USA > North Carolina > The history of North Carolina from the earliest period, Volume II > Part 26
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The delegates at Charlotte being empowered to adopt such measures, as in their opinion would best promote the common cause, established a variety of regulations for managing the concerns of the country. Courts of
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justice were held under the direction of the delegates. For some months these courts were held at Charlotte; but for the convenience of the people, (for at that time Cabarrus formed part of Mecklenberg,) two other places were selected, and the courts were held at each in rotation. The delegates appointed a committee of their body, who were called "a committee of safety," and they were empowered to examine all persons brougbt before them charged with being inimical to the common cause, and to send the military into the neigh- boring counties to arrest susp. cted persons. In the exer- cise of this power, the committee sent into Lincoln and Rowan counties, and had a n imber of persons arrested and brought before them. Those who manifested pen- itence for their toryism, and took an oath to support the cause of liberty and of the country, were discharged. Others were sent under guard into South Carolina for safe keeping. The meeting of the delegates at Char- lotte and the proceedings which grew out of that meet- tng, produced the zeal and unanimity for which the people of Mecklenberg were distinguished during the whole of the revolutionary war. They became united as a band of brothers, whose confidence in each other, and the cause which they had sworn to support, was never shaken in the worst of times.
The continental congress met on the 13th of Sep- tember.
The province of Georgia sent delegates to that body.
They recommended to the provinces of New-York. North Carolina and Georgia, and the three lower counties in Delaware, which had been excepted, from the effect of the act of the British parliament,
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for restraining the trade of the provinces, to forbear. availing themselves of the benefit allowed them by that act, and that no person should apply to the custom houses of the said colonies, for such clear- ances and documents, as could not be obtained in the other colonies.
The province of North Carolina was directed to supply the island of Bermuda with sixteen thousand bushels of corn and four hundred and sixty-eight bushels of peas and beans.
Three millions of dollars were emitted in bills of credit.
The provinces of Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina were permitted to export produce, to any part of the world, except Great Britain, Ireland and the rest of her dominions, and to import salt in return.
The two battalions which had been ordered to be rais- ed in the province of North Carolina, were increased to the continental establishment, and kept in the pay of the united colonies, for the purpose of defending that pro- vince and assisting the adjacent ones.
Application was made to the committees of safety of the province of South Carolina, for so much powder as could be spared, for the immediate use of the province of North Carolina; and the delegates of that province were directed to purchase drums, fifes and colours, for its use.
The congress recommended to the committees of safe- ty of that province, to employ, immediately, all the gunsmiths that could be procured, in making muskets and bayonets.
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Two ministers of the gospel were engaged, by the congress, to proceed, immediately, to those counties of North Carolina, settled by the regulators and highlanders, for the purpose of informing them of the nature of the dispute between Great Britain and the colonies: and, it was recommended to the committee of safety in case the method of defending the province, by minute men, proved inadequate, to substitute some other means more effectual.
The provincial council met, for the first time, on the 18th of October, and made choice of Cornelius Harnett for their president.
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Some disturbances happening, in the county of New Hanover, in which, a number of the inhabitants met, and protested against the proceeding of the late pro- vincial congress, at Hillsborough; the council request- ed their president, John Ashe and Samuel Ashe, two of their members, to proceed to that county, in order to conciliate the minds of the people: the council, for this purpose, adjourned for a few weeks.
They recommended to the committee of safety of the district of Wilmington, to use their utmost endea- vors to cut off all manner of personal communication between the governor and the officers of the ships of war, in the river of Cape Fear, and the people of the province,
The committees of safety of the districts of Wil- mington, Newbern and Edenton, were directed, to procure, immediately, an armed vessel each.
