Historical sketches of North Carolina : from 1584 to 1851, Vol. I, Part 14

Author: Wheeler, John H. (John Hill), 1806-1882
Publication date: 1851
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : Lippincott, Grambo and Co.
Number of Pages: 662


USA > North Carolina > Historical sketches of North Carolina : from 1584 to 1851, Vol. I > Part 14


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STATE HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE was incorporated in 1849, and John M. Morehead, Calvin Graves, George W. Mordecai, Charles L. Hinton, and Josiah O. Watson, appointed commissioners to pur- chase and select a site for the same. The commissioners have selected "Dix's Hill," near Raleigh, and a tax of one and three- fourths of a cent is levied on every hundred dollars worth of land, and five and one-quarter of a cent on every poll, to sustain said Institute.


CHAPTER X.


Resources of the State, her liabilities, and her expenses.


THE PUBLIC TREASURY of North Carolina is divided into-


I. Public Fund.


II. Literary Fund.


The public fund is supplied-


I. From taxes collected by the sheriffs annually from the people, and paid into the treasury, which is levied on land and town property, poll (white and black), money at interest, dividends and profits, stores, carriages, watches, and other property, bank tax, attorneys, licenses, dividends of Buncombe Turnpike Company, and some other sources, which amounted last year to $179,768.


The literary fund is supplied-


II. By the sales of vacant and swamp lands in the State, taxes on taverns, dividends on stock held by the State in the Bank of the State and Bank of Cape Fear, dividends on the stock held by the


138


HISTORY OF NORTH CAROLINA.


State in the Roanoake Navigation Company, and in the Cape Fear Navigation Company, tax on auctioneers, interest on bonds held by the board ; which amounted last year to $112,316.


THE ANNUAL EXPENSES OF THE STATE.


From the public fund for judiciary about .


·


$30,000 00


Legislature 45,000 00


Executive


10,000 00


Principal and interest on bonds of Raleigh and Gaston Railroad endorsed by the State 70,000 00 And other demands which amounted last year (1850) to 228,173 00 The expenses paid from literary fund are, for common schools . 107,339 00


LIABILITIES OF THE STATE.


For Raleigh and Gaston Railroad


$500,000 00


For do do do 106,000 00


State Bonds ·


200,000 00


State Bonds for Fayetteville and Western Turn- pike Company 120,000 00


State Bonds for Neuse and Tar Rivers 65,000 00


State Bonds for Cape Fear and Deep Rivers 80,000 00


State Bonds for North Carolina Railroad


2,000,000 00


$3,071,000 00 Here end the Second Series of these Sketches, and the first volume.


END OF VOL. I.


p


counties spring.


the root fromwhence other


exist, but are laid down to show


Counties marked * do not now


MECKLEN. DEC. OP INDEP


ALAMANCE. 1771


BATTLE OF


PRINTING 1749


TO CROWN 1729


RETROCEDEDE


Nº & 6º 1697 3


DIVIDED INT


CHARLES 2º 1668


CHARTER OF


4"" JULY 1584


LANDING


CAROLINA


BATH


"WAKE


1754


-


LINCOLN


1779


CATAWBA


17294


GASTON, 1846


MPS


8081


838


1848


YADKIN 1850


BUNCOMBE 1191


MADISON


-NE


ANSON,


1749


1: 2


LADET


BURKE, 1777.


CALDWELL


DAVIE, 1836


1842


1789


ROBESON 1786


RICHMOND 1779


DAVIDSON 1822


STANLY 1841


P.s. Dsal lah. Phil.


by J.H.Wheeler. 1851.


Location, Origin, and Date of Erection of every County in North Carolina, for Sketches of Np/Ca


MAP


BBLE


ASHES


1792


WILKES, 1777-


1799


1789 ( STOKES .. SERRA


FORSYTHE


1842


HAYWOOD 1808


END


ALT CLEAVELAND 184LS


MOR SW


ON


INSWIC


RUTHERFORD, 1779


11


UNION


MECKLENBURG, 1762.


