North Carolina booklet : great events in North Carolina history

              Vol. V. OCTOBER, 1905 No. 2
TTHB
NORTH CAROLINA BOOKLET
'Carolina ! Carolina ! Heaven's Blessings Attend Her !
While We Live We Will Cherish, Protect and DefeiVd Her."
PUBLISHED BY
THE NORTH CAROLINA SOCIETY
DAUGHTERS OF THE REVOLUTION.
The object of the Booklet is to aid in developing and preserving
North Carolina History. The proceeds arising from its publication
will be devoted to patriotic purposes. Editors.
,' •/
Officers of The North Carolina Society
Daughters of the Revolution, 1903-1905:
regent:
MRS. THOMAS K. BRITNER.
yice-regent:
MRS, WALTER CLARK.
HONORARY REGENTS
t
MRS. SPIER WHITAKER,
{Nee Hooper),
MRS. D. H. HILL, Sr.*
secretary:
MRS. E. E. MOFFITT.
treasurer:
MRS. FRANK SHERWOOD.
registrar:
MRS. ED. CHAMBERS SMITH.
Founder op the North Carolina Society and Regent 1896-1902;
MRS. SPIER WHITAKER.
Regent 1902:
MRS. D. H. HILL, Sr.
*Died December 12, 1904.
THE NORTH CAROLINA BOOKLET.
Vol. V. OCTOBERj, 1905. No. 2.
HISTORY OF THE CAPITOL
By CHARLES EARL JOHNSON.
The history of the Capitol cannot be written without some
account of the city of Raleigh. Raleigh is one of the few
cities in this country, or in any country for that matter,
which sprang into full-fledged existence without having been
the enlargement of a previously existing town. In this it is
unique, and to this it owes much of its beauty, since in the
beginning there was only a wide expanse of farming land
and forest, thus allowing streets and lots to be laid out with
mathematical precision under the direction of skilled engi-neers.
The first General Assembly, of which we have much in-formation,
met at the house of Captain Richard Sanderson,
on Little River, in the County of Perquimans, in. the year
1715. In 1720 the Legislative body met at the general court-house
at Queen Anne's Creek, in Chowan precinct. In 1723
it met at Edenton. After that it drifted about, at various
times sitting at Edenton, Wilmington, J^ew Bern, Kinston,
Halifax, Smithfield, Wake Court-House, Hillsboro, Salem
and Tarborough. In 1787 at Tarborough the General As-sembly
resolved that it : "Be recommended to the people of
the State to authorize and direct their representatives in the
Convention called to consider the Federal Constitution to fix
on the place of an unalterable seat of government."
74: THE JSTOKTH CAROLINA BOOKLET.
Tliis Convention was held at Hillsboro in July and Au-gust,
1788, and I give below extracts from the journal of
that body, which explain more fully than any description I
might give just why the seat of government came to be lo-cated
where it now is.
EXTRACTS FROM JOURNAL
:
^'Thursday, July 31st, 1788: On motion made by Mr.
Kutherford, and seconded by Mr. Steele, Resolved, that the
Convention will to-morrow at four o'clock in the afternoon,
proceed to fix on a proper place for the seat of government
of this State."
"Mr. John G. Blount obta.ined leave for himself and
others to enter a protest on the journal against the above reso-lution.
"Friday, August 1st, 1788 : Ordered that Mr. Iredell, Mr.
Maclaine and Mr. Jones be a committee to prepare and bring
in an ordinance to establish the seat of government at the
place hereafter to be fixed on by this Convention.
"On a motion made by Mr. Joseph McDowell and seconded
by Mr. Benj. Smith, Resolved, that the Convention will bal-lot
for the place at which the seat of government shall be
fixed.
"The yeas and nays were demanded on this resolution, and
it prevailed by a vote of 134 to 117.
"Saturday, August 2nd, 1788 : On motion of Mr. Willie
Jones, seconded, by Mr. Thomas Alderson, it was decided to
allow the Legislature to fix the exact place of the seat of
government, only it must be within ten miles of the place
designated by the Convention.
"Resolved, that the several places hereafter named be in
nomination for the seat of government of this State, to-wit:
Smithfield, nominated by Mr. James Pa%me ; Tarborough,
nominated by Mr. Robert W. Williams ; Fayetteville, nomi-nated
by Mr. Wm. Barry Grove; Mr. Isaac Hunter's, in
THE NORTH CAROLINA BOOKLET. 75
Wake Coiiuty, nominated by Mr. James Iredell; JSTewbern,
nominated by the Hon. Mr. Spencer; Hillsborough, nomi-
-nated by Mr. Alexander Mebane ; the Fork of Haw and Deep
Rivers, nominated by Mr. Thomas Person. And that Mr.
