USA > North Carolina > History of North Carolina, V I pt 2 > Part 8
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1775
The Alexander document of :300
full sheet in a handwriting unknown to his son. Dr. Joseph MeKnit Alexander, which contained an account of the proceedings in Mech lenburg, including a series of resolutions which has since been known as "The Declaration of May 20th."
His certificate
In September. 1800, a copy of this "full sheet" was sent by John McKnitt Alexander to General William R. Davie with the following certificate appended to it :
N. C. Uni. Mag . April, 1853, 175
"It may be worthy of notice here to observe that the forego !! statement. though fundamentally correct. yet may not literally cor. respond with the original record of the transactions of said delega- tion and Court of Inquiry, as all those record, and pipers were burned, with the house, on April 6. 1800: but previous to that tim. of 1800. a full copy of said records. at the request of Dr. Hugh Williamson. then of New York, but formerly a representative in Congress from this State, was forwarded to him by Colonel William Polk. in order that those early transactions might fill their proper place in a history of this State then writing by said Dr. Williams (sic) in New York.
"Certified to the best of my recollection and belief this 3d day of September. 1800, by
"J. McK. ALEXANDER, "Mecklenburg County. N. C."
The Davie copy
This certificate fixes the character of "the full sheet" and of the "Davie copy" to which it was annexed. They were not copies of any record. In like manner. it is to be said of all other copies of the resolutions purporting to have been adopted at Charlotte on May 20th, that they have only this origin and source, and are copies of the Alexander document of 1800.
The remembrance of Mecklenburg's patriotic action was cherished locally, but no contemporaneous publication of the proceedings seems to have been preserved in that county : nor was the copy sent to Dr. Williamson ever published; nor did General Davie give publicity to the paper sent him.
John MeKnitt Alexander died on July 10. 1817, and after his death his son. Dr. Joseph MeKnitt Alexander, found in his mansion house a bundle of old pamphlets, and with them the "half sheet" and the "full sheet" of manuscripts above mentioned. In 1818 inquiry was made concerning the proceedings in Mecklenburg, and Dr. Joseph McKnitt Alexander sent a copy of the "full sheet" to Hon. William Davidson. then a member of Congress. On the 30th of April. 1819. the following publication appeared in the Raleigh Register:
"It is not probably known to many of our readers that the citi- zens of Mecklenburg County, in this State, made a declaration of
439
RALEIGH REGISTER ARTICLE
independence more than a year before Congress made theirs. The following document on the subject has lately come to the hands of the editor from unquestionable authority, and is published that : may go down to posterity :
NORTH CAROLINA, MECKLENBURG COUNTY, May 20, 1775.
In the spring of 1775. the leading characters of Mecklenburg County, stimulated by that enthusiastic patriotism which elevates the mind above considerations of individual aggrandizement, and .corning to shelter themselves from the impending storm by sub- mission to lawiess power, etc., held several detached meetings. in cach of which the individual sentiments were, "that the cause of Boston was the cause of all; that their destinies were indissolubly connected with those of their Eastern fellow-citizens-and that they must either submit to all the impositions which an unprincipled, and to them an unrepresented, parliament might impose-or support their brethren who were doomed to sustain the first shock of that power, which. if successful there, would ultimately overwhelm all in the common calamity." Conformiably to these principles, Colonel Adam Alexander. through solicitation. issued an order to each cap- tain's company in the county of Mecklenburg (then comprising the present county of Cabarrus), directing cach militia company to elect two persons, and delegate to them ample power to devise ways and means to aid and assist their suffering brethren in Boston. and also generally to adopt measures to extricate themselves from the im- pending storin, and to secure unimpaired their inalienable rights, privileges and liberties, from the dominant grasp of British imposi- tion and tyrannny.