YANCX 1833


ROWAN, 1753


'HANOVER


MONTGOMERY, 1779.


IREDELL, 1788. ALEXANDER 1846->


** FRANKLIN 17


GREENE 1799


ROCKINGH


PASO


PERQUIMANS, 1725


WAYNE IM7


LENOIR 1791


EDG


OR


MBE-


GUILFORD 1770


CHATHAM 1770'


CHEROKEE


ALBEMARLE


41


GRANVILLE 1746


1729


JOHNSTON 1746.


ORANGE 1751 ;


1729


CRAVEN,


ALAMANCE, 1848:(


ES,1779


1270


R


BA.184


ET.


JOORE,


CUMBERLAND, 1


1842


* TRYON 1768


CLARENDON 1729


1729


DILL WASHINGTON 1759


ASH 17771)))


DOBBS 1758


09/1 ..


33


724


BEAUFORT


MACON 1828


MAY 1775.


CABARRUS


HALIT


HISTORICAL SKETCHES


OF


NORTH CAROLINA,


From 1584 to 1851.


COMPILED FROM ORIGINAL RECORDS, OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS, AND TRADITIONAL STATEMENTS.


WITH


BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF HER DISTINGUISHED STATESMEN, JURISTS, LAWYERS, SOLDIERS, DIVINES, ETC.


BY JOHN H. WHEELER, LATE TREASURER OF THE STATE.


"Truth is stranger than Fiction."


·


ILLUSTRATED WITH ENGRAVINGS.


VOL. II.


PHILADELPHIA: LIPPINCOTT, GRAMBO AND CO. SUCCESSORS TO GRIGG, ELLIOT AND CO. 1851.


EXPLANATION OF THE MAP.


ON the dissolution of the Proprietary Government in 1729, the Province of North Carolina was divided into three Counties :-


1. ALBEMARLE.


2. BATH.


3. CLARENDON.


From these three branches spring all the Counties of the State. See Sketches, vol. i. 42.


All of these (Albemarle, Bath and Clarendon) exist only by name, the territory having been divided, and are only used, as are also Bute, Dobbs, Tryon and Glasgow (marked thus *) to show the branches from whence other counties have sprung.


To find a County, its formation and derivation, is not difficult. Wake, for instance, is a centre County, formed in 1770 from Cumberland, Orange and Johnston. Revised Statutes, vol. ii. 165.


Lincoln County, formed in 1779 from Tryon (see Revised Statutes), which in that year was divided into Lincoln and Rutherford ; Tryon erected in 1768 from Mecklenburg; Mecklenburg in 1762 from Anson ; Anson in 1749 from Bladen; Bladen in 1734 from New Hanover; New Hanover in 1729 from Clarendon. All of which is plainly visible in the delineation.


Guilford County was formed in 1770, from Orange and Rowan ; but as Orange was from a different stock than Rowan, it could not be delineated on the plan of the tree. This must be borne in mind.


The engraver has omitted in some of the engravings to letter the branch CASWELL, springing from Orange and Person, which springs from Caswell, which the reader will supply.


3


HISTORY OF NORTH CAROLINA.


AROLINA


CONSTI


TUTION


The above is the Coat of Arms of North Carolina, as exhibited on the Great Seal of State.


In December, 1776, William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, and Thomas Burke, were appointed to prepare "a suitable device for the Great Seal of the State of North Carolina."


It is emblematic, and represents LIBERTY and PLENTY.


Liberty holds in her left hand the Constitution, and in her right a staff surmounted by the cap of Liberty, indicating that her liberties are safe and secured by the Constitution.


Plenty holds in her right hand an ear of grain, and at her left the cornu- copia is seen, from which pour forth the rich fruits of the earth; both indi- cating that North Carolina is a land of liberty guided by law, and abundant in products to sustain life.


COUNTIES OF NORTH CAROLINA.


