USA > North Carolina > Alamance County > Some neglected history of North Carolina, being an account of the revolution of the regulators and of the battle of Alamance, the first battle of the American Revolution > Part 14
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After breaking camp at Sandy Creek on May 28, 1771, Tryon's army crossed Deep River at Buffalo Ford, and took possession of the Heights on the west bank of the Huwara River, a very favorable post by reason of the craggy cliffs, and made famous by the signal defeat the Northern Indians gave the Catawbas. The former having taken possession of the above Heights, attacked and surprised the latter as they were crossing the ford, returning home from an expedition against the Northern In- dians. Tryon then marched through the Jersey settlements, pillaging with fire and sword, and camping at Reedy Creek on June 3, there to await the arrival of Gen. Hugh Waddell's forces, which joined him on June 4, 1771. Gen- eral Tryon, after being joined by General Wad- dell. took up a line of march toward the Mora- vian settlements, which they reached two days later. and there celebrated King George's birth- day. The King's birthday was on June 4, but the celebration was postponed in order to reach the Moravian settlements. (Col. Rec. of N. C., Vol. 8, pp. 592, 593; State Records of North Carolina. Vol. 19. p. 851.) The celebration of the King's birthday was carried out with great military pomp. At 12 o'clock a roval
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salute of twenty-one (21) guns was fired. General Waddell, at the head of the column, immediately after this salute, loudly proclaimed "God bless the King!" which was instantly fol- lowed by three general cheers. The Moravian band furnished the music, playing several mar- tial airs. (State Rec. of N. C., Vol. 19, p. 851. ) The army was drilled for several hours, and the maneuvers of the Battle of Alamance were repeated, and volley after volley were fired from the muskets and artillery. "These rejoicings were three times repeated, and at the last cheer it seemed a general emulation, whether the hats or the shouts should ascend farther into the air, so great and general was the joy and gratitude." (State Rec. of N. C .. Vol. 19. p. 851.) The united forces of Governor Tryon and General Waddell numbered about three thousand men. including officers. With such a military dis- play the vain Governor was in all his glory. At 2 o'clock the maneuvers ended and the army marched back to its quarters. (Clewell's His- tory of Wachovia, pp. 114, 115.)
On June 8, General Waddell was detached, with a few companies of infantry, of more than 600 men, and some seven pieces of artillery, to enforce the submission of such suspects and Regulators as had not surrendered. (Col. Rec. of N. C., Vol. 8, pp. 649, 674.) General Tryon
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was induced to take this step on information by messenger from Colonel Moses Alexander of Mecklenburg.
After leaving camp at the Moravian settle- ment on June 7, 1771, Governor Tryon's forces started on their return trip toward Hillsbor- ough. After a circuitous route through the Moravian settlements in Stokes County, by way of Big Troublesome in Rockingham County, he came to Guilford Court House on the High Rock Road, some eight or ten miles northwest of the present city of Greensbor- ough, where he went into camp for a day or two. During all his marches after leaving the battle-field at Alamance he passed through the country dragging his prisoners (30) in chains as "scare crows" to others; administering his new-coined oath of allegiance; disarming the inhabitants; burning houses; destroying all growing crops; levying contributions of beef and flour for his army ; insulting the suspected ; holding courts martial, which took cognizance of civil as well as military offenses, extending their jurisdiction even to ill-breeding and want of good manners.