Elijah Mitchell, Mr. Benjamin Williams, Mr. l^athaniel
Jones and Mr. John Caines be appointed Commissioners to
superintend and conduct the balloting.
"Adjourned until ten o'clock.
"Met according to adjournment. The Commissioners re-ported
no choice, and a second ballot was ordered.
"Adjourned until four o'clock.
"Met according to adjournment. The Commissioners re-ported
a majority of votes in favor of Mr. Isaac Hunter's
in Wake County.
"Mr. Iredell, from the Committee heretofore appointed,
brought in a bill to establish the seat of government, etc.,
which was read, passed and ordered to be ratified.
"Ordered, that all who desired to do so should have leave
to enter their protest on the journal.
"Monday, August 4th, 1788 : Mr. William Barry Grove
presented a protest signed by over one hundred members."
ISTot until 1791 did the General Assembly, which met at
ISTew Bern, carry into effect the ordinance passed at Hills-borough
in 1788. The act passed by the General Assembly
provided that nine persons should be appointed to lay off and
locate the city within ten miles of Isaac Hunter's ; and five
persons "To cause to be built and erected a State House
sufficiently large to accommodate, with convenience, both the
houses of the General Assembly, at an expense not to exceed
ten thousand pounds." The nine persons chosen as Commis-sioners
were: Joseph McDowell, the elder, James Martin.
Thomas Person, Thomas Blount, William Johnston Daw-son,
Frederick Hargett, Henry William Harrington, James
Bloodworth and Willie Jones. The Building Committee se-lected
were: Richard Bennehan, John Mcaon, Robert Good-loe,
Nathan Bryan and Theophilus Hunter.
Y6 THE NORTH CAROLINA BOOKLET.
It has been supposed that on April the -ith, 1792, there
assembled at the house of Isaac Hunter five of the nine Com-missioners,
and that they then proceeded to determine the
site for the city, but I have before me an autograph letter of
Joel Lane to General Harrington, which I give in full
:
"Wake Court-House, 13th March, 1792.
Dear Sir;—On the 20th instant the Commissioners for
fixing on the place for the seat of government are to meet,
and as I am not certain you have been notified of it. I take
the liberty to request your attendance, having reason to be-lieve
that unless you are present the Eastern interest will fix
it on the north side of ISTeuse River.
"I am Dr. sir Yours,
"Respectfully, JOEL LA^^E."
However, General Harrington did not attend, for some
time between the 20th and 22nd of March a majority of the
Commission, six in number, to-wit: Frederick Hargett, Wil-lie
Jones, Joseph McDowell, Thomas Blount, William
Johnston Dawson and James Martin arrived on the scene.
They proceeded to ride over and investigate the different
tracts of land offered, and also, according to tradition, had a
good old time generally. They seem to have kept this up
for about a week, for on the 29th of March, 1792, the Com-missioners,
according to their report, chose as their Chair-man
Frederick Hargett, and proceeded to ballot, with the
result that there were cast for John Hinton's three votes, for
Joel Lane's two votes, and for Henry Lane's one vote. An-other
ballot was taken and resulted in three votes for John
Hinton's, two for Joel Lane's, and one for ^N^athaniel Jones'.
Mr. ISTathaniel Jones lived where Cary now is. The Com-missioners
then adjourned, and when they met at nine o'clock
next morning Joel Lane's tract got five votes, and John Hin-ton's
offer received only one vote, which goes to prove that.
THE NORTH CAKOLINA BOOKLET. 77
Joel Lane was a good politician, and would have graced
Raleigh's present Aldermanic Board had he lived in this,
our day and generation. It is worthy of remark that one
of the items in the Commissioner's report reads as follows
:
''Joel Lane was allowed for entertaining the Commissioners
fourteen days, forty-four pounds, sixteen shillings." One
might reasonably ask, why the sixteen shillings ?
On the 5th of April, 1792, the deed for one thousand
acres was executed by Joel Lane, and as this deed has never
before been published, I give it here in full. It is more
than probable that this deed would have been lost but for the
care and energy of our present Secretary of State, Hon. J.