In contorming to said order. on May 19. 1775, the said delega- tion met in Charlotte, vested with unlimited powers ; at which time official news, by express, arrived of the battle of Lexington on that day of the preceding month. Every delegate felt the value and importance of the prize, and the awful and solemn crisis which had arrived-every bosom swelled with indignation at the malice, inveteracy, and insatiable revenge, developed in the late attack at Lexington. The universal sentiment was: let us not flatter our- selves that popular harangues or resolves, that popular vapor will avert the storm, or vanquish our common enemy-let us deliberate -let us calculate the issue-the probable result: and then let us act with energy, as brethren leagued to preserve our property- our lives-and what is still more endearing. the liberties of America. Abraham Alexander was then elected chairman, and John McKnitt Alexander, clerk. After a free and full discusssion of the various objects for which the delegation had been convened, it was unani- mously ordained :
1775
The Alexander document of 1800
440
THE MECKLENBURG RESOLL'ES, 1775
1775
I. Resolved, That whoever directly or indirectly abetted, or in any way, form, or manner, countenanced the unchartered and dan- gerous invasion of our rights. as claimed by Great Britain, is an enemy to this country-to America-and to the inherent and in- alienable rights of man.
2. Resolved, That we, the citizens of Mecklenburg County, do hereby dissolve the political bands which have connected us to the mother country, and hereby absolve ourselves from all allegiance to the British Crown. and abjure all political connection, contract, or association with that nation. who have wantonly trampled on our rights and liberties-and inhumanly shed the innocent blood of American patriots at Lexington.
3. Resolved, That we do hereby declare ourselves a free and inde- pendent people. are, and of right ought to be, a sovereign and self- governing association. under the control of no power other than that of our God and the general government of the congress: to the maintenance of which independence we solemnly pledge to each other our mutual co-operation, our lives, our fortunes, and our most sacred honor.
4. Resolved, That as we now acknowledge the existence and con- trol of no law or legal officer, civil or military, within this county. we do hereby ordain and adopt. as a rule of life. all, each and every of our former laws, wherein, nevertheless. the Crown of Great Britain never can be considered as holding rights, privileges, im- munities, or authority therein.
5. Resolved, That it is also further decreed. that all, each and every military officer in this county is hereby reinstated to his former com- mand and authority. he acting conformably to these regulations. And that every member present of this delegation shall henceforth be a civil officer, viz., a justice of the peace, in the character of a committeemen, to issue process, hear and determine all matters of controversy, according to said adopted laws. and to preserve peace, and union, and harmony. in said county, and to use every exertion to spread the love of country and fire of freedom through- out America, until a more general and organized government be established in this province.
A number of by-laws were also added. merely to protect the as- sociation from confusion, and to regulate their general conduct as citizens. After sitting in the court-house all night, neither sleepy, hungry, nor fatigued. and after discussing every paragraph. they were all passed. sanctioned. and declared. unanimously, about 2 A.M., May 20th. In a few days, a deputation of said delegation con- vened, when Captain James Jack, of Charlotte, was deputed as ex- press to the congress at Philadelphia, with a copy of said Resolves
441
R.ILEIGH REGISTER .ARTICLE
and Proceedings, together with a letter addressed to our three rep- Presentatives there, viz., Richard Caswell, William Hooper and Joseph Hughes-under express injunction, personally, and through the State representation, to use all possible means to have said pro- ceedings sanctioned and approved by the general congress. On the return of Captain Jack, the delegation learned that their pro- ceedings were individually approved by the members of congress. but that it was deemed premature to lay them before the house. A joint letter from said three members of congress was also received, complimentary of the zeal in the common cause, and recommending perseverance, order and energy.
The subsequent harmony, unanimity, and exertion in the cause of liberty and independence, evidently resulting from these regulations and the continued exertion of said delegation, apparently tranquil- lized this section of the State, and met with the concurrence and high approbation of the Council of Safety, who held their sessions at New Bern and Wilmington, alternately, and who confirmed the nomination and acts of the delegation in their official capacity.
From this delegation originated the Court of Enquiry of this county, who constituted and held their first session in Charlotte- they then held their meetings regularly at Charlotte, at Colonel James Harris's, and at Colonel Phifer's. alternately, one week at each place. It was a civil court founded on military process. Be- fore this judicature, all suspicious persons were made to appear, who were formally tried and banished. or continued under guard. Its jurisdiction was as unlimited as toryism, and its decrees as final as the confidence and patriotism of the county. Several were ar- rested and brought before them from Lincoln, Rowan and the ad- jacent counties.
