 
had,  before  the  Revolution,  left  their  Virginia  homes  and 
moved  to  occupy  the  unbroken  forests.  Among  them  was 
Col.  Benjamin  Cleveland,  a  brother  of  Jesse  Franklin's  mo- 
ther. Before  the  breaking  out  of  the  Revolution,  Bernard 
Franklin  had  determined  to  go  to  North  Carolina,  as  so 
many  of  his  neighbors  and  friends  had  done.  In  the  summer 
of  1778  he  sent  Jesse,  who  was  then  at  home  from  the  army, 
to  select  lands  suitable  for  the  settlement  and  to  erect  build- 
ings for  the  accommodation  of  the  family  when  they  should 
arrive  in  the  fall.  The  fact  that  the  father  trusted  such 
responsibilities  to  his  eighteen-year-old  son  is  an  earnest  of 
the  confidence  he  placed  in  him.  The  young  shoulders  which 
were  destined  to  bear  in  after  years  the  burdens  of  state 
and  nation  were  thus  early  put  in  training  by  duties  and 
cares  in  sharing  the  responsibilities  of  his  father's  family. 
His  father  was  not  disappointed.  Jesse  selected  for  their 
future  home  a  beautiful  valley  near  the  head-waters  of 
Mitchell's  River,  and  provided  for  the  coming  of  the  family. 
The  two  older  brothers,  Bernard  and  Jeremiah,  remained  in 
Virginia.  In  the  fall  of  1778  Jesse's  parents,  with  four 
sons  and  two  daughters,  the  oldest  of  the  children  being  under 
fifteen  years  of  age,  moved  to  their  new  home  in  Surry  Coun- 
ty, North  Carolina.  This  homestead  was  to  become  the  seat 
of  patriotism  and  honor,  culture  and  refinement. 

The  American  people  were  not  united  in  the  desire  for 
separation  from  the  mother  country.  The  division  of  senti- 
ment was  sharp  and  in  many  communities  was  a  source  of 
extreme  bitterness  and  strife.  Loyalists  and  Tories  were 
found  in  all  the  colonies.  Virginia,  Maryland,  and  New 
England  were  perhaps  less  infested  than  any  other  sections 
of  the  continent.     John  Adams  said:    "New  York,  Pennsvl- 


GOVERNOR    JESSE    FRANKLIN.  187 

vania,  and  North  Carolina  were  about  evenly  divided  between 
Whig  and  Tory  sentiment;  in  South.  Carolina  there  were 
more  Tories  than  Whigs,  and  Georgia  virtually  swung  back 
at  one  time  to  the  crown  as  a  royal  province."  As  to  the 
number  of  Tories  in  the  Carolinas,  the  estimate  of  Mr. 
Adams  is  no  doubt  too  large. 

While  all  who  were  opposed  to  the  American  cause  were 
classed  as  Tories,  there  was  a  difference  between  the  Loyalist 
and  the  characteristic  Tory.  Many  of  those  who  adhered  to 
the  crown  were  people  of  excellent  character  and  most  valu- 
able citizens — men  who  were  above  the  piratical  practices  of 
the  ordinary  Tory.  Many  of  the  Scotch  Highlanders  in  the 
Cape  Tear  section  were  Loyalists,  but  were  men  of  high 
moral  worth.  They  had  but  recently,  after  the  battle  of 
Culloden,  sworn  allegiance  to  the  crown  and  were  unwilling 
to  violate  that  oath.  There  were  other  notable  exceptions. 
But  what  excuse  can  be  made  for  the  predatory  bands  of 
plundering  Tories  roving  the  country,  burning  houses,  mur- 
dering the  best  men  in  the  communities,  and  creating  con- 
sternation and  misery  among  helpless  women  and  children ! 
They  destroyed  the  growing  crops  of  defenseless  citizens  and 
appropriated  to  their  own  use  the  farm  supplies  and  what- 
ever valuables  could  be  found  in  the  dwellings. 

They  were  mainly  irresponsible  men,  in  whose  breasts  there 
existed  no  thrill  of  patriotism,  whose  only  ambition  was  to 
gratify  some  personal  grudge,  and  to  satisfy  their  necessi- 
ties by  plundering  and  robbing.  Their  heredity  has  come 
down  through  the  decades  of  our  national  history.  When 
our  southland  was  in  arms  for  the  defense  of  home  and  lib- 
erty, the  sons  of  these  men  were  "bush-whackers"  and  de- 
serters. They  now  run  illicit  distilleries  and  debauch  their 
communities ;  they  object  to  civic  and  educational  advance- 
ment.    Tap  their  veins  and  you  find  Tory  blood.     During 


188  THE   NORTH    CAROLINA   BOOKLET. 

the  war  the  Tories  in  some  sections  became  so  aggressive 
and  bold  in  their  depradations  that  the  Whig  families  were 
forced  to  build  forts  for  protection.  One  of  these  was  near 
the  present  town  of  Mocksville  j1  another  was  near  Wilkesboro. 

Fortunately  there  were  men  in  most  sections  of  the  State 
whose  names  struck  terror  to  the  hearts  of  the  Tories.  Among 
them  was  Col.  Benjamin  Cleveland.  As  a  partisan  leader 
he  had  but  few  equals.  He  knew  no  fear  and  seemed  ubiqui- 
tous to  friend  and  foe.  Colonel  Cleveland's  services  in 
checking  organized  Toryism  in  that  part  of  the  State  have 
never  been  fully  recognized. 

When  about  eighteen  years  of  age  Jesse  Franklin  joined 
his  uncle's  forces  and  for  two  years  assisted  in  maintaining 
order  in  Piedmont  North  Carolina.  He  served  with  him 
in  many  skirmishes  with  the  Tories  and  gained  the  confi- 
dence of  his  uncle  as  a  bold  and  fearless  patriot. 

At  the  close  of  the  summer  of  1780,  the  British  had  over- 
run the  whole  of  South  Carolina.  Cornwallis  had  for  months 
been  arranging  to  invade  North  Carolina  and  take  vengeance 
upon  the  men  of  Mecklenburg  and  other  Whigs  of  the  State. 
He  sent  Major  Ferguson  with  a  large  body  of  British  troops 
to  overawe  the  Whigs  and  enroll  the  Tories  in  the  western 
counties.  The  appearance  of  the  British  among  the  hills 
of  North  Carolina  had  an  unexpected  effect.  Those  daunt- 
less patriots  who  knew  no  fear  rallied  to  the  standard  of 
Liberty  with  a  determination  which  had  never  seized  them 
before.  Led  by  the  brave  Colonels  Shelby,  Sevier,  Camp- 
bell, and  General  McDowell,  they  rushed  down  the  mountain 

i  Some  of  the  timbers  of  which  this  fort  was  constructed  were  moved 
to  Mocksville  about  forty  years  ago  by  Col.  A.  M.  Booe  and  used  by  him 
in  building  a  tobacco  factory,  which  is  still  standing.  Colonel  Booe 
ornamented  this  factory  with  a  brass  weather  vane  brought  from 
Heidleburg  by  some  German  Lutherans  who  settled  on  the  banks  of 
Dutchman's  Creek  and  placed  it  upon  a  church,  which  they  built  in  1765. 


GOVERNOR    JESSE    FRANKLIN.  189 

like  a  torrent  maddened  by  the  opposing  elements.  They 
were  joined  by  the  men  from  Surry  and  Wilkes  under  the 
intrepid  Colonel  Cleveland,  with  Jesse  Franklin  as  his  aid. 
Nowhere  in  Revolutionary  times  could  be  found  a  more 
heroic  band.  With  incredible  swiftness  this  little  army  of 
militia  and  volunteers  rushed  over  creeks  and  rivers,  ridges 
and  forests,  covering  a  distance  of  about  seventy  miles  in 
twenty-four  hours.  Halting  for  a  council  of  war,  they  se- 
lected nine  hundred  of  the  best  equipped  men  and  rushed 
forward  to  meet  the  foe.  Ferguson  had  selected  the  top  of 
the  ridge  known  as  King's  Mountain  for  the  encounter,  from 
which,  he  said,  "God  Himself  could  not  drive  him."  The 
patriots  surrounded  the  mountain  before  Ferguson  was  aware 
of  their  presence  and  attacked  him  from  all  sides  at  once. 
As  the  British  and  Tories  charged  from  one  side  of  the  moun- 
tain the  American  lines  wavered,  only  to  rush  forward  with 
redoubled  fury.  The  British  were  hurled  back,  only  to  be 
met  by  the  rifles  and  shouts  of  the  men  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  hill.  A  cloud  of  smoke  encompassed  the  mountain 
shutting  off  the  British  army  from  sight.  Jesse  Franklin 
rode  forward  through  the  smoke,  and  finding;  the  British  in 
confusion  and  shooting  above  the  heads  of  the  Patriots,  he 
called  to  his  men  to  charge,  assuring  them  of  victory.  They 
advanced  till  within  range  and  fired.  Colonel  Ferguson  fell 
and  confusion  overwhelmed  the  enemy.  Captain  Depeyster, 
the  Banking  officer,  assumed  command  but  was  unable  to  re- 
store order.  Captain  Ryarson's  efforts  were  alike  futile.  He 
surrendered,  and  handed  his  sword  to  Jesse  Franklin,  saying 
to  him :  "Take  it,  you  deserve  it,  sir."  2  The  sword  was 
in  the  Franklin  family  many  years,  but  a  party  of  gentlemen 

2  Accounts  of  the  battle  of  King's  Mountain  vary.  This  sketch  fol- 
lows the  statement  of  Judge  J.  F.  Graves,  who  received  it  from  John 
Boyd,  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution,  and  an  eye-witness  to  this  incident. 

3 


190  THE   NORTH    CAROLINA   BOOKLET. 

on  one  occasion,  in  testing  the  temper  of  the  mettle,  broke 
it  into  fragments.  The  hilt  was  in  possession  of  Mr.  Am- 
brose Johnson,  of  Wilkes  County,  in  1854. 

The  victory  at  King's  Mountain  was  complete.  Nine  hun- 
dred inexperienced  militia  had  vanquished  a  superior  force 
of  regular  British  and  Tory  troops,  consisting  of  1125  men. 
With  the  loss  of  twenty-eight  killed  and  sixty  wounded,  they 
had  killed,  wounded,  or  captured  the  entire  British  force. 
The  effect  was  electrical.  The  Tory  spirit  was  crushed,  and 
hope  stirred  the  hearts  of  the  patriots.  The  prisoners  were 
hurried  to  a  place  of  safety.  Cornwallis  immediately  left 
Charlotte  and  retired  to  his  protected  camps  in  South  Caro- 
lina. 

A  record  of  the  many  daring  adventures  and  marvelous 
escapes  of  Jesse  Franklin  during  those  years  of  ceaseless 
vigilance  would  make  a  thrilling  narrative.  A  few  only 
have  been  rescued  from  oblivion.  The  plundering  Tories 
feared  him  and  trembled  for  their  lives  when  it  was  known 
that  Franklin  was  in  the  community.  They  well  knew  that 
swift  vengeance  would  be  dealt  to  those  guilty  of  murder 
and  that  all  if  taken  would  be  punished  according  to  their 
crimes.  They  determined  to  destroy  him,  but  they  realized 
that  he  was  more  than  a  match  for  them  in  any  bold  move- 
ment on  their  part.  Bands  were  often  in  hiding  along  the 
approaches  to  his  father's  house.  One  evening  he  was  at- 
tempting to  reach  his  home  by  a  circuitous  route  when  sud- 
denly he  was  surrounded  by  a  strong  band  of  Tories.  Re- 
sistance in  the  face  of  a  dozen  rifles  was  futile.  They  tied 
his  hands  behind  his  back,  and  using  his  bridle  as  a  halter, 
they  made  ready  to  hang  him  to  an  overhanging  limb.  When 
all  was  ready  they  commanded  him  to  take  the  oath  of  allegi- 
ance. He  refused  and  they  swung  him  up.  One  of  the  men 
struck  the  horse  to  make  him  move  from  under  Franklin; 


GOVERNOR    JESSE    ERANKLIN.  191 

just  as  he  did  so  the  halter  broke  and  Franklin  fell  into  his 
saddle  as  the  horse  dashed  away.  The  rifle  balls  whizzed 
by  his  head.  His  escape  was  miraculous  and  Franklin  in 
after  life  often  referred  to  it  as  an  intervention  of  a  Kind 
Providence. 

Three  months  after  the  battle  of  King's  Mountain,  Morgan 
gained  another  glorious  victory  over  the  British  at  the  Cow- 
pens.  Cornwallis  was  stung  by  his  defeat  and  the  loss  of 
so  large  a  part  of  his  army  and  hastened  to  carry  the  war 
into  [North  Carolina.  General  Morgan  knew  that  Cornwallis 
would  endeavor  to  recapture  the  prisoners  and  immediately 
hurried  them  off  toward  Virginia.  Thus  began  the  race  of 
Cornwallis  and  the  Americans  across  the  state  of  North 
Carolina.  General  Green  joined  Morgan  near  Salisbury  and 
assumed  command  of  the  army.  The  details  of  this  retreat 
across  the  State  are  facts  common  in  all  our  histories. 

Cornwallis  reluctantly  gave  up  the  chase  of  Greene  and 
turned  aside  to  Hillsboro.  Greene,  having  received  reinforce- 
ments from  Virginia  and  some  militia  from  the  eastern  por- 
tion of  ISTorth  Carolina,  recrossed  the  Dan  River,  thus  showing 
a  determination  to  meet  the  British  in  battle.  Cornwallis  said 
that  he  was  greatly  disappointed  at  the  failure  of  the  Tories 
in  not  rallying  to  the  British  standard  and  enlisting  as  sol- 
diers in  his  army.  The  most  of  the  Tories  who  did  attempt 
to  reach  him  were  cut  off  and  destroyed  by  scouting  parties 
of  Whigs  sent  out  by  General  Greene  to  intercept  their  move- 
ments. The  most  notable  of  these  encounters  was  perhaps 
the  destruction  of  Colonel  Pyle  and  his  band  of  Tories  near 
the  present  town  of  Graham.  Cornwallis  immediately  moved 
west  across  the  Haw  River  to  succor  those  who  should  come. 

Greene  sent  William  Washington,  Lee,  and  Williams  to  in- 
tercept the  marauding  parties  of  British  and  Tories.     Capt. 


192  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

Jesse  Franklin  was  at  the  head  of  one  of  these  skirmish 
lines  near  Hillsboro  on  February  25th. 

General  Greene  was  near  the  state  line  about  25  miles  north 
of  Hillsboro  and  began  a  westerly  movement  toward  the  little 
town  of  Martinsville,  then  the  county  seat  of  Guilford,  which 
he  had  before  selected  as  a  suitable  ground  for  the  inevitable 
battle.  He  arranged  his  forces  with  skill  and  awaited  the 
approach  of  the  enemy.  Cornwallis  accepted  the  challenge 
and  on  the  evening  of  March  15th  the  battle  took  place. 
Greene  withdrew  and  Cornwallis  held  the  ground,  but  his 
doubtful  victory  was  the  final  undoing  of  the  British  in 
j^orth  Carolina. 

In  this  battle  Jesse  Franklin  was  a  conspicuous  actor.  He 
led  a  band  of  mountaineers  who  did  good  service,  and  was 
among  the  last  to  leave  the  grounds  when  General  Greene 
ordered  a  retreat.  The  horses  of  his  men  had  been  tied  in 
the  woods  and  as  they  were  mounting  to'  retire  some  British 
cavalrymen  killed  a  part  of  his  men  before  they  could  mount 
and  get  away.  Franklin  escaped,  but  soon  returned  and  se- 
cured the  horse  and  arms  of  one  of  his  neighbors,  a  Mr. 
Taliafero,  and  carried  thern  to  the  family  of  his  friend. 
Cornwallis  retreated  to  Wilmington  and  soon  left  the  State, 
to  be  captured  at  Yorktown.  Greene  was  now  on  the  aggres- 
sive, but  gave  up  the  pursuit  and  went  to  South  Carolina. 

While  history  has  not  been  lavish  in  recounting  the  move- 
ments of  Jesse  Franklin,  enough  has  been  recorded  to  give 
us  an  idea  of  the  military  career  of  the  youthful  hero. 
Franklin  was  at  this  time  under  21  years  of  age.  America 
had  gained  its  independence. 

Hostilities  had  ceased,  but  the  relationship  of  the  former 
Whig  and  Tory  elements  were  extremely  trying  in  many 
sections.  Bitter  animosities  and  recollections  rendered  al- 
most impossible  the  return  of  friendly  intercourse.     Tories 


GOVERNOR   JESSE   FRANKLIN.  193 

had  committed  outrages  and  murder.  The  Whigs  had  found 
it  necessary  to  retaliate  in  order  to  check  their  unbridled 
ravages.  Some  sections  had  been  almost  depopulated ;  in 
others  a  spirit  of  lawlessness  was  prevalent.  It  was  a  task 
perhaps  greater  than  the  Revolution  itself  to  bring  order  out 
of  chaos  and  construct  a  nation,  and  people  grew  restless 
under  suspense  and  delay.  The  Whigs  had  been  under  a 
supreme  tension  from  the  beginning  of  the  war,  and  when 
that  tension  was  removed  it  was  natural  for  a  reaction  to 
follow.  Lethargy  and  untimely  contentment  might  lose  for 
them  the  vantage  ground  which  had  been  secured  at  so  dear 
a  price.  Schools  and  churches  were  in  many  places  still 
closed  and  the  moral  senses  seemed  blunted.  Under  such 
conditions  as  these  there  was  need  of  the  best  and  most  patri- 
otic men  to  guide  in  public  affairs.  The  experienced  and 
wary,  like  Caswell ;  the  vigorous  and  hopeful,  like  Franklin, 
were  immediately  summoned  to  the  councils  of  the  legislative 
halls. 

After  the  close  of  the  war,  Jesse  Franklin  settled  in 
Wilkes  County.  In  1784,  at  the  age  of  24,  he  was  elected 
to  the  Legislature  from  Wilkes  County,  and,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  1788,  he  was  re-elected  successively  every  year  until 
1793,  when  he  changed  his  place  of  residence  to  Surry  Coun- 
ty. The  people  of  Surry  knowing  his  value  as  a  public  citi- 
zen immediately  elected  him  to  the  Legislature  for  the  year 
1793,  and  returned  him  in  1794.  In  1795  he  was  elected 
member  of  Congress  and  served  two  years.  In  1797  and 
1798  we  again  find  him  in  the  Legislature.  The  Legislature 
of  1799  elected  him  United  States  Senator  for  the  full  term 
ending  in  1805.  In  1806  and  1807  he  was  a  member  of 
the  State  Senate  and  was,  at  the  close  of  his  term,  again 
elected  United  States  Senator  for  the  term  to  expire  in  1813. 

As  a  legislator  Jesse   Franklin  was  universally  trusted. 


194  THE  NORTH    CAROLINA   BOOKLET. 

Although  he  was  one  of  the  youngest  of  the  members  of  the 
Legislature,  he  was  placed  at  the  head  of  important  com- 
mittees. He  made  but  few  speeches;  these  were  mainly 
short,  pointed  and  forceful.  In  February,  1795,  one  Jere- 
miah Early  petitioned  the  Legislature  for  a  premium  or 
bounty  to  help  and  protect  him  in  the  manufacture  of  steel. 
Franklin  was  chairman  of  a  committee  appointed  to  investi- 
gate the  merits  of  the  petition  and  made  the  following  re- 
port: "After  due  consideration  it  is  our  opinion  that  it  is 
not  expedient  for  the  State  to  grant  premiums  or  bounties  for 
the  manufacture  of  steel,  being  well  assured  that  any  person 
manufacturing  that  article  will  be  amply  compensated  by  the 
sale  thereof." 

As  early  as  1785  we  find  Franklin  publicly  advocating 
more  opportunities  for  educating  the  people.  He  was  a  close 
student  and  acquired  a.  broad  fund  of  general  information. 
He  married  Miss  Meeky  Perkins,  of  Rockbridge  County, 
Virginia.  The  date  of  his  marriage  has  not  come  to  the 
writer,  but  it  was  some  time  before  1790,  as  collateral  cir- 
cumstances indicate.  His  home  life  was  beautiful  and  in- 
spiring, shedding  a  wholesome  influence  for  culture  and  re- 
finement in  the  circle  of  his  friends  and  associates. 

In  1781  he  received  grants  of  land  in  Wilkes  County.  The 
Federal  census  of  1790  shows  that  he  was  then  a  citizen  of 
Wilkes  County.  As  has  been  stated,  he  moved  to  Surry 
County  in  1793. 

Franklin  was  a  Democrat  in  his  feelings  and  mode  of  life. 
He  was  one  of  the  people  and  on  all  occasions  manifested 
his  devotion  to  them  in  whatever  might  appeal  to  their  sensi- 
bilities or  prejudices. 

While  the  Legislature  was  in  session  in  Hillsboro  he  was 
in  need  of  some  shirts.  The  seamstress  had  made  them 
with  ruffles,  according  to  the  fashion  of  the  times.     "When 


GOVERNOR   JESSE  FRANKLIN.  195 

he  came  to  put  them  on,  he  thought  the  frills  did  not  become 
the  representative  of  so  plain  a  people  as  his  constituents,  and 
so  he  cut  them  all  off  with  his  pen  knife  before  wearing 
the  shirts." 

In  personal  appearance  Franklin  was  erect  and  command- 
ing, somewhat  above  medium  height,  and,  in  his  latter  years, 
weighed  over  two  hundred  pounds.  He  was  a  man  of  strong 
personality,  of  few  words,  of  unusual  discretion  and  sound 
judgment.  He  was  easily  provoked  to  deeds  of  charity  and 
unselfish  service  to  those  less  fortunate  than  himself.  His 
sympathy  for  the  distressed  widow  and  orphan  was  easily 
touched ;  even  in  his  younger  years  his  strong,  manly  courage 
brought  comfort  and  hope  to  those  in  distress  around  him. 
Moore,  the  historian,  says  of  him:  "Jesse  Franklin,  like 
Nathaniel  Macon,  was  dear  to  the  people  because  he  typified 
their  best  qualities.  He  did  not  shine  in  debate  like  Davie, 
or  out-wit  his  competitors  like  Alexander  Martin,  but  he  was 
strong  in  the  simplicity  and  directness  of  his  character.  He 
loved  truth,  peace  and  justice,  and  they  shone  in  his  life  and 
made  him  a  beacon  and  an  assurance  to  all  who  knew  him." 
His  uniform  and  well  recognized  integrity,  the  soundness  of 
his  judgment  on  the  great  questions  which  so  deeply  agitated 
the  public  mind,  his  purity  of  life  and  exalted  patriotism 
made  him  a  trusted  leader  of  men. 

In  1795,  when  Jesse  Franklin  was  elected  to  the  National 
Congress,  the  young  Republic  was  feeling  its  way  toward  a 
safe  adjustment  of  internal  organizations  and  at  the  same 
time  striving  to  avoid  external  complications  until  it  should 
realize  a  firm  place  in  the  hearts  and  confidence  of  the 
American  people  and  gain  respectability  among  the  great 
family  of  nations.  It  had  so  recently  set  up  business  for 
itself  that  there  was  much  and  most  important  legislation  to 
be  made.     Consequent  upon  the  devastations  of  a  long  war, 


196  THE   NORTH    CAROLINA   BOOKLET. 

there  was  a  spirit  of  unrest  in  every  quarter.  Families  were 
breaking  up  and  moving  to  the  western  frontiers ;  resistance 
to  taxation  embarrassed  the  local  authorities,  and  there  were 
those  who  seemed  to  prefer  the  flesh-pots  of  their  former 
conditions  to  the  uncertain  experiment  as  an  independent 
nation.  Sections  were  jealous  of  supposed  encroachments 
upon  their  local  interests.  New  England  was  ready  at  the 
slightest  provocation  to  withdraw  from  the  Union.  The 
South  was  guarding  suspiciously  against  any  attempt  to  med- 
dle in  her  affairs.  Many  of  those  who  had  been  Loyalists 
and  Tories,  having  lost  their  standing  in  their  communities, 
were  forced  to  seek  other  places  to  make  their  homes ;  some 
went  to  the  West  Indies,  some  to  the  British  possessions,  but 
the  greater  number  went  west  and  settled  among  the  moun- 
tains of  East  Tennessee  and  Kentucky,  where  generations 
later  their  descendants  arrayed  themselves  against  the  armies 
of  the  South.  Many  of  the  brave  Continental  soldiers  re- 
ceived the  pay  for  their  long  services  in  grants  of  land  be- 
yond the  Ohio,  and  the  states  were  poorer  by  the  loss  of 
these  brave  men.  State  and  national  debts  were  hanging 
ominous  over  the  treasuries,  for  the  magic  hand  of  Hamilton 
had  not  yet  given  stability  to  the  country's  finances,  convert- 
ing a  national  debt  into  a  national  blessing. 

Internal  traffic  was  hampered  for  want  of  an  acceptable 
circulating  medium.  Commerce  on  the  high  seas  was  at  the 
mercy  of  the  piratical  practices  of  every  nation.  The  same 
conditions  which  existed  in  North  Carolina  prevailed 
throughout  the  country.  French  customs  and  vices  had  per- 
meated the  social  and  moral  fabric.  French  skepticism,  re- 
enforced  by  Tom  Payne's  "Age  of  Reason,"  was  undermining 
the  church  and  the  sanctity  of  religion.  Harvard,  William 
and  Mary,  Princeton,  and  Yale  colleges  were  sending  out 
a  limited  number  of  scholars,  but  for  two  decades  and  more 


GOVERNOR   JESSE  FRANKLIN.  197 

the  halls  of  learning  had  been  almost  deserted.  There  were 
no  public  schools,  and  the  parochial  and  private  schools  had 
been  forgotten  in  the  common  struggle  for  material  existence. 
Conditions  afforded  but  little  time  for  social  intercourse  or 
intellectual  development  except  among  the  more  favored  few. 
The  masses  were  illiterate  and  appeared  satisfied  to  remain 
so.  There  were  but  few  newspapers  or  publications  of  any 
kind.  There  were  but  few  who  aspired  to  become  authors. 
Books  were  rare.  It  was  a  period  of  relaxation  and  intel- 
lectual depression.  North  Carolina  was  the  first  to  break  the 
spell  and  establish  a  State  University;  others  followed. 

Jesse  Franklin  was  a  product  of  the  times,  but  like  others 
who  were  born  to  co-operate  in  shaping  the  destinies  of  the 
nation  his  horizon  was  broad,  his  conception  of  a  government 
for  the  masses  was  clear  and  his  good  judgment  gave  him 
power  in  the  State  and  national  assemblies.  His  astute 
statesmanship  won  the  admiration  of  his  peers.  For  thirty 
consecutive  years  he  represented  his  people  and  was  a  con- 
spicuous figure  in  the  State  and  national  capitals. 

It  has  been  the  custom  of  the  historian  to  pass  rapidly  over 
this  period.  The  records  were  meager  and  many  of  them  are 
not  accessible  to  the  reading  public.  In  our  times  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  discover  what  questions  were  of  paramount  interest 
to  the  men  who  served  in  the  National  Congress  or  how  they 
disposed  of  them.  There  were  great  problems  with  which 
our  representatives  must  grapple.  England  and  France  had 
continuously  shown  indignities  to  the  American  flag.  It  was 
a  matter  of  great  concern  to  protect  our  merchant  marine; 
foreign  emissaries  were  endeavoring  to  engender  strife  among 
the  states  and  weaken  the  national  unity.  It  required  the 
patriotism  and  statesmanship  of  great  men  to  save  the  young 
nation  from  universal  disaster.  Jefferson  and  Adams  and 
their  adherents  were  alike  patriotic;  they  had  staked  all  for 


198  THE   NORTH    CAROLINA   BOOKLET. 

American  institutions.  Adams  was  a  devout  Federalist  and 
espoused  the  policy  of  a  strong  centralized  government.  Jesse 
Franklin,  like  Jefferson,  the  great  leader  of  popular  rights, 
was  as  thoroughly  convinced  that  the  ideal  form  of  govern- 
ment was  that  in  which  all  national  authority  should  origi- 
nate with  the  people  who  were  to  be  governed,  and  that  those 
in  authority  were  amenable  directly  to  the  people.  While 
in  Congress  he  served  on  a  large  number  of  important  com- 
mittees. 

During  his  first  term  as  United  States  Senator,  Congress 
held  its  last  session  in  the  Quaker  City.  In  1800  the  public 
offices  and  records  were  transferred  from  Philadelphia  to  the 
new  Federal  capital  on  the  Potomac. 

In  1801  Thomas  Jefferson  and  Aaron  Burr  received  the 
same  number  of  votes  for  president.  In  accord  with  the  pro- 
vision of  the  constitution,  it  devolved  upon  the  Lower  House 
of  Congress  to  name  the  President.  Jefferson  was  chosen 
and  Burr  became  Vice-President.  In  1805  Jefferson  was  re- 
elected President,  with  George  Clinton  as  Vice-President. 
Burr  allowed  the  sting  of  defeat  to  lead  him  astray.  He 
entered  into  schemes  for  dismembering  the  western  settle- 
ments and  organizing  a  new  republic.  The  story  of  his  trial 
in  Richmond  is  an  old  one.  In  1807  John  Smith,  an  ac- 
complice of  Burr  in  his  adventure,  was  Senator  from  the 
state  of  Ohio.  Jesse  Franklin  had  been  appointed  chairman 
of  a  committee  to  investigate  the  matter,  and  on  November 
13,  1807,  made  the  following  report:  "It  is  the  opinion  of 
the  committee  that  it  is  not  compatible  with  the  dignity  of 
the  Senate  of  the  United  States  for  John  Smith  to  occupy  a 
seat  in  the  Senate."  The  trial  before  the  Senate  was  a  long 
and  memorable  one.  The  greatest  orators  of  the  times  were 
engaged  on  one  side  or  the  other.  The  speeches  were  re- 
ported in  full  and  are  models  of  eloquence  and  power.     Smith 


GOVERNOR   JESSE  FRANKLIN.  199 

was  acquitted  by  one  vote,  but  Franklin's  masterly  manage- 
ment of  the  trial  had  convinced  the  public  that  Smith  was 
guilty.     Smith  immediately  resigned  and  left  Washington. 

Another  important  historic  fact  is  brought  out  by  the  ser- 
vices of  Franklin.  After  the  Declaration  of  Independence 
the  Articles  of  Confederation  were  adopted  as  the  supreme 
law  of  the  land  and  were  in  force  till  the  adoption  of  the 
Federal  Constitution  in  1789.  The  old  Congress  under  the 
Articles  of  Confederation  was  in  session  on  July  11,  1787, 
in  New  York,  and  adopted  a  form  of  government  for  the 
territory  north  and  west  of  the  Ohio  River.  The  sixth  arti- 
cle of  this  ordinance  provided  for  the  exclusion  of  slavery 
and  involuntary  servitude  except  as  punishment  for  crime. 
At  the  same  time  this  Congress  was  in  session  a  great  conven- 
tion was  in  session  in  Philadelphia  framing  the  Constitution 
which  soon  superseded  the  "Articles  of  Confederation."  The 
ordinance  of  the  Congress  of  1787  was  disregarded  by  the 
Constitution.  In  1805  a  number  of  exiled  Cubans  desired 
to  settle  with  their  slaves  in  the  rich  plains  north  of  the  Ohio. 
A  conflict  was  about  to  arise  and  the  Congress  at  Washington 
appointed  a  committee  to  report  on  the  matter.  Franklin  as 
chairman  of  the  committee  reported:  "Resolved,  That  it  is 
not  expedient  at  this  time  to  suspend  the  sixth  Article  of  the 
Ordinance  of  1787  for  the  government  of  the  said  territory." 

Franklin  was  a  strong  advocate  of  the  war  of  1812  and 
urged  Congress  to  grant  permission  to  individuals  to  fit  out 
vessels  for  privateering  and  destroying  British  commerce. 

It  is  an  interesting  coincidence  that  while  Jesse  Franklin 
was  presiding  as  president  pro  tempore  in  the  Senate,  Na- 
thaniel Macon  was  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives. 
It  was  a  red-letter  day  for  North  Carolina. 

These  references  will  serve  to  show  the  confidence  the  na- 
tion placed  in  Jesse  Franklin  during  his  term  of  service  at 
the  national  capital. 


200  THE   NOETH    CAROLINA   BOOKLET. 

He  declined  a  re-election  to  the  Senate  in  1813  and  retired 
to  his  home.  In  1816  President  Monroe  appointed  Franklin, 
Andrew  Jackson  and  General  Meriwether  commissioners  to 
treat  with  the  Chickasaw  Indians.  The  treaty  was  made  near 
the  bluffs  of  the  Mississippi  where  the  city  of  Memphis  now 
stands. 

In  1820  he  was  elected  governor  of  North  Carolina.  After 
serving  one  term  he  declined  a  re-election.  His  message  to 
the  Legislature  is  dated  November  20,  1821.  It  is  still 
preserved  in  the  files  of  the  old  Raleigh  Register.  It  shows 
that  he  was  a  strong  writer  and  a  statesman  of  no  ordinary 
powers. 

He  calls  attention  to  the  necessity  of  reforming  the  State 
court  system;  more  efficiency  in  the  militia.  He  says:  "All 
nations  have  military  force  of  some  kind ;  the  militia  is  the 
one  preferred  by  our  State.  It  behooves  us  then  to  encourage 
its  efficiency  and  make  it  strong  in  order  to'  render  a  standing 
army  unneceessary ;  for  precisely  in  the  same  degree  that  the 
one  is  neglected  you  create  the  necessity  for  the  other."  He 
encourages  internal  improvements.  He  mentions  the  survey- 
ing of  the  lines  between  North  Carolina  and  Georgia ;  also 
the  line  between  North  Carolina  and  Tennessee,  and  a  num- 
ber of  other  matters  for  the  consideration  of  the  Legislature. 

When  his  term  of  office  was  out  he  again  returned  to  the 
quiet  of  his  beautiful  mountain  section.  He  was  not  per- 
mitted to  enjoy  the  pleasures  of  his  home  long,  for  death  came 
to  him  September  29,  1823. 

The  following  letter  from   Miss   Isabel   Graves,    a   great 

grand-daughter  of  Governor  Franklin,  will  be  found  full  of 

interest,  and  is  inserted  by  her  permission : 

Nov.  28,  1906. 
Dear  Sir: — I  cannot  add  much  to  the  sketch  written  by  my  father  for 
Caruthers'  Old  North  State  Series.     Governor  Franklin  would  not  have 
any  portrait  made  of  himself.     He  said  he  preferred  to  be  remembered 
by  what  he  had  done  and  not  by  how  he  looked. 


GOVERNOR    JESSE    FRANKLIN.  201 

In  looking  over  the  old  records  I  find  that  Meeky  Perkins  was  born  in 
1765,  and  died  February  20,  1834.  I  have  not  been  able  to  find  the  date 
of  her  marriage  to  Jesse  Franklin,  but  from  other  dates  given  it  was 
probably  sometime  before  1790.  He  had  been  prominent  as  a  brave 
soldier  during  the  Revolution,  and  it  is  quite  probable  that  he  was  sent 
on  missions  of  importance  to  Philadelphia  before  the  adoption  of  the 
Constitution  in  1789. 

Notwithstanding  Jesse  Franklin  was  a  Democrat  and  took  great  pride 
in  the  wearing  apparel  made  at  home,  his  daughters  indulged  in  silk 
dresses  made  in  Philadelphia  on  occasions  requiring  such  dress.  One  of 
these  dresses  is  preserved  in  the  family. 

Governor  Franklin,  while  not  a  member,  was  inclined  to  the  Baptist 
church.  His  wife  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church.  He  did  not 
care  for  hunting  and  other  sports,  but  was  a  great  student  and  reader, 
and  his  leisure  from  public  duties  and  private  business  was  devoted 
chiefly  to  reading.  His  correspondence  was  extensive  for  that  time,  and 
one  of  his  daughters  usually  assisted  as  his  secretary. 

He  was  noted  for  his  kindness  to  his  neighbors  and  consideration  for 
people  less  fortunate  than  he.  He  restrained  his  children  from  jokes  at 
the  expense  of  other  people's  feelings.  The  story  of  "Dicky  Snow  of 
Fish  River  Scenes"  he  never  allowed  a  member  of  his  family  to  tell,  and 
it  only  became  known  when  Dicky  Snow  told  it  on  himself. 

My  father  used  to  tell  us  stories  of  his  grandparents  which  always 
interested  us.  He  said  that  Hardin  Perkins  was  a  well-connected  and 
influential  farmer  of  Rockbridge  County,  Virginia.  Jesse  Franklin  in 
passing  to  and  from  Philadelphia  on  horseback  with  his  wardrobe  in  his 
saddle-bags,  happened  to  stop  over  at  Mr.  Perkins'  and  saw  the  daughter, 
Miss  Meeky,  a  tall,  graceful,  black-haired  and  black-eyed  maid,  very 
handsome  and  accomplished  for  that  period.  He  fell  in  love  with  her, 
and  after  the  usual  courtship,  married  her.  There  were  very  limited 
modes  of  conveyance  then,  indeed  much  of  the  country  did  not  have  even 
so  much  as  a  wagon  road.  After  the  marriage,  which  was  celebrated 
with  a  wedding  feast,  a  Presbyterian  minister  officiating,  Jesse  Franklin 
and  his  bride  rode  on  horseback  by  way  of  Lynchburg  to  his  home  in 
North  Carolina.  On  the  way  they  were  given  receptions  at  the  resi- 
dences of  several  of  the  relatives  of  the  bride,  the  Redds  and  the  Pan- 
nills,  and  the  uncle  of  the  groom.  The  baggage  came  later  in  a  sort  of 
two-horse  wagon. 

Mrs.  Franklin  was  occasionally  in  Washington  with  her  husband,  but 
not  often.  The  journey  from  her  mountain  home  to  Washington  was  a 
long  and  tiresome  one,  the  meager  pay  of  the  members  of  Congress,  at 
that  time  not  more  than  five  dollars  per  day,  would  not  well  support  two 


202  THE   NORTH   CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

in  good  style.  She  became  a  noted  housekeeper.  Her  home-made  cotton 
dresses  for  herself  and  daughters  were  always  of  the  neatest  make  and 
finest  shades  of  coloring.  The  home-made  jeans  and  linsey  were  the 
best,  her  linen  the  finest  and  whitest  made  in  the  country  from  flax 
grown  on  the  farm  and  spun  with  her  own  hand.  My  father  had  often 
seen  his  grandmother's  old  flax-wheel  at  the  homestead,  of  his  Uncle 
Hardin  Franklin  on  Fish  River,  where  she  died.  She  was  a  most  ele- 
gant hostess  and  entertained  her  friends  and  her  husband's  friends  in 
the  best  style  possible.  She  had  several  daughters  and  sons,  and  they 
had  much  company. 

Governor  Franklin  lived  in  an  isolated  neighborhood;  about  four 
families  made  up  the  community — Jesse  Franklin,  Micajah  Oglesby, 
Meshack  Franklin,  and  Mr.  Edwards,  and  they  were  all  intelligent  and 
well  to  do.  They  kept  up  the  most  cordial  social  relations;  they 
visited  and  had  parties  and  dances,  to  which  their  friends  from  a  dis- 
tance were  invited.  From  all  the  concurrent  traditions  there  was  never 
anywhere  a  happier  community  during  the  lifetime  of  Governor  Frank 
lin.     His  wife  was  the  leader  and  chief  spirit  among  the  ladies. 

There  are  other  traditions,  but  these  will  serve  to  give  a  picture  of  the 
times. 

Yours  truly, 

Isabel  Graves. 

Gov.  Jesse  Franklin  was  Surry  County's  greatest  son.  He 
reflected  honor  upon  the  whole  State.  It  has  not  been  the 
purpose  of  the  writer  to  idealize  him,  but  it  is  right  that  the 
noble  heroes  who  risked  their  lives  for  American  liberty, 
and  whose  long  period  of  public  service  did  so  much  to  estab- 
lish our  national  greatness,  should  have  a  proper  setting  in 
the  records  of  the  nation.  It  is  a  distinct  loss  to  the  State 
that  so  little  is  known  of  those  men  who  so  greatly  honored 
our  State  in  the  early  period  of  its  history. 

The  remains  of  Governor  Franklin  have  recently  been  re- 
moved to  the  National  Park  at  the  Guilford  Battle  Ground. 
This  is  right.  To  a  great  extent  the  lives  of  those  great  and 
strong  men  constitute  our  State's  history.  They  served  well 
the  State  and  we  should  accord  to  their  memory  that  honor- 
able fame  they  so  richly  deserve. 


GOVERNOR    JESSE    FRANKLIN.  203 

Note. — The  following  authorities  have  been  consulted: 
Wheeler's  History  of  North  Carolina; 
Wheeler's  Reminiscences ; 
Caruthers'  Old  North  State  Series; 
Lossing's  Field  Book  of  the  Revolution; 
King's  Mountain  and  Its  Heroes; 
Judge  Schenck's  Guilford  Battle  Ground; 
Moore's  History  of  North  Carolina ; 
Constitution  and  Rules  of  United  States  Senate; 
Journals  of  U.  S.  House  and  Senate; 
Journals  of  Legislature  of  North  Carolina; 
Files  of  Raleigh  Register; 
Colonial  Records  of  North  Carolina. 


NORTH  CAROLINA'S  HISTORICAL  EXHIBIT  AT 
JAMESTOWN  EXPOSITION. 


The  Jamestown  Exposition  in  1907  is  to  be  pre-eminently 
an  historical  exposition.  All  the  states,  and  especially  the 
original  thirteen,  are  concentrating  their  energies  on  a  display 
that  will  show  to  the  world  what  share  each  has  had  in  the 
settlement  and  development  of  the  country,  and  later  in  that 
momentous  struggle  with  England  which  transformed  weak 
colonies  into  a' great  nation.  That  each  claims  the  lion's  share 
in  that  transformation,  goes  without  saying.  What  is  of  more 
consequence,  each  state  is  planning  to  prove  its  faith  by  its 
works,  and  prove  its  works  by  its  exhibit  at  Jamestown. 
Pennsylvania  has  already  spent  thousands  of  dollars,  and  will 
spend  thousands  more;  Virginia  says  that  she  can't  compete 
with  North  Carolina,  either  agriculturally  or  in  manufac- 
tures, but  in  her  historical  collection  she  will  lead  the  coun- 
try. So  the  story  goes,  with  but  one  exception — "the  good 
old  North  State,  heaven's  blessings  attend  her,"  and  she  is 
sitting  down  peacefully  with  her  knitting,  wondering  plaint- 
ively why  other  states  know  so  little  of  her  past  and  that 
little  to  her  discredit.  For  the  first  time  in  her  existence  an 
opportunity  has  come  to  her  to  set  right  once  and  for  all 
time  the  mistakes  and  sneers  of  ignorance.  Her  state  pride 
as  well  as  "a  decent  regard  to  the  opinions  of  mankind," 
should  make  her  send  such  a  display  that  her  brave,  faithful, 
modest  past,  shall  be  the  glory  of  her  future,  and  that  here- 
after men  shall  not  come  to  North  Carolina  to  teach,  but  to 
learn.  The  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution  and  the 
Daughters  of  the  Revolution  are  making  an  effort  to  gather 
together  a  great  historic  exhibit,  but  it  is  not  for  their  organ- 
izations they  are  working;  it  is  for  their  state,  and  they  ask 


EXHIBIT   AT    JAMESTOWN    EXPOSITION.  205 

all  patriotic  orders — the  Colonial  Dames,  the  Cincinnati,  the 
Sons  of  the  Kevolution,  all  patriotic  men  and  women — to 
join  with  them  in  this  labor  of  love.  They  cannot  do  the 
work  alone;  they  would  be  ashamed  to  do  it  if  they  could, 
for  it  would  be  an  admission  that  patriotism  was  sleeping  or 
dead.  That  they  are  leading  in  the  matter  is  a  mere  hap- 
pening, and  they  would  be  just  as  proud  to  follow,  for  they 
are  North  Carolinians  first  and  Daughters  afterwards. 

The  ladies  ask  the  loan  of  anything  that  will  illustrate 
the  history  of  the  State — and  particularly  the  life  of  Colonial 
and  Revolutionary  days — letters,  manuscripts,  school  books, 
furniture,  portraits,  clothing,  maps,  silver,  china,  etc.  All 
articles  will  be  sent  to  Raleigh  and  placed  in  the  care  of 
an  experienced  person,  who  will  see  to  their  packing  and 
shipping;  their  arrangements  is  locked  cases  at  Jamestown; 
be  with  them  during  the  exposition  and  then  repack  them 
afterwards.  They  will,  of  course,  while  there  be  in  a  fire- 
proof building.  The  amount  allowed  the  ladies  for  getting 
up  this  exhibit  is  so  small  that  they  fear  the  success  of  their 
efforts  will  be  hampered  by  the  necessity  for  strict  economy, 
but  they  will  try  to  make  the  wisest  possible  expenditure  of 
the  funds  at  their  disposal.  Their  plans  are  not  yet  fully 
matured.  When  they  are,  all  details  will  be  given  in  the 
State  papers.  The  ladies  in  charge  feel  that  an  appeal  to  the 
patriotism  of  the  State  cannot  be  in  vain. 

Mks.  Lindsay  Patterson, 

Chairman  Jamestown  Historical  Committee. 

Miss  ]\1art  Hilliard  Hinton, 

Chairman  Committee  for  Eastern  North  Carolina. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES  OF  CONTRIBUTORS. 


COMPILED    AND    EDITED    BY    MRS.    E.    E.    MOFFITT. 


ROBERT  DIGGS  WIMBERLY  CONNOR 

Mr.  R.  D.  W.  Connor,  whose  address  on  the  urgent  need 
of  a  fire-proof  state  library  building,  delivered  before  the 
State  Literary  and  Historical  Association  at  its  last  session, 
and  published  in  this  number  of  "The  Booklet,"  was  born  in 
the  town  of  Wilson,  September  26,  1878.  He  is  the  fourth 
child  and  the  third  son  of  Judge  Henry  G.,  and  Kate  Whit- 
field, Connor. 

Mr.  Connor  was  prepared  for  college  in  the  public  schools 
of  his  native  town  and  entered  the  University  of  North 
Carolina  in  the  fall  of  1895.  At  the  University  he  was  a 
member  of  the  Philanthropic  Literary  Society,  the  Sigma 
Alpha  Epsilon  fraternity,  and  The  Gorgon's  Head,  a  junior 
class  organization.  He  was  one  of  the  representative  speak- 
ers of  his  society  at  the  commencement  of  1898,  and  in  1899 
was  the  winner  of  the  debater's  medal  in  his  society.  At  the 
commencement  of  1899  he  was  selected  as  one  of  the  senior 
speakers.  He  was  editor,  and  then  editor-in-chief  of  The 
Tar  Heel,  the  college  weekly,  editor  and  business  manager 
of  the  Hellenian,  the  college  annual,  and  editor  of  the  Maga- 
zine. In  his  senior  year  he  won  the  John  Sprunt  Hill  His- 
tory Prize,  offered  for  the  best  original  essay  dealing  with 
North  Carolina  history.  His  subject  was  a  study  of  the 
Ku  Klux  Klan  in  North  Carolina.  Mr.  Connor  was  grad- 
uated in  1899. 

After  leaving  the  University  Mr.  Connor  was  elected  a 
teacher  in  the  Public  High  School  of  the  city  of  Winston.  In 
February,  1902,  he  resigned  his  work  there  to  become  super- 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES.  207 

intendent  of  the  Public  Schools  of  Oxford,  but  remained 
there  only  a  few  months,  resigning  in  the  summer  of  1902 
to  accept  the  principalship  of  the  Public  High  School  of  the 
city  of  Wilmington.  After  two  years'  work  there  he  ac- 
cepted work  in  the  office  of  the  State  Superintendent  of  Pub- 
lic Instruction,  where  he  has  charge  of  the  Loan  Fund  for 
building  school  houses,  and  is  secretary  of  the  Education 
Campaign  Committee,  composed  of  the  late  Dr.  Charles  D. 
Mclver,  Hon.  J.  Y.  Joyner,  Hon.  Charles  B.  Aycock  and 
Governor  P.  B.  Glenn.  He  is  also  secretary  of  the  North 
Carolina  Teachers'  Assembly,  and  is  now  serving  his  second 
term. 

When  the  General  Assembly  of  1903  created  the  North 
Carolina  Historical  Commission,  Governor  Aycock  appointed 
Mr.  Connor  one  of  the  commissioners.  He  was  elected  sec- 
retary of  the  Commission.  He  was  reappointed  by  Governor 
Glenn  in  1905.  Mr.  Connor  has  done  a  little  work  in  the 
history  of  North  Carolina.  To  The  Booklet  he  has  con- 
tributed a  sketch  of  Cornelius  Harnett;  to  the  Biographical 
History  of  North  Carolina  he  has  contributed  sketches  of 
Cornelius  Harnett,  John  Harvey,  Calvin  H.  Wiley,  James 
C.  Dobbin,  Thomas  J.  Hadley,  Richard  H.  Speight  and  John 
F.  Bruton.  More  elaborate  sketches  of  Harnett  and  Harvey 
by  Mr.  Connor  have  appeared  in  the  Sunday  editions  of  the 
Charlotte  Observer.  Mr.  Connor  is  a  member  of  the  North 
Carolina  Literary  and  Historical  Association  and  of  the 
Southern  History  Association. 

On  December  2-3,  1902,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Sadie 
Hanes,  of  Mocksville,  N.  C. 

Mr.  Connor  is  gifted  with  the  energy  to  explore  through 
the  by-paths  of  our  State's  history  and  his  researches,  should 
he  live  to  continue  them,  will  prove  of  great  value  to  future 
historians.     North  Carolina  has  a  history  to  be  proud  of  and 


208  THE  NOKTH  CAEOLIXA  BOOKLET. 

at  the  present  time  more  general  interest  is  being  shown  than 
in  any  former  period.  In  the  mass  of  authentic  material 
that  has  been  collected  in  the  past  twenty-five  years,  and 
especially  in  the  last  decade,  and  with  the  impetus  that  is 
being'  given  to  the  youth  of  our  state  by  the  Captains  of  Edu- 
cation— by  the  strong,  decisive  stand  taken  by  the  Press — 
bv  the  efforts  of  the  Literary  and  Historical  Society,  the 
Sons  of  the  Revolution,  the  Daughters  of  the  Revolution  and 
other  like  organizations,  there  is  hope  that  a  great  historian 
will  develop  who  will  secure  for  Xorth  Carolina  the  place 
that  rightfully  belongs  to  her  in  the  galaxy  of  States,  showing 
that  she  had  not  lagged  behind  the  other  colonies  in  the  asser- 
tion of  her  rights. 


JAMES  OWEN  CARR. 
■J.  0.  Carr  was  bom  in  Duplin  County,  Xorth  Carolina, 
near  Kenansville.  He  was  prepared  for  college  by  S.  W. 
Clement  at  Wallace.  X.  C.  and  entered  the  University  of 
lYorth  Carolina  in  September,  1891,  graduating  cum  laude 
in  the  class  of  1895  with  the  degree  of  Ph.  B.  In  1896  re- 
turned to  the  University  where  he  studied  law  under  the  late 
Dr.  John  Manning  and  Judge  James  E.  Shepherd.  He 
received  his  license  before  the  Supreme  Court,  in  September, 
IS 9 6.  and  returned  to  his  native  county,  Duplin,  and  began 
the  practice  of  law  at  Kenansville.  In  1898  he  was  elected 
as  a  member  of  the  lower  house  of  the  General  Assembly 
from  Duplin  Comity  and  served  in  this  capacity  in  the  Legis- 
lature of  1899.  In  the  following  April  he  moved  to  Wilming- 
ton, where  he  continued  his  practice  as  a  member  of  the  law 
firm  of  Eountree  and  Carr,  which  relation  still  exists.  He 
has  taken  considerable  interest  in  historical  matters  pertain- 
ing to  the  State.  Inheriting  the  spirit  of  his  forefathers,  who 
were  true  to  the  principles  of  liberty,  he  is  a  descendant  of 


BIOGKAPHICAL    SKETCHES.  209 

the  Dicksons  and  Carrs  who  played  a  distinguished  part  be- 
fore and  during  the  Revolutionary  war  and  one  of  whom 
was  a  signer  to  the  Oath  of  Allegiance  and  Abjurgation  pass- 
ed at  New  Bern  the  15th  of  November,  1777.  The  original 
document  is  now  on  file  in  the  clerk's  office  of  Duplin  County, 
thus  preserving  the  names  of  those  patriots  who  were  true 
to  their  country,  their  homes  and  their  God.  Mr.  Carr  is 
a  writer  of  ability  and  thus  early  in  his  career  has  made  an 
enviable  reputation  as  a  literateur.  He  is  the  author  of  the 
"Dickson"  letters,  consisting  of  a  series  of  letters  written 
immediately  after  the  Revolution  and  of  much  historical 
value.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Sons  of  the  Revolution  and 
his  descent  is  contained  in  the  manuscript  archives  of  the 
North  Carolina  Society. 


PROF.  J.  T.  ALDERMAN. 

The  Booklet  for  this  month  is  enriched  by  an  admirable 
sketch  of  Governor  Franklin.  The  paper  is  from  the  pen 
of  Prof.  J.  T.  Alderman,  the  able  and  successful  superin- 
tendent of  graded  schools  in  Henderson,  N.  C.  Writing  of 
Professor  Alderman  and  his  work,  Rev.  J.  D.  Hufham,  D.D., 
long  a  leading  minister  of  the  Baptist  church,  says :  "Profes- 
sor Alderman  has  devoted  his  life  and  all  his  splendid 
powers  to  the  cause  of  education,  mainly  in  North  Carolina, 
and  has  no  small  share  in  the  educational  restoration  of  the 
commonwealth.  Some  particulars  of  his  life  and  work  seem 
to  be  called  for  as  a  contribution  to  the  history  of  the  period. 

"The  Aldermans,  as  their  name  indicates,  are  of  Anglo- 
Saxon  stock;  of  property  and  social  standing  in  England. 
Members  of  the  family  were  among  the  early  settlers  in  this 
country.  John  Camden  Hotten,  of  London,  in  his  "original 
list  of  Persons  of  Qualitie  emigrated  to  America,"  includes 
"Grace  Alderman,"   who  came   "in   the  ship   Paula,   July, 


210  THE   XOBTTt    CAEOLIXA   BOOKLET. 

1635."  In  1715,  Daniel  Alderman,  son  of  John,  was  born 
in  London.  In  1710  lie  married  Abigail  Harris  and  in  1750 
removed  to  New  Jersey,  whither  otters  of  the  Alderrnans 
had  preceded  them.  In  1755  Daniel  and  his  wife  came  to 
Xorth  Carolina  and  settled  on  Black  River  in  Pender  Coun- 
ty. Three  sons,  John,  Daniel  and  David,  were  bom  to  them. 
Of  these  sons,  Daniel  was  the  ancestor  of  the  eminent  head 
of  the  University  of  Virginia.  From  David  have  come  the 
Alderrnans  of  Greensboro.  John  married  Mary  Cashwell. 
They  had  among  other  children  a  son,  John,  who  married 
Anna  Newton,  and  among  their  children  was  Amariah  Biggs, 
father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  He  was  a  student  at 
Wake  Forest  College  1S15-'16-'17,  and  afterwards  devoted 
his  life  to  the  Baptist  ministry.  He  married  Penelope  How- 
ard. Among  her  ancestors  was  Fleete  Cooper,  a  prominent 
and  active  patriot  during  the  Revolution  and  afterwards  a 
preacher  of  renown  among  the  Baptists.  Another  ancestor 
was  Minson  Howard,  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution.  Still  an- 
other was  Capt.  John  Williams,  an  officer  in  the  American 
army  during  the  Revolution ;  a  fearless  and  active  soldier 
and  a  terror  to  the  Tories.  These  facts  indicate  with  suffi- 
cient clearness  the  sort  of  people  through  whom  the  life  has 
come  down  to  Professor  Alderman.  In  the  old  world  and 
the  new.  they  have  been  quiet,  thoughtful,  brave  and  earnest 
men,  commanding  the  confidence  of  the  public  and  achieving 
success.  In  Xorth  Carolina  five  of  them  have  been  preachers, 
many  of  them  have  been  teachers  and  all  of  them  advocates 
and  supporters  of  education. 

crProfessor  Alderman  was  born  June  26th,  1853.  His  fa- 
ther's home  lay  in  the  line  of  Sherman's  march,  not  far  from 
the  battlefield  of  Bentonville.  and  after  that  struggle  the 
family  had  to  begin  life  anew.  To  educate  themselves  with- 
out neglecting  the  labor  needful  to  the  home  was  not  easy, 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES.  211 

but  the  boys  all  achieved  it.  Professor  Alderman  graduated 
at  Wake  Forest  College  1880,  and  at  once  gave  himself  with 
singleness  of  heart  to  the  business  of  teaching,  from  which 
he  has  never  turned  aside.  In  his  native  county,  Sampson, 
and  in  Davie  County,  he  taught  with  singular  success.  He 
was  superintendent  of  the  schools  at  Reidsville,  1891-'94. 
He  was  assistant  superintendent  of  city  schools  of  Columbus, 
Ga.,  the  finest  system  of  schools  in  the  South,  and  also  prin- 
cipal of  the  high  school  in  that  city.  In  all  these  positions 
he  had  given  entire  satisfaction  and  had  shown  his  capacity 
for  even  greater  things.  In  1899  the  call  came  which  brought 
him  back  to  his  native  State  and  to  the  largest  work  of  his 
life — to  lay  the  foundations  and  construct  a  system  of  graded 
schools  for  the  town  of  Henderson.  It  was  a  great  under- 
taking, but  success  has  crowned  every  step  of  it  and  it  may 
be  doubted  whether  there  is  in  any  part  of  the  State  a  system 
of  schools  superior  to  this,  whether  we  consider  buildings 
and  equipment,  spirit  or  management.  It  is  Professor  Al- 
derman's greatest  work,  but  he  is  still  in  the  fulness  of 
manly  vigor  and  there  may  be  even  greater  things  for  him 
to  do  in  the  years  to  come.  He  is  profoundly  interested  in 
the  history  of  North  Carolina,  and  the  teaching  of  it  holds 
an  important  place  in  his  schools.  He  also  keeps  in  touch 
with  the  work  of  education  in  the  State.  He  is  an  enthusi- 
astic Mason  and  is  held  in  high  honor  by  the  members  of 
the  Fraternity  of  every  degree. 

"In  1894  he  married  Miss  Lillian  Watson,  of  Warrenton, 
1ST.  C,  a  gifted  and  accomplished  woman,  who  is  interested 
in  every  department  of  his  labor  and  finds  her  chief  joy  in 
his  success." 


SARAH  BEAUMONT  KENNEDY. 


COLLECTED  AND  COMPILED    BY  MRS.   E.  E.   MOFPITT. 


The  Booklet  is  indebted  to  Mrs.  Kennedy  for  that  very 
interesting  monograph  on  "Colonial  New  Berne/'  which  was 
published  in  No.  2  of  volume  first,  which  edition  was  so 
popular  that  it  is  now  out  of  print.  She  wrote  a  beautiful 
story  of  that  heroic  and  long-suffering  people,  the  Palati- 
nates,* who  inhabited  that  picturesque  portion  of  Germany 
situated  on  both  sides  of  the  Rhine.  These  Protestants  who 
were  no  longer  able  to  endure  the  persecutions  which  fol- 
lowed the  revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes,  fled  from  their 
country,  a  large  proportion  joining  De  Graffienried's  colony 
of  Swiss  in  1710,  to  America,  and  founded  New  Berne; 
calling  their  new  settlement  after  the  Swiss  capital  in  the 
far-away  Alps. 

Sara  Beaumont  Kennedy's  parents  were  both  North  Caro- 
linians, her  father  having  been  Dr.  Robert  H.  Cannon,  of 
Raleigh,  and  her  mother  Nora  Devereux,  daughter  of  Thomas 
Pollok  Devereux,  so  widely  known  through  the  South. 
Through  her  maternal  grandfather  she  is  a  direct  descendant 
of  Jonathan  Edwards,  whose  daughter  Eunice  married  Gov. 
Thomas  Pollok,  and  was  the  grandmother  of  Thomas  Pol- 
lok Devereux.  (Gov.  Thomas  Pollok  was  twice  appointed 
governor.)  Through  her  maternal  grandmother,  who  was 
Catherine  Johnson,  of  Stratford,  Conn.,  she  is  a  lineal  de- 
scendant of  William  Samuel  Johnson,  who,  as  one  of  the 
most  talented  and  forceful  members  of  the  Constitutional 
Convention,  helped  to  frame  the  National  Constitution.  On 
this  same  line  Mrs.  Kennedy  is  descended  from  the  Living- 


*A  further  account  of  this  settlement  is  given  in  the  -'Booklet,"  of 
April,  1905,  by  Judge  Oliver  P.  Allen. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES.  213 

stons,  one  member  of  which  family  was  a  signer  of  the 
Declaration  of  Independence,  and  another  played  a  star  part 
in  the  purchase  of  Louisiana.  The  line  goes  back,  without 
a  break,  to  the  Bruces,  of  Scotland.  On  her  father's  side 
Mrs.  Kennedy  inherits  French  Huguenot  blood,  an  early 
ancestor  of  that  faith  and  nationality  having  settled  in  North 
Carolina,  where  his  three  daughters  married  respectively 
a  Hill,  a  Cannon  and  a  Battle. 

Mrs.  Kennedy  was  born  in  Sonierville,  Tenn.,  but  her 
father  having  died,  her  mother  returned  to  the  Devereux 
homestead  in  Carolina.  There  and  at  St.  Mary's,  Raleigh, 
most  of  her  childhood  was  spent,  she  having  graduated  from 
the  above  named  school  at  the  age  of  sixteen.  Mrs.  Cannon 
again  removed  to  Tennessee  and  Sara,  after  teaching  awhile, 
was  married,  in  1888,  to  Mr.  Walker  Kennedy,  editor  and 
novelist.  Almost  all  of  their  married  life  has  been  spent 
in  Memphis,  Tenn.,  where  Mr.  Kennedy  is  editor-in-chief  of 
the  leading  newspaper.  Mrs.  Kennedy  began  her  literary 
career  with  "A  Jamestown  Romance,"  the  first  story  that 
had  as  a  heroine  one  of  the  tobacco-bought  wives  of  the  early 
colony.  This  ran  as  a  serial  in  a  magazine.  Then  shifting 
her  scene,  she  wrote  a  series  of  short  Colonial  stories,  with 
New  Berne  and  Hillsboro,  !NT.  C.,  as  the  backgrounds.  Her 
two  novels  are  "Jocelyn  Cheshire"  and  "The  Wooing  of 
Judith,"  both  of  which  have  won  high  praise  from  the  critics. 
She  writes  a  great  deal  of  verse,  but  has  never  collected  this 
class  of  her  work  into  book  form.  As  a  reader  she  is  ranked 
with  the  best  on  the  professional  stage,  although  she  appears 
only  as  an  amateur,  reading  her  own  stories  and  poems. 
During  the  past  year  she  has  clone  very  little  with  her  pen 
because  of  serious  trouble  with  her  eyes. 


The  North  Carolina  Booklet 


A  QUARTERLY  PUBLICATION   ISSUED  UNDER 
THE  AUSPICES  OP  THE 

"NORTH  CAROLINA  SOCIETY  DAUGHTERS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION" 


**%  "  3T 

THIS  PUBLICATION  treats  of  important 
events  in  North  Carolina  History,  such 
as  may  throw  light  upon  the  political,  social 
or  religious  life  of  the  people  of  this  State 
during  the  Colonial  and  Revolutionary 
periods,  in  the  form  of  monographs  written 
and  contributed  by  as  reliable  and  pains- 
taking historians  as  our  State  can  produce. 
The   Sixth   Volume   began   in    July,   1906. 


TERMS    OF   SUBSCRIPTION: 
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Miss  Mary  Hilliard  Hinton,  Mrs.  E.  E.  Moffitt,  Editors, 
Raleigh,  North  Carolina. 

Registered  at  Raleigh  Post-office  as  second-class  matter. 

Notice  should  be  given  if  the  subscription  is  to  be  discon- 
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scription is  desired. 

All  communications  relating  to  subscriptions  should  be 
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Midway  Plantation,  Raleigh,  N.  C. 


Vol.  I 

"Colonial  New  Bern,"  Sarah  Beaument  Kennedy. 
"  Greene's  Retreat,"  Prof.  Daniel  Harvey  Hill. 

Vol.  II 

"  Our  Own  Pirates,"  Capt.  S.  A.  Ashe. 

"  Indian  Massacre  and  Tuscarora  War,"  Judge  Walter  Clark. 

"Moravian  Settlement  in  North  Carolina,"  Rev.  J.  E.  Clewell. 

"  Whigs  and  Tories,"  Prof.  W.  C.  Allen. 

"  The  Revolutionary  Congresses,"  Mr.  T.  M.  Pittman. 

"  Raleigh  and  the  Old  Town  of  Bloomsbury." 

"  Historic   Homes — Bath,   Buncomb    Hall,    Hays,"  Rodman,    Blount, 
Dillard. 

"County  of  Clarendon,"  Prof.  John  S.  Bassett. 

"  Signal  and  Secret  Service,"  Dr.  Charles  E.  Taylor. 

"  Last  Days  of  the  War."  Dr.  Henry  T.  Bahnson. 

Vol.  Ill 

"Trial  of  James  Glasgow."  Kemp  P.  Battle,  LL.  D. 

"Volunteer  State  Tennessee  as  a  Seceder,"  Miss  Susie  Gentry. 

"  Historic  Hillsboro,"  Mr.  Francis  Nash. 

"  Life  in  Colonial  North  Carolina,"  Charles  Lee  Raper,  Ph.  D. 

"Was  Alamance  First  Battle  of  the  Revolution  ?  "  Mrs.  L.  A.  McCorkle. 

"Governor  Charles  Eden,"  Marshall  DeLancey  Haywood. 

"  Colony  of  Transylvania,"  Judge  Walter  Clark. 

"Social  Conditions  in   Colonial   North  Carolina,"  Col.   Alexander  Q. 
Holladay,  LL  D. 

"  Battle  of  Moore's  Creek  Bridge,  1776,"  Prof.  M.  C.  S.  Noble. 

"North  Carolina  and  Georgia  Boundary,"  Daniel  Goodloe. 

Vol.  IV 

"Battle  Ramseur's  Mill,  1780,"  Major  Wm.  A.  Graham. 

"  Quaker  Meadows,"  Judge  A.  C.  Avery. 

"  Convention  of  1788,"  Judge  Henry  Groves  Connor, 

"  North  Carolina  Signers  of  Declaration  of  Independence,  John  Penn 
and  Joseph  Hewes,"  by  T.  M.  Pittman,  and  E.  Walter  Sikes. 

"  Expedition  to  Cartagena,  1740,"  Judge  Walter  Clark. 

"  First  English  Settlement  in  America,"  W.  J.  Peele. 

"Rutherford's  Expedition  Against  the  Indians,"  Capt.  S.  A.  Ashe. 

"  Changes  in  Carolina  Coast  Since  1585,"  Prof.  Collier  Cobb. 


,' Highland  Scotch  Settlement  in  N.  C,"  Judge  James  C.  McRae. 
"The  Scotch-Irish  Settlement,"  Rev.  A.  J.  McKelway. 
"  Battle  of  Guilford  Court-House  and  German  Palatines  in  North  Caro- 
lina," Major  J.  M.  Morehead,  Judge  O.  H.  Allen. 

Vol.  V— (Quarterly). 
No.1. 

"  Genesis  of  Wake  County,"  Mr.  Marshall  DeLancey  Haywood. 

"St.  Paul's  Church,  Edenton,  N.  C,  and  its  Associations,"  Richard 

Dillard,  M.  D. 
"N.  C.  Signers  of  the  National  Declaration  of  Independence,  Part  II, 

William  Hooper,"  Mrs.  Spier  Whitaker. 

No.  2. 

"  History  of  the  Capitol,"  Colonel  Charles  Earl  Johnson. 

"  Some  Notes  on  Colonial  North  Carolina,  1700-1750,"  Colonel  J.  Bryan 

Grimes. 
"  North  Carolina's  Poets,"  Rev.  Hight  C.  Moore. 

No.  3. 

"Cornelius  Harnett,"  Mr.  R.  D.  W.  Connor,  "Edward  Moseley,"  Prof. 
D.  H.  Hill. 

"  Celebration  of   the  Anniversary  of   May  20,   1775,"  Major  W.    A. 
Graham. 

No.  4. 

«'  Governor  Thomas  Pollok."  Mrs.  John  W.  Hinsdale. 

"  Battle  of  Cowan's  Ford,"  Major  W.  A.  Graham. 

"  First  Settlers  in  North  Carolina  not  Religious  Refugees,"  Rt.  Rev, 
Joseph  Blount  Cheshire,  D.  D. 


Vols.   I,   II,   III,   IV,   Single    Booklets,  25  Cents   Each. 
Vols.  V  and  VI,  Single  Booklets,  35  Cents  Each. 

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North  Carolina  «— 

^  BY 

Historical  T 

Commission     J^: 


MEMBERS 


W.  J.  PEELE,  Chairman,      . 
R.  D.  W.  CONNOR,  Secretary, 
J.  BRYAN  GRIMES, 
CHARLES  L.  RAPER, 
THOMAS  W.  BLOUNT, 


Raleigh,  N.  C. 

Raleigh,  N.  C. 

Raleigh,  N.  C. 

Chapel  Hill,  N.  C. 

Roper,  N.  C. 


r'HE  Commission  wishes  to  be  informed  of  the 
location  of  any  unp2iblished  manuscripts,  let- 
ters, documents  or  records ,  public  and  private \ 
relating  to  the  history  of  North  Carolina.  The 
Commission  is  atithorized  to  collect  and  publish  such 
material.  The  original  documents  are  preferred, 
bid  if  these  cannot  be  secured,  arrangements  will 
be  made  to  have  certified  copies  made  without  cost 
to  the  owners.  The  possessors  of  such  documents 
are  urged  to  co-operate  with  the  Commission  in 
their  efforts  to  preserve  and  render  available  the 
sources  of  the  history  of  our  State. 


All  communications  should  be  addressed  to 
the  Secretary. 


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Reference :  Every  Bank  and  Leading  Business  Concern  in  Raleigh 

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White's  Beginner's  History  of  the 
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By  Henry  Alexander  White,  of  Col- 
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Katherine  B.  Massey's  Story  of  Georgia. 

Stone  &  Fickitt's  Every  Day  Life  in  the  Colonies. 

Bass'  Stories  of  Pioneer  Life. 

Horton's  The  Frozen  North. 

Kuffer's  Stories  of  Long  Ago. 

Hyde's  Favorite  Greek  Myths. 

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Fairbank's  The  Western  U.  S. 

Heath's  Home  and  School  Classics  ( 39  Vols,  of  the  finest  litera- 
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Vol.  VI 


APRIL,  1907 


No.  4 


15he 


North  Carolina  Booklet 


GREAT  EVENTS 

IN 

NORTH  CAROLINA 
HISTORY 


PUBLISHED  QUARTERLY 

BY 

THE  NORTH   CAROLINA  SOCIETY 

DAUGHTERS  ofthe  REVOLUTION 


CONTENTS 


Page 

217 


North  Carolina's  Attitude  to  the  Revolution    - 

By  Robert  C.  Strong     ,/C 

John  Lawson     -         -         -         -         -         -         -         -227 

By  Marshall  DeLancey  Haywood 

Some  Overlooked  North  Carolina  History       -         -         -     238 

By  J.  T.  Alderman 

The  White  Pictures 243 

By  W.  J.  Peele 

Biographical  Sketches  -         -         -         -         -         -251 

By  Mrs.  E.  E.  MofHtt 


SINGLE  NUMBERS  35  CENTS 


$1.00  THE  YEAR 


ENTERED  IN  THE  POST-OFFICE  AT  RALEIGH,  N.   C,  AS  SECOND-CLASS  MATTER. 


The  North  Carolina  Booklet. 


Great  Events  in  North  Carolina  History. 


The  Booklet  will  be  issued  quarterly  by  the  North  Carolina 
Society  oe  the  Daughters  of  the  Revolution,  beginning  July, 
1907.  Each  Booklet  will  contain  three  articles  and  will  be  published 
in  July,  October,  January  and  April.  Price,  $1.00  per  year,  35  cents  for 
single  copy. 

Editors: 
Miss  Mary  Hilliard  Hinton.         Mrs.  E.  E.  Moffitt. 


VOLUME  VII. 

1.  North  Carolina  in  the  French  and  Indian  War, 

Colonel  Alfred  Moore  Waddell 

2.  Colonial  Newspapers,      ....        Dr.  Charles  Lee  Smith 

3.  Finances  of  the  North  Carolina  Colonists,     Dr.  Charles  Lee  Raper 

4.  Fayetteville  Independent  Light  Infantry,   Judge  James  C.  MacRae 

5.  Schools  and  Education  in  Colonial  Times,    .    Mr.  Charles  L.  Coon 

6.  Joseph  Gales, Mr.  Willis  G.  Briggs 

7.  General  Robert  Howe,       ....       Hon.  John  D.  Bellamy 

8.  The  Resolution  of  April  12,  1776,  .          Prof.  R.  D.  W.  Connor 

9.  Our  First  State  Constitution       ....        Dr.  E.  W.  Sikes 

10.  Permanent  Settlement  of  the  Lower  Cape  Fear,  (1725-1735) 

Mr.  W.  B.  McKoy 

11.  Colonial  Edenton,  .        .  Rev.  Robert  Brent  Drane,  D.D. 

12.  The  Quakers  of  Perquimans,  .         .        Miss  Rebecca  Albertson 


The  Booklet  will  contain  short  biographical  sketches  of  the  writers 

who  have  contributed  to  this  publication,  by  Mrs.  E.  E.  Moffitt. 

The  Booklet  will  print  abstracts  of  wills  prior  to  1760,  as  sources  of 

biography,  history  and  genealogy,  by  Mrs.  Helen  DeB.  Wills. 
Parties  who  wish  to  renew    their    subscription    to    the  Booklet    for 
Vol.  VII,  are  requested  to  give  notice  at  once. 
Address 

MISS  MARY  HILLIARD  HINTON, 
"Midway  Plantation," 

Raleigh,  N.  C. 


Vol.  VI.  APRIL,  1907.  No.  4 


15he 


JIorth  Carolina  Booklet 


' '  Carolina  !  Carolina  !  Heaven' s  blessings  attend  her! 
While  we  live  we  will  cherish,  protect  and  defend  her.,y 


Published  by 

THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  SOCIETY 

DAUGHTERS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION 


The  object  of  the  Booklet  is  to  aid  in  developing  and  preserving 
North  Carolina  History.  The  proceeds  arising  from  its  publication  will 
be  devoted  to  patriotic  purposes.  Editors. 


ADVISORY  BOARD  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 
BOOKLET. 

Mks.  Spieb  Whitakeb.  Mrs.  T.  K.  Brunee. 

Professor  D.  H.  Hill.  Mr.  R.  D.  W.  Connor. 

Mr.  W.  J.  Peele.  Dr.  E.  W.  Sikes. 

Professor  E.  P.  Moses.  Dr.  Richard  Dillard. 

Dr.  Kemp  P.  Battle.  Mr.  James  Sprunt. 

Mr.  Marshall  DeLancey  Haywood.  Judge  Walter  Clark. 

EDITORS  : 
Miss  Mary  Hilliaed  Hinton,  Mrs.  E  E.  Moffitt. 


OFFICERS  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  SOCIETY 
DAUGHTERS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION, 

1906-1908. 

EE6ENT : 

Mes.  E.  E.   MOFFITT. 

vice-begent  : 
Mes.  WALTER  CLARK. 

HONOEAEY  EEGENT: 

Mes.  SPIER  WHITAKER. 
(Nee  Hooper.) 

EECOEDING   SECRETARY: 

Mrs.  HELEN  De  BERNIERE  WILLS. 

CORRESPONDING   SECRETABY : 

Mes.  W.  H.  PACE. 

TEEASUBEE: 

Mes.  FRANK  SHERWOOD. 

EEGISTEAE : 

Miss  MARY  HILLIARD  HINTON. 

GENEALOGIST : 

Mes.  HELEN  De  BERNIERE  WILLS. 


FOUNDEE  OF  THE  NOETH  CAEOLINA   SOCIETY  AND   REGENT   1896-1902: 

Mes.  SPIER  WHITAKER. 

EEGENT   1902: 

Mes.  D.  H.  HILL,  Sb.* 

EEGENT   1902-1906: 
Mes.  THOMAS  K.  BRUNER. 

*Died  December  12,  1904. 


THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 


Vol.  VI  APRIL,   1907  No.  4 


NORTH  CAROLINA'S  ATTITUDE  TO  THE 
REVOLUTION. 


BY    ROBEBT   C.    STRONG. 


An  attitude  is  a  relative  quality.  Surrounding  circum- 
stances and  conditions  combine  with  and  are  a  part  of  it. 
These  were  of  a  threefold  character  in  North  Carolina  during 
the  revolutionary  period  of  her  history:  First,  our  colony 
had  to  neutralize  the  effect  of  the  War  of  Regulation ;  second, 
she  had  to  deal  with  the  disaffected  Cumberland  district,  and, 
third,  she  had  to  overcome  opposition  to  her  movements  for 
independence  by  leaders  whom  she  had  theretofore  followed. 
Her  success  in  meeting  these  great  difficulties  was  a  national 
triumph. 

The  district  of  the  trouble  which  caused  the  War  of  Regu- 
lation comprised  the  counties  of  Guilford,  Orange  and  parts 
of  Rowan  and  Granville.  The  culmination  of  this  trouble 
was  the  battle  of  Alamance,  of  1771,  only  a.  few  years  before 
the  Declaration  of  Independence.  The  feeling  of  hostility 
arising  from  this  source  was  such  that  the  Convention  of 
Hillsborough  could  not  totally  alleviate.  Organized  opposi- 
tion in  the  Cumberland  section  to  the  national  cause  and  the 
steps  taken  by  the  State  therein,  culminated  in  the  battle  of 
Moore's  Creek  on  February  27,  1776 ;  but  resistance  did  not 
cease  during  the  war.  This  disaffected  district  reached  up 
from  South  Carolina  and  lay  in  North  Carolina  between  the 
far  divisions  of  Bladen  and  Rowan  counties.     Taking  this  in 


218  THE    NOKTH    CAROLINA   BOOKLET. 

connection  with  the  section  of  the  Regulators,  it  made  a  broad 
section  of  disaffected  country  sweeping  up  from  South  Caro- 
lina around  to  the  west  of  the  center  of  our  State  and  back 
again,  reaching  upward  nearly  to  the  Virginia  line.  The 
British  naturally  considered  North  Carolina  an  easy  mark, 
and  in  consequence  laid  their  plans  to  operate  through  the 
port  of  Charleston;  recruit  their  army  by  marching  around 
and  to  the  south  of  the  Cumberland  district,  thence  north- 
ward, to  fall  upon  us  from  the  west. 

Our  Representatives  at  the  Continental  Congress  feared 
this  more  than  they  should  have  done.  They  used  all 
methods  they  thought  would  be  effective  in  calling  upon  the 
patriotic  sentiment  of  the  western  counties,  and  it  was  not 
until  they  were  present  at  the  Convention  at  Hillsborough 
did  they  recognize  their  mistake. 

This  Convention  met  on  August  20,  1775,  and  especially 
to  be  noticed  in  the  full  representation  of  the  counties  was 
that  from  the  western  counties,  concerning  which  such  use- 
less fears  had  been  expended.  Saunders,  in  his  Prefatory 
Notes,  says:  "Time  proves  all  things,  and  it  needed  not 
much  time  after  the  struggle  for  freedom  and  for  independ- 
ence began  to  show  what  was  the  worth  and  what  was  the 
temper  of  the  people  of  the  center  and  west.  How  patriotic 
the  feeling  among  them  was,  and  how  thoroughly  united  they 
were  is  apparent  from  the  fact  that,  in  spite  of  all  the  threats 
and  all  the  inducements  held  out  to  them,  'not  more  than  a 
hundred  people  of  the  county'  could  be  enlisted  under  the 
King's  banner  in  February,  1776,  the  rest  being  'Highland- 
ers,' new-comers,  not  yet  incorporated  into  the  body  politic, 
in  sentiment,  at  least,  of  North  Carolina." 

These  changes  of  condition  were  not  brought  about  by  im- 
pulsive enthusiasm  or  domination  of  the  majority  voice  in 
the  Convention.     The  cause  was  not  sought    to  be    compro- 


north  Carolina's  attitude  to  the  revolution.     219 

mised,  but  their  faith  in  its  rectitude  caused  them  to  give 
time  for  more  careful  thought  to  those  holding  the  minority 
view.  The  six  months'  adjournment  of  the  Convention  to 
Halifax  thus  put  the  reins  of  a  temporary  government,  so 
vitally  essential,  more  firmly  in  their  hands. 

The  early  months  of  the  year  1776  found  Continental  Con- 
gress in  a  state  of  indecision  as  to  the  final  acts  of  separation, 
delaying  necessary  and  unavoidable  measures  upon  various 
pretexts.  England  had  refused  the  North  Carolina  colony 
the  right  to'  issue  currency.  It  was  found  that  making  certain 
commodities  a  medium  of  exchange  did  not  meet  the  exi- 
gencies of  the  situation,  and  debenture  bonds  had  to  be  issued 
redeemable  at  certain  dates  from  taxes  to  be  collected.  They 
were  only  good  among  the  colonists  and  were  to  meet  the 
emergency  of  paying  off  a  debt  incurred  in  an  Indian  war. 
Abroad  they  had  no  value.  Financial  emergencies  had  to  be 
provided  for  and  perplexing  financial  situations  faced.  We 
can  therefore  appreciate  the  fear  expressed  in  a  letter  written 
by  Mr.  Penn,  our  Continental  delegate,  to'  Mr.  Person,  a 
member  of  our  Provincial  Council,  of  February  14,  1776 : 

Matters  are  drawing  to  a  crisis.  They  seem  determined  to  persevere, 
and  are  forming  alliances  against  us.  Must  we  not  do  something  of 
the  like  nature?  Can  we  hope  to  carry  on  a  war  without  having  trade 
or  commerce  somewhere?  Can  we  ever  pay  taxes  without  it?  Will  our 
paper  money  depreciate  if  we  go  on  emitting?  These  are  serious  things, 
and  require  your  consideration.  The  consequences  of  making  alliances 
is,  perhaps,  a  total  separation  with  Britain,  and  without  something  of 
the  sort  we  may  not  be  able  to  procure  what  is  necessary  for  our  de- 
fense.    *     *     * 

Soon  after  receiving  this  momentous  communication,  the 
third  of  the  following  March,  the  Provincial  Council  ordered 
an  assembling  of  our  Congress  to  be  held  at  Halifax  on  April 
2,  1776.  On  the  fourth  the  Provincial  delegates  met.  On 
the  eighth  a  committee  of  seven  was  appointed  to  draft  ap- 
propriate measures ;  and  on  the  twelfth  their  recommendation 


220  THE    NORTH    CAROLINA   BOOKLET. 

by  resolution  was  unanimously  adopted.  This  resolution, 
thus  formed  with  that  deliberate  haste  which  can  only  be 
accorded  to  the  disposition  of  the  truly  great,  has  given  us 
the  revered  date  of  "12th  April,  1776,"  for  our  State  flag: 

Resolved,  That  the  delegates  for  our  colony  in  the  Continental  Con- 
gress be  empowered  to  concur  with  the  delegates  of  the  other  colonies 
in  declaring  Independence,  and  forming  foreign  alliances,  reserving  to 
this  colony  the  sole  and  exclusive  right  of  forming  a  constitution  and 
laws  for  this  colony,  and  for  appointing  delegates  from  time  to  time 
(under  the  direction  of  a  general  representation  thereof)  to  meet  the 
delegates  of  the  other  colonies  for  such  purposes  as  shall  be  hereafter 
pointed   out. 

This  authoritative  expression  preceded  by  more  than  a 
month  that  of  any  other  of  the  colonies.  It  was  decisive 
upon  the  questions  of  independence  and  the  forming  of  for- 
eign alliances,  and  its  reservation  was  not  only  consistent  with 
the  spirit  of  those  times,  but  is  indicative  of  the  opposition 
of  our  people  to-day  to  any  encroachment  upon  the  rights 
of  this  State  and  to  centralization  of  power  at  Washington. 

While  at  this  Convention  a  constitution  could  have  been 
adopted  as  well  as  later,  yet,  in  the  spirit  of  forbearance  and 
for  the  purpose  of  creating  harmony,  such  action  was  again 
postponed.  On  December  the  18th,  1776,  the  colony  de- 
clared her  independence  of  British  rule.  There  was  a  full 
representation,  conservative,  considerate  of  the  small  minority 
views,  but  resolute  in  the  face  of  opposition  from  those  who 
had  been  wont  to  lead.  It  was  a  movement  of  the  people, 
and  not  of  their  leaders,  though  leaders  of  their  own  views 
arose  to  the  occasion.  They  were  strengthened  by  the  wise 
course  which  they  had  pursued  at  the  Convention  at  Hills- 
borough, and  the  "Declaration  of  Eights,"  with  the  Consti- 
tution incorporating  it,  proclaim  their  framers  as  men  of 
moral  and  intellectual  force  and  of  great  culture.  Yet  Mr. 
Johnston,  in  one  of  his  letters,  says  of  them :     "Every  one 


north  Carolina's  attitude  to  the  revolution.     221 

who  has  the  least  pretentions  to  be  a  gentleman  is  suspected 
and  borne  down  per  ignobile  vulgus — a  set  of  men  without 
reading,  experience  or  principle  to  govern  them."  Notwith- 
standing, eleven  of  the  twelve  of  these  declarations  of  the  bill 
were  adopted  in  the  Federal  Bill  of  Rights,  and  the  matters 
of  the  Constitution  then  adopted  are  for  the  greater  part 
familiar  to  us  in  our  own  constitutional  government  of  to-day. 
The  Representatives  of  the  colony  in  the  Continental  Con- 
gress misunderstood  her  people,  as  we  have  seen,  and  learned 
them  aright  in  Hillsborough.  Her  agents  in  England  like- 
wise undervalued  their  disposition.  Destiny  pointed  in  but 
one  direction,  working  through  an  inflexible  human  agency, 
and  human  acts  were  impotent  to  change  it.  The  people  of 
the  colony  were  astonished,  outraged  and  indignant  when 
they  heard  that  the  colony  was  not  included  in  the  act  of  the 
British  Parliament  of  April,  1775,  cutting  off  the  trade  of 
her  sister  colonies  with  Great  Britain  and  the  West  Indies. 
On  the  date  this  act  was  to  be  operative,  the  20th  of  July, 
1775,  the  Committee  at  Wilmington,  in  the  language  of 
Saunders'  Prefatory  Notes,  "formally  and  unanimously  re- 
solved that  the  exception  of  this  colony  out  of  the  said  act 
was  a  base  and  mean  artifice  to  seduce  them  into  a  desertion 
of  the  common  cause  of  America,  and  that  North  Carolina, 
refusing  to  accept  advantages  so  insidiously  thrown  out, 
would  continue  to  adhere  strictly  to  the  plans  of  the  Conti- 
nental Congress,  and  thus  keep  up  a  perfect  unanimity  with 
her  sister  colonies."  It  was  afterwards  that  it  was  learned 
that  the  agents  in  England  had  substituted  for  the  petition 
sent  them  "a  memorial  in  more  decent  terms."  Thus  we 
glance  backward  from  December  18,  1776,  to  July  20,  1775, 
for  another  view  of  the  position  that  the  colony  assumed  to- 
wards the  common  cause,  and  find  the  people  unyielding  in 
their  consistency  and  uprightness.     Through  internal  strife, 


222  THE    NORTH    CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

Indian  troubles  and  dangers,  financial  straits,  political  dis- 
agreements of  her  people  and  sectional  strategic  difficulties, 
North  Carolina,  considered  the  weakest  colony  for  attack, 
was  prompt  in  maintaining  her  rights  under  the  Stamp  Act, 
in  the  town  of  Wilmington,  and  the  foremost  to  throw  over- 
board the  vessel  the  tea  upon  which  this  tax  was  imposed,  in 
the  town  of  Edenton.  This  assertive  spirit  breathed  through 
her  people,  and  found  expression,  more  or  less  formal,  in 
many  places,  the  most  formal  being  that  of  Mecklenburg  in 
May,  1775. 

Despite  the  powerful  opposition  of  leading  citizens,  looking 
forward  from  the  time  of  the  establishment  of  the  temporary 
government  at  Hillsborough,  we  find  a  concert  of  deliberate 
and  effective  action.  To  this  temporary  government  is  greatly 
due  the  gallant  aid  given  to  repulse  the  British  at  Charles- 
ton on  June  28,  1776.  Quoting  again  from  Saunders'  Pref- 
atory Notes: 

And  so  we  have  another  instance  of  the  efficiency  of  the  temporary 
government  established  at  Hillsborough.  In  a  short  twelve  months  it 
sent  troops  to  the  help  of  Virginia,  and  twice  to  that  of  South  Car- 
olina, fought  the  battle  of  Moore's  Creek,  and  sent  some  three  thousand 
men  against  the  Cherokees.  Within  the  year  it  put  near  ten  thousand 
men  into  service  in  the  field,  certainly  a  very  large  proportion  of  its 
fighting  population  in  so  short  a  time. 

For  the  history  of  North  Carolina's  part  in  the  War  of  the 
Revolution,  from  the  beginning  of  the  year  1777  to  the  ter- 
mination thereof,  reference  is  made  to  the  History  of  North 
Carolina,  by  Moore,  beginning  at  chapter  12. 

General  Washington  had  but  seven  thousand  men  under 
his  command  when  he  took  the  field  in  the  spring  of  1777, 
almost  too  weak  to  oppose  the  British ;  but  the  defeat  of  Sir 
Peter  Parker  and  Lord  Cornwallis  at  Charleston,  in  June, 
1776,  left  the  way  open  for  North  Carolina  to  send  him 
six  batallions,  numbering  four  thousand  muskets.     The  first 


north  Carolina's  attitude  to  the  revolution.     223 

and  second  batallions  were  of  experience,  and  all  were  of  great 
courage.  In  the  battles  of  Princeton  and  Brandywine  they 
won  honor,  and  honor  greater  still  at  Germantown.  At  home, 
in  the  year  1778,  the  Tories  could  not  make  organized  opposi- 
tion, and  so  they  formed  a  regiment  at  St.  Augustine,  Florida. 
The  Legislature  was  busy  with  pressing  affairs  of  govern- 
ment, among  other  things,  gravely  concerning  the  finances  of 
the  colony. 

Having  won  distinction  at  the  battle  of  Monmouth  Court- 
house  in  the  engagement  of  June  28,  1778,  and  there  being 
more  need  for  their  active  service  in  the  army  of  the  South, 
five  batallions  of  North  Carolina  troops  were  sent  with  Gen- 
eral Lincoln  to  Charleston.  In  the  beginning  of  the  year 
1779  two  thousand  North  Carolina  militia  were  sent  to  South 
Carolina.  In  Georgia  defeat  overtook  the  Continental  forces, 
but  of  the  character  which  enhanced  their  courage  and  de- 
termination. Let  our  attention  revert  to  the  North.  At 
Stony  Point,  on  the  19th  day  of  July,  our  troops  not  only 
shared  in  the  glory  achieved  by  the  Northern  army,  but 
occupied  the  post  of  honor  and  peril ;  and  then,  being  needed 
in  the  South,  were  sent  to  Charleston. 

The  inevitable  fall  of  Charleston  on  April  9,  1780,  caused 
us  the  loss  of  our  veteran  troops,  and  gave  occasion  to  the 
rise  of  Lord  Cornwallis,  and  Tarleton,  a  partizan  Loyalist, 
his  "right  arm."  Tarleton  surprised  the  Virginia  troops  at 
Waxhaw  on  May  29,  1780,  as  they  were  on  their  way  to  the 
relief  of  Charleston.  In  his  opposition  he  was  daring  and 
formidable,  and  he  and  his  Tory  troops  were  a  source  of  con- 
tinuous menace.  Had  it  not  been  for  our  successful  issue  at 
the  battle  of  Moore's  Creek,  and  the  wise  course  taken  at  the 
Convention  at  Hillsborough,  our  history  might  have  been 
written  differently.  As  it  was,  great  concern  was  felt  for  the 
unprotected  condition  of  South  Carolina  and  the  loss  of  our 


224  THE    NORTH    CAROLINA   BOOKLET. 

veteran  troops  at  Charleston.  Cornwallis  was  commanding 
four  thousand  British  regulars,  to  oppose  which  there  was 
only  available  a  troop  of  cavalry  and  two  companies  of 
mounted  infantry.  Our  resources  were  well-nigh  drained, 
and  the  maintenance  of  armies  was  a  very  grave  difficulty. 
Under  these  conditions  it  was  cheering  to  our  people  to  win 
over  the  Loyalists  of  JSTorth  Carolina  the  small  but  important 
battle  of  Ramsour's  Mill,  fought  in  June,  1780.  At  this 
time  Lord  Cornwallis  was  with  his  army  at  Camden,  South 
Carolina,  awaiting  supplies.  General  Gates,  lacking  in  the 
forethought  and  consideration  for  the  ideas  of  others  that 
characterized  our  people,  met  with  his  disastrous  defeat  there, 
and  fled  to  the  town  of  Charlotte  without  providing  for  the 
safety  of  the  men  under  his  command.  On  the  8th  day  of 
September,  1780,  Tarleton,  having  surprised  and  defeated 
Sumter's  command,  Cornwallis,  counting  upon  reinforce- 
ments from  the  Tories  of  the  State,  moved  forward  to  sub- 
jugate Xorth  Carolina  with  much  assurance.  Just  before 
this  time  the  fighting  at  Hanging  Rock  had  taken  place,  and, 
following  this,  transpired  the  decisive  battle  of  King's  Moun- 
tain and  the  strategic  movements  of  Morgan  to  intercept  the 
reinforcements  of  Royalists  for  Cornwallis'  army.  Then  fol- 
lowed the  famous  retreat  of  Morgan  before  the  British,  his 
uniting  with  Greene,  and  the  further  retreat  to  Guilford 
Court-house,  where  Cornwallis  was  defeated  in  his  plans  by 
his  more  than  doubtful  victory.  Then  began  the  retreat  of 
the  British  army,  which  ended  in  its  surrender  to  General 
Washington. 

Conciliatory  and  forbearing,  our  colony  achieved  a  victory 
over  those  who  theretofore  had  been  the  leaders  of  thought 
and  action  within  her  borders,  and  when  the  occasion  de- 
manded, with  more  than  heroic  courage,  she  subjugated  those 
of  her  people  who  would  interfere  in  her  fight  for  independ- 


north  Carolina's  attitude  to  the  revolution.      225 

ence.  She  neutralized  the  effect  of  her  foreign  disaffected 
element  as  much  as  possible,  and  successfully  met  force  with 
force  upon  occasions  of  vital  importance  to  the  entire  Conti- 
nental cause.  Duty  and  devotion  could  call  successfully  upon 
her  every  resource,  and  especial  privileges  and  bountiea 
brought  very  poor  results.  So  liberal  was  her  contribution 
to  the  common  cause,  and  so  self-sacrificing  was  she  of  her 
strength,  that  on  September  13,  1781,  her  Governor,  while 
at  Hillsborough  with  his  suite  and  other  prominent  military 
and  civil  officers,  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Loyalists.  The 
attempt  to  re-capture  at  Lindley's  Mill,  on  Cane  Creek  in 
Chatham  County,  was  brilliant  but  unavailing. 

There  yet  remains  to  complete  the  thought  contained  in 
these  pages  the  consideration  of  the  principles  which  actuated 
such  brilliant  achievements.  Like  all  great  principles,  they 
are  of  a  simple  nature. 

The  following  extracts  are  from  the  Mecklenburg  Petition 
for  the  Repeal  of  the  Vestry  and  Marriage  Acts,  1769. 

In  the  Great  Charter,  His  Majesty  confirms  to  his  subjects  removing 
from  Great  Britain  into  this  province,  and  their  descendants,  all  the 
rights,  privileges  and  immunities  to  which  His  Majesty's  subjects  in 
Great  Britain,  to-wit,  England  and  Scotland,  are  entitled.  *  *  *  We 
assure  your  excellency,  Your  Honours  of  the  Council,  the  Honourable 
Speaker,  and  Gentlemen  of  the  House  of  Burgesses,  that  we  shall  ever 
be  more  ready  to  support  that  Government  under  which  we  find  the  most 
liberty. 

In  speaking  of  the  necessity  of  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence James  Iredell,  in  a  letter  to  Joseph  Hewes,  written 
from  Edenton  June  9,  1776,  said: 

I  do  not  view  the  subject  as  a  matter  of  ambition;  in  my  opinion 
it  is  criminal  and  impolitic  to  consider  it  in  that  light;  but  as  a  matter 
of  necessity;  and  in  that  case,  in  spite  of  every  consequence  (and  very 
bad  ones  may  be  dreaded)  I  should  not  hesitate  for  an  instant  m 
acceding  to  it. 


226  THE    NORTH    CAROLINA   BOOKLET. 

It  is  gratifying  to  know  that  Judge  Iredell  was  one  of  our 
first  judges,  and  that  he  afterwards  acquired  a  national  repu- 
tation. Also,  that  Mr.  Johnston  was  placed  in  positions  of 
trust  by  our  people  after  the  events  of  the  Revolutionary  War. 

From  the  above  quoted  expressions  we  may  judge  the  spirit 
of  the  times.  The  people  had  their  rights  under  the  Royal 
Charter,  and,  later,  under  the  Great  Deed  or  Grant  from  the 
Lords  Proprietors.  These  rights  were  clear  and  unmistak- 
able. They  would  live  up  to  those  rights,  and  enforce  thern 
when  necessary.  Feeling  secure  in  them,  they  did  not  follow 
South  Carolina  in  1719  when  she  threw  off  the  government 
of  the  Lords  Proprietors.  The  third  Royal  Governor  wrote 
home  to  England  that  he  and  the  written  instructions  of  the 
King  were  set  at  defiance,  for  that  the  people  openly  de- 
clared "that  their  charter  still  subsisted."  Indeed,  the  peo- 
ple appeared  to  pay  little  heed  to  any  arrangement  that  was 
made  between  King  and  Lords  respecting  them  and  their 
property.  They  appreciated  charter  rights  by  inheritance, 
and  when  necessary  would  enforce  them  without  counting  the 
cost.  They  were  "ready  to  support  that  government  under 
which  they  found  the  most  Liberty"  when  in  keeping  with 
their  Rights.  This  they  Did,  not  as  matters  of  Ambition, 
but  those  of  Necessity. 

This  same  spirit  reaches  upward  into  the  disposition  of 
our  people  of  to-day,  and  presents  an  ever  conservative  but 
undaunted  front.  In  more  recent  years  it  has  been  as  splen- 
did in  its  defeat  as  it  was  then  exalted  in  its  victory.  To-day 
the  wealth  of  the  East  and  of  the  West  are  alike.  The  people 
of  all  sections  are  as  one  people,  and  Prosperity  is  their  con- 
stant visitor.  The  United  States  are  at  Peace  with  them- 
selves and  with  the  World. 

Note. — Biographical  Sketch  of  above  writer  will  appear  in  July  num- 
ber of  Vol.  VII.  k 


JOHN  LAWSON. 


BY  MARSHALL  DeLANCEY  HAYWOOD. 


The  writing  of  history  has  never  met  with  much  encourage- 
ment in  North  Carolina.  Our  first  historian  is  said  to  have 
been  burned  alive.  Should  another,  in  this  day  and  gener- 
ation, adopt  historical  work  as  the  sole  means  of  gaining  a 
livelihood,  he  might  meet  death  in  a  no  less  miserable  man- 
ner— by  starvation.  But,  notwithstanding  these  trivial  ob- 
stacles, the  work  goes  forward.  As  we  glance  backward  to 
find  the  forerunner  of  historians  in  our  State  (or  Colony,  as 
it  then  was),  we  must  pass  over  .Richard  Hakluyt  and  other 
early  writers  who  gave  accounts  of  the  settlements  which  were 
made  under  the  patronage  of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh.  These  set- 
tlements never  rose  to  the  dignity  of  a  province,  were  finally 
abandoned,  and  it  was  many  years  later  before  the  name  of 
Carolina  appeared  on  the  map  as  a  British  possession  in 
America.  Hence,  the  first  historian  of  our  State,  and  some- 
time Colony,  was  a  sturdy  adventurer  and  writer  of  no  mean 
order,  who  made  his  first  appearance  in  America  in  the  Sum- 
mer of  1700. 

John  Lawson,  or  "John  Lawson,  Gentleman,"  as  he  pre- 
ferred to  style  himself,  tells  us,  in  his  narrative,  how  he 
reached  the  purpose  of  coming  to  America,  in  these  words : 
"In  the  year  1700,  when  people  flocked  from  all  parts  of  the 
christian  world  to  see  the  solemnity  of  the  grand  jubilee  at 
Rome,  my  intention  at  that  time  being  to  travel,  I  accidentally 
met  with  a  gentleman  who  had  been  abroad  and  was  very 
well  acquainted  with  the  ways  of  living  in  both  Indies ;  of 
whom,  having  made  inquiry  concerning  them,  he  assured  me 
that  Carolina  was  the  best  country  I  could  go  to ;  and  that 
there  then  lay  a  ship  in  the  Thames  in  which  I  might  have  my 


228  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

passage.  I  laid  hold  on  this  opportunity,  and  was  not  long 
on  board  before  we  fell  down  the  river  and  sailed  to  Cowes ; 
where,  having  taken  in  some  passengers,  we  proceeded  on  our 
voyage." 

After  springing  a  leak,  the  vessel  on  which  Lawson  sailed 
was  forced  to  put  into  port  on  one  of  the  islands  of  Scilly, 
where  the  voyagers  were  hospitably  entertained  by  the  in- 
habitants during  a  stay  of  ten  days.  Setting  sail  once  more 
on  the  1st  of  May,  the  ship  was  thrown  out  of  its  course  by 
adverse  winds,  and  it  was  not  until  the  latter  part  of  July 
that  Sandy  Hook,  in  the  Colony  of  New  York,  was  reached. 
After  remaining  a  fortnight  in  B"ew  York,  Lawson's  journey 
by  sea  was  resumed ;  and,  fourteen  days  later,  he  found  him- 
self in  Charleston  (or  Charles  Town,  as  it  was  then  called), 
the  capital  and  chief  city  of  South  Carolina.  This  colonial 
metropolis  he  highly  praises,  adding  that  South  Carolina  was 
as  prosperous  in  condition  as  any  English  colony  in  America ; 
and  was  a  source  of  more  revenue  to  the  Crown  than  any  of 
the  more  northern  "plantations,"  except  Virginia  and  Mary- 
land. 

It  was  on  the  28th  of  December  1700,  that  Lawson  left 
Charleston  and  began  his  journey  through  the  wilderness  to 
jSTorth  Carolina.  In  his  party  were  six  Englishmen,  three 
male  Indians  and  a  squaw — the  last  mentioned  being  wife  of 
one  of  the  three  Indians.  To  tell  how  this  band  of  explorers 
beat  through  swamps,  forded  creeks,  went  by  canoe  up  and 
down  rivers,  camped  in  the  forest  by  mountain  and  stream, 
held  intercourse  with  the  natives,  were  alarmed  by  wild  beasts, 
and  feasted,  on  by  mosquitoes,  would  make  a  narrative  but 
little  shorter  than  the  journal  in  which  Lawson  recorded  his 
"thousand  miles  traveled  through  several  nations  of  Indians." 

From  the  time  of  his  first  arrival  on  American  soil,  in 
1700,  Lawson  remained  eight  years,  returning  to  Europe  late 


JOHN    LAWSON.  229 

in  the  Summer  of  1708.  In  that  year  he  was  appointed  Sur- 
veyor-General of  the  Colony.  The  first  edition  of  his  history 
made  its  appearance  in  1709,  being  published  in  London. 
This  was  the  only  issue  which  came  out  during  the  lifetime 
of  its  author,  though  quite  a  number  of  posthumous  editions 
have  since  been  printed.  Of  the  character  and  merits  of  this 
work  later  mention  will  be  made. 

During  Mr.  Lawson's  stay  in  England  he  was  engaged  to 
assist  Baron  Christopher  DeGraffenried  in  bringing  his 
Swiss  and  German  colonists  to  North  Carolina.  The  place 
of  their  settlement  was  at  the  junction  of  the  Neuse  and 
Trent  rivers.  It  was  called  New  Bern,  after  Bern,  in  Switz- 
erland, the  Baron's  native  country.  The  site  of  New  Bern 
had  formerly  been  occupied  by  an  Indian  town  known  as 
Chatawka.  From  this  town  is  said  to  be  derived  the  name  of 
the  lake  and  settlement  of  Chatauqua  in  New  York.  To 
New  York  went  a  great  majority  of  Tuscaroras  under  the 
leadership  of  Chief  Hen-cock  (or  Hancock)  a  year  or  two 
later,  thereby  transferring  to  that  colony  many  Indian  names 
from  North  Carolina.  It  will  be  remembered  that,  prior  to 
this  migration  northward  of  the  Tuscaroras,  the  Indian  con- 
federacy in  New  York  was  known  as  the  Five  Nations — 
later  becoming  the  Six  Nations  by  the  acquisition  of  the 
North  Carolina  tribe. 

At  a  meeting  held  in  London  by  the  Lords  Proprietors 
in  August,  1709,  Mr.  Lawson  was  allowed  the  sum  of  twenty 
pounds  for  several  maps  made  by  him  of  the  colonies  of  North 
Carolina  and  South  Carolina.  During  the  same  year  he  was 
appointed,  together  with  Edward  Moseley,  a  commissioner  to 
represent  the  Lords  Proprietors  in  settling  the  uncertain 
boundary  between  North  Carolina  and  the  colony  of  Virginia. 
These  commissioners  entered  upon  their  duties  in  1710,  but 
did  not  reach  an  agreement  with  the  Commissioners  of  Vir- 


230  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

ginia  (Philip  Ludwell  and  Nathaniel  Harrison),  and  the 
line  was  not  settled  definitely  until  about  twenty  years  later. 
In  September,  1711,  being  then  at  New  Bern,  Lawson 
proposed  to  Baron  DeGraflenried  to  go  on  an  exploring  ex- 
pedition up  the  Neuse  River,  to  see  how  far  that  stream  was 
navigable,  and  also  to  ascertain  if  a  more  direct  overland  road 
to  Virginia  could  be  laid  out  in  that  direction.  Major 
Christopher  Gale  (afterwards  Chief  Justice)  was  to  have 
accompanied  this  party;  but,  being  advised  of  the  illness  of 
his  wife  and  brother  at  the  town  of  Bath,  he  abandoned  his 
purpose  in  order  to  go  to  them.  Lawson  and  DeGraflenried, 
however,  set  out  on  their  journey,  accompanied  by  two  negroes 
to  row  the  boats,  and  by  two  Indian  guides.  One  of  these 
Indians  understood  English  and  acted  as  interpreter  for  the 
party.  After  they  had  traveled  some  miles  and  were  ap- 
proaching the  Indian  village  of  Catechna,  the  voyagers  were 
commanded  by  the  natives  to  proceed  no  further.  Fearing 
to  disregard  this  order,  the  boats  were  pulled  up  at  a  spring 
on  the  river  bank  and  preparations  made  to  encamp  for  the 
night.  DeGraffenried  appreciated  the  danger  of  delay,  and 
counseled  immediate  return  without  going  into  camp,  when 
Lawson,  who  viewed  the  matter  less  seriously,  laughed  at 
his  fears.  But,  to  use  the  Baron's  own  words,  "laughter,  in 
a  twinkle,  expired  on  his  lips"  when  they  found  themselves 
surrounded  by  scores  of  armed  Indians,  some  springing  from 
bush  and  thicket,  while  others  swam  from  the  opposite  side 
of  the  river  to  join  their  tribesmen.  For  Lawson  and  his 
party  to  resist  would  mean  instant  death,  so  they  at  once 
yielded  to  the  Indians,  who  started  at  a  breakneck  speed 
through  the  woods,  compelling  their  prisoners  to  run  with 
them.  Toward  morning  they  reached  Catechna,  the  Indian 
town  where  King  Hen-cock  was  in  council  with  his  warriors, 
who  were  even  then,  mayhap,  planning  the  great  massacre 


JOHN    LAWSON.  231 

which,  was  to  be  visited  upon  New  Bern  shortly  thereafter. 
While  the  above  council  continued  its  session,  forty  other 
"kings"  or  chiefs  came  with  their  followers.  Among  these 
savage  dignitaries  was  "Core  Tom,"  chief  of  the  village  of 
Core.  On  being  arraigned  before  the  council  of  forty  chiefs, 
or  "Assembly  of  the  Great,"  as  it  was  called,  Lawson  and 
DeGraffenried  explained  that  they  were  on  a  friendly  excur- 
sion, wishing  to  gather  grapes,  explore  the  river,  and  open 
up  better  trade  relations  with  their  Indian  neighbors.  By 
dint  of  much  persuasion  the  captives  seem  to  have  succeeded 
in  justifying  themselves,  and  it  was  promised  by  the  Indians 
that  they  should  be  set  free  the  next  day.  But,  unfortunately 
for  the  prisoners,  two  more  chiefs  arrived  and  desired  to 
know  the  reasons  for  the  prospective  liberation  of  the  ex- 
plorers. This  brought  on  another  examination,  when  Lawson 
lost  control  of  his  temper  and  entered  into  a  violent  quarrel 
with  Core  Tom,  the  above-mentioned  chief  of  the  village  of 
Core.  After  this,  it  was  decided  that  all  the  party  should  be 
put  to  .death.  Lawson  and  DeGraffenried  were  first  pounced 
upon  by  the  Indians,  who  robbed  them  of  all  their  belongings 
and  dashed  their  hats  and  periwigs  into  the  fire.  Then  they 
were  carried  out  for  execution.  DeGraffenried,  who  survived 
the  tragedy,  has  left  behind  him  a  graphic  account  of  prepa- 
rations for  the  slaughter,  with  descriptions  of  the  wild  caper- 
ings  of  the  Indians,  and  the  grave  ceremonials  of  their  High 
Priest,  who  was  to  officiate  at  the  slaughter.  "The  priests," 
says  DeGraffenried,  "are  generally  magicians,  and  even 
conjure  up  the  Devil."  When  the  above  gruesome  ceremonies 
were  drawing  to  an  end,  and  the  Indians  seemed  ready  to 
proceed  with  their  butchery,  DeGraffenried  gained  the  ear  of 
one  of  the  savages  who  understood  English  and  gave  him  to 
understand  that  the  great  and  powerful  Queen  of  England, 
by  whose  orders  he  had  brought  his  Swiss  colonists  to  Caro- 
2 


232  THE    NORTH   CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

lina,  would  be  sure  to  avenge  his  blood ;  f  urthermore,  he  made 
promises  of  advantages  which  would  accrue  to  the  Indians 
should  he  be  liberated.  At  length  it  was  decided  that  the 
Baron's  life  should  be  spared,  but  that  Lawson  should  be  put 
to  death.  In  telling  of  the  separation  of  himself  from  his 
fellow-prisoner,  it  is  said  by  DeGraffenried  in  his  narrative: 
"Poor  Lawson,  being  always  left  in  the  same  place,  I  could 
understand  that  all  was  over  with  him,  and  that  he  would  not 
be  pardoned.  He  accordingly  took  leave  from  me,  and  told 
me  to  say  farewell,  in  his  name,  to  his  friends.  Alas!  it 
grieved  me  much  to  see  him  in  such  danger,  not  being  able 
to  speak  with  him,  nor  to  give  him  any  consolation ;  so  I 
tried  to  show  him  my  compassion  by  a  few  signs."  DeGraf- 
fenried  states  that  nothing  certain  was  ever  known  as  to  the 
manner  of  Lawson's  execution,  for  the  Indians  would  not  tell 
how  it  was  brought  about.  Some  accounts  said  that  he  was 
burned  alive,  some  that  he  was  hanged,  and  others  that  his 
throat  was  cut  with  a  razor  taken  from  his  own  pocket.  An- 
other version,  as  mentioned  in  a  letter  from  Major  Christo- 
pher Gale,  was  to  the  effect  that  the  Indians  "stuck  him  full 
of  fine  small  splinters  of  torchwood,  like  hogs'  bristles,  and 
so  set  them  gradually  on  fire." 

From  the  last  mentioned  version  of  how  Lawson  was 
killed  it  would  appear  that  he  met  his  death  in  a  manner  simi- 
lar to  that  described  by  himself  at  an  earlier  period,  when 
his  history  was  written.  In  that  work,  while  treating  of  the 
conduct  of  Indians  toward  their  prisoners,  he  says:  "They 
strive  to  invent  the  most  inhuman  butcheries  for  them  that 
the  devils  themselves  could  invent  or  hammer  out  of  hell; 
they  esteeming  death  no  punishment,  but  rather  an  advantage 
to  him  that  is  exported  out  of  this  into  another  world.  There- 
fore they  inflict  on  them  torments  wherein  they  prolong  life 
in  that  miserable  state  as  long  as  they  can,  and  never  miss 


JOHN    LAWSON.  238 

skulping'  [scalping]  of  them,  as  they  call  it,  which  is  to  cut 
off  the  skin  from  the  temples,  and  taking  the  whole  head  of 
hair  with  it,  as  if  it  was  a  night-cap.  Sometimes  they  take 
the  top  of  the  skull  along  with  it;  all  which  they  preserve 
and  carefully  keep  by  them  for  a  trophy  of  their  conquest 
over  their  enemies.  Others  keep  their  enemies'  teeth,  which 
are  taken  in  war,  whilst  others  split  the  pitch-pine  into  splint- 
ers and  stick  them  into  the  prisoner's  body  yet  alive.  Thus 
they  light  them,  which  burn  like  so  many  torches ;  and  in  this 
manner  they  make  him  dance  round  a  great  fire,  every  one 
buffeting  and  deriding  him  till  he  expires,  when  every  one 
strives  to  get  a  bone  or  some  relic  of  this  unfortunate  cap- 
tive." 

It  was  some  days  after  the  death  of  Lawson  before  DeGraf- 
fenried  was  set  at  liberty.  During  his  captivity  a  proclama- 
tion (dated  October  8,  1711),  was  dispatched  to  the  Indians 
by  Governor  Alexander  Spotswood,  of  Virginia,  stating  that 
upon  advices  received  that  they  held  captive  the  Baron  De- 
Graffenried,  he  had  thought  proper  to  warn  them  that  should 
any  harm  come  to  their  prisoner  the  forces  of  Virginia  would 
be  called  out  to  lay  waste  their  towns,  and  no  quarter  would 
be  given  to  man,  woman  or  child. 

When,  at  length,  DeGraffenried  did  get  back  to  New  Bern, 
a  woeful  sight  met  his  eyes.  He  was  greeted  by  the  survivors 
of  his  colony,  who  for  many  days  had  mourned  him  as  dead ; 
and  from  them  he  learned  of  the  awful  tragedy  which  had 
been  enacted  in  his  absence.  On  September  22,  1711,  one 
hundred  and  thirty  men,  women  and  children  had  been  in- 
humanly butchered  by  the  red  men;  and  those  colonists  who 
had  escaped  the  tomahawk  and  scalping-knife  were  anxiously 
awaiting  the  military  forces  which  were  soon  to  come  from 
South  Carolina  under  Colonel  John  Barnwell.  Major  Gale, 
who  went  to  solicit  aid  from  Charleston,  reported  there  that 


234  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

the  Baron  DeGrafFenriecl  had  also  been  murdered,  for  it  was 
not  then  known  that  he  had  escaped. 

In  the  second  volume  of  the  Biographical  History  of  North 
Carolina  is  a  sketch  of  Lawson,  by  Dr.  Stephen  B.  Weeks, 
in  which  are  recounted  the  various  editions  through  which 
Lawson's  History  has  gone.  Dr.  Weeks  says:  "His  histori- 
cal and  descriptive  work  was  possibly  compiled  for  John 
Stevens'  'Collections  of  Voyages  and  Travels/  which  was  be- 
gun in  1708  and  finished  in  17 10-' 11.  The  second  of  the 
series,  printed  in  1709,  is  Lawson's  'New  Voyage  to  Caro- 
lina.' It  appeared  in  1711  as  a  part  of  the  edition  of 
Stevens  published  that  year,  with  the  same  title  page.  In 
1714  and  1718  it  was  re-published  under  the  title  'The  His- 
tory of  Carolina'  (London).  There  was  a  German  edition 
in  1712,  'Alleneuster  Beschreibung  der  Provintz  Carolina' 
(Hamburg),  and  another  in  1722.  These  were  doubtless 
issued  to  encourage  immigration,  and  perhaps  in  the  interests 
of  DeGraffenried's  Palatine  colony.  The  1714  edition  was 
re-printed  in  Raleigh  in  1860,  and  again  at  Charlotte  in  1903 
by  Colonel  F.  A.  Olds.  Both  of  the  North  Carolina  editions 
are  very  poorly  done." 

To  the  above  comments  by  Dr.  Weeks  it  may  be  added  that 
the  volume  published  at  Charlotte  contains  matter  which 
Lawson  did  not  write,  including  some  of  the  papers  of  Col- 
onel William  Byrd,  of  Westover,  in  Virginia.  This  edition 
is  also  relieved  of  some  plain  language  which  would  hardly 
pass  for  polite  literature  in  our  generation.  Some  language 
found  in  Lawson's  work  (the  unexpurgated  editions  at  least) 
is  not  gauged  by  the  modern  standards  of  chaste  expression. 
To  tell,  in  delicate  terms  of  the  various  things  which  passed 
under  his  observation  while  sojourning  among  the  Indians, 
might  have  been  considered  by  the  old  historian  too  difficult 
a  task.     He  was  an  observant  traveler,  who  saw  and  heard 


JOHN    LAWSON.  235 

much ;  and,  what  he  did  see  and  hear,  was  told  in  words  which 
would  be  highly  embarrassing  if  read  aloud  in  a  drawing- 
room  of  the  present  day. 

When  Lawson  deals  with  natural  history  and  animal  life, 
the  terms  he  employs  are  quite  amusing.  Under  the  head  of 
insects  he  includes  alligators,  rattlesnakes  and  about  twenty 
other  kinds  of  snakes,  terrapins,  frogs,  etc.  Among  the 
snakes  he  mentions  "brimstone  snakes."  As  to  what  a  "brim- 
stone snake"  is,  the  present  writer  must  confess  ignorance, 
but  it  is  evidently  a  pretty  hot  insect.  In  referring  to  frogs, 
he  says:  "The  most  famous  is  the  bullfrog,  so  called  because 
he  lows  exactly  like  that  beast,  which  makes  strangers  wonder 
(when  by  the  side  of  a  marsh)  what  is  the  matter,  for  they 
hear  the  frogs  low  and  can  see  no  cattle."  Lawson  also  tells 
of  a  disease  which  can  be  easily  cured  by  baking  a  toad  and 
grinding  up  his  ashes  with  orris  root,  this  to  be  taken  intern- 
ally. I  am  afraid  this  remedy  would  hardly  find  much  favor 
in  the  present  day. 

It  is  not  generally  known  that  a  trial  for  witchcraft  once 
took  place  in  North  Carolina,  which  resulted  in  the  conviction 
and  execution  (probably  by  burning)  of  the  accused.  Law- 
son  states  that,  though  North  Carolina  had  been  settled  for 
upwards  of  sixty  years,  the  only  executions  which  had  ever 
occurre'd  were  those  where  a  Turk  had  been  convicted  of  mur- 
der, and  an  old  woman  had  been  condemned  for  witchcraft. 
Alluding  to  the  witchcraft  trial,  Lawson  adds  that  it  took 
place  many  years  before  he  came  to  the  colony,  but  adds: 
"I  wish  it  had  been  undone  to  this  day,  although  they  give 
a  great  many  arguments  to  justify  the  deed  which  I  had 
rather  they  should  have  had  a  hand  in  than  myself;  seeing 
I  could  never  approve  of  taking  life  away  upon  such  accusa- 
tions, the  justice  whereof  I  could  never  yet  understand." 

In  1737,  some    years  after    Lawson's    death,    Dr.    John 


236  THE    NORTH    CAROLINA   BOOKLET. 

Brickell  published  a  Natural  History  of  North.  Carolina.  It 
has  often  been  charged  that  this  was  a  plagiarism,  almost 
verbatim,  from  Lawson;  and  Brickell  did  get  much  of  his 
material  from  the  earlier  historian.  In  the  above  quoted 
sketch  by  Dr.  Weeks,  however,  it  is  intelligently  argued  that 
Brickell  was  not  a  mere  copyist.  Referring  to  the  charges 
of  plagiarism,  Dr.  Weeks  observes:  "These  statements  do 
a  grave  injustice  to  Brickell.  He  tells  us  that  his  work  is  a 
'compendious  collection.'  He  took  the  work  of  Lawson,  re- 
worked it  in  his  own  fashion,  extended  or  curtailed  and 
brought  it  down  to  his  own  time.  His  work  is  more  than 
twice  as  large  as  that  of  Lawson's;  his  professional  training 
is  everywhere  patent,  and  there  is  much  in  it  relating  to  the 
social  condition  of  the  colony.  Brickell' s  work  is  fuller,  more 
systematic  and  more  like  the  work  of  a  professional  student; 
Lawson's  seems  more  like  that  of  a  traveler  and  observer." 

In  1705  Mr.  Lawson  joined  Joel  Martin  in  securing  a 
charter  to  incorporate  the  town  of  Bath.  This  historic 
borough,  or  what  at  present  remains  of  it,  is  the  oldest  incor- 
porated town  in  the  State.  The  land  on  which  it  was  built 
belonged  to  Lawson  and  Martin ;  and  the  former,  being  a  sur- 
veyor by  profession,  was  doubtless  the  one  who  laid  out  its 
streets.  As  Lawson  aided  Baron  DeGraffenried  in  founding 
New  Bern,  he  probably  laid  out  the  streets  of  that  place  also, 
and  possibly  of  Edenton. 

Since  the  days  of  John  Lawson  no  writer  has  ever  at- 
tempted to  treat  of  the  history  of  North  Carolina  without 
building  in  some  measure  upon  the  literary  labors  of  others, 
or  upon  the  records  of  former  generations.  The  book  of  na- 
ture was  the  only  volume  to  which  Lawson  could  turn  for  in- 
formation. Amid  the  wilds  of  a  new  continent  he  lived, 
labored,  wrote,  explored,  blazed  paths  through  the  trackless 
wilderness,  made  measurements  of  our  seacoasts,  laid  out  vil- 


JOHN    LAWSON.  237 

lages  and  promoted  colonization.  To  wrest  the  soil  from  a 
fierce  and  warlike  race  of  savages  required  men  of  supreme 
courage — men  who  could  be  killed  but  never  cowed — and 
who  would  fearlessly  bear  privations  and  face  death  when  so 
doing  would  advance  the  great  purposes  they  sought  to  ac- 
complish. 

Forceful  is  the  figure  of  speech  voiced  by  some  writer  who 
says  that  the  pyramids  of  Egypt,  doting  with  age,  have  for- 
gotten the  names  of  their  founders.  Immeasurably  more 
mighty  than  the  pyramids,  and  not  doting  with  age  either, 
is  the  great  American  continent,  whose  settlement  was  begun 
by  our  colonial  progenitors ;  and  succeeding  generations  should 
see  to  it  that  the  names  and  deeds  of  these  "founders"  are 
held  in  grateful  and  everlasting  remembrance. 


SOME  OVERLOOKED  NORTH  CAROLINA 
HISTORY. 


BY   J.  T.  ALDERMAN. 


Old  books  are  sometimes  quite  interesting.  For  a  num- 
ber of  years  Wain's  Life  of  Lafayette,  published  in  1826, 
has  been  in  my  library  unread.  Recently  my  attention  was 
attracted  to  it,  and  I  found  it  very  entertaining.  Among 
other  things  I  came  across  something  which  was  news  to  me. 

In  his  account  of  the  siege  of  Yorktown,  the  fact  comes 
out  that  Lord  Cornwallis,  when  about  to  be  hemmed  in  by 
the  American  and  French  troops,  began  to  look  about  for 
some  way  to  extricate  himself  from  their  toils.  On  the  arri- 
val of  the  French  fleet  in  the  Bay  Cornwallis  determined  to 
leave  Yorktown  and  by  forced  marches,  cross  North  Carolina 
and  join  the  British  forces  near  Charleston,  S.  C. 

Wain  says:  "The  most  positive  intelligence  was  soon  re- 
ceived by  Lafayette  that  Lord  Cornwallis  intended  to  pene- 
trate with  his  army  from  Yorktown  to  South  Carolina  by 
land.  He  was  moving  from  York  to  James  River,  and  was 
getting  hits  boats  across  from  Queen's  creek  to  College  land- 
ing to  go  from  thence  to  Jamestown,  then  cross  the  James 
River  to  Cobham's  to  proceed  from  thence  to  South  Caro- 
lina." 

"Upon  the  first  intelligence  of  this  movement  of  Corn- 
wallis, the  most  animated  measures  were  adopted  by  Gov- 
ernor Burke  to  cooperate  with  Muhlenburg.  Every  boat  on 
the  Roanoke,  Neuse  and  Meherin  rivers  was  secured  under 
guard  or  destroyed;  every  crossing  was  placed  under  guard 
and  crossed  by  abatis;  and  the  militia  were  ordered  out  en 
masse.  The  whole  State  of  North  Carolina,  from  the  Dan 
River  to  the  sea-coast  appears  to  have  been  set  in  motion 
by  this  active  Governor. 


SOME  OVERLOOKED  NORTH  CAROLINA  HISTORY.  239 

"Cornwallis  had  prepared  a  number  of  light  pontoons  on 
wagons,  and  was  ready  for  the  march.  The  arrival  of  the 
French  fleet  under  Count  De  Grasse  had  been  the  cause  of 
this  movement;  the  departure  of  the  Trench  fleet  to  engage 
the  British  under  Admiral  Greaves  delayed  it.  Below  him 
he  saw  the  whole  country  in  arms  to  oppose  his  retreat,  while 
Green  waited  in  the  South  to  receive  him  on  the  point  of  the 
bayonette,"  etc. 

After  reading  the  above  it  occurred  to  me  that  the  Colonial 
Records  ought  to  throw  some  light  upon  this  subject.  Inves- 
tigation brings  out  plenty  of  evidence  of  the  proposed  inva- 
sion, and  of  the  determination  of  the  people  of  North  Caro- 
lina to  dispute  his  passage  through  the  State  to  South  Car- 
olina. 

The  following  extracts  are  from  the  State  Records,  Vol. 
XV.,  and  are  interesting,  especially  as  they  throw  light  on 
this  matter. 

Page  626.  The  following  is  a  letter  from  Lafayette  to 
Gen.  Allen  Jones.     Dated.  Ruffins,  August  27,  1781 : 

Deab  Sir  : — From  the  intelligences  lately  received  I  am  almost  satisfied 
that  the  enemy  mean  to  attempt  a  retreat  through  North  Carolina,  and 
as  it  is  of  the  highest  importance  every  obstruction  should  be  thrown  in 
their  way,  I  request  you  will  be  particular  in  having  every  boat  on  the 
Roanoke  collected  and  destroyed.  I  would  not  wish  it  delayed  as  they 
may  fall  into  the  enemy's  hands,  and  it  would  furnish  them  with  the 
means  of  crossing  and  render  your  opposition  more  difficult.  I  wish 
you  to  collect,  without  loss  of  time,  a  sufficient  number  of  militia  to  ren- 
der these  attempts  ineffectual.    *    *    *    * 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  your  obedient  servant, 

Lafayette. 

Page  629.    Letter  of  Col.  H.  Murfree  to  Governor  Burke: 

Muefeee's  Landing,  September  1,  1781. 
Sib: — I  received  your  excellency's  favor  of  the  31st  August,  and  ob- 
served its  contents.     I  will  lose  no  time  in  securing  the  boats,  etc.     *    * 
I  am  yours,  etc.,  H.  Mubfbee 


240  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

Page  630.     Letter  from  Col.  J.  S.  Wells  to  General  Jones. 

Camp  Cowper's  Mills,  September  1,  1781. 
Dear  General  : — I  have  the  pleasure  to  inform  you  that  the  long  ex- 
pected French  fleet  has  at  last  arrived  in  our  Bay.  *  *  *  *  In  con- 
sequence of  the  said  fleet's  arrival,  Lord  Cornwallis  is  about  moving  from 
York  to  Jamestown  and  is  getting  his  boats  across  from  Queen's  Creek 
to  the  College  Landing,  from  thence  to  Jamestown  and  there  to  cross 
James  River  to  Cobham,  from  that  place  to  South  Carolina.  General 
Wayne  and  General  Muhlenberg  are  on  this  side  James  River  and  I  ex- 
pect some  of  the  French  Frigates  will  go  up  the  river  in  order  to  pre- 
vent his  Lordship's  crossing.  But  should  he  cross  you  may  expect  to 
see  us  in  your  quarter  of  the  country.  His  Lordship  must  never  be  suf- 
fered to  cross  Roanoke.  *  *  *  * 
Your  most  obedient  servant, 

John  Sck.  Wells,  Collo. 

Gen.  W.  Caswell  to  Governor  Burke. 

Under  dates  of  September  4th,  again  on  8th,  again  on 
September  14th,  Caswell  wrote  to  Governor  Burke  that  every 
provision  was  being  made  to  fortify  the  country  and  put  a 
large  army  in  the  field  to  dispute  the  march  of  Cornwallis 
should  he  attempt  to  cross  the  State. 

The  records  show  that  the  Militia  was  being  collected  and 
equipped  in  the  whole  State  east  of  the  Piedmont  section. 
The  people  at  that  time  were  encouraged ;  they  had  gained 
considerable  confidence  in  their  power  to  resist  the  invading 
armies.  Many  of  them  had  seen  service  during  the  campaigns 
in  South  Carolina  and  with  Greene  in  west  North  Carolina. 
The  officers  knew  better  how  to  collect  and  maintain  an  army. 

THE    NORTH     CAROLINA    MILITIA    OF    REVOLUTIONARY    TIMES. 

Unjust  criticisms  have  been  heaped  upon  the  North  Caro- 
olina  Militia  during  Revolutionary  times.  The  youth  of  our 
country  should  know  that  historians  were  unjust  to  the  men 
who  served  well  their  country  at  a  time  when  valiant  ser- 
vices were  most  needed.  No  doubt  there  were  individuals  in 
the  ranks  of  the  militia  who  were  not  brave  soldiers. 


SOME   OVERLOOKED  NORTH  CAROLINA  HISTORY.  241 

An  investigation  of  the  services  of  the  militia  during  those 
stormy  years  would  give  some  idea  of  the  valuable  services 
rendered  to  the  Cause  of  Liberty  by  the  North  Carolina 
Militia. 

The  first  decided  victory  on  the  field  of  battle  for  Inde- 
dependence  was  gained  by  the  North  Carolina  militia 
at  Moore's  Creek.  Ramsour's  Mill,  Kings  Mountain,  Guil- 
ford Court  House,  and  a  hundred  encounters  with  the  Tories 
and  British  bore  testimony  to  their  bravery  and  courage. 
After  the  battle  of  Kings  Mountain  Cornwallis  precipitately 
retreated  from  Charlotte  to  escape  the  North  Carolina  mi- 
litia. A  large  number  of  the  State  Militia  joined  General 
Megan's  forces  and  helped  to  win  the  great  victory  at  the 
Cowpens.  The  Tories  were  held  in  check  through  fear  of 
the  Militia  in  the  disaffected  sections  of  the  State.  A  large 
number  of  the  Militia  went  from  the  State  to'  help  the  peo- 
ple of  South  Carolina. 

At  the  battle  of  Camden  Dixon's  Brigade  of  North  Caro- 
lina Militia  was  the  last  to  leave  the  field.  In  the  State 
Records,  Vol.  XV,  page  384,  is  an  interesting  account  of  the 
bravery  of  this  brigade  of  North  Carolina  Militia. 

In  that  unfortunate  battle  General  Gates  had  unadvisedly 
rushed  his  men  into  the  battle  unprepared  for  the  conflict. 
Without  proper  precaution  he  had  attempted  to  make  a 
night  attack  on  the  British.  The  British  were  making  the 
same  kind  of  move  during  the  night  when  they  met  in  the 
darkness.  The  disastrous  result  is  well  known.  The  writer 
in  the  page  named  says : 

"General  Gates  attempted  to  arrange  the  American  troops 
in  the  darkness. 

"At  length  the  army  was  arranged  in  line  of  battle  in  the 
following  order:  General  Gist's  brigade  on  the  right,  the 
North  Carolina  Militia  in  close  order,  two  deep,  in  the  cen- 


242  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

ter,  and  the  Virginia  Militia  in  like  order  with,  another 
corps  on  the  left;  the  other  troops  were  arranged  in  other 
parts  of  the  field.  *  *  *  The  enemy  attacked  and  drove 
in  our  light  party  in  front,  and  after  the  first  fire  charged 
the  Militia  with  bayonets,  whereupon  the  whole  gave  way, 
except  Colonel  Dixon's  regiment  of  North  Carolina  Militia; 
the  British  cavalry  continuing  to  harass  the  rear  such  was 
the  panic  diffused  through  the  whole  that  utmost  and  unre- 
mitting exertions  of  the  Generals  to  rally  them  proved  inef- 
fectual. They  ran  like  a  torrent  and  bore  all  before  them. 
This  shameful  desertion  of  the  Militia  gave  the  enemy  an 
opportunity  of  bending  their  whole  force  against  the  Mary- 
land troops  and  Dixon's  North  Carolina  Militia.  The  con- 
flict was  obstinate  and  bloody,  and  lasted  fifteen  minutes. 
Dixon's  Militia  standing  firm  with  the  regulars  of  the  Mary- 
land line,  and  pushing  bayonets  to  the  last.  They  were  then 
furiously  charged  by  British  horse  whom  they  completely 
vanquished,  allowing  only  two  of  the  British  to  escape.  These 
brave  militiamen  suffered  greatly,  having  lost  half  of  their 
number,  and  to  their  immortal  honor  made  their  retreat 
good.  *  *  *  After  this  defeat  the  yeomanry  of  North 
Carolina  immediately  turned  out  unsolicited.  An  army  was 
collected  which  consisted  of  between  4,000  and  5,000  men." 
With  such  experiences  with  the  North  Carolina  Militia,  it 
is  not  surprising  that  Cornwallis  hesitated  to  make  another 
attempt  to  pass  through  the  State. 

Note. — Biographical  Sketch  of  Prof.  J.  T  Alderman  appeared  in  No.  3 
Vol.  VI,  January,  1907. 


THE  WHITE  PICTURES. 


BY    W.  J.   PEELE. 


The  pictures  of  John  White  purport  to  have  been  painted 
on  Koanoke  Island,  and  if  this  did  not  appear  from  inspec- 
tion, the  execution  of  them  there  would  have  been  presumed 
from  their  character  and  fidelity. 

Any  one  who  visits  the  Island  now  can  still  recognize  the 
scenes,  the  ground  plans,  on  which  the  pictures  are  laid.  The 
Sounds,  the  Banks,  the  sand  hills,  the  inlets  and  the  Island 
itself  with  its  outline  and  configuration,  are  unmistakable. 
Then,  too,  White  was  selected  by  Queen  Elizabeth  and  sent 
there  to  paint  what  he  saw,  and  had  ample  opportunity  to  do 
it,  for  he  remained  a  year  lacking  five  days.  How  well  he 
executed  his  commission  may  be  gathered  from  the  fact  that 
two  years  later  he  was  sent  over  to  our  shores  as  the  gov- 
ernor of  "Virginia" — perhaps  the  only  artist  who  ever  held 
that  office.  The  "lost  colony"  seems  to  have  been  a  sufficient 
argument  against  the  repetition  of  the  experiment. 

The  originals  are  still  in  the  British  Museum,  and  fairly 
executed  copies  preserving  the  colors  are  in  the  Smithsonian 
Institute.     These  copies  were  made,  I  think,  in  1845. 

The  copies  before  me  are  those  reproduced  in  DeBry's  edi- 
tion of  1590,  cut,  as  he  says,  in  copper  with  great  pains,  and 
printed  in  Germany,  with  their  descriptions  subjoined,  which 
appear  to  have  been  written  by  White  himself.  DeBry's 
book  with  the  descriptions  in  four  languages  (or  rather  his 
four  books,  for  he  got  out  an  English,  Latin,  French  and 
German  edition),  was  the  joint  product  of  several  minds, 
among  them  Raleigh's,  Hariot's,  and  Hakluyt's. 

The  title  of  DeBry's  book  (in  modern  spelling)  is  "The 
true  pictures  and  fashions  of  the  people  of  that  part  of  Amer- 


244  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

ica  now  called  Virginia,  discovered  by  Englishmen,  sent 
thither  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1585,  at  the  special  charge 
and  direction  of  the  Honorable  Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  Knight, 
Lord  Warden  of  the  Slannaries  in  the  Duchies  of  Cornwall 
and  Oxford,  who  therein  hath  been  favored  and  autorined  by 
her  Majesty  and  her  letters  patent,  translated  into  English  by 
Richard  Hakluyt,  diligently  collected  and  drawn  by  John 
White,  who  was  sent  thither  specially  for  the  same  purpose 
by  the  said  Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  the  year  1585  and  also  the 
year  1588,  now  cut  in  copper  and  first  published  by  Theodore 
de  Bry  at  his  own  charges." 

There  is  no  other  record  that  White  came  over  here  in 
1588.  The  writer  probably  meant  1587.  The  other  date 
mentioned,  1585,  if  it  referred  to  the  discovery  by  Amidas 
and  Barlowe,  should  be  1584;  Lane's  exploration  in  1585  and 
1586  were  much  more  extensive,  but  they  were  not  the  first 
made  by  the  English  in  eastern  North  Carolina. 

The  matter  is  set  in  a  clearer  light  by  giving  the  most 
material  parts  of  De  Bry's  preface:   "To  the  Gentle  Reader." 

"*  *  *  I  was  very  willing  to  offer  unto  you  the  true  pic- 
tures of  those  people  which  by  the  help  of  Master  Richard 
Hakluyt,  of  Oxford,  minister  of  God's  Word,  who  first  en- 
couraged me  to  publish  the  work,  I  carved  out  of  the  very 
original  matter  of  Master  John  White,  an  English  painter 
who  was  sent  into  the  country  by  the  Queen's  Majesty  only 
to  draw  the  topography  of  the  place  and  to  describe  in  a 
manner  true  to  life  the  forms  of  the  inhabitants,  their  appa- 
rel, manner  of  living  and  their  fashions,  at  the  special  charges 
of  the  worthy  Knight,  Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  who  bestowed  no 
small  sum  of  money  in  the  search  and  discovery  of  that 
country  from  the  year  1584  to  the  end  of  the  year  1588. 
*  *  *  I  carved  them  *  *  at  London,  and  brought  them 
hither  to  Frankfort,  where  I  and  my  sons  have  taken  earnest 


THE    WHITE   PICTURES.  245 

pains  in  graving  the  pictures  thereof  in  copper,  seeing  it  is 
a  matter  of  no  small  importance.  *  *  *  I  have  caused 
it  (the  descriptions  of  the  paintings)  to  be  rendered  into 
very  good  French  and  Latin  by  the  aid  of  a  very  worshipful 
friend  of  mine.     [Probably  Hariot.] 

"Finally,  I  heartily  request  thee  [the  reader]  that  if  any 
seek  to  counterfeit  them,  my  books,  for  in  these  days  many 
are  so  malicious  as  that  they  seek  to  gain  by  other  men's 
labors,  thou  would  give  no  credit  unto  such  counterfeited 
draught.  For  divers  secret  marks  lie  hidden  in  my  pictures 
which  will  breed  confusion  unless  they  be  well  observed." 

De  Bry's  book  contains  twenty-three  engravings.  The  first 
is  Hariot's  map  of  Lane's  explorations,  showing  the  Afbe- 
marle  and  Pamlico  and  Currituck  Sounds,  with  their  tribu- 
taries and  islands,  the  Banks  and  their  inlets.  This  is  omit- 
ted in  the  copy  in  the  State  Library. 

The  ground  plan  of  the  second  engraving,  which  serves  also 
as  a  map,  though  its  title  "the  arrival  of  the  Englishmen  in 
Virginia"  indicates  what  it  was  intended  to  portray,  centers 
around  a  boat  load  of  pioneers  approaching  the  village  of 
Roanoke  near  the  north  end  of  the  Island ;  or  perhaps,  the 
village  itself  is  intended  to  be  the  central  point.  Behind  the 
approaching  pioneers  is  the  inlet,  Trinity  Harbor,  through 
which  they  have  sailed,  on  either  side  of  which  two  ships 
are  riding  at  anchor  in  the  ocean.  Toward  the  village  in 
front  of  them,  one  sitting  in  the  prow  of  the  boat  is  holding 
out  a  cross  to  indicate  the  pious  purpose  of  their  coming. 
Beyond  what  is  now  called  Croatan  Sound,  some  four  or 
five  miles  from  the  Island,  appears  the  village  of  Dassamon- 
guepuek.  On  the  north  bank  of  what  is  now  the  Albemarle 
Sound,  appears  the  village  of  Pasquenoke,  of  which  the 
name  Pasquotank  may  be  a  corruption.  The  entire  view 
is  less  than  thirty  miles  in  any  direction,  and  could  be  cov- 


246  THE    NORTH    CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

ered  with  a  field  glass  on  a  fair  day  from  a  tower  in  Manteo. 
The  miniature  villages  are  surrounded  by  corn  patches,  and, 
when  magnified  show  the  surprising  degree  of  skill  with 
which  they  were  sketched  on  so  small  a  scale. 

The  description  of  the  landing  contains  very  suggestive 
material  for  the  artist  who  will  one  day  immortalize  himself 
by  working  it  into  a  great  painting  of  the  scene. 

*  *  *  "Sailing  further  we  came  to  a  good  big  Island, 
the  inhabitants  thereof  as  soon  as  they  saw  us,  began  to  make 
a  great  and  horrible  cry  as  people  which  had  never  before  seen 
men  apparelled  like  us,  and  ran  away  making  outcries  like 
wild  beasts  or  men  out  of  their  wits.  But  being  gently  called 
back  we  offered  them  our  wares,  such  as  glass  beads,  knives, 
dolls,  and  other  trifles  which  we  thought  they  delighted  in. 
So  they  stood  still  and  perceiving  our  good  will  and  courtesy 
came  fawning  upon  us  and  bade  us  welcome.  Then  they 
brought  us  to  their  village  in  the  Island  called  Roanoke  and 
unto  their  Weroance  or  Prince,  who  entertained  us  with  reas- 
onable courtesy,  although  they  were  amazed  at  the  first  sight 
of  us. 

"Such  was  our  arrival  into  the  part  of  the  world  which  we 
call  Virginia,  the  statue  of  body  of  which  people,  their  attire 
and  manner  of  living,  their  feasts  and  banquets,  I  will  partic- 
ularly declare  unto  you." 

I  should  add  in  conclusion  that  the  White  paintings  should 
be  elaborately  discussed  by  one  capable  of  judging  them  from 
an  artist's  standpoint.  Recently  Mr.  Albert  Sterner,  under 
the  auspices  of  the  Historical  Commission,  visited  Roanoke 
Island  after  first  examining  De  Bry.  How  he  was  impressed 
is  told  in  an  article  recently  published  in  the  News  and 
Observer,  which  it  may  not  be  improper  here  to  reproduce. 


THE   WHITE   PICTURES.  247 

THE  SCENE  OF  A  GREAT  PAINTING THE  HISTORICAL   COMMIS- 
SION   SENDS    ME.    ALBERT    STERNER    TO    ROANOKE    ISLAND. 

I  had  long  thought  it  ought  to  be  painted.  It  looked  like 
a  picture  when  I  saw  it  in  1902 — I  mean  the  place  where 
Amidas  and  Barlowe  landed  in  1584. 

The  little  island  was  sleeping  the  sleep  of  centuries  embow- 
ered in  evergreens  very  much  as  it  was  when  the  English 
knelt  there  to  thank  God  for  the  new  possession.  The  long 
yellow  banks  glistened  in  the  sunlight.  The  blue  Atlantic 
rolled  beyond.  Some  two  or  three  hundred  yards  from  Tort 
Raleigh  is  a  little  cove  on  the  island  shore  filled  in  by  the 
waters  of  Roanoke  Sound.  It  is  almost  opposite  the  fort,  and 
with  the  water  a  little  deeper,  as  it  may  well  have  been  then, 
it  was  almost  an  ideal  place  for  the  landing.  North  Carolina 
has  made  no  memorial  of  this  first  great  step  in  the  trans- 
continental march  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  race.  Centuries  have 
gone  by  and  the  spread  of  the  all-conquering  race  is  arrested 
only  by  the  Pacific.  Monuments  and  memorials  have  been 
erected  along  the  lines  of  its  progress,  but  it  has  forgotten  its 
cradle  on  the  shores  of  the  Old  North  State. 

In  a  few  months  many  tens  of  thousands  of  Americans 
will  return  to  a  spot  in  Virginia  a  little  more  than  a  hundred 
miles  away  to  do  honor  to  the  memories  which  rightly  cluster 
about  it,  and  North  Carolina  has  stretched  to>  her  sister 
across  her  border  a  generous  hand  of  congratulation.  Shall 
she  do  any  thing  for  herself? 

Framed  by  the  banks  of  "Hatorask"  on  the  east  and  the 
land  of  Dassamonguepuek  on  the  west,  and  set  an  emerald  in 
the  golden  waters  of  its  four  sounds,  the  island  is  as  perfect 
a  picture  as  it  was  when  Queen  Elizabeth  sent  John  White  to 
paint  it.  And  he  did  paint  it  in  a  little  picture  nine  by  six 
inches  which  escaped  the  great  London  fire  of  1666  and  is 


248  THE  NOBTH  CABOUNA  BOOKLET. 

still  preserved  in  the  British  Museum.  The  reproduction  of 
this  picture  "The  Coming  of  the  English  into  Virginia" — 
North  Carolina — on  a  great  canvas  by  an  artist  of  national 
and  international  fame  is  one  of  the  debts  which  the  State 
owes  to  herself — owes  to  her  sister  States — to  the  race  which 
begun  its  new  home  here — its  last  and  greatest  home — owes 
to  posterity — owes  to  the  world  whose  representative  peoples 
are  about  to  assemble  near  our  shores. 

In  December  Mr.  Albert  Sterner,  of  New  York,  who  illus- 
trates for  the  great  Northern  periodicals,  visited  the  island 
at  the  request  of  the  Historical  Commission.  The  people  did 
not  know  he  was  coming  and  the  regular  boat  was  out  of  re- 
pair so  there  was  nothing  but  a  gas  freight  boat  to  take  him 
from  Elizabeth  City  to  Manteo. 

Nothing  daunted,  however,  he  went  accompanied  by  his 
wife,  herself  an  artist  in  temperament  and  enthusiasm. 
There  was  some  natural  hesitation  at  the  acommodations  or 
rather  the  lack  of  them,  but  the  London  historian,  Mr.  With- 
ington,  whom  he  had  along  with  him  and  who  had  been 
everywhere  and  seen  everything  was  delighted  at  the  prospect 
of  a  terra  incognita.  Soon  the  little  freight  boat  was  gliding 
down  the  chocolate  colored  waters  of  the  Pasquotank  River. 
The  sun,  near  its  setting,  struggled  hard  with  the  mists  up 
the  sound  until  finally,  no  bigger  than  a  bull's  eye,  it  was 
•snuffed  out.  Light  breezes  were  behind  us  and  I  suppose  they 
bore  pleasant  odors  with  them,  but  we  were  sitting  over  an 
oil  stove  and  fumes  of  this  emphasized  by  those  of  the  gaso- 
line in  front  of  us  were  quite  sufficient  to>  swallow  up  any 
faint  aromas  from  the  woods.  In  six  hours  we  were  at  Man- 
teo. Thawed  out  we  chartered  a  boat  for  our  return — the 
freight  boat  was  to  start  back  at  five  o'clock  a.  m. 

A  noise  like  that  of  a  dozen  freight  trains  loaded  with 
bass  drums  was  echoing  up  into  the  sky.     It  was  the  Atlantic 


THE   WHITE   PICTURES.  249 

growling  down  the  banks  toward  Hatteras  in  token  of  wind 
the  next  day.  This  we  got  in  due  season  according  to  prom- 
ise and  some  of  our  much  traveled  party  got.  sea-sick  on  the 
Albemarle  Sound. 

The  sun  rose  fine  the  next  morning  for  those  of  us  who  got 
up  with  it.  Our  historian  and  his  wife  rose  considerably  before 
it,  and  he  escaped  from  his  exploration  wet  to  his  knees.  This 
did  not  disturb  him  at  all,  however,  for  in  a  few  minutes  he 
was  whizzing  along  through  the  frosty  air  on  the  road  to 
Tort  Raleigh.  The  sub-tropical  evergreens — live  oak,  the 
yupon  and  the  holly — brightened  our  way.  We  had  sent  the 
boat  round  to  meet  us  toward  the  north  end  of  the  island 
near  where  the  colonists  landed.  Out  of  the  vehicles  we  made 
our  way  from  the  fort  some  two  or  three  hundred  yards  to 
the  shore  of  Roanoke  Sound,  and  this  was  the  place  we  had 
brought  the  great  artist  all  the  way  from.  New  York  to  see. 
Up  the  shore  a  few  straggling  pines,  relics  of  the  primeval 
forests,  sentinelled  the  outskirts  of  the  woods  and  marked  the 
undulations  of  the  shore.  The  little  cove  where  probably  the 
first  boat  load  of  colonists  drew  ashore  curved  gracefully  in- 
land. The  quick  eye  of  the  artist  caught  the  scene,  and  his 
bosom  swelled  with  enthusiasm  as  he  saw  for  the  first  time 
how  well  nature  had  framed  "the  cradle  of  the  Anglo-Amer- 
ican race."  Behind  him  were  the  woods  bedecked  with  ever- 
green. In  front  of  him  the  yellow  waters  of  Roanoke  Sound 
brightened  in  the  sunshine.  Beyond  stretched  the  banks, 
down  which  a  flock  of  wild  geese  were  proceeding  in  their 
orderly  flight. 

"The  picture  is  worthy  of  the  event,"  were  almost  the  first 
words  that  escaped  him.  And  this  was  always  what  I  ex- 
pected. He  spoke  little,  but  his  enthusiasm  was  contagious 
as  he  strode  up  and  down  the  sands  of  that  historic  spot.  The 
scene  which  White  painted  on  the  island  in  his  "true  pic- 


250  THE    NORTH    CAROLINA   BOOKLET. 

tures"  of  more  than  three  centuries  ago  arose  before  him. 
He  saw  the  coming  boat  freighted  with  the  pioneers  of  the 
nation  which  is  called  "time's  noblest  off-spring  and  the 
last."  He  saw  the  Indians  who  first  fled  with  "horrible 
cries"  and  then  came  fawning  back  upon  their  conquerors. 
He  saw  the  village  of  Roanoke  with  its  rude  houses  of  bark. 
"They  have  robbed  you  of  your  birthright,"  exclaimed  his 
wife — and  she  never  knew  it  till  she  saw  the  paintings  and 
the  picture  before  her  which  verified  them.  But  have  they 
done  it?     We  shall  see. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES  OF  CONTRIBUTORS. 


COMPILED   AND   EDITED   BY    MRS.  E.   E.  MOFFITT. 


RICHARD  BENBURY   CREECY. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  one  of  the  first  contributors 
to  the  Booklet.  In  volume  1st,  No.  5,  he  wrote  a  sketch 
of  that  heroic  maiden,  Betsy  Dowdy,  of  Currituck  Beach, 
who  made  the  famous  midnight  ride  to  carry  news  of  the 
probable  invasion  of  the  Albemarle  section  by  the  British 
troops  under  Lord  Dunmore.  Col.  Creecy  has  given  a 
graphic  account  of  this  incident  introduced  by  these  memor- 
able lines: 

"  Oh  woman  timid  as  a  child 

When  skies  are  bright,  serene  and  mild: 

Let  evil  come  with  angry  brow, 

A  lion-hearted  hero  thou." 

This  is  but  another  recorded  instance  that  North  Caro- 
lina had  her  heroines  as  well  as  her  heroes ;  tho'  history  has 
usually  been  silent  concerning  them. 

Col.  Creecy,  one  of  the  ablest  editors  in  our  State,  was 
born  December  19,  1813,  on  Drummond's  Point,  the  oldest 
settlement  in  North  Carolina  on  Albemarle  Sound. 

He  is  descended  from  Job  Creecy,  a  Huguenot  emigrant 
from  France,  a  representative  of  that  branch  of  Christians 
noted  in  general  for  their  austere  virtues  and  the  singular 
purity  of  their  lives. 

He  is  also  descended  from  General  Thomas  Benbury,  one 
of  the  leading  statesmen  of  the  Revolution,  a  member  of 
the  Provincial  Congress  of  August  25,  1774,  also  member 
of  the  Edenton  District  Committee  of  Safety;  paymaster 
of  the  5th  Regiment,  who  fought  at  the  battle  of  Great 
Bridge,  which  engagement  was  so  successful  for  the  Ameri- 
cans that  the  British  troops  were  forced  to  retreat. 

Col.  Creecy  is  also  descended  from  William  Skinner,  who 
was   Brigadier-General   of   State   troops;    Treasurer   of   the 


252  THE    NOETH    CAROLINA   BOOKLET. 

Eastern  District  under  Governor  Caswell,  and  rendered  in 
other  ways  important  service  during  the  Revolutionary  War. 
With  such  sturdy  and  patriotic  ancestors  it  is  no  wonder 
that  the  subject  of  this  sketch  holds  on  so  tenaciously  to  life — 
a  life  filled  with  service  for  his  State  and  country. 

Col.  Creecy  was  educated  in  the  best  schools  that  the  State 
afforded,  was  graduated  from  the  State  University  in  1835, 
studied  law  and  obtained  his  license  in  1842.  After  three 
years  he  abandoned  the  practice  of  law  and  devoted  himself 
to  agricultural  pursuits.  In  1870,  finding  that  his  tastes 
were  inclined  to  journalism  and  other  lines  of  literary  work, 
he  founded  the  "Elizabeth  City  Economist/'  a  paper  which 
he  has  continued  to  publish  to  the  present  time,  and  which 
has  a  large  circulation  in  Eastern  North  Carolina.  His 
productions  are  considered  of  such  literary  merit,  wit  and 
humor  and  philosophy  combined,  as  to  enlist  the  attention 
of  a  reader  from  start  to  finish. 

His  article  on  the  history  of  the  Albemarle  section  has 
made  the  characters  of  the  Revolution  such  living  actors  that 
their  names  have  become  household  words  with  later  gener- 
ations. Would  that  every  section  of  our  beloved  State  had  a 
historian  like  he — one  to  write  a  "Grandfather's  Tales"  for 
the  children  from  the  mountains  to  the  sea. 

Col.  Creecy  has  never  sought  political  preferment,  which  in 
many  instances  "blunts  the  edge  of  husbandry;"  his  line  of 
work  has  been  in  the  path  of  duty.  Imbued  with  a  generous 
ambition  and  a  passionate  love  for  his  State  and  its  honorable 
history,  he  has  rescued  from  oblivion  many  facts  that  sub- 
stantiate the  claim  that  North  Carolina  stands  foremost  in 
the  great  struggle  for  liberty. 

Col.  Creecy  has  written  many  reminiscences  that  are  keys 
to  the  book  of  history,  opening  the  way  to  diligent  research. 
His  productions  embrace  a  diversity  of  subjects,  including 
history,  biography,  legends  and  poetry.     One  of  his  books, 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCHES.  253 

called  "Grandfather's  Tales  of  North  Carolina  History,"  is 
widely  read  and  highly  recommended.  The  dedication,  is  its 
keynote.  "To  the  youth  of  North  Carolina  I  dedicate  this 
volume,  with  the  earnest  hope  that  they  will  learn  from  its 
pages  some  lessons  of  patriotism,  and  will  be  strengthened 
in  their  love  for  their  native  State  by  these  memorials  of  the 
past  that  I  have  sought  to  perpetuate  for  their  benefit." 

In  November,  1844,  Col.  Creecy  was  married  to  Miss 
Mary  B.  Perkins,  whose  ancestors  figured  conspicuously  in 
the  Revolutionary  War  in  defense  of  their  country.  Numer- 
ous descendants  live  to  do  him  honor. 

Capt.  Ashe,  in  his  biographical  sketch,  says :  "Being  asked 
for  some  suggestion  that  might  be  helpful  to  young  people 
Col.  Creecy  suggests  'honesty,  integrity,  friendliness,  timeli- 
ness, godliness,  benevolence,  cheerfulness,  firmness  in  the 
right,  modest  assurance,  and  a  careful  study  of  great  speeches 
by  great  men.'  " 

In  conclusion  we  quote  the  following  from  a  recent  issue  of 
Leslie's  Weekly : 

"One  of  the  most  interesting  characters  in  the  country, 
especially  in  the  view  of  newspaper  men,  is  Colonel  R.  B. 
Creecy,  editor  of  the  Economist,  published  at  Elizabeth  City, 
N.  C,  who  bears  the  distinction  of  being  the  oldest  editor  in 
active  work  in  the  United  States.  Colonel  Creecy  is  in  his 
ninety-second  year  and  still  wields  the  editorial  pen.  He 
claims  four  longevities,  being  also  the  oldest  living  graduate 
of  the  University  of  North  Carolina,  and  according  to  a  lead- 
ing Boston  publication,  an  authority  on  the  subject,  the 
oldest  long-seine  fisherman  in  the  world,  having  in  early  life 
established  the  Greenfield  fishery  on  Albemarle  Sound,  which 
is  still  in  existence.  He  studied  and  mastered  stenography  at 
the  age  of  seventeen,  and  thus  holds  that  there  can  be  no 
older  stenographer  living  than  he." 


254  THE   NORTH   CAROLINA   BOOKLET. 

WILLIAM  JOSEPH  PEELE. 

William  J.  Peele,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born  in 
Northampton  County,  North  Carolina.  Was  graduated  from 
the  University  of  North  Carolina  in  1879.  Settled  in  Ra- 
leigh. In  1880  he  studied  law  under  Hon.  George  V.  Strong, 
in  which  year  he  was  granted  license  to  practice. 

In  entering  on  his  career  as  a  citizen  of  his  native  State 
he  made  its  advancement  a  matter  of  study.  The  needs  of 
an  Agricultural  and  Mechanical  College  for  the  State  was 
among  the  first  things  that  claimed  his  attention,  and  was 
pressed  by  Mr.  Peele  and  others  to  a  successful  realization, 
and,  to-day,  with  its  fine  equipment  and  its  long  roll  of  stu- 
dents, attests  its  growing  influence  and  stands  as  a  monument 
to  the  promoters  of  the  scheme.  When  the  corner-stone  of 
this  great  State  institution  was  laid,  on  August  the  22d,  1888, 
Mr.  Peele  delivered  the  historical  address,  which  was  a  mas- 
terly effort,  breathing  such  love  of  State  as  to  inspire  his 
hearers  to  greater  individual  effort  to  advance  its  interests. 
When  the  college  was  re-organized  and  Dr.  George  T.  Wins- 
ton was  elected  President,  Mr.  Peele  was  a  member  of  the 
board  of  trustees,  and  took  a  most  active  interest  in  the  plans 
for  its  enlargement. 

Mr.  Peele,  with  his  keen  sense  of  observation,  foreseeing 
the  possibilities  that  lay  in  waiting  for  active  workers,  was 
instrumental  in  the  establishment  of  the  State  Literary  and 
Historical  Association,  and  was  for  several  years  chairman 
of  its  executive  committee.     Its  chief  purposes  were: 

First.  To  promote  the  reading  habit  among  the  people  of 
North  Carolina. 

Second.  To  stimulate  the  production  of  literature  in  our 
State. 

Third.  To  collect  and  prpserve  historical  material. 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES.  255 

In  carrying  out  these  purposes  the  Association  had  in  mind 
"the  improvement  of  the  public  schools,  in  the  establishment 
of  public  libraries,  in  the  formation  of  literary  clubs,  in  the 
collection  and  re-publication  of  North  Carolina  literature 
worthy  to  be  preserved  and  now  rapidly  passing  away,  in 
the  publication  of  an  annual  record  or  biography  of  North 
Carolina  literary  productions,  in  the  collection  of  historical 
material  and  the  foundation  of  an  historical  museum,  and  in 
the  correction  of  slanders,  misrepresentations  and  other  in- 
justice done  the  State." 

Mr.  Peele  was  one  of  the  prime  factors  in  this  movement, 
the  results  of  which  are  apparent,  one  of  the  most  important 
being  the  establishment  of  libraries  in  the  public  schools. 

Mr.  Peele  has  written  much  on  the  settlement  of  Roanoke 
Island,  emphasizing  the  fact  that  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  is  the 
central  figure  in  the  English  colonization  of  America;  that 
on  North  Carolina  shores  was  the  first  landing  and  settle- 
ment of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh's  colonies  on  Roanoke  Island, 
the  birthplace  of  Virginia  Dare,  the  first  Anglo-American 
and  the  cradle  of  American  civilization.  Through  this  ap- 
parent failure  of  Raleigh  to  colonize  America,  by  his  repeated 
efforts  he  became  the  inspiration  of  the  Jamestown  expedi- 
tion, and  now,  while  the  great  exposition  at  Jamestown  is 
attracting  the  attention  of  the  world,  North  Carolina  is  com- 
ing forward  to  do  her  part  to  make  the  celebration  worthy  of 
the  man  and  of  the  events  he  inspired. 

Mr.  Peele  compiled  a  chronological  compendium  of  the 
principal  events  in  the  life  of  Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  from  1552 
to  1618,  which  shows  beyond  controversy  that  Sir  Walter 
Raleigh  was  the  statesman  who  wrested  our  continent  from 
Spain,  the  pioneer  who  first  planted  the  seeds  of  law  and 
liberty  and  Anglo-Saxon  civilization  in  America. 

In  the  year  1898  Mr.  Peele  published  in  permanent  form  a 


256  THE   NORTH    CAROLINA   BOOKLET. 

work  entitled  "Lives  of  Distinguished  North  Carolinians," 
a  handsome  volume  of  605  pages,  printed  in  excellent  taste — 
an  ornament  to  the  men  whose  virtues  it  illustrates.  This 
introduction  is  intended  to  embrace  that  period  in  which 
were  cast  the  lives  and  labors  of  the  subjects  of  the  book,  and 
showing  how  history  is  being  miswritten  to  the  prejudice  of 
the  South,  and  has  been  for  a  century.  This  book  is  the 
product  of  twenty-four  minds,  and  among  them  the  brightest 
the  State  has  afforded.  The  lives  and  the  best  labors  of 
these  men  are  brought  together  and  edited  by  Mr.  Peele — 
had  he  done  no  other  literary  work  than  this,  sufficient  to  say, 
he  is  entitled  to  the  plaudits  of  the  whole  citizenship  of 
the  State. 

Mr.  Peele  is  now  chairman  of  the  Historical  Commission, 
which  was  established  by  the  Legislature  in  1903.  This 
Commission  consists  of  five  members,  who  are  appointed  by 
the  Governor  of  the  State.  It  is  hoped  that  he  may  assist 
in  adding  other  publications  to  the  permanent  history  and 
literature  of  the  State. 

The  Booklet  is  indebted  to  Mr.  Peele  for  an  article  pub- 
lished two  years  ago,  entitled  "The  First  English  Settlement 
in  America,"a  study  in  location,  he  showed  that  Amedas 
and  Barlow  came  through  an  inlet  north  of  Roanoke  Island, 
and  fixed  their  landing  place  at  the  north  end  of  the  island, 
thus  preserving  the  historical  value  of  John  White's  pictures 
and  laying  the  foundation  for  a  great  painting,  which  will 
ultimately  be  made  by  an  artist  worthy  of  the  undertaking. 


-U* 


/ 


■ 


/ 1 . 


GENERAL  SOCIETY  DAUGHTERS  OF  THE 
REVOLUTION. 


THE    SOCIETY    AND    ITS    OBJECTS. 

The  Society  Daughters  of  the  Revolution  was  organized 
August  20,  1891,  and  was  incorporated  the  following  Sep- 
tember as  a  society  national  in  its  character  and  purposes. 
The  terms  of  membership  of  this  Society  are  based  upon 
direct  descent  from  Revolutionary  ancestors. 

The  objects  of  the  Society  as  stated  in  the  Constitution 
are: — "to  perpetuate  the  patriotic  spirit  of  the  men  and 
women  who  achieved  American  Independence ;  to  commemor- 
ate prominent  events  connected  with  the  War  of  the  Revolu- 
tion; to  collect,  publish  and  preserve  the  rolls,  records  and 
historic  documents  relating  to  that  period;  to  encourage  the 
study  of  the  country's  history,  and  to  promote  sentiments  of 
friendship  and  common  interest  among  the  members  of  the 
Society." 

ELIGIBILITY    TO    MEMBERSHIP. 

Any  woman  shall  be  eligible  to'  membership  in  the  Daugh- 
ters of  the  Revolution  who  is  above  the  age  of  18  years,  of 
good  character,  and  a  lineal  descendant  of  an  ancestor  who — 

(1)  was  signer  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  a  mem- 

ber of  the  Continental  Congress,  or  a  member  of  the 
Congress,  Legislature,  or  General  Court  of  any  of 
the  Colonies  or  States ;  or — 

(2)  rendered  civil,  military  or  naval  service  under  the 

authority  of  any  of  the  thirteen  Colonies,  or  of  the 
Continental  Congress;  or — 

(3)  by  service  rendered  during  the  War  of  the  Revolution 

became  liable  to  the  penalty  of  treason  against  the 

government  of  Great  Britain: — 
provided  that  such  ancestor  always  remained  loyal  to  the 
cause  of  American  Independence. 


258  THE   NORTH    CAROLINA   BOOKLET. 

APPLICATION  FOR  MEMBERSHIP. 

Every  application  for  membership  in  this  Society  must 
be  made  in  duplicate  upon  a  form  furnished  by  the  Board 
of  Managers,  must  be  signed  by  the  applicant  and  acknowl- 
edged before  a  notary.  The  endorsement  of  two  members 
of  the  Society,  or  of  two  persons  of  acknowledged  standing 
in  the  community  in  which  the  applicant  resides,  is  also  re- 
quired. Such  applications  should  be  presented  to  the  Secre- 
tary of  the  Society  of  the  State  in  which  the  applicant  re- 
sides ;  where  no  State  Society  exists,  applications  may  be 
addressed  to  the  Recording  Secretary-General.  The  names 
and  addresses  of  State  secretaries  will  be  furnished  upon  ap- 
plication to  the  Corresponding  Secretary-General. 

In  filling  out  application  blanks  candidates  are  kindly  re- 
quested to  observe  the  following  directions: 

1.  See  that  the  line  of  descent  is  clearly  stated,  give  the 
maiden  names  of  all  female  ancestors,  and  also  furnish  dates 
of  birth  and  death  where  possible.  It  is  not  necessary  to 
show  the  pedigree  any  farther  back  than  the  ancestor  from 
whom  eligibility  is  derived. 

2.  If  the  applicant  is  married,  give  own  maiden  name  and 
also  full  name,  title  and  address  of  husband. 

3.  Write  all  proper  names  legibly ;  this  is  especially  neces- 
sary with  family  name  since  there  are  often  differences  in 
old-time  and  modern  spelling  of  such. 

4.  The  record  of  the  ancestors'  service  should  be  given 
fully  but  concisely.  Give  exact  title  of  all  books  of  refer- 
ence, naming  page  and  paragraph;  where  possible  send  a  cer- 
tified copy  of  State  or  pension  records.  This  will  be  returned 
after  the  application  has  been  accepted. 

The  Society  does  not  accept  Encyclopedias,  Genealogical 
Works,  or  Town  and  County  Histories,  except  such  as  con- 
tain Rosters,  as  authorities  for  proofs  of  service. 


DAUGHTERS    OF   THE  REVOLUTION.  259 

Reference  to  authorities  in  manuscript  must  be  accompa- 
nied by  certified  copies,  and  authentic  family  records  must 
be  submitted,  if  required. 

5.  Send  the  initiation  fee  of  $2.00  and  the  first  year's  dues 
with  the  application  paper.  Should  the  application  not  be 
accepted  both  will  be  returned. 

When  an  applicant  claims  descent  from  more  than  one 
Revolutionary  ancestor,  then  "Supplemental"  applications 
must  be  made  in  duplicate  for  each  ancestor ;  these  are  treated 
in  form  and  procedure  precisely  as  original  applications.  A 
fee  of  one  dollar  is  charged  for  each  supplemental  paper  filed. 

PROOFS  OF   SERVICE. 

In  seeking  proofs  of  service,  the  applicant  must  first  know 
from  which  of  the  Thirteen  Original  States  the  ancestor 
served ;  and,  if  possible,  the  town  and  county.     When  writing 

officials  simply  ask  for  "the  military  service  of 

of .  .,  said  to  have  been  a  soldier  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary War,"  and  they  will  inform  you  precisely  what  rank, 
length  of  service,  etc.,  the  records  show.  If  the  applicant 
has  reason  to  believe  an  ancestor  drew  a  pension  under  the 
acts  of  Congress  of  1818  or  1832  the  record  of  military  ser- 
vice may  be  obtained  by  writing  to  Commissioner  of  Pensions, 
Washington,  D.  C. 

Heitman's  Historical  Register  contains  the  names,  rank 
and  service  of  the  Officers  of  the  Continental  Army,  and  is 
accepted  as  an  official  record. 

Applicants  are  referred  to  the  following  officials  and  rec- 
ords for  certificates  of  military  service: 

Massachusetts. — The  State  has  published  nine  volumes 
of  the  names  of  Revolutionary  soldiers.  These  volumes  are 
in  the  Library  of  the  General  Society,  and  may  be  found  in 
all  large  reference  libraries  throughout  the  country.  For 
names  not  contained  in  these  volumes,  applications  may  be 


260  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  BOOKLET. 

made  to  the  Secretary  of  State,  Boston,  Mass.  A  fee  is 
charged  for  this  service. 

Vermont. — Gen.  T.  S.  Peck,  Adjutant-General,  Montpe- 
lier. 

New  Hampshire. — Secretary  of  State,  Concord. 

Rhode  Island. — Secretary  of  State,  Providence. 

North  Carolina. — Mrs.  Helen  deB.  Wills,  Raleigh. 

A  fee  of  one  to  three  dollars  is  charged  by  State  officials  for 
looking  up  records  and  furnishing  a  certificate  of  service. 

initiation  fees  and  dues. 

The  initiation  fee  is  two  dollars  and  the  annual  dues  for 
members  at  large  are  three  dollars,  payable  to  the  Treasurer- 
General  on  or  before  the  first  day  of  April  in  each  year. 
Applicants  who  enter  through  State  Societies  pay  their  an- 
nual dues  to  the  State  Society  in  which  their  names  are  en- 
rolled. The  fiscal  year  for  all  members  begins  on  the  first 
day  of  April  and  closes  on  the  thirty-first  day  of  March  in 
each  calendar  year. 

insignia,  etc. 

The  insignia  of  the  Society  is  a  badge  of  gold  and  blue 
enamel  suspended  from  a  gold  bar  by  a  ribbon  of  buff  edged 
with  blue.  This  may  be  obtained  on  receipt  of  check  or 
money  order  for  ten  dollars,  payable  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Kent, 
Treasurer-General.  Miniature  badge,  one  dollar;  stationery 
stamped  with  the  seal  of  the  Society,  sixty  and  seventy-five 
cents  per  box,  may  be  obtained  at  the  office  of  the  Society. 
Engrossed  certificate  of  membership,  three  dollars. 

The  office  of  the  General  Society  is  Room  901,  156  Fifth 
Avenue,  New  York,  and  is  open  daily  except  Sunday,  from 
10  to  4  o'clock. 

Communications  concerning  the  Society  and  inquiries  may 
be  addressed  to  Mrs.  John  A.  Heath,  Corresponding  Secre- 
tary-General. 


ABSTRACTS  OF  WILLS. 


Prom  Secretary  of  State's  Office,  North  Carolina.    (Historical  and  Geneological 

Register.) 

Samuel  Scolley,  Bertie  county,  Feb.  18th,  1752,  Mrs. 
Mary  Fullington,  alias  Davis,  spouse  of  Robert  Davis,  de- 
ceased ;  brother,  Jerman,  Robert  Scolley  of  Lerwick,  friend 
Dr.  William  Cathcart;  Robert  Todd,  of  Norfolk,  Va.,  be- 
loved sons-in-law  Cullen  and  Thomas  Pollock.  I  give  unto 
Tully  Williams  his  father's  sword. 

Elizabeth  Scolley,*  Bertie;  Dec  1st,  1766,  sons,  Thomas 
and  Cullen  Pollock ;  children  of  Richard  Sanderson,  children 
of  Tully  Williams,  Frances  Lenox,  wife  of  Dr.  Robert  Lenox, 
John  Scolley,  of  Boston,  Peggy  and  Fanny  Cathcart;  Sarah 
Black,  daughter  of  Joseph,  Thomas  Black,  son  of  Joseph, 
Sophia  Rasor,  daughter  of  Edward ;  former  husband  Thomas 
Pollock;  Thomas  Pollock,  Dr.  Robert  Lexon,  Richard  San- 
derson and  Joseph  Blount,Executors.  Test  Henry  Hardi- 
son,  Fred'k  Hardison, 

Thomas  Sprott;  Anson,  January  5th,  1757 — Son  John 
Clark,  daughters  Mary  Barnett;  Ann  Barnett,  Susannah 
Polk  and  Martha  Sprott;  son  Thomas,  wife,  Andrew  Sprott 
and  Thomas  Polk,  executors.  Test  William  Barnett,  James 
Sprott,  James  Campbell. 

Isaac  Hunter,  of  Chowan,  April  17th,  1752.  April  Court, 
1753 ;  sons  Elisha,  Jesse,  Isaac  and  Daniel,  daughter  Alice 
Perry  daughter  Elizabeth  Perry,  daughter  Hannah  Riddick, 
daughter  Rachel  Walton,  daughter  Sarah  Hunter;  grand- 
children, son  and  daughter  of  my  daughter  Jane,  namely, 
Jesse  Phillips,  and  Mary  Perry  and  Sarah  Fields.  Zilpha 
Parker,  daughter  of  Jonathan  Parker. 

Mrs.  H.  DeB.  Wills, 

Genealogist. 

*  First  husband  was  John  Crisp;  second,  Thomas  Pollock;  third,  Samuel  Scolley, 
formerly  of  Boston.  Tully  Williams'  wife  was  sister  of  Mrs.  Scolley.  Frances  Lennox 
was  daughter  of  Cullen  Pollock.  Peggy  and  Frances  Cathcart  were  daughters  of  D* 
William  Cathcart,  and  second  wife  Prudence  West. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


VOLUME  VI. 

PAGE. 

The  Indian  Tribes  of  Eastern  Carolina 3-26 

By  Richard  Dillard,  M.  D. 

Glimpses  of  History  in  the  Names  of  Our  Counties 26-48 

By  Kemp  P.  Battle,  LL.  D. 

A  Colonial  Admiral  of  the  Cape  Fear 49-75 

By  James  Sprunt,  British  Vice-Consul  at  Wilmington,  N.  C. 

Biographical  Sketches  :  Major  Graham  Daves,  A.  B 76-79 

By  Mrs.  E.  E.  Moffltt. 
Illustrations :  r  ■ 

Indian  Gallows,  Bertie  County. 
Virginia  Dare. 
The  Dance  of  the  Carolina  Indians  as  represented  by  John 

White  in  1585. 
Admiral  Sir  Thomas  Frankland. 

The  Borough  Towns  of  North  Carolina 83-102 

By  Mr.  Francis  Nash. 

Governor  Thomas  Burke 103-122 

By  J.  G.  de  Roulhac  Hamilton,  Ph.D. 

Colonial  and  Revolutionary  Relics  in  the  Hall  of  History 123-145 

The  N.  C.  Society  D.  R.  and  its  Objects 146-150 

Biographical  and  Genealogical  Sketches  :  Dr.  Dillard,  Mr.  Francis 

Nash,  Dr.  Hamilton,  Colonel  Olds 151-156 

By  Mrs.  E.  E.  Moffitt. 
Illustrations : 

Ruins  of  St  Philip's  Cburch,  Brunswick,  N.  C. 
Richard  Dillard,  M.  D. 

A  State  Library  Building   and    Department  of   Archives    and 

Records 159-176 

By  Mr.  R.  D.  W.  Connor. 
The  Battle  of  Rockfish  Creek 177-184 

By  Mr.  J.  0.  Carr. 
Governor  Jesse  Franklin 186-203 

By  Prof.  J.  T.  Alderman. 


264  TABLE    OP    CONTENTS. 

PAGE. 

North  Carolina  Historical  Exhibit  at  Jamestown  Exposition  204-205 

By  Mrs.  Lindsay  Patterson. 

Biographical  Sketches  :  Mr.  R.  D.  W.  Connor,  Mr.  James  O.  Carr, 

Prof.  J.  T.  Alderman,  Mrs.  Sara  Beaumont  Kennedy 206-213 

By  Mrs.  E.  E.  Moffitt. 
Illustrations  : 

La  Fayette  Examining  Canova's  Statue  of   Washington  in 

the  Rotunda  of  the  State  House,  1825. 
The  Ruins  of  Canova's  Statue  of  Washington,  now  in  Hall 

of  History  at  Raleigh. 
Home  of  Alexander  Lillington. 
Rockfish  Creek  Bridge. 
Autograph  of  General  Lillington. 
Map  of  Battle  of  Rockfish. 
Autograph  of  Colonel  James  Kenan. 

North  Carolina's  Attitude  to  the  Revolution 217-226 

By  Mr.  Robert  C.  Strong. 
John  Lawson 227-237 

By  Mr.  Marshall  DeLancey  Haywood. 
Some  Overlooked  North  Carolina  History 238-242 

By  Prof.  J.  T.  Alderman. 
The  White  Pictures 243-250 

By  Mr.  W.  J.  Peele. 

Biographical  Sketches  :  Colonel  R.  B.  Creecy,  Mr.  W.  J.  Peele... 

General  Society  Daughters  of  the  Revolution 257-260 

By  Mrs.  E.  E.  Moffitt. 

Abstracts  of  Wills 261 

By  Mrs.  Helen  DeB.  Wells. 


The  North  Carolina  Booklet 


A  QUARTERLY  PUBLICATION  ISSUED  UNDER 
THE  AUSPICES  OF  THE 

"NORTH  CAROLINA  SOCIETY  DAUGHTERS  OF  THE  REVOLUTION" 


*-c  y 

THIS  PUBLICATION  treats  of  important 
events  in  North  Carolina  History,  such 
as  may  throw  light  upon  the  political,  social 
or  religious  life  of  the  people  of  this  State 
during  the  Colonial  and  Revolutionary 
periods,  in  the  form  of  monographs  written 
and  contributed  by  as  reliable  and  pains- 
taking historians  as  our  State  can  produce. 
The   Sixth    Volume   began   in    July,    1906. 


TERMS   OF  SUBSCRIPTION: 
One  Year,  One  Dollar;    Single  Copies,  Thirty-five  Cents. 


Miss  Mary  Hilliard  Hinton,  Mrs.  E.  E.  Moffitt,  Editors, 
Raleigh,  North  (  arolina. 

Registered  at  Raleigh  Post-office  as  second  class  matter. 

Notice  should  be  given  if  the  subscription  is  to  be  discon- 
tinued. Otherwise  it  is  assumed  that  a  continuance  of  the  sub- 
scription is  desired. 

All  communications  relating  to  subscriptions  should  be 
sent  to 

Miss  Mary  Hilliard  Hinton, 

Midway  Plantation,  Raleigh.  N.  C. 


Some  Booklets  for  Sale 


Vol.  I 

"Colonial  New  Bern,"  Sarah  Beaument  Kennedy. 
"  Greene's  Retreat,"  Prof.  Daniel  Harvey  Hill. 

Vol.  II 

"  Our  Own  Pirates,"  Capt.  S.  A.  Ashe. 

"  Indian  Massacre  and  Tuscarora  War,"  Judge  Walter  Clark. 

"  Moravian  Settlement  in  North  Carolina,"  Rev.  J.  E.  Clewell. 

"  Whigs  and  Tories,"  Prof.  W.  C.  Allen. 

'*  The  Revolutionary  Congresses,"  Mr.  T.  M.  Pittman. 

"  Raleigh  and  the  Old  Town  of  Bloomsbury." 

"  Historic  Homes — Bath.  Buncomb    Hall.   Hays,"  Rodman,    Blount 
Dillard. 

"County  of  Clarendon,"  Prof.  John  S.  Bassett. 

"  Signal  and  Secret  Service,"  Dr.  Charles  E.  Taylor. 

"  Last  Days  of  the  War."  Dr.  Henry  T.  Bahnson. 

Vol.  Ill 

"Trial  of  James  Glasgow."  Kemp  P.  Battle,  LL.  D. 

"  Volunteer  State  Tennessee  as  a  Seceder,"  Miss  Susie  Gentry. 

"  Historic  Hillsboro."  Mr.  Francis  Nash. 

"  Life  in  Colonial  North  Carolina,"  Charles  Lee  Raper,  Ph.  D. 

"Was  Alamance  First  Battle  of  the  Revolution  V  "  Mrs.  L.  A.  McCorkle. 

"  Governor  Charles  Eden,"  Marshall  DeLancey  Haywood. 

"  Colony  of  Transylvania."  Judge  Walter  Clark. 

"Social  Conditions  in  Colonial  North  Carolina,"  Col.  Alexander  Q. 
Holladay,  LL  D. 

"  Battle  of  Moore's  Creek  Bridge,  1776,"  Prof.  M.  C.  S.  Noble. 

"  North  Carolina  and  Georgia  Boundary,"  Daniel  Goodloe. 

Vol.  IV 

"  Battle  Ramseur's  Mill,  1780,"  Major  Wm.  A.  Graham. 

"  Quaker  Meadows,"  Judge  A.  C    Avery. 

"Convention  of  1788,"  Judge  Henry  Groves  Connor. 

"  North  Carolina  Signers  of  Declaration  of  Independence,  John  Penn 

and  Joseph  Hewes,"  by  T.  M.  Pittman,  and  E.  Walter  Sikes. 
"  Expedition  to  Cartagena,  1740."  Judge  Walter  Clark. 
•'  First  English  Settlement  in  America,"  W.  J.  Peele. 
"Rutherford's  Expedition  Against  the  Indians,"  Capt.  S.  A.  Ashe. 
"  Changes  in  Carolina  Coast  Since  1585,"  Prof.  Collier  Cobb. 


"Highland  Scotch  Settlement  in  N.  C.,''  Judge  James  C.  McRae. 

''The  Scotch-Irish  Settlement,"  Rev.  A.  J.  McKelway. 

"  Battle  of  Guilford  Court-House  and  German  Palatines  in  North  Caro- 
lina," Major  J.  M.  Morehead,  Judge  0.  H.  Allen. 

Vol.  V— (Quarterly). 

No.1. 

"  Genesis  of  Wake  County,"  Mr.  Marshall  DeLancey  Haywood. 

"St.  Paul's  Church,  Edenton,  N.  C,  and  its  Associations,"  Richard 
Dillard,  M.  D. 

'•  N.  C  Signers  of  the  National  Declaration  of  Independence,  Part  II, 
William  Hooper,"  Mrs.  Spier  Whitaker. 

No.  2. 

"  History  of  the  Capitol,"  Colonel  Charles  Earl  Johnson. 

"  Some  Notes  on  Colonial  North  Carolina,  1700-1750,"  Colonel  J.  Bryan 

Grimes. 
"  North  Carolina's  Poets,"  Rev.  Hight  C.  Moore. 

No.  3. 

"  Cornelius  Harnett."  Mr.  R.  D.  W.  Connor,  "Edward  Moseley,"  Prof. 
D.  H.  Hill. 

"  Celehration  of  the  Anniversary  of  May  20,  1775,"  Major  W.  A. 
Graham. 

"  Edward  Moseley,"  by  Prof.  D.  H.  Hill. 

No.  4. 

''  Governor  Thomas  Pollok."  Mrs.  John  W.  Hinsdale. 

"  Battle  of  Cowan's  Ford,"  Major  W.  A.  Graham. 

"First  Settlers  in  North  Carolina  not  Religious  Refugees,"  Rt.  Rev 
Joseph  Blount  Cheshire,  D.  D. 

Vol.  VI-(Quarterly.) 

I    "The Indian  Trii  es  of  Eastern  North  Carolina,"  Richard  Dillard,  M.D. 
"  History  Involved  in  the  Names  of  Counties  and  Towns  in  North  Car- 
olina," Kemp  P.  Battle.  LL    D 

"A  Colonial  Admiral  of  the  Cape  Fear  "  (Admiral  Sir  Thomas  Frank- 
J  land),  Hon.  James  Sprunt. 

October,  No.  2. 

"  The  Borough  Towns  of  North  <  'arolina."  Francis  Nash.  ( 

•'  Governor  Thomas  Burke,"  J.  G.  de  ftoulhac  Hamilton,  Ph.D.  ) 
"  Colonial  and  Revolutionary  Relics  in  the  Hall  of  History,"  Col.  Fred. 

A   Olds.  ) 

"  The  North  'arolina  Society  Daughters  of  the  Revolution  and  its  Ob- 
jects." / 

"  Biographical  Sketches  of  Dr.  Richard  Dillard,  Francis  Nash,  J.  G. 
de  R.  Hamilton  and  Col.  Fred.  A.  Olds,"  Mrs.  E.E   Moffitt . 


January,  No.  3. 

"State  Library  Building  and  Department  of  Archives  and  Records," 
R.  D.  W.  Connor. 

"  The  Battle  of  Rockfish  Creek,  1781,"  James  Owen  Carr. 

"  Governor  Jesse  Franklin,"  J.  T.  Alderman. 

"  North  Carolina's   Historical  Exhibit  at  Jamestown,"  Mrs    Lindsay 
Patterson,  Miss  Mary  Hilliard  Hinton. 

"Biographical  Sketches  of  Mrs.  S.  B.  Kenneday,  R.  D.  W.  Connor, 
James  Owen  Carr,  and  Prof.  J.  T.  Alderman,"  Mrs.  E.  E.  Moffitt. 

April,  No.  4. 

'•Lock's  Fundamental  Constitution,"  Junius  Davis. 

"  The  White  Pictures,"  W.  J.  Peele. 

"  North  Carolina's  Attitude  towards  the  Revolution,"  Robert  Strong. 

"  Biographical  Sketches,"  Mrs  E.  E.  Moffitt. 

"  Genealogical  Sketches,"  Mrs.  Helen  de  B.  Wells. 


Index  to  Vol.  VI  will  be  mailed  with  No   1  of  Vol.  VII 


Vols.   I,   II,   III,  IV,  25  Cents   Each.     Vols.  V   and  VI, 
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Raleigh,  N.  C. 

Raleigh,  N.  C. 

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That  Should  be  on  the  Shelves  of  the 
Libraries  of  Every  North  Carolina  Home 


Lutie  Andrews    McCorkle's  Old-Time  Stories  of  the  Old  North 
State. 

Warren's  Stories  from  English  History. 

Pratt's  America's  Story  for  America's  Children.     Five  Vols. 

Katherine  B.  Massey's  Story  of  Georgia. 

Stone  &  Fickitt's  Every  Day  Life  in  the  Colonies. 

Bass'  Stories  of  Pioneer  Life. 

Horton's  The  Frozen  North. 

Kuffer's  Stories  of  Long  Ago. 

Hyde's  Favorite  Greek  Myths. 

Firth's  Stories  of  Old  Greece. 

Brown's  Alice  and  Tom. 

Stone  &  Fickett's  Days  and  Deeds  of  a  Hundred  Years  Ago. 

Starr's  Strange  Peoples. 

Starr's  American  Indians. 

Fairbank's  The  Western  U.  S. 

Heath's  Home  and  School  Classics  (39  Vols,  of  the  finest  litera- 
ture for  young  people  in  the  world ) . 

Eckstorms'  Bird  Book   (a  natural  history  of  birds). 


These  or  any  other  publications  from  our  large  and  valuable  list 
may  be  secured  from  your  local  book  seller  or  from 

D.  C.  HEATH  &  COMPANY 

225  Fourth  Avenue 
NEW  YORK 


SAM'L  A.  ASHE,  Editor-in-Chief     CHAS.  L.  VAN  NOPPEN,  Publisher 

GREENSBORO,  N.  C 

The  publisher  desires  to  say  without  fear  of  contradic- 
tion that  there  has  never  been  anywhere  in  the  United 
States  any  other  State  Biographical  venture  equalling 
the  Biographical  History  of  North  Carolina  in  scope, 
selectness  of  subjects,  excellence  of  literary  and  his- 
torical matter  and  general  mechanical  and  artistic 
book-making. 

The  Biographical  History  will  cover  the  entire  history  of  the 
State  and  will  contain  sketches  signed  by  authoritative  writers  of 

All  the  Governors. 

All  the  Chief-Justices. 

All  the  United  States  Senators. 

All  the  Federal  Judges. 

All    those    who    have    held     Cabinet    and    Diplomatic 
positions. 

Nearly  all  those  distinguished  in  the  Confederate  service. 

Nearly  all  the  Supreme  Court  Justices. 

Many  of  the  Superior  Court  Judges. 

Distinguished  Generals,  Military  Men  and  Naval  officers. 

All  the  more  prominent  Editors,  Educators,  Ministers, 
Authors,  Doctors,  Lawyers,  Agriculturists  and  Politicians. 
All   the   more    prominent    Industrial    and    Commercial 

workers . 
The  most  distinguished  women. 
In  a  word,  as  complete  a  publication  as  possible  of  all 

those  who  have  adorned  the  annals  of  North  Carolina. 

Write  for  Booklet  of  Reviews  and  Testimonials. 


CHAS.  L.  VAN  NOPPEN,  Publisher 


GREENSBORO, 


f 

North  Carolina 


TRENT'S  SOUTHERN  WRITERS  ^ 

Extensively  used  in  Women' s  Clubs. 

Should  be  on  the  shelves  of  every 
public  and  private  library. 

THE     MCMILLAN     COMPANY 

4th  National  Bank  Building-,   ATLANTA,  GA. 

Send  for  descriptive  circular  or  call  and  examine  the  books  at  our  Summer  School 
text-book  exhibit  in  Raleigh. 


Miss  Dixie  Washington  Leach 

MINIATURES  ON   IVORY  OR  PORCELAIN 

Access  to  State  Library  where  copies  can  be  made  on  Minia- 
ture from  old  portraits. 

STUDIO  405  TRUST  BUILDING 
RALEIGH,  North  Carolina 

Pianos,    Organs 

AND  EVERYTHING  MUSICAL 
AT     REASONABLE     PRICES 

"       SEE  =^^=^=^= 

DARNELL  &  THOMAS 

RALEIGH,   N.   C. 

B,  F.Johnson  Publishing  Comp'y 

EDUCATIONAL 
PUBLICATIONS 

ATLANTA  RICHMOND  DALLAS 

Modern  Books  for  Modern  School* 


^^^■T^ 


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BH