Bryan Grimes, who rescued it a short while back from some
discarded rubbish
:
"This indenture, made the fifth day of April, in the year
one thousand seven hundred and ninety-two, between Joel
Lane, Esquire, of Wake County, of the one part, and Alex-ander
Martin, Esquire, Governor of the State of IsTorth Caro-lina,
of the other part, Witnesseth: that the said Joel Lane,
for the sum of one thousand three hundred and seventy-eight
pounds, current money of ivTorth Carolina, to him paid by
Frederick Hargett, Esquire, Chairman of the Board of
Commissioners appointed, by act of Assembly passed in
Deer., in the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety-one,
to determine on the place for holding the future meet-ings
of the General Assembly, and for the residence of the
Chief Officers of the State of N'orth Carolina, the receipt
whereof is hereby acknowledged : Hath granted, bargained
and sold, aliened, enfeoffed, released and confirmed, and by
these presents doth grant, bargain and sell, alien, enfeoff,
release and confirm to the said Alexander Martin, Esquire,
and his successors in office for the time being, a certain tract
or parcel of land in Wake County, to the Eastward of and
near to Wake Court-House, containing one thousand acres,
more or less, and bound as follows : Beginning at four
To THE KOKTH CAKOLIiS'A BOOKLET.
sasafras, two wliite oaks, two persimmons and an elm on
Rocky Branch, thence ITorth ten degrees East three hun-dred
and thirty-four poles to a stake in the run of a spring
branch; then East three hundred and twenty-seven poles
to a small hickory and red oak, near a craggy rock; then
ISTorth forty poles to a stake near a red oak; then East one
hundred and fifty-eight poles to a stake in the center of a
red oak a hickory and two post oaks ; then South two hun-dred
and eighty-one poles to a white oak in Joshua Suggs'
'
line; then South fifty-seven degrees West two hundred and
fifty-six poles to a young hickory; then ISTorth eighty-four
degrees V\^est one hundred and thirty poles to a post oak;
then West one hundred and forty-eight poles to a white oak
on the Rocky Branch; then up the branch, the various
courses thereof, to the beginning; and all woods, timber
trees, ways, waters, springs, emoluments and advantages to
said tract of land belonging: To have and to hold the said
tract of land, with the appurtenances, to the said Alexander
Martin, Esquire, and his successors in office, for the time
being, for the sole use and benefit of the State of ^orth
Carolina, forever. And the said Joel Lane, for himself and
his heirs ; doth covenant, bargain and agree to and with the
said Alexander Martin, Esquire, and his successors in of-fice,
that he, the said Joel Lane and his heirs, shall and will
warrant and defend the premises, with the appurtenances, to
the said Alexander Martin and his successors in office, for
the time being, for the benefit of the State as aforesaid,
against himself and his heirs, and against the lawful claim
of all persons forever.
"In witness whereof, the said Joel Lane hath hereto put
his hand and seal, the day and year first above-mentioned.
"Ackd. JOEL LA:NTE," (SeaL)
Signed, sealed and delivered in presence of
WM. CHRISTMAS,
WILLIE JOIs^ES,
April 5th, 1792. JOSEPH BROWK
THE NORTH CAEOLINA BOOKLET. 79
"Received of Frederick Hargett, Esquire, Chairman of the
Board of Commissioners, authorized to purchase lands for
the permanent seat of government, a warrant on the Treas-urer
for the sum of one thousand three hundred and seventy-eight
pounds currency, in full, of the consideration money
above-mentioned.
"Ackd. JOEL LAIS^E.
"Witness: THOS. BLOUIs^T.
"Wake County, June Term, 1792.
"Then was the above deed duly acknowledged in open
Court, by Joel Lane, Esq., and ordered to be registered.
"H. LAIs^E, C. C.
"Enrolled in the Eegister's Office of Wake County, in
Book L, and page (illegible) this 6th day of June, 1792.
"JAS. HmTO¥, Register.
"Examined by Sol. Goodrich."
Upon receiving this deed the Commissioners proceeded to
lay oif the plan of a city containing four hundred acres, ar-ranged
in five squares of four acres each, and 276 lots of
one acre each. One of the squares was named Caswell
Square, in honor of Governor Caswell. This is now the site
of the Institution for the Blind. The JL^Tortheastern Square
was named after Thomas Burke, also Governor, and
here now is located the Governor's Mansion, though
formerly the site of the old Raleigh Academy. _ 'Nash Square
was in the southwestern portion of the city, and is now a
beautiful resting place just opposite the Union Depot.
Moore Square was in the southeastern section of the city,
and is still kept open as a pleasant breathing place for the
inhabitants of that portion of the city. The central square
was named Union Square, and on it now stands our beautiful
Capitol building, formerly called the State House.