"After his return from the western tour, sixty head of cattle, as I have been informed, were collected from the plantations around his camp in Guilford County, and were driven
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from that place, under charge of John Gilbert, to Tryon's camp on the Eno at Hillsborough. These cattle were collected around Greensbor- ough, and it is probable that similar contribu- tions were demanded through the whole west- ern tour for the support of his army, while his Excellency was engaged in burning the homes of the Regulators, destroying their crops, and hanging traitors." (Caruthers's Life of Dr. Caldwell, p. 160. )
One of the most amusing incidents of Tryon's campaign occurred on June I, just after the army crossed Abbot's Creek and went into camp on Benjamin Merrill's plantation, a valuable tract of well-cultivated land in the Jersey settle- ments, near the Yadkin River. The horses belonging to the army had been turned loose at night to graze, each animal having a bell tied to its neck to aid in finding any which might stray. In the immediate neighborhood was the residence, gardens and grounds of Benjamin Merrill, a planter, who owned and took great pride in an extensive apiary which was located in the gardens. A foraging party from Tryon's army were attempting to steal honey from this place, and in the darkness several beehives were overturned and the bees began stinging both men and horses. The horses thereupon began to run pell-mell at a full gallop around and
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through the camp, ringing several hundred discordant bells, the sound of which made the night hideous. The sentinels, guards and pickets fired off their pieces, and the cry "stand to your arms!" rung throughout the camp. Tryon no doubt thought all the Regulators in the world had suddenly swooped down upon him. However, the cause of the tumult was soon ascertained and quiet was restored. (State Rec. of N. C., Vol. 19, p. 849. )
Before breaking camp at Guilford Court- House Tryon issued his proclamation outlaw- ing certain Regulators. (Tryon's Order Book, Campaign Against Regulators: Col. Rec. of N. C., Vol. 8, p. 617: Wheeler's History of North Carolina. )
Guilford Court-House Camp, 9th day of June, 1771.
Whereas, Harmon Husband. James Butler, Rednap Howell, and William Butler are outlawed and liable to be shot by any person whatever, I do therefore, proclaim that they are to be punished for the Traitorous and Re- bellious crimes they have committed, issue this my proc- lamation hereby offering a reward of 100 pounds sterling, and 1000 acres of land to any person or persons who will take dead or alive and bring into mine or General Wad- dell's camp either or each of the above-named outlaws. Given under my hand and seal in the said province of Bathabara-this ninth day of June in the year of our Lord, 1771.
WILLIAM (Seal) TRYON.
By His Excellency's command,
John Hawke, P. S.
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After issuing his "outlawing" proclamation, he rested a few days before resuming his march toward Hillsborough, where he ended his tyrannical campaign of burning houses and destroying crops, arriving there on the 19th of June, 1771. A special term of court of oyer and terminer was at once held, presided over by Chief Justice Howard, with Associate Justices Maurice Moore and Richard Hender- son. (Col. Rec. of N. C., Vol. 8, p. 650.) Lossing, in his Field Book of the Revolution (Vol. 2, p. 578), says: "At Hillsborough he held a court martial for the trial of the prison- ers, twelve of whom were condemned to death. Six were reprieved and the other six hung, among whom was Captain Messer." The pris- oners were all indicted for high treason, found guilty and condemned to death. On six of them-James Pugh, Benjamin Merrill, Robert Matear, Captain Messer, and two others-the sentence was executed on the 19th of June, 1771 ; the other six-Forrester Mercer, James Stewart, James Emmerson, Herman Cox, Wil- liam Brown, and James Copeland-were re- spited until the King's pleasure could be known. (Col. Rec., Vol. 8, p. 635; Vol. 9, pp. 36, 37, 274, 31I.)
"The unfortunate prisoners captured by Tryon were tried for a crime made capital by
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a temporary act of the General Assembly, of less than twelve months' duration. * This act ["Riot Act." see Appendix C] had, in great tenderness to His Majesty's subjects, converted riot into treason. The terror of the examples now proposed to be made under it was to expire in less than nine months there- after. The offenses of the prisoners were de- rived from public and private impositions ; and they were the followers and not the leaders in the crimes they had committed. Never were prisoners more entitled to the leniency of the law. The Governor shamefully exerted every influence of his nature against the lives of these wretched prisoners. As soon as he was in- formed that one day had been granted to two of the prisoners, by the court, to send for wit- nesses, who actually established their innocence and saved their lives. Tryon sent an aide-de- camp to the judges and Attorney-General, ad- vising them that he was dissatisfied with the in- activity of their conduct, and threatened to rep- resent them unfavorably in England if they did not proceed with more spirit and dispatch. Had the court submitted to Tryon's influence, all testimony on the part of the prisoners would have been excluded, and the poor wretches to a man would have been executed." (Judge Maurice Moore in the "Atticus" letter, pub-
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lished in Virginia Gazette, November 7, 1771.)