[The foregoing is a true copy of the papers on the above subject, left in my hands by John MeKnitt Alexander, deceased. I find it mentioned on file that the original book was burned April. 1800. That a copy of the proceedings was sent to Hugh Williamson, in New York, then writing a "History of North Carolina," and that a copy was sent to General W. R. Davie. J. McKnitt."]*
Shortly after the publication of this document in the Register, in 1810. Colonel William Polk. being interested. obtained certificates from General George Graham. William Hutchison. Jonas Clark, Robert Robinson and others. residents of Mecklenburg, corrobora- tive of its authenticity, and further certifying that within a few days after the adoption of the Resolves Captain Jack went as a mes- senger to bear them to the Continental Congress.
*Dr. Joseph MeKnitt Alexander, son of John McKnitt Alexander, used this signature.
1775 --
4.42
THE MECKLENBURG RESOLVES, 1775
1775
They certified on honor that :
"We were present in the town of Charlotte, in the said county of Mecklenburg. on May 19. 1775. when two persons eleeted from each captain - company in said county appeared as delegates, to take into consideration the state of the country, and to adopt such meas- ures as to them seem best.
George Graham and other,
The protracted meeting
"The order for the election of delegates was given by Colonel Thomas Polk, the commanding officer of the militia of the county. with a request that their powers should be ample, touching any measure that should be proposed. We do further certify and de- clare that to the best of our recollection and belief, the delegation was complete from every company, and that the meeting took place in the court-house about 12 o'clock on the said day of May 19. 1775. when Abraham Alexander was chosen chairman, and Dr. Ephraim Brevard, secretary. That the delegates continued in ses- sion until in the night of that day; that on the 20th they again met. when a committee, under the direction of the delegates, had formed several Resolves, which were read. and which went to declare them- selves, and the people of Mecklenburg County, free and independent of the king and Parliament of Great Britain-and from that day thenceforth all allegiance and political relation was absolved be- tween the good people of Mecklenburg and the king of Great Britain : which Declaration was signed by every member of the dele- gation. under the shouts and huzzas of a very large assembly of the people of the county, who had come to know the issue of the meeting."
The public meeting
Captain Jack
On December 7. 1819. Captain Jack made the following affidavit :
"Having seen in the newspapers some pieces respecting the Dec- laration of Independence by the people of Mecklenburg County, in the State of North Carolina in May. 1775, and being solicited to state what I know of that transaction : I would observe that for sometime previous to and at the time those resolutions were agreed upon. I resided in the town of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County; was privy to a number of meetings of some of the most influential and leading characters of that county on the subject, before the final adoption of the resolutions-and at the time they were adopted : among those who appeared to take the lead may be mentioned Hezekiah Alex- ander. who generally acted as chairman; John MeKnitt Alexander. as secretary : Abraham Alexander. Adam Alexander, Major John David-on. Major (afterward General ) William Davidson. Colonel Thomas Polk, Ezekiel Polk. Dr. Ephraim Brevard. Samuel Martin, Duncan Ochletree, William Willson. Robert Irvin.
"When the Resolutions were finally agreed on, they were publicly
443
TESTIMONY OF THE WITNESSES
proclaimed from the court-house door in the town of Charlotte, and were received with every demonstration of joy by the inhabitants.
"I was then solicited to be the bearer of the proceedings to congress. I set out the following month, say June, and in passing through Salisbury, the general court was sitting. At the request of the court I handed a copy of the Resolutions to Colonel Kennon, an attorney, and they were read aloud in open court. Major William Davidson and Mr. Avery, an attorney, called on me at my lodging the even- ing after. and observed they had heard of but one person (a Mr. Beard), but approved of them.
"I then proceeded on to Philadelphia and delivered the Mecklen- burg Declaration of Independence of May. 1775. to Richard Caswell and William Hooper. the delegates to congress from the State of North Carolina."
Other statements were made by men of the highest character, all confirming the fact that there were proceedings in Mecklenburg in May, 1775, relating to independence, and some giving the details with great particularity.