80 THE NOETH CAKOLINA BOOKLET.
The first Gubernatorial Mansion was a plain two-story
frame bnilding painted white, and stood on lot number 131
of the original plan of the city. An office for the Governor
was erected in the corner of this lot just where the present
Raleigh Banking and Trust Company stands. In 1813 the
General Assembly appointed a committee composed of Henry
Porter, Henry Seawell, William Hinton, jSTathaniel Jones,
of Crabtree, Theophilus Hunter and William Peace to
erect a new and more commodious dwelling for the Gov-ernor
at a cost not to exceed five thousand pounds. The site
selected for the new Governatorial residence, which was called
the Governor's Palace, was at the foot of Fayetteville street,
directly south of and fronting the Capitol, just where the
Centennial Graded School now stands. The edifice was
completed during Governor Miller's administration, and he
was its first occupant.
In 1792, with appropriate ceremonies, was laid the corner
stone of the first State House, as it was then called. The
term Capitol was not adopted until 1832. The architect was
Rody Adkins. The brick were made in brick yards located
at lots numbers 138 and 154, and the maximum cost of the
building is said to have been fixed by the committee at twenty
thousand dollars. The building was of brick, of a dingy, red-dish
color. The General Assembly met for the first time in
the completed State House in the fall of 1794. Richard
Dobbs Speight, the elder, was then the Governor. Eight
years afterwards he was killed in a duel by John Stanly.
Although the exterior of the building was exceedingly plain,
and the building itself much smaller than the present struc-ture,
the interior arrangement was somewhat similar, having
broad passages running the entire length of the building
from north to south, and from east to west. There was a
dome, and there was a rotunda at the intersection of the pas-sages.
In this rotunda was placed the famous statue of
Washington by the great sculptor Canova. This statue did
THE NOKTH CAROLINA BOOKLET. 81
not survive the destruction of the building by fire on the
21st of June, 1831. An attempt, however, was made to re-store
it, and three thousand dollars was appropriated for that
purpose. At the suggestion of Judge Gaston, a sculptor
named Hughes Avas employed to restore it. Hughes asked
for an advance of $500 for preliminary expenses, and it is
said that his signing the receipt for this money was the
first, last and only act done by him in performance of the
work. The remains of the statue are now in the Hall of
History.
The State House was literally the house of the people, and
the State House bell was for many years the only bell in
Raleigh. This bell was used for all public purposes. The
State House itself, and the grounds about it, were often
used for all conceivable purposes. There not being either
church or theatre yet built in the young city, the people
assembled in its halls on Sunday to worship God, and on
week days, as occasion offered, to witness theatrical and
slight-of-hand performances, and to listen to lectures and
orations. Balls and receptions were of frequent occurrence,
while patriotic observance of the 4th of July was always a
feature. I can not refrain from quoting a contemporaneous
account of the thirty-third celebration of the 4th of July:
"The thirty-third anniversary of American Independence
was celebrated in this city in the usual manner on the 4th
inst. At 12 o'clock a procession of citizens and strangers
with Capt. Willie Jones' troop of cavalry at the head, formed
at the court-house—agreeably to previous arrangements, and
directed by Capt. Scott, proceeded up Fayetteville street to
the State House, during the ringing of the State House, court-house.
Academy and town bells, and firing of cannon. Being
seated in the Common's Chamber, an ode in honor of the
day, composed for the occasion, was sung by a choir of about
70 voices, conducted by Mr. Seward, accompanied by a band
of instrumental music.
82 THE NORTH CAROLIJTA BOOKLET.
"The Rev. Mr. Tin-ner then rose and delivered an oration
of the merits of which we shall at present forbear to speak,
as we intend to solicit a copy for publication.
"At 3 o'clock the company sat down to an excellent dinner,
prepared by Mr. Casso at the State House, at which Col. Polk
and Judge Potter presided.
"The Supreme Court of the State being in session, the
celebration was honored with the presence of the judges,
gentlemen of the bar, and many other characters of respect-ability
from almost every part of the State.
"In the evening a ball was given to the ladies."
Where are now the brave fellows who proudly marched
up Fayetteville street to the glad strains of martial music
on that 4th of July, nearly one hundred years ago ? Where
are now the smart young beaux and the smiling belles, who
thread the happy mazes of the reel and bowed through the
stately minuet at that gay ball in those halls ? Gone is the
old State House, gone are they. Where will we be a hundred
years hence ?
About 1819 the Governor was authorized to improve the
State House under the direction of the State Architect. East
and west porticoes were added, additional elevation was given
to the walls, and the whole was covered with stucco in the
imitation of stone. This work was done under the super-vision
of Wm. ]Srichols, who had recently been appointed
State Architect, and the work was completed early in the
summer of 1822.