The deputies of the council succeeded in reconcil- ing the party who had risen against the measures of the provnicial congress, but, in the mean while, serious
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discontents had broken out in the county of Cumber --- land ; the county had lately received a considerable ac- cession of population, by the migration of a number of families from the highlands of Scotland, the heads of many of which had suffered in their former country, by their adherence to the cause of the pretender, and the dread of meeting the further consequences of an oppo- sition to the reigning sovereign, having brought them to North Carolina, a desire of enjoying that peace and qui- etness, of which they were in quest, rendered them averse to join any opposition to government. In the west and north of their settlements, were those of the people, who had lately been engaged in the troubles of the regulation war, and who, discouraged by their ill . success, viewed the proceedings of the congresses, in the light in which those of their own meetings had ap- peared ; the rest of the inhabitants of these counties were divided in their mode of thinking. The union of the highlanders, the regulators, and that portion of their neighbors who were desirous of remaining under the kingly government, or had no confidence in the success of its opponents, appeared, to governor Martin, an ob- ject easy to be accomplished, and of vast importance to the royal cause. The possession of this part of the pro- vince, the very heart of it, would enable him to keep the rest in awe, if not in subjection ; and the arrival of Sir Henry Clinton, who was hourly expected at Wilming- ton, from New York, with a body of troops, promised to secure the command of the only part of the coast of the province, which was accessible to ships of war ; ac- counts had also reached the province, that Sir Peter Parker and lord Cornwallis woukl sail from England in the beginning of the new year, with a considerable body
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of troops, and there was reason to believe, their first visit would be to the southern provinces.
With this object in view, the governor sent emissa- ries into the upper counties, and issued a commission of brigadier general to Donald McDonald, an influential character among the Scotch emigrants; with this testi- monial of his rank, the new general received a procla- mation. commanding all the king's loyal subjects to join his standard ; the date of this instrument was left in blank, in order to enable him to publish it, at a favora- ble moment.
While the governor was thus preparing matters, for a sudden and vigorous attack on the southern, lord Dun- more of Virginia, was making arrangements to strike a blow on the northern counties of the province ; to one hundred and twenty regular troops he had joined a number of tories and negroes, in whose hands he had placed some arms; with this force, he marched to the Great Bridge, in the county of Nansemond, Va. where he entrenched himself, waiting the success of some of ` his emissaries, who had gone into the counties of the district of Edenton, with a view to induce the slaves of the planters to endeavor to obtain their freedom, by flocking to the royal standard in his camp.
A party, under lieutenant colonel Scott, marched against him ; on the day of their arrival at the Great Bridge, they had a rencontre with the enemy, and killed five white men and sixteen negroes ; on the next day, lieutenant Tibbs, who had the command of the boat guard, about six miles from that place, was attacked by a party of the king's troops and a number of negroes : several of his men broke ground, but he maintained his stand with the rest, until leutenant colonel Scott des-
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patched captain Nicholas, with fifty men, to reinforce him; these had to pass through a heavy fire, and, when they joined the lieutenant, they found he had beaten off the enemy and killed seven of their men, among whom was the officer, who headed the party.
The troops from North Carolina joined them early ; on the evening of the third of December, they saw a pile of large buildings on fire, at the far end of the village, between which and the fort, the enemy had placed some sentries.
On the fourth, they sent a party of one hundred men, under the command of colonel Stephens of the battalion of minute men, over the river; he fell in with a guard of about thirty men, chiefly negroes ; they got close to the sentry, before they were discovered ; he challenged, and receiving no answer, fired; the Americans, being too eager, began the attack immediately, without waiting for orders, and kept up a very hot fire for nearly fifteen minutes ; they killed one, burned another in the house and made four prisoners, all blacks ; the rest fled : some fine muskets fell into their hands.
General McDonald published the governor's procla- mation, early in the month of February, and erected the king's standard at Cross creek ; about fifteen hundred men collected around it. On the first intimation of it, colonel Moore, at the head of the first continental regi- ment, lately raised in the province, and such a part of the militia of the district of Wilmington, as he could col- lect, took the field, with a few pieces of cannon ; he halted near the bridge, on Rocky river, in the county of Cumberland, about the distance of twelve miles from Cross creek, fortified a camp and patiently sat down, waiting the motion of the enemy ; his post was a very
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advantageous one, as it enabled him to prevent the junc- tion of the forces, raised by general McDonald, with those which were expected at Wilmington, from the northern provinces and Great Britain, or which the governor might be able to collect, in the counties of Onslow and Carteret and along the shores of Cape Fear river, to which places he had sent emissaries for that purpose.