In 1728, the precincts of North Carolina were Currituck, Pasquotank, Per- quimans, Chowan, Craven, Beaufort, Bertie, Hyde, and Carteret .* In 1729, Tyrrel and New Hanover. In 1731, Onslow and Bladen. In 1738, the precincts were denominated counties.t 1


PAGE


PAGE


CHAPTER I. Alamance - 10


CHAP. XLII. Jackson 218


II. Alexander


20


XLIII. Johnston


219


III. Anson


21


XLIV. Jones -


221


IV. Ashe


26


XLV. Lenoir -


223


V. Beaufort


28


XLVI. Lincoln -


225


VI. Bertie


30


XLVII. MacDowell


249


VII. Bladen


35


XLVIII. Macon


250


VIII. Brunswick


45


XLIX. Madison


251


IX. Buncombe X. Burke


51


L. Martin -


251


XI. Cabarrus


63


LII. Montgomery -


270


XII. Caldwell


69


LIII. Moore


272


XIII. Camden


70


LIV. Nash


274


XIV. Carteret


72


LV. New Hanover


276


XV. Caswell


77


LVI. Northampton


295


XVI. Catawba


82


LVII. Onslow


298


XVII. Chatham


83


LVIII. Orange


300


XVIII. Cherokee


87


LIX. Pasquotank


339


XIX. Chowan


88


LX. Perquimans


341


XX. Cleaveland


97


LXI. Person -


343


XXI. Columbus


108


LXII. Pitt


345


XXII. Craven


109


LXIII. Randolph!


348


XXIII. Cumberland


124


LXIV. Richmond


350


XXIV. Currituck


132


LXV. Robeson


352


XXV. Davidson


136


LXVI. Rockingham


354


XXVI. Davie


137


LXVII. Rowan


356


XXVII. Duplin


138


LXVIII. Rutherford


399


XXVIII. Edgecombe


141


LXIX. Sampson


401


XXIX. Forsythe


147


LXX. Stanly


403


XXX. Franklin


149


LXXI. Stokes -


403


XXXI. Gaston


151


LXXII. Surry


408


XXXII. Gates


159


LXXIII. Tyrrell


411


XXXIII. Granville


161


LXXIV. Union


414


XXXIV. Greene


167


LXXV. Wake


414


XXXV. Guilford


169


LXXVI. Warren


423


XXXVI. Halifax


184


LXXVII. Washington


442


XXXVII. Haywood


204


LXXVIII. Watauga


444


XXXVIII. Henderson


207


LXXIX. Wayne


454


XXXVIX. Hertford


207


LXXX. Wilkes -


461


XL. Hyde


212


LXXXI. Yadkin 467


XLI. Iredell


214


LXXXII. Yancey


-


467


,


55


LI. Mecklenburg


254


1


* Williamson, vol. ii. page 246.


+ Martin, ii. 27.


-


SERIES III.


THE State of North Carolina is situated between 33º 53', and 36° 33" north latitude, and 1º 28' east, and 6° 50' west longitude. It is so called in honor of CHARLES II., who granted the charter to the Duke of Albemarle and others.


It is bounded on the north by the State of Virginia, east by the Atlantic, south by South. Carolina, and west by Tennessee. Its mean length is about 362 miles. Its mean breadth is 121 miles. Its area is 43,800 square miles, or 28,032,000 acres.


It was the first State in which the English landed (1584), and the first State whose citizens threw off the English yoke (1775).


Its shape is irregular. Its northern line (36º33') is straight from east to west. Its eastern boundary irregular by the indent- ures and curvatures of the Atlantic. Its southern line still more irregular, as is also its western line, by the course of the Blue Ridge.


· The State is divided into eighty-two counties, the names of which are exhibited in the following table, with the sections of the State in which they are situated, the date of their formation, the capital or county town, distance from Raleigh (the seat of govern- ment), and the population of each in federal numbers, according to the last census.


The population of the State is 553,290 white ; 27,196 free colored ; 288,412 slaves ; 753,505 federal population ; 841 Indians.