On the morning of the 21st of June, 1831, the citizens
of Raleigh were startled by the cry of fire, and smoke was
seen to be issuing from the eaves of the Capitol. . It was im-possible
to stay the flames, or to remove the statue of Wash-ington.
In a short while the building was a complete wreck.
Most of the public documents were saved, as the fire worked
downward from the roof.
As a description of this fire will doubtless prove interest-
THE NOKTH CAROLINA BOOKLET. 83
ing, I give the account which appeared in the Raleigh Reg-ister
of Thursday, June 23d, 1831:
"Awful conflagration! It is our painful and melancholy
duty again to announce to the public another appalling in-stance
of loss by fire, which will be deeply felt and lamented
by every individual in our State. It is nothing less than
the total destruction of the Capitol of the State, located in
this city. Of that noble edifice, with its splendid decorations,
nothing now remains but the blackened walls and smoulder-ing
ruins. The State Library is also entirely consumed, and
the Statue of \Yashington, that proud monument of national
gratitude, which was our pride and glory, is so mutilated and
defaced that none can behold it but with mournful feelings,
and the conviction involuntarily forces itself upon their
minds, that the loss is one which can not be repaired. The
most active exertions were made to rescue this chef d'ouvre
of Canova from the ravishes of the devouring elements, nor
were they desisted from until the danger became imminent.
"The alarm was given about seven o'clock on Tuesday
morning, and it was presently evident that all attempts to
extinguish the fire would prove perfectly fruitless. The ef-forts
of the bystanders were then directed towards the pro-tection
of the public ofiices on the Square, and the adjacent
private buildings, and to the preservation of the ofiicial ar-chives.
We are happy to add that none of the former were
injured, and that the latter, including the Legislative rec-ords,
were all saved. The beautiful grove of oaks, of which
the Capitol was the center ornament, did more towards stay-ing
the progress of the flames than any human effort, and
inculcates most forcibly the propriety of cultivating shade
trees in cities, on the score of security from fire alone, to say
nothing of other considerations. Seldom has the eye wit-nessed
so awful a spectacle as this vast building in one con-centrated
blaze, streaming from every window, and a vast
column from the roof, forming altogether a scene not ade-quately
to be described.
84 THE NOKTH CAEOLIKA BOOKLET.
"The origin of the fire is not certainly known, but we be-lieve
the general impression is, that it was the result of most
culpable carelessness on the part of a man who had been
employed to assist in soldering the new zinc roof, as he was
seen that morning carrying up a coal of fire between two
shingles considerably ignited, a spark from which, in all
probability, fell amongst some combustible matter between
the roof and ceiling, which took fire while the hands were at
breakfast.
"Considering the rapidity with which the fire progressed
it is an alleviating circumstance that the public papers were
all secured. Besides the papers of the Clerks of the two
houses of the Legislature, and those of the Comptroller and
of the Clerk of the Supreme Court, the fine copy of Stewart's
painting of the Father of our Country, and some articles of
furniture of the Legislative chambers, were preserved from
the flames.
"It will be seen from the accompanying resolutions, that
the congregation and pew-holders of the Presbyterian church,
with laudable public spirit, have tendered to the Governor
the use of their buildings for the temporary accommodation
of the Legislature.
"Kaleigh, Juis-e 21st, 1831.
"At a meeting of the congregation and pew-holders of the
Presbyterian church of this city, the Reverend William ]\Ic-
Pheeters was called to the chair, and H. M. Miller, Esq., was
requested to act as secretary.
"The meeting, taking into consideration the very distress-ing
calamity with which the city of Ealeigh and the State
generally has this day been visited, in the destruction by
fire, of that noble edifice, the State House, which was the
pride and ornament of the State, adopted unanimously the
following resolutions
:
"Eesolved, That they do hereby respectfully offer to His
Excellencv, the Governor of the State of ISTorth Carolina, and
THE NORTH CAKOLIA'A BOOKLET. 65
through him to the General Assembly of the State, this church
with the Session House thereunto attached, as a temporary
accommodation for holding the sessions of that honorable
body until a more convenient and permanent building shall
be provided.
"Resolved, That should any alteration in said church be
deemed advisable for the better accommodation of the mem-bers
of the Assembly, that they do hereby allow and autho-rized
said alterations to be made.
"Resolved, That a copy of the foregoing resolutions,
sigTied by the Chairman and counter-signed by the Secretary,
be handed to His Excellency the Governor.
"WILLIAM McPHEETEES,
Chairman.