The Chief Justice in pronouncing sentence upon each of the condemned Regulators used the form prescribed by the laws of England in cases of treason. He concluded as follows : "That the prisoner should be carried to the place from whence he came; that he should be drawn from thence to the place of execution and hanged by the neck; that he should be cut down while yet alive; that his bowels should be taken out and burned before his face; that his head should be cut off, and that his body should be divided into four quarters, which were to be placed at the King's disposal, and may the Lord have mercy on your soul." (Col. Rec. of N. C., Vol. 8, p. 643.)
We are not told whether the execution was carried out in all of its details according to the English form or not, but does the reader for one instant doubt that one of Tryon's blood- thirsty nature would let an opportunity pass to make the execution as horrifying as he possibly could to the miserable wretches; and thereby lose his first opportunity to carry into effect his newly created act, wherein riot was made trea- son. A general who would order fire set to the woods on a battle-field covered with dead and wounded soldiers, as Tryon did at Ala- mance, would not hesitate very long about
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carrying out the letter of the law governing the trial and execution of prisoners indicted for high treason.
According to Caruthers (Life of Dr. Cald- well, pp. 160, 161), "on the day of the execu- tion Tryon had the whole army drawn out under arms, except the quarter-guard and senti- nels. They formed and marched in a hollow, oblong square-the first line the right, and the second line the left face ; the main guard march- ing in the center, with the sheriff and prisoners, and the light-horse covering the outside to keep off the crowd. This order of march had been sketched out and given in general orders by the Governor himself, who stopped in this manner to point out the spot for the gallows, and gave orders for the clearing of the field around to make room for the army." As Maurice Moore in his "Atticus" letter observes, "the Govern- or's minute and personal attention to these par- ticulars left a ridiculous idea of his character behind him, bearing a strong resemblance to that of the undertaker at a funeral. These brave men, whose only sin was having warred against corruption and oppression, deserved a different fate; but Tryon was not like Fingal, who never injured the brave, though his arm was strong." Others of them had not warred in any way,-Robert Thompson, for instance;
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nor had they done anything "worthy of death" or even "stripes," and none of them deserved the ignominy which they received. But they had fallen into the hands of one who neither acknowledged the claims of justice nor was capable of appreciating merit, especially in those who, like Husband, Hunter, and their followers, could not and would not bow to his haughty mandates.
Rev. Dr. Caldwell traveled a distance of forty-six miles to attend the trial of the prison- ers,-though it is said none of them belonged to his churches,-for the purpose of testifying to the character of such of them as he person- ally knew, and to be present, as a minister, to intercede on their behalf; and should he fail in that, to comfort them by his councils and his prayers in preparing them for the solemn change which awaited them. As to the former, his efforts were unavailing ; but as to the latter, his labors, it is hoped, were not in vain in the Lord, and he probably felt. rewarded for his journey and his trouble.
The place of execution where the six Regu- lators suffered such an ignominious death is just outside the town limits of Hillsborough, a few hundred yards in front of the residence of the late Paul C. Cameron, and only a short dis- tance from the historic Eno River, where Gov-
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ernor Tryon encamped in his march against the Regulators. In a grove of natural growth cov- ering many broad acres rests a large marble slab which was placed there by Mr. Cameron's orders to mark the spot where the brave patriots suffered death. Surrounding this spot is a large; well-kept lawn, crossed by a small brook. "It is a traditionary legend that along this brook in the olden times was an 'Indian trading- path,' now overgrown with grass." Everything is beautiful, serene, and peaceful, with nothing but the musical notes of the indigenous song- birds and the murmur of the waters of the old Eno which roll hard by. One finds difficulty in realizing that this spot, in all its natural grandeur, was in the long ago the scene of such horrifying details as the one Tryon personally supervised in the old "Colonial days." (Hay- wood's Life of Tryon. )
"If those noble oaks and the historic Eno hard by possessed the power of speech, how strange a legend they would tell us."
"Old trees at night are like men in thought, By poetry to silence wrought; They stand so still and look so wise With folded arms and half-shut eyes, More shadowy than the shade they cast When the wan moonlight, on the river past ; The river is green and runneth slow- We cannot tell what it saith;
It keepeth its secrets down below, And so doth death."