In the mean while, colonel Caswell and colonel Lil- lington, who commanded the minute men of the dis- tricts of Newbern and Wilmington, joined by some parties of militia and a few volunteer corps, came and encamped on the bank of Moore's creek, near its junc- tion with South river, in the county of New Hanover.
Soon after, general McDonald marched, at first to- wards colonel Moore, and halted, at some distance from his camp ; he sent in an officer, charged with a letter to the colonel, bewailing the difficulty of his situation, and pressed, by his duty to his sovereign, to the fatal ne- cessity of shedding blood, while, led by the principles of humanity, he wished the event might be prevented, by the submission of the colonel and his party, to the con- stitution and laws of their country ; he inclosed a copy of the governor's proclamation and of his own mani- festo, expressing his hope, that the colonel would coolly, impartially and deliberately weigh their contents, and pay them that regard they justly merited, from every friend to the human species ; he proffered to to him, his officers and men, in the king's name, a free pardon and indemnity for all past transgressions, on their laying down their arms and taking the oath of allegiance, and concluded, that, unless these terms were accepted, he must consider them as traitors to the constitution, and take the necessary steps to conquer and subdue them.
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Desirous of gaining time, colonel Moore amused the general, till he could no longer temporise ; he then re- plied, that his followers and he were engaged in a noble cause, the most glorious and honorable in the world, the defence of the rights of mankind; they needed no par- don. In return for the governor's proclamation, he en- closed a copy of the test required by the late provincial congress, to be subscribed by every officer in the pro- vince, invited him to subscribe and offer it for the sig- . nature of his officers, and on their doing so and laying down their arms, he promised to receive them as bro- thers; but concluded, that in case of their refusal, the general and his men could only expect that treatment with which he had been pleased to threaten him and his followers.
Accounts reached the general's camp, at the time he received colonel Moore's final answer, of the motions of · colonel Caswell and colonel Lillington, and of the arrival of Sir Henry Clinton in Cape Fear river, with a rein- forcement, as well as of lord William Campbell, gover- nor of South Carolina. General McDonald now thought it dangerous to risk an action with colonel Moore, and dreading to find himself surrounded, thought of nothing but making his way to Wilmington, with a view to join the troops lately arrived ; he, therefore, decamped with- out noise, and attempted, by rapid marches, to elude the pursuit of colonel Moore; he crossed South river, and proceeding down towards the town of Wilmington, fell in with colonel Caswell and colonel Lillington, who, with about one thousand men, were encamped on the south-east side of the creek, where they had thrown up some works for the defence of their camp ; colonel Cas- well had caused the planks of the bridge to be taken up :
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the force of the province was much inferior to that un- der the general, but the latter had the disadvantage to have the creek to cross; and in the situation in which the bridge was, if an attack was made, a retreat would have been a precarious resource ; it was, however, de- termined to risk an encounter, and the general being dis- abled, by indisposition, to lead on the men, colonel McLeod, the next officer in rank, placed himself at their head. They began the attack with much vigour, and were received by the provincial forces with great cool- ness and bravery ; but the fall of colonel McLeod and of several officers, early in the battle, damped the spirits of the men, and colonel Caswell having improved the first moment of apparent discomfiture, to charge with intrepidity and boldness; the royal army was routed, and the men, flying in every direction, were strenuously pur- sued, and several were made prisoners ; general McDo- nald himself was taken.
The fortunate issue of this first engagement with the forces of government, was a most favorable circum- stance to the cause of the province; it increased the confidence of its friends, and filled its opposers with ap- prehension and alarm, while it determined a great part of those who had hitherto refrained from choosing their side.