Its products, according to the census of 1840, are


1,960,855 bushels of wheat. 3,574


barley.


506,766 dollars annual amount of lumber sold.


3,193,941 213,971 66


oats. 73,350 barrels of fish.


23,893,763 66


rye. 593,451 barrels of tar, pitch, turpen- tine, and rosin. corn.


2,609,239 66 potatoes. 625,044 pounds of wool. 995,300 dollars invested in cotton tobacco. factories. 2,802 distilleries, which produce 2,820,388 rice. 1,051,979 gallons.


16,772,359


51,926,190 66 cotton. 10,000 dollars worth of lead.


17,163 66 sugar.


5,082,835 dollars invested in merchan-


255,618 66 gold. dise.


968 tons of iron.


6


HISTORY OF NORTH CAROLINA.


TABLE I.


Chapter.


Counties.


Names of Capital Towns.


Date of Forma- tion.


Course and Distance from Raleigh.


1850. Federal Population.


1


Alamance


Graham


1848


North-west


54


10,165


2


Alexander


Taylorsville


1846


North-west


150


5,602


3


Anson


Wadesboro'


1749


South-west


143


10,756


4


Ashe


Jefferson


1799


Extreme N.W. 202


8,539


5


Beaufort


Washington


1738


East


127


11,716


6


Bertie


Windsor


1722


East


157


9,973


7


Bladen


Elizabethtown


1734


South-east


99


8,023


8


Brunswick


Smithville


1764


South-east


173


5,951


9


Buncombe


Asheville


1791


West


256


12,738


10


Burke


Morganton


1777


West


197


6,919


11


Cabarrus


Concord


1792


South-west


139


8,673


12


Caldwell


Lenoir


1841


North-west


200


5,835


13


Camden


Court House


1777


North-east


219


5,174


14


Carteret


Beaufort


1729


South-east


168


6,208


15


Caswell


Yanceyville


1777


North


66


12,161


16


Catawba


Newton


1842


West


175


8,234


17


Chatham


Pittsboro'


1770


West


34


16,055


18


Cherokee


Murphy


1839


Extreme S.W. 367


6,703


19


Chowan


Edenton


1729


East


182


5,251


20


Cleaveland


Shelby


1841


South-west


190


9,697


21


Columbus


Whitesville


1808


South-east


125


5,307


22


Craven


Newbern


1729


East


120


12,328


23


Cumberland .


Fayetteville


1754


South


60


17,723


25


Davidson


Lexington


1822


West


117


14,123


26


Davie


Mocksville


1836


West


120


6,997


27


Duplin


Kenansville


1749


East


89


11,111


28


Edgecombe


Tarboro'


1733


East


76


13,770


29


Forsythe


Winston


1848


North-west


110


10,626


30


Franklin


Louisburg


1779


East


36


9,510


31


Gaston ·


Dallas


1846


West


175


7,228


32


Gates


Gatesville


1779


East


167


6,877


33


Granville


Oxford


1746


North


45


17,303


34


Greene


Snowhill


1799


East


89


5,321


35


Guilford


Greensboro'


1770


West


82


18,479


36


Halifax


Halifax


1758


East


87


13,007


37


Haywood


Waynesville


1808


West


294


6,906


38


Henderson


Hendersonville


1838


West


250


6,483


39


Hertford


Winton


1759


East


155


6,655


40


Hyde


Swan Quarter


1729


East


203


6,585


41


Iredell \


Statesville


1788


West


145


13,062


42


Jackson


1850


West


43


Johnston .


Smithfield


1746


South-east


27


11,860


44


Jones 1


Trenton


1779


East


129


3,935


45


Lenoir


Kingston


1791


East


80


6,181


46


Lincoln


Lincolnton


1779


West


172


6,924


47


MacDowell


Marion


1842


West


200


5,741


48


Macon


Franklin


1828


West


331


6,169


49


Madison


Marshall


1850


Extreme west


50


Martin


Williamston


1774


East


140


6,960


51 .