"H. M. MILLEE,
Secretary.
"We learn also that the use of the Session House of the
Presbyterian church has been politely offered to the judges
and bar of the Supreme Court, at present in session, and the
offer has been thankfully accepted."
This building had previously narrowly escaped destruc-tion
by fire. During the administration of Governor Ashe,
and covering the period of 1796, 1797 and 1798, it was dis-covered
that numerous frauds had been perpetrated in the
office of the Secretary of State. James Glasgow, who had
enjoyed a high reputation, and had the confidence of the
public, was then the Secretary of State. It was found that
with the assistance of confederates he had been issuing fraud-ulent
grants of land in Tennessee and Western ISTorth Caro-lina.
Certain documents incriminating Glasgow and his con-federates
were in a trunk or trunks in the Secretary of State's
office, and Governor Ashe received a confidential message
from I^ashville warning him of a conspiracy to burn the State
86 THE NORTH dKOLi:\"'A BOOKLET.
House in order to destroy tliese papers. After this infornia-tion
was received a guard Avas kept about the Capitol for the
next two monthsj but one night when a ball was being given
at Casso's Hotel to the bridal party shortly after the second
marriage of the public Treasurer, the festivities were inter-rupted
by the hasty entrance of a messenger with the infor-mation
that some one was forcing his way into the win-dow
of the office where the trunlvS containing the records in
question w^ere deposited. The man was caught, was ascer-tained
to be the slave of one of the persons charged with
fraud, was convicted of burglary and executed.
After the destruction of the State House, rivalry as to the
seat of government again broke out. Politicians all over the
State commenced to manoeuvre with the dual object of ob-taining
the Capitol for their own community, and at the
same time advancing their political fortunes. To Judge
Henry Seawell, Senator from Wake, has generally been given
the credit of saving the day for Raleigh. It is a matter of
tradition that the town of Haywood at the junction of the
Haw and Deep Rivers failed to secure the Capitol by only
one vote, but this is not borne out by the records, as the
vote shows that the bill appropriating $50,000 for re-build-ing
on the old site passed in the House by 73 to 60, and in
the Senate by 35 to 28.
The Commissioners selected to have in charge this im-portant
work were Henry Seawell, Romulus M. Saunders,
Duncan Cameron, William S. Mhoon and William Boylan.
All were Raleigh men except William S. Mhoon, who was
from Bertie, but was at that time residing in Raleigh, as
State Treasurer. These Commissioners did the very wise
thing of spending the whole of the small appropriation on
the foundations. The subsequent General Assemblies had to
make additional appropriations from time to time, until in
1840, which year marked the completion of the Capitol, the
cost had amounted to the not inconsiderable sum of $530,-
684.15.
THE NOETH CAEOLINA BOOKLET. 87
The original Commissioners re-signed in 1836, and were
succeeded by Samuel F. Patterson, Beverley Daniel, Charles
Manly, Alfred Jones and Charles L. Hinton. Beverly
Daniel acted as Chairman of the Commission.
The work at first was under the supervision of the State
Architect, William Nichols and I. Town, of ISTew York, but
David Baton was the draughtsman and may be considered
the real architect of the noble structure. Stone cutters and
masons were brought from Scotland to work upon the build-ing,
and some of Raleigh's most substantial and highly es-teemed
citizens of to-day are descendants of those who came
from over the waters for that purpose. The stone was taken
from a granite quarry southeast of the Capitol, and about
one mile distant. The stone was conveyed from the quarry
to the workmen engaged in the erection of the building by
means of a railroad with horse power. This, the first experi-mental
railroad ever operated in Korth Carolina, and said to
have suggested the building of the IsTorth Carolina Railroad,
according to tradition, was first proposed by Mrs. Polk, the
wife of Colonel Polk.
The following is a full and particular description of the
present Capitol, v^itten by the architect David Baton:
"The State Capitol is 160 feet in length from north to
south, by 140 feet from east to west. The whole height is
97 1-2 feet in the centre. The apex of pediment is 64 feet
in height. The stylobate is 18 feet in height. The columns
of the east and west porticoes are 5 feet 2 1-2 inches in diam-eter.
An entnblature, including blocking course, is continued
around the building, 12 feet high.
"The columns and entablature are Grecian Doric, and
copied from the Temple of Minerva, commonly called the
Parthenon, which was erected in Athens about 500 years be-fore
Christ. An octagon tower surrounds the rotunda, which
is ornamented with Grecian cornice, etc., and its dome is
decorated ,it top with a similar ornament to that of the
88 THE KOETH CAROLINA LOOKLET.
Choragic Monument of Lysicrates, commonly called the Lan-thorn
of Demosthenes.