On January 20, 1820, John Simeson wrote to Colonel William Polk: "I have conversed with many of my old friends and others, and all agree in the point, but few can state the particulars. . . Yourself. sir, in your eighteenth year and on the spot, your worthy father. the most popular and influential character in the county. and yet you cannot state much from recollection. Your father, as com- Simeson manding officer of the county, issued orders to the captains to appoint two men from each company to represent them in the committee. It was done. Neill Morrison, John Flennigan, from this company; Charles Alexander. John MeKnitt Alexander, Hezekiah Alexander. Abraham Alexander, Esq., John Phifer, David Reese, Adam Alex- ander. Dickey Barry, John Queary, with others whose names I cannot obtain. As to the names of those who drew up the Declaration, I am inclined to think Dr. Brevard was the principal, from his known talents in composition. It was, however, in substance and form like that great National Act agreed on thirteen months after. Ours was toward the close of May, 1775. In addition to what I have said, the same committee appointed three men to secure all the military stores for the county's use-Thomas Polk, John Phifer, and Joseph Kennedy. I was under arms near the head of the line, near Colonel Polk, and heard him distinctly read a long string of grievances, the Declaration and military order above."*
*The accuracy of the memory of this witness, Mr. Simeson, in one particular at least is remarkable. By the last of the resolves of May 3Ist. Colonel Thomas Polk and Dr. Joseph Kennedy were appointed to purchase ammunition, as the witness recollected after the lapse of forty-five years.
1775 -
4444
THE MECKLENBURG RESOLVES, 1775
1775 Cummins
Francis Cummins wrote in 1819 to Mr. Macon : "At length, in the same year, 1775. I think-at least positively before July 4. 1776- the males generally of that county met on a certain day at Charlotte. and from the head of the court-house door proclaimed independence on English government. by their herald, Colonel Thomas Polk. 1 was present and saw and heard it."
Davie copy
In November, 1820. General Davie died, and there was found among his papers a manuscript copy of the proceedings at Charlotte. in the handwriting of John MeKnitt Alexander, to which was ap- pended the note above printed to the effect that "the foregoing statement. though fundamentally correct, yet may not literally cor- respond with the original records, as all those records and papers were burned with the house on April 6. 1800."
This "Davie copy" was then sent to the son, Dr. Joseph MeKnitt Alexander, who preserved it. It was the same as the document published in the Raleigh Register except some slight verbal differ- ences.
The resolutions thus presented to the public as those adopted at Charlotte in May. 1775, were without hesitation accepted in North Carolina as authentic and genuine. But Mr. Jefferson and Mr. Adams denied their authenticity. Therefore. other affidavits and certificates were procured, and a committee of the General Assembly was appointed "to examine, collate and arrange such documents as relate to the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence"; and at the session of 1830-31 it reported that "by the publication of these papers it will be fully verified that as early as the month of May, 1775. a portion of the people of North Carolina . . . did by a public and solemin act declare the dissolution of the ties which bound them to the Crown and people of Great Britain, and did establish an inde- pendent, though temporary government for their own control and direction." Their report was directed to be published by the State. The original documents found by Dr. Joseph McKnitt ( Alexander) were submitted to this committee, passed into the hands of the state authorities for a time, appear to have been returned, but subsequently came into the possession of Governor David L. Swain. They consisted of a torn half-sheet of paper, on which were written some notes in the handwriting of John MeKnitt Alexander, being apparently rough first attempts to reproduce statements and resolutions: this half-sheet being stitched to a full sheet (containing substantially the paper published in the Raleigh Register, and also furnished to Gen- eral Davie), which was in an unknown handwriting. These papers were accompanied by a certificate as follows: "The sheet and torn half-sheet to which this is attached (the sheet is evidently cor- rected in two places by John McKnitt Alexander, as marked on
The State Pamphlet
Joseph McKnitt Alexander's certificate. Hoyt, 135
445
THE D.IFTE COPY
1775
it-the half-sheet is in his own handwriting) were found after the death of John MeKnitt Alexander in his old mansion-house in the centre of a roll of old pamphlets, viz. : 'an address on public liberty, printed Philadelphia. 1774'; one 'on the disputes with G. Britain, printed 1775'; one 'on State affairs, printed at Hillsboro. 1788'; and 'an address on Federal policy to the citizens of N. C., a 1788' ; and the Journal of the Provincial Congress of N. C., a held at Hallifax, the 4 of April. 1776.' which papers have been in my possession ever since.