Mecklenburg. Charlotte


1762


South-west


158


11,724


24


Currituck


Court House


1729


Extreme N.E. 242


6,257


.


.


Miles


7


HISTORY OF NORTH CAROLINA.


TABLE I .- Continued.


Chapter.


Counties.


Names of Capital Towns.


Date of Forma- tion.


Course and Distance from Raleigh.


1850. Federal Population.


52


Montgomery


Troy


1779


South-west


115


6,162


53


Moore \


Carthage


1784


South-west


79


8,551


54


Nash ›


Nashville


1777


East


44


9,034


55


New Hanover \Wilmington


1728


South


148


14,235


56


Northampton ;


Jackson


1741


East


108


10,730


57


Onslow


Court House


1734


South-east


145


7,039


58


Orange ¥


Hillsboro'


1751


North-west


40


14,957


59


Pasquotank


Elizabeth City


1729


East


215


7,708


60


Perquimans


Hertford


1729


East


194


6,030


61


Person


Roxborough


1791


North


54


8,823


62


Pitt


Greenville


5


1760


East


102


10,743


63


Randolph


Ashboro'


1779


West


72


15,176


64


Richmond


Rockingham


1779


South


135


7,936


65


Robeson


Lumberton


1786


South


91


11,080


66


Rockingham .


Wentworth


1785


North


116


12,363


67


Rowan


Salisbury


1753


West


118


12,328


68


Rutherford


Rutherfordton


1779


West


216


12,388


69


Sampson


Clinton


1784


South


94


12,311


70


Stanly .


Albemarle


1841


West


110


6,347


71


Stokes


Crawford


1789


North-west


110


8,492


72


Surry .


Rockford


1770


North-west


145


17,643


73


Tyrrell


Columbia


1728


East


200


4,448


74


Union


Munro


1842


South-west


160


9,258


75


Wake \


Raleigh


1770


CENTRE


21,123


76


Warren


Warrenton


1779


North-east


62


10,365


77


Washington


Plymouth


1799


East


162


4,780


78


Watauga


Boon


1849


North-west


3,348


79


Wayne


borough


1777


West


172


11,642


81


Yadkin .


Wilson


1850


West


82


Yancey


Burnville


1833


North-west


245


8,086


Waynes-


1779


East


51


11,478


80


Wilkes 1


Wilkesborough


Miles


10


8


HISTORY OF NORTH CAROLINA.


TABLE II.


Showing the amount paid by each county in North Carolina into the trea- sury as taxes (1850). The amount received by each county from the. treasury for the support of common schools (distribution of 1850). The number of white persons over twenty-one who cannot read or write, in each county, the deaf and dumb, insane and idiotic, and blind ; (from the last Census.)


Taxes paid.


Annual amt's received for Common . Schools.


Whites over 21 who can- not read or write.


Deaf and


Dumb.


Insane and Idiotic.


Blind.


Dollars Dollars Dollars cts.