"The interior of the Capitol is divided into three stories:
"First, the lower story, consisting of ten rooms, eight of
which are appropriated as offices to the Governor, Secretary,
Treasurer and Comptroller, each having two rooms of the
same size—the one containing an area of 649 square feet, the
other 528 square feet—the two Committee rooms, each con-taining
200 square feet, and four closets ; also the rotunda,
corridors, vestibules and piazzas, contain an area of 4,370
square feet. The vestibules are decorated with columns and
antse, similar to that of the Ionic Temple on the Ilissus, near
the Acropolis of Athens. The remainder is groined with
stone and brick, springing from columns and pilasters of the
Koman Doric.
"The second story consists of Senatorial and Representa-tives'
chambers, the former containing an area of 2,545 and
the latter 2,849 square feet. Four apartments enter from
Senate chamber, two of which contain each an area of 169
square feet, and the other two contain each an area of 154
square feet; also two rooms enter from Representatives'
chamber, each containing an area of 170 square feet; of two
Committee rooms, each containing an area of 231 feet; of
four presses and the passages, stairs, lobbies and colonades,
containing an area of 3,204 square feet.
"The lobbies and hall of Representatives have their col-umns
and antae of the Octagon Tower of Andronicus Cyr-rhestes,
and the plan of the hall is of the formation of the
Greek theatre, and the columns and antae in the Senatorial
chamber and rotunda are of the Temple of Erectheus, Mi-nerva
Polias and Pandrosus, in the Acropolis of Athens,
near the above-named Parthenon.
"Third, or attic story, consists of rooms appropriated to
the Supreme Court and Library, each containing an area of
693 square feet. Galleries of both houses have an area of
THE NORTH CAKOLINA BOOKLET. 89
1,300 square feet ; also two apartments entering from Senate
gallery, each 169 square feet, of four presses and the lobbies'
stairs, 988 square feet. These lobbies, as well as rotunda,
are lit with cupolas, and it is proposed to finish the Court
and Library in the florid Gothic style."
These halls have heard in debate the great men who have
figured in ISTorth Carolina history for nearly a century
—
Badger, Iredell, Morehead, Graham, Vance—but why call
the roll of the mighty host ! Their voices are hushed forever
to our earthly ears, but as we stand where they once stood
we can not but feel a vibrant inspiration from the atmos-phere
which once sounded their words of counsel and re-sounded
with the people's applause. This building is hal-lowed
by memories of our illustrious dead—the very stones
are sacred. It stands a beautiful monument of the past and
the present, linking one generation with another. Leave us
our Capitol as it is ! Let no vandal hand touch it ! The ad-ditional
room needed for State offices can be supplied by ac-quiring
property facing upon the square, and erecting perma-nent
buildings thereon of a character in harmony with the
Capitol itself. Let the Executive, Treasury, and other ofii-ces
be arranged in these buildings, which could be made
fire-proof as well as comfortable, and leave for the Legisla-ture
and its committees the grand old structure in its solid
majesty, and with its historic memories unmarred by change.
We would indeed then have a Capitol and State buildings
of which every ISTorth Carolinian might be proud.
Ealeigh, K C, August 15th, 1905.
SOME NOTES ON COLONIAL NORTH CAROLINA
1700^1750.
By J. BRYAN GRIMES.
In writing of Colonial ISTorth Carolina I can not do a bet-ter
service than to present bare facts with sources of infor-mation
rather than give an expression of my views and con-clusions
as to social conditions in our province before 1750.
Before the middle of the eighteenth century we had no press
and the world heard of us only from the print of the out-sider
who, from jealousy, ignorance or prejudice, did not do
us justice. Having no historian of our oAvn in Colonial times,
our writers have relied as an authority upon Chalmers, whose
every chapter was a continued vituperation or misrepresenta-tion
of our State. George Chalmers was born in Scotland,
in 1742, and "emigrated to Maryland where he practiced
law for ten years, till the troubles of the Revolution began,
and then he returned to England." He was a bitter loyalist
who had no patience with the spirit of American indepen-dence.
The first of his historical works was published in
1781 during the Revolutionary War.
Of our history Col. Saunders says: "The first search
made in London for information in regard to North Caro-lina
affairs was doubtless that made by the historian George
Chalmers, who, in 1780, published his Political Annals of
the Present United Colonies, the fruit of his labors in the
British Record Office to which the official position he held
gave him access. This volume has been the standard au-thority
with all later Carolina historians. Its general ac-curacy
as to matters of fact is by no means perfect, and Mr.