The provincial council met, a few days after, in the town of Newbern ; the continental congress, having re- commended to them and the provincial council of Geor- gia, to send members of their bodies to Charleston, to confer with a committee of the council of safety of the province of South Carolina, upon weighty matters, rela- tive to the defence and security of the three provinces, Abner Nash of the town of Newbern and John Kin-
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chen of the town of Halifax, proceeded on that mission, at the request of the council.
The continental congress ordered an emission of four millions of dollars, in bills of credit. ...
They appointed major general Lee to the command of the continental forces in the southern department, composed of the provinces of Virginia, North and South Carolina.
Colonels James Moore and Robert Howe were ap- pointed brigadier-generals, the former to command in the province of North Carolina, the latter in that of Vir. ginia.
The provincial congress met, at the town of Halifax, on the fourth of April ; they chose Samuel Johnston for their president ; Francis Nash of the town of Hillsbo- rough and Alexander Martin of the county of Guil- ford, were appointed colonels of the two first regiments of the province, in the continental establishment, in the room of generals Moore and Howc.
Four other regiments were also raised, at the requi- sition of congress, and the command of them was given to Jethro Sumner of the county of Halifax, Thomas Polk of the county of Mecklenberg, Edward Bun- combe of the county of Tyrrel and Alexander Lilling- ton of the county of New Hanover.
A brigadier general was appointed in each district; Richard Caswell in the district of Newbern, John Ashe in that of Wilmington, Griffith Rutherford in that of Salisbury, Thomas Person in that of Hillsborough, Allen Jones in that of Halifax, and Edward Vail in that of Edenton.
These military arrangements were taken, in pursu- ance of a resolution of the continental congress, recom-
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mending to the provincial congress to prepare for a vi- gorous defence and opposition; accounts having been received, that the British ministry and their agents, had meditated and were preparing an attack upon Charleston and several places in Virginia, and probably in North Carolina.
The continental congress having also desired, that members of the councils of safety of the provinces of Virginia and North Carolina, might meet and confer om such operations, as their mutual interest rendered neces- sary ; general Allen Jones and Thomas Brickell of the county of Hertford were desired to proceed to Rich- mond.
The sea shore requiring particular attention, a com- pany of fifty men was directed to be raised and stationed at Beaufort, in the county of Carteret, and five other in- dependent companies, for the protection of the remain- der of the coast.
In addition to this, two regiments of seven hundred and fifty men each, were directed to be raised in the dis- tricts of Halifax, Edenton, Newbern and Wilmington ; Philemon Hawkins of the county of Bute was appoint- ed colonel of the first, and Thomas Brown of Bladen, of the second.
Bills of credit were directed to be emitted, to the amount of five hundred thousand pounds, and a poll tax, to continue for twenty years, was imposed.
The former delegates to the continental congress were re-elected ; they were empowered to coneur, in declaring the independence of the united colonies and forming foreign alliances, but they were instructed to reserve to the province the right of forming its own constitution and laws,
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The provincial council, before their adjournment, is. sued forth a solemn declaration, stating that, impelled by a regard to their own safety and the preservation of those rights and privileges, which God and the constitu. tion had made inalienably theirs, and which the power of Great Britain, with unrelenting vengeance, injustice and cruelty, was laboring to subvert, they had been induced to adopt measures, which it was their wish to explain, to those who might be interested in them and their conse. quences.
To other provinces, at a distance from their places of residence and without that circle within which their per- sonal and family influence might be exerted, to the pre- judice of the continent, and the province in particular, they had deemed it absolutely necessary for the public safety, to remove a body of men, whose residence for- tune had cast in the very bosom of the province, and who, in common with the people of it, had shared the blessings which a mild and liberal system of provincial laws, a benign climate and an increasing trade, that poured riches into the lap of honest industry, the coun- tenance and protection of their honest neighbors, held out to them with the most liberal hand.