1. Alamance


.531


447


1426 00


Dollars See Orange See Iredell


338


3


13


4


2. Alexander


142


128


414 00


3


3. Anson


638


662


2699 00


2024


394


3


11


7


4. Ashe


289


208


824 00


1136


587


4


8


3


5. Beaufort


416


201


2606 00


1630


1317


2


14


6


6. Bertie


748


758


2926 00


1481


1032


8


9


3


7. Bladen


354


467


1225 00


1041


593


5


15


2


8. Brunswick


246


367


990 00


692


397


3


5


1


9. Buncombe


488


369


1426 00


1500


1533


14


24


10


10. Burke


181


286


1145 00


966


1091


2


19


3


11. Cabarrus


458


416


1910 00


1310


751


7


19


5


12. Caldwell


265


185


786 00


782


1129


4


10


5


13. Camden


312


247


1219 00


782


773


6


5


·


14. Carteret


134


214


838 00


944


729


6


18


10


15. Caswell


637


811


2721 00


1855


980


4


13


9


16. Catawba


442


290


1178 00


1591


363


8


18


7


17. Chatham


663


772


2404 00


2205


695


10


20


8


18. Cherokee


16


111


310 00


531


447


5


7


2


19. Chowan


412


381


2260 00


817


446 ·


5


5


6


20. Cleaveland


282


322


1075 00


1035


1115


28


39


11


21. Columbus


165


212


624 00


549


658


3


11


6


22. Craven


315


672


4480 00


1743


1355


8


22


10


23. Cumberland


620


846


4480 00


2050


1614


9


25


14


24. Currituck


303


292


898 00


916


901


6


12


2


25. Davidson


629


522


1954 00


2122


1412


5


31


7


26. Davie


306


307


1109 00


1065


859


3


8


27. Duplin


488


598


2038 00


1455


1123


5


13


7


28. Edgecombe


1062


1006


4778 00


1988


1923


12


10


6


29. Forsythe


386


287


1995 00


944


7


21


4


30. Franklin


464


591


2912 00


894


5


7


6


31. Gaston


366


291


1151 00


1354 Included in Lincoln


.6


7


3


1


32. Gates


314


431


1460 00


1010


942


4


8


3


33. Granville


819


1112


4300 00


2394


1962


15


20


5


34. Greene


326


365


1328 00


845


305


2


10


2


35. Guilford


805


626


3237 00


2829


1637


22


47


6


36. Halifax


885


920


3664 00


2046


269


1


4


1


37. Haywood


167


133


568 00


760


1162


1


10


4


38. Henderson


340


195


891 00


854


1


1


2


2


39. Hertford


352


410


1990 62


964


532


6


10


3


40. Hyde


352


304


1256 00


872


670


6


7


12


41. Iredell


507


513


1970 :00


2217


447


4


31


42. Jackson


Forme


d last


session


43. Johnson


459


553


1840 00


1437


1420


6


14


7


44. Jones


286


312


1115 00


597


282


3


5


3


45. Lenoir


351


453


1717 00


958


600


6


2


46. Lincoln


345


286


1404 00


1591 Includes


166


6


1


47. MacDowell


285


189


861 00


Gaston 730


684


3


5


3


Counties.


Land.


Poll.


Total.


1


390


5


9


9


HISTORY OF NORTH CAROLINA.


TABLE II .- Continued.


Taxes paid.


Annual amt's received for Common Schools.


Whites over 21 who can- not read or write.


Deaf and


Dumb.


Insane and Idiotic.


Blind.


48. Macon


145


141


508 00


Dollars. 739


965


1 1


5


4


49. Madison


Forme


d last session


50. Martin


341


384


1941 00


1017


163


5


3


51. Mecklenburg


570


656


3394 00


2458


117


8


18


5


52. Montgomery


214


219


769 00


793


536


5


28


2


53. Moore


239


333


950 00


1156


977


8


18


7


54. Nash


344


509


1808 00


1182


1357


4


14


2


55. New Hanover


507


836


5285 00


1681


473


7


14


6


56. Northampton


745


727


2582 00


1666


1390


3


18


7


57. Onslow


301


349


1206 00


1005


989


1


14


3


58. Orange


647


650


2647 00


3367


1176


7


17


9


59. Pasquotank


508


392


2185 00


1057


210


1


1


1


60. Perquimans


486


387 ;


1640 00


965


660


9


2


61. Person


393


539


1787 00


1259


610


3


12


4


62. Pitt


608


734


2763 00


1491


1160


3


5


2


63. Randolph


647


409


1866 00


2019


1929


5


26


7


64. Richmond


405


500


1675 00


1140


645


4


20


6


65. Robeson


394


505


1466 00


1440


639 .


3


15


3


66. Rockingham


539


640


2513 00


1815


1025


18


16


3


67. Rowan


513


546


2288 00


1681


1229


5


18


2


68. Rutherford


570


441


1841 00


1984


1324


9


25


6


69. Sampson


506


648.