THE NORTH CAROLINA BOOKLET. 91
Chalmers' bitter prejudices as a loyalist render his conclu-sions
utterly unreliable.
At a later date the historian Williamson, who desired
copies of certain papers in London relating to Carolina,
hoped that Mr. Chalmers would furnish him therewith or
assist him in obtaining them. Mr. Chalmers would do
neither and threatened to interfere if application should
be made to the head of the proper department."
Let us glance at some of the writings of this "Standard
authority with all later ]*^orth Carolina historians" and com-pare
them with the pages of Bancroft.
Of this colony just before the Culpeper rebellion Chalmers
says:
"Originally a sprout from Virginia, the unprosperous
plantation of ISTorth Carolina naturally produced the same
unpleasant fruits, during that boisterous season. Alteration
of system, no less than change of governors had long pre-vented
the revolt of a colony, which, in 1675, contained only
four thousand inhabitants, who derived, unhappily, no bene-fit
from the coercion of laws or the influences of religion." a
Of this same period Bancroft says:
"The government had for about a year been left in what
Royalists called ^111 order and worse hands.' That is, it had
been a government of the people themselves, favoring popular
liberty, even to the protection of the friends of Colonial In-dependence."
h
Chalmers writes again
:
"ISTorth Carolina enjoyed unusual quiet for some time
after the expulsion of Sothell, because continued anarchy
often prompts a desire for fixed repose. * * * The
most inconsiderable community of JSTorth Carolina has never
relinquished the flattering gratifications of self-rule, even
when they were inconvenient. Having refused to join in
aCbal., p. 166.
6 Ban., Vol. 2, p. 157.
92 THE NOETH CAROLINA BOOKLET.
legislation with their Southern neighbors, the inhabitants
were delivered over to their discontents; having denied sub-mission
to the Deputy-Governor sent them from Charleston,
the proprietaries seem in despair to have relinquished them
to their own management, in 1695, without inquiring for
seven years after, whether they prospered or declined." a
In contrast to the above Bancroft writes
:
"Here was a double grief to the proprietaries; the
rapacity of Sothell was a breach of trust; the judgment
of the Assembly an ominous usurpation. * * * The
planters of JSTorth Carolina recovered tranquility so soon as
they escaped the misrule from abroad, and sure of am-nesty,
esteemed themselves the happiest people on earth.
They loved the pure air and clear skies of their 'summer
land.'" * * *
"The planters of Albemarle were men who had been led
to the choice of their residence from a hatred of restraint,
and had lost themselves among the woods in search of inde-pendence.
Are there any who doubt man's capacity for self-government,
let them study the history of IS'orth Carolina;
its inhabitants were restless and turbulent in their imperfect
submission to a government imposed on them from abroad;
the administration of the colony was firm, humane and tran-quil
when they were left to take care of themselves. Any
government, but one of their own institution, was oppres-sive.
* * * ISTorth Carolina was settled by the freest
of the free ; by men to whom the restraints of other colonies
were too severe. But the settlers were gentle in their temp-ers,
of serene minds, enemies to violence and blood-shed.
* * * Freedom, entire freedom, was enjoyed without
anxiety as without guarantees ; the charities of life were scat-tered
at their feet, like the flowers in their meadows; and
the spirit of humanity maintained its influence in the Ar-a
Chalmers, pp. 264, 399.
THE ISrOETH CAROLINA BOOKLET. 93
cadia, as Eovalist writers will have it, of 'rogues and rebels'
in the paradise of Quakers." a
After a half page of sneers at ISTorth Carolina to cover a
period of her history, he, Chalmers, ends a chapter thus:
"And this wretched province was continually branded as
the general receptacle of the fugitive, the smuggler and the
pirate ; as a community, destitute of religion to meliorate the
heart, or of laws to direct the purpose of the will. * * *
In JSTorth Carolina disorder is said to have continued its
natural progress from the epoch of its settlement to the ac-cession
of George the Second. Destitute of the kindly in-fluences
of religion and of law, the planters acquired peculiar
habits from acting a singular part amidst perpetual tumult.
* * * Owing to his usual inattention, the Duke of ISTew-castle
sent Burrington, a man still more weak and corrupt,
and intemperate than his predecessor to rule such a people
during such a season. * * * In April, 1733, Johnston,
a domestic of Lord Wilmington, was appointed his succes-sor,
a man of sufficient knowledge and prudence, but whose
experience degenerated a little into cunning. * * *
And