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One among the staunchest Regulators was James Pugh, a brother-in-law of Harmon Hus- band. He was a gunsmith by trade, and re- paired many a weapon for the Regulators prior to the Battle of Alamance. During the battle he lay behind a ledge of rocks and killed fifteen of Tryon's artillerymen, and was still shooting when surrounded and captured. After his cap- ture he was dragged around the country in chains through the western settlements, and as we have just read, tried and condemned for treason. According to Caruthers (Life of Caldwell, p. 165) and Foote (Sketches of North Carolina, p. 64), when placed on the gal- lows for the execution, he appeared perfectly calm and composed ; said that he had long been prepared to meet his God in another world ; re- fused to make any acknowledgments for what he had done; and requested of the Governor, who was present, permission to speak to the people in his own defense for one-half hour. Having obtained this permission, he then told them that his blood would be as good seed sown on good ground, which would produce an hundredfold. He recapitulated the causes of the late conflict; asserted that the Regulators had taken the life of no man previous to the bat- tle, nor had they aimed at anything more than a redress of grievances; charged the Governor
Execution of James Pugh. From Colonial Column. Guilford Battle-Ground.
Facing pare JA.
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(Col. Rec. of N. C., Vol. 8, Pref. Notes, p. 31 ) with having brought an army among them to murder the people instead of taking sides with them against a set of dishonest sheriffs, clerks, and other country officers; advised him to put away his corrupt clerks and roguish sheriffs and be a friend to the people whom he was appointed to govern. But when he said that Colonel Fan- ning was unfit to hold any office, he was sud- denly interrupted, and the barrel on which he was standing was turned over at the instigation of Fanning, before Pugh was through speaking, and a patriot and seer swung out between the heavens and the earth a lifeless corpse.
Here is an instance of bravery and defiance on the part of the patriot James Pugh in rebuk- ing Governor Tryon for his tyranny and unjust dealings with the people. His saying that his life and that of others whose blood was shed for American independence would be "as good seed sown on good ground, which would pro- duce an hundredfold," was voiced five years four months and five days later by Nathan Hale, of Connecticut, who was captured by the Brit- ish on Long Island and hanged as a spy. At his execution he was refused a Bible or the com- fort of a minister, and his letter to his mother was torn up before his eyes. His last words were, "I only regret that I have but one life to
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lose for my country." The State of Connec- ticut has honored Hale by having his statue erected in Hartford, and another in City Hall Park, New York City, while James Pugh's memory, unhonored until a few years ago when, through Col. Joseph M. Morehead's patriotic influence, a modest monument was erected to his memory. Shame on North Carolina for want of more patriotism! For bravery and defiance, the execution of Pugh for high treason and his rebuking words to the Governor on the one hand, and the execution of Hale as a spy and his regrets that he had only one life to lose for his country, on the other, are scarcely comparable; yet the latter is honored by monu- ments erected at Hartford, Conn., and New York City to his memory, while the former lies in an unmarked grave on the green sward by the old Eno, near Hillsborough.
Robert Matear, one of the unfortunate vic- tims, was a quiet, inoffensive, upright man, who had never joined the Regulators. On the morning of the battle, May 16, 1771, he visited Tryon's camp with Mr. Robert Thompson and Dr. David Caldwell, and he and Thompson were detained as prisoners. No man in the community was more esteemed while living or more lamented when dead ; and he had from the first to the last taken no part in the riots or in
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the resistance which was made to the govern- ment. There seemed to be a peculiar hardship in this case, for Matear had never openly joined the Regulators or committed any overt act which would have made him liable for the pun- ishment which he received. According to Ca- ruthers in his Life of Caldwell, a few years be- fore the battle he went to Newberne to sell a. . load of produce, and Tryon, having learned where he was from, as there were no mail lines in those days, made him the bearer of a letter to Alexander Martin at Salisbury. Matear had for a long time been uncertain as to what his actions should be with reference to joining the Regulators, or what his duty was in the matter. To get rid of this suspense and if possible be enlightened, it may have occurred to him to read the letter which he was carrying to Martin, and not knowing or thinking of the conse- quence, he opened the letter on the road as he was returning home and read it. He was so disgusted with the haughtiness and tyranny which it manifested, that he handed it over to one of his neighbors who was friendly to the Regulators. Through their carelessness or in- temperate zeal, it became known, and was the. sole cause of his death.