These misguided people, they observed, disregarding the duty, which they owed to their country, under the just and equal laws of which they had enjoyed protec- tion, procured ample means of subsistance for them. selves and families, and possessed of considerable pro- perty, they were equally bound, by every tie, human and divine, to defend and maintain the cause of liberty, which, in common with the rest of the province, all vir- tuous men on the continent, at the hazard of every thing dear to them, were laboring to defend. These men,
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confederating with the unnatural enemies of America, taking advantage of their residence in the province and the confidence, which that circumstance necessarily cre- ated, had raised their hands against their neighbors and endeavored to embrue them in their blood. God, in his providence, bad hitherto defeated their wicked machina- tions, and put into the possession of the friends of liberty the principal men among those, who, from the wickedness of their own hearts and the seduction of others, meant to have consigned a most flourishing pro- vince to the most abject slavery and oppression : though subdued, they still retained principles, inimical to the country, and were ready, as soon as they should be fa- vored by their situation or the assistance of troops, ex- pected every day to invade the province, with the proba- bility of success, to attempt to carry their wishes into execution, and, co-operating with a merciless administra- tion, drench the province in blood.
Such, the congress declared, were the motives of their conduct, which a regard to the common safety, and that first principle of nature, self preservation, prompted and justice demanded at their hands. In the anguish of their hearts, they lamented the sad necessity, which the frailties of their fellow beings had allotted to their share, and still hoped for the reformation of those who, in this happy contest, were severed from them and those en- dearing ties which nature and social connections had formed for them, and who still remained in the province to lament the folly and wickedness of those who had been removed: to those the congress administered this consolation, that they might rest assured, that no wanton act of cruelty or severity should be exercised towards the prisoners; no restraint imposed upon them, but
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what should be necessary to prevent them using their liberty to the injury of the friends of America.
The congress declared, they had their own security in contemplation, not to make others miserable; they .commiserated the errors of those whom they had in their power; their situation disarmed resentment: they would hail their reformation with increasing pleasure, and re- ceive them with open arms, and their sincere contrition and repentance would atone for their past conduct. Members of the same political body, the congress said, had felt the convulsion which the severance occasioned, and should bless the day which should restore them to friends of liberty, the cause of America, of God and of mankind.
They added, they warred not with the helpless fami- lies those men had left behind; but sympathised with their sorrows and wished to pour the balm of pity into the wounds which a separation from husbands, fathers and the dearest relations had made; and considered them as the rightful pensioners upon the charity of those who had aught to spare, from their necessities, for the relief of their fellow creatures: to such persons they recom- mended them.
They expressed a hope, that the humanity and com- passion which had marked the course they were engag- ed in, would influence the minds of the prisoners to such a conduct as might call forth the utmost tenderness, as much depended on the future demeanor of the fami- lies of the insurgents as on the treatment they would ex- perience. They might consider themselves as hostages for their own good behavior, and, by their own good con- duct, do kind offices to their friends, a tribute of du-
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ty as well as humanity, from those in whose power they were.
General McDonald was released on his parole.
The congress adjourned on the 14th of May.
The armament which had left the port of Portsmouth in the latter part of December, under the order of admi- ral Sir Peter Parker, had proceeded to Ireland, to receive some troops. It was detained so long in Ireland, that it did not reach the mouth of Cape Fear river, till the be- ginning of May. The success of general Caswell, at Moore creek bridge, had so much depressed the friends of the royal cause, that it was, for a long time, deemed of no avail to make any attempt against the province. The troops remained on board of the vessels, in the river, in the vicinity of fort Johnson. On the 12th, however, between the hours of two and three, about nine hundred men were landed, at general Howe's plantation, in the county of Brunswick, under the com- mand of Generals Clinton and Cornwallis. The sentry, posted on the bank of the river, immediately gave the alarm to the guard, who had only time to collect their horses and throw down the fences, to let a few cattle out, which they drove off, before the enemy surrounded the house. On their march up the causeway, from the river, part of the guard kept up a brisk fire on them, which the enemy steadily returned. A few women, who were left in the house, were treated with great bar- barity; one of them was shot through the hips, another was stabbed with a bayonet, and a third knocked down with the but of a musket. In the small skirmish, while the British were on the causeway, they had one man killed, several wounded and a serjeant of the 33d regiment
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