"Certified November 25, 1830.
"J. McKNITT."*
Among the certificates then published was one from Samuel Wil- Wilson son : "I do hereby certify that in May. 1775. a committee or dele- gation from the different militia companies in this county met in Charlotte, and after consulting together they publicly declared their independence on Great Britain and on her government. This was done before a large collection of people who highly approved of it. I was then and there present and heard it read from the court-house door."
John Davidson on October 5. 1830. wrote: "As I am perhaps the Davidson only person living who was a member of that convention, and being far advanced in years, and not having my mind frequently directed to that circumstance for some years, I can give you but a very succinct history of that transaction. There were two men chosen from each captain's company to meet in Charlotte to take the subject into consideration. John McKnitt Alexander and myself were chosen from one company; and many other members were there that I now recollect whose names I deem unnecessary to mention. When the members met and were perfectly organized for business, a motion was made to declare ourselves independent of the Crown of Great Britain, which was carried by a large majority. Dr. Ephraim Brevard was then appointed to give us a sketch of the Declaration of Inde- pendence, which he did. James Jack was appointed to take it on to the American Congress. . . . When Jack returned he stated that the Declaration was presented to Congress, and the reply was that they highly estecmed the patriotism of the citizens of Mecklenburg, but they thought the measure too premature. I am confident that the Declaration of Independence by the people of Mecklenburg was made public at least twelve months before that of the Congress of the United States."
*W. H. Hoyt's work on "The Mecklenburg Declaration of Inde- pendence," 1907, where both the notes on the half sheet and the writing on the full sheet are reproduced from the Bancroft manu- scripts.
446
THE MECKLENBURG RESOLT'ES, 1775
1775 -,-
Joseph Graham
General Joseph Graham wrote October 4, 1830: "Agreeably to your request I will give you the details of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence on May 20, 1775, as well as I can recollect after :1 lapse of fifty-five years. I was then a lad about half grown, was present on that occasion (a looker on).
The public meeting
"During the winter and spring preceding that event, several popu- lar meetings of the people were held in Charlotte, two of which 1 attended. Papers were read. grievances stated and public measures discussed. ... On May 20, 1775, besides the two persons elected from each militia company (usually called committee-men), a much larger number of citizens attended in Charlotte than at any former meeting-perhaps half the men in the county. The news of the bat- tle of Lexington, April roth preceding, had arrived. There appeared among the people much excitement. The committee were organized in the court-house by appointing Abraham Alexander, Esq .. chair- man and John McKnitt Alexander, Esq., clerk. or secretary to the meeting. After reading a number of papers as usual, and much ani- mated discussion, the question was taken, and they resolved to de- clare themselves independent.
Out of protection
"One among other reasons offered, that the king or ministry had, by proclamation or some edict, declared the colonies out of the pro- tection of the British crown ; they ought. therefore, to declare them- selves out of his protection and resolve on independence. That their proceedings might be in due form, a sub-committee, consisting of Dr. Ephraim Brevard, a Mr. Kennon, an attorney, and a third person whom I do not recollect, were appointed to draft their dec- laration. . . . The sub-committee appointed to draft the resolutions returned, and Dr. Ephraim Brevard read their report, as near as I can recolleet, in the very words we have since seen them several times in print. It was unanimously adopted. and shortly afterward it was moved and seconded to have proclamation made. and the people collected, that the proceedings be read at the court-house door. in order that all might hear them. It was done and they were received with enthusiasm. It was then proposed by some one alond. to give three cheers and throw up their hats. It was immediately adopted and the hats thrown. . .
The public meeting
Hunter's statement
In a memoir of his life Rev. Humphrey Hunter,* who was present at the meeting in Charlotte, being then twenty years of age, and deeply interested, says : "Orders were presently issued by Colonel
*"This memoir is dated in 1827 and appears to be a response to a request made by Dr. Alexander (Joseph MeKnit), and thus loses. in some degree, the authority to which it might otherwise have been entitled had it been a contemporaneous production." (Address of R. M. Saunders, 1852.) Hunter was then seventy-two years of age. He died August 21, 1827.
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