1922 00


1623


1486


2


16


7


70. Stanly


187


. 227


700 00


736


964


5


11


71. Stokes


251


262


1040 00


2372


1674


10


7


9


72. Surry


557


393


1559 00


2244


3152


8


20


14


73. Tyrrell


191


187


568 00


641 :


594


3


1


1


74. Union


341


303


1170 00


Meck-


999


9


11


7


75. Wake


923


1092


5828 00


2798


2370


46


25


12


76. Warren


616


872


3500 00


1505


445


3


10


5


77. Washington


247


348


1344 00


601


201


1


4


1


78. Watauga


136


72


325 00


479


2


5


1


79. Wayne


705


582


2526 00


1472


1458


9


12


3


80. Wilkes


280


222


828 00


1723


983


13


17


6


81. Yadkin


Formed last session


82. Yancey


158


139


504 00


915


1003


12


13


7


Total


32,708 34,793


145,150 00


124,300


71,150


505


1080


376


Counties.


Land.


Poll.


Total.


Dollars


Dollars Dollars cts.


With


lenburg


.


10


HISTORY OF NORTH CAROLINA.


CHAPTER I.


ALAMANCE COUNTY.


Date of erection-Origin of its name, situation, and boundaries-County town -Colonial and Revolutionary history-History of the battle of Alamance, between Governor Tryon and the Regulators, June, 1771, in which the first blood of the colonists was spilled by the Royal Troops of England-Journal of Governor Tryon in the first expedition against the Regulators, 1768-List of his officers-Petition of John Low, James Hunter, Rednap Howell, and other Regulators, detailing the causes of the disaffection of the people, and oppressive conduct of Edmund Fanning and others-Governor Tryon's reply, dated June, 1768-Petition of Francis Dorset, William Paine, and others, to the Governor-Deposition of Ralph McNair, Oct. 9th, 1770, as to the outrages of the Regulators ; Herman Husbands and others, when they broke up the Court at Hillsboro'; run the Judge off; whipped John Williams and Edmund Fanning-Judge Henderson's statement-Deposition of Waightstill Avery, March 8th, 1771, who was taken at Yadkin Ferry, by the Regulators-Petition of Regulators, May 15th, 1771, on the field of battle -Governor Tryon's detailed report of the battle, May 18th, 1771-Same, re- porting his movements after the battle, report of killed, wounded, and mis- sing-Oath of Regulators-Governor Martin's report to Lord Dartmouth, of the oppressive conduct of the Sheriff's, Clerks, and other subordinate officers of Government (Nov., 1772) - Population of Alamance -Biographical Sketch of Hon. Thomas Ruffin, Chief Justice of Supreme Court of North Carolina.


ALAMANCE COUNTY was erected in 1848, out of Orange County. It is bounded on the north by Caswell, east by Orange, south by Chatham, and west by Guilford. It derives its name from Ala- mance Creek, famous in early history for a battle fought on its banks, between the Royal Governor of the colony, William Tryon, and the people under Herman Husbands, Rednap Howell, and others.


Its climate is salubrious and very uniform.


Its capital is GRAHAM, named in compliment to Hon. William A. Graham, the present Secretary of the Navy, for a sketch of whose birth, life, education, and public services, see Orange County, (Chapter LVIII.)


The town of Graham has a beautiful location. Its distance from Raleigh is fifty-nine miles. Its court-house and public buildings are in good taste and well adapted to the purposes for which they were erected.


It has several handsome dwellings, and a printing office. The Southern Democrat is here printed. Its editor, J. W. Lancaster, Esq., is a Member of the Bar, an educated and skillful writer.


Its colonial and revolutionary history is connected with that of


11


ALAMANCE COUNTY.


Orange County. The causes of the battle of the Regulators, and its disastrous termination, have been recorded. (See vol. i. p. 59.)


The conduct of the officers of the government, from the Governor down to the lowest bailiff, towards the people was oppressive, extor- tionary and unjust.