Captain Messer, who, as you remember, was captured just after the battle, along with the
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poor unfortunate Few, who was hanged on the battle-fleld without trial by jury or by court martial, was to have been hanged the following day, but owing to a very affecting incident al- ready noted, he was reserved for the Hillsbor- ough fete, June 19, 1771.
Capt. Benjamin Merrill, of the Jersey settle- ments near Salisbury, was another of the un- fortunate victims of Tryon's brutal tyranny. He was on his way to join the Regulators at Alamance, with a company of more than three hundred men (see Waddell's resolutions passed at Potts Creek, Salisbury, and Capt. Alexan- der's oath. p. 198), when he intercepted Gen. Hugh Waddell and forced him to flee to Salis- bury, after taking most of his command prison- ers. Captain Merrill was within one day's march of the Alamance when he heard the can- nonading, and soon afterwards heard of the victory of the Governor's army. He is said to have regretted that he was not present with his men to have bled with those who fought for liberty. After hearing of the defeat of his comrades he disbanded his men and returned home. He was taken prisoner (State Rec. of N. C., Vol. 19, p. 849) by a detachment under Colonel Fanning, and brought to Tryon's army, encamped at "Jersey Settlement Camp," on Sat- urday, June 1, 1771 ; to the west of the Jersey
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settlement near the Yadkin River, and put in chains with the other prisoners and dragged through the country to Hillsborough, where with his life he paid the forfeit. In this trying situation he gave his friends satisfactory evi- dence that he was prepared to die, for he not only professed faith in Christ, his hope of heaven. and his willingness to go, but sang a psalm very devoutly, like the Covenanters in the grass market in Edinburgh, and died like a Christian and soldier. On being permitted to speak just before the execution, he said that fifteen years previously he had been converted, but had back-slidden, yet now felt that he was freely forgiven and that he would not change places with any one on the grounds. In con- clusion he referred feelingly to his wife and eight children, saying, "I entreat that no reflec- tion be cast upon them on my account"; and requested that some part of his estate be spared for the widow and fatherless. It is said that one of Tryon's soldiers was heard to declare that if all men went to the gallows with a character such as Captain Merrill's, "hanging would be an honorable death."
If Captain Merrill with his three hundred men had reached the Alamance the day before the battle, the Regulators would have had a
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commanding officer, and the result might have been quite different from what it was.
These men may have been rash, but they were not cowards; they may have been impru- dent, but they were suffering under wrong and outrage, and the withholding of justice and the proper exercise of the law. "And if oppression and extortion will make a wise man mad," then ten years of oppression and extortion which these men suffered would have proved them fit for subjection had they been submissive.
Capt. Benjamin Merrill's friend, Capt. Ral- eigh Southerland, coming with the force of Surry County to help the Regulators, when hearing from a distance the guns at the Battle of Alamance, wept because he was not there with his countrymen "who were shedding their blood in defense of their rights." He was ani- mated by the same patriotic spirit which led Gen. Francis Nash to say with his dying breath, on the field of Germantown, "From the first dawn of the Revolution. I have been on the side of liberty and my country." The difference was in Southerland's favor, that he was the first to recognize the dawn of liberty's morning. (McCorkle in North Carolina Booklet. )
The apologists of Tryon and Fanning stig- matize the Regulators as "outlaws and rebels,"
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"marauding, lawless, irresponsible mob," made up of ignorant men of the lower classes.
The petitions of the Regulators were couched in their own language. In one addressed to Tryon they said : "We tell you in the anguish of our souls, we cannot go to law with our power- ful antagonists. Such a step, whenever taken, will terminate in the ruin of ourselves and fam- ilies." Their experience with the courts at Hillsborough had been that they could not get justice. "All we want," said they to the Gov- ernor's secretary, "is liberty to make our griev- ances known," so confident were they of the justness and righteousness of their cause. Such petitions do not speak of the unreasonableness of a "mob."
They were men of lawful and law-abiding spirits, men of strong convictions, with man- hood to back them up, for they stood up against Tryon at the Battle of Alamance without a commanding officer, without cannon or proper military equipment, unprepared for battle. Did they lack patriotism? Did they lack courage ? Were they ignorant, unprincipled men ? Did they hate law and order? Some of Tryon's apologists would have you believe that the an- swers should be in the affirmative.
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