In 1768, Governor Tryon marched with a body of troops procured from Rowan and Mecklenburg into this county. I extract from his Journal, procured from State Paper Office, in London, by aid of Hon. George Bancroft, late our Envoy at that court, never before printed. e


Journal of Governor Tryon.


On the sixth of July 1768, in consequence of the troubles of the Regulators, Governor Tyron arrived at Hillsboro'.


On the 17th of August, the Governor left Hillsboro', and on the 18th, arrived at Salisbury.


On the 19th, at Major Fifer's, in Mecklenburg.


On the 20th, Saturday. Remained at Major Fifer's.


2Ist, Sunday. Heard Mr. Luther, a Dutch minister, preach.


22d, Monday. Left Major Fifer's and lay at Captain Polk's.


23d, Tuesday. Reviewed the Regiment-about nine hundred men.


24th. Governor left Captain Polk's, and took up his quarters at Major Fifer's.


25th. Governor returned to Salisbury ; COLONEL OSBORNE called on the Go- vernor to receive his orders for conducting the review.


26th, Friday. Eleven Companies marched, Governor ordered all the Cap- tains and field officers to repair to Mr. Montgomery's, where he communicated with them as to the transactions between him and the Regulators. Colonel Osborne spoke warmly in support of the government, and read a letter from four dissenting ministers (Hugh McCaddon, Henry Pattillo, James Creswell, and David Caldwell) to their brethren, wherein the conduct of the Regulators was touched upon, from Hawfields.


The Governor then marched into the field; the first company that joined was Captain Dobbin's ; all joined the Governor but Captain Knox and his com- pany.


27th, Saturday. Left Salisbury for Martin Fifer's.


30th, Tuesday. The Governor, accompanied by Colonel Palmer and Mr. Fifer, went to see where the Commissioners left off the line that they run in 1746, between his Majesty and Earl Granville. They found four trees stand- ing in a square marked with notches and blazes; on one of them, G. R. (George Rex, King George), about five or six hundred yards east of Cold Water Creek. On a large gum they found W. C. (William Churton, 1746), the name of the surveyor.


31st, Wednesday. Governor called on Captain Barringer, and in the evening went to Colonel Moses Alexander's, who agreed to furnish provisions and wagons for the Mecklenburg volunteers.ª


Sept. 4th, Sunday. Governor went to Salisbury.


12th, Monday. After reviewing the Mecklenburg battalion, left Salisbury with troops for Hillsboro' where he arrived on the twenty-first.


24th. Governor so ill that he gave the command to Lieutenant-General Rutherford.


Major-Generals app'd .- JOHN ASHE and THOMAS LLOYD.


Lieutenant-Generals .- JOHN RUTHERFORD, LEWIS HENRY DE ROSSET, JOHN SAMPSON, ROBERT PALMER, BENJAMIN HERON and SAMUEL STRUDWICK.


Majors of Brigade .- ABNER NASH and ROBERT HOWE.


Colonels .- ALEXANDER OSBORNE, EDMUND FANNING, ROBERT HARRIS, JAMES SAMPSON, SAMUEL SPENCER, JAMES MOORE and MAURICE MOORE.


Lieutenant-Colonels .- JOHN FROHOCK, MOSES ALEXANDER, ALEXANDER LIL- LINGTON, JOHN GRAY, SAMUEL BENTON and ROBERT SCHAW.


Majors .- WILLIAM BULLOCK, WALTER LINDSAY, THOMAS LLOYD, MARTIN FIFER and JOHN HINTON.


12


HISTORY OF NORTH CAROLINA.


On the 2d October, 1768, the troops returned to Salisbury, and GOVERNOR TRYON to Newbern. '


From STATE PAPER OFFICE, London. Am. and W. Ind., 198.


Petition from Regulators to Gov. Tryon and Council.


"May it please your Excellency, and your Honors :-


" At a Committee of the Regulators, held May 21, 1768, it was ordered to implore pardon for what was done amiss, and present a plain, simple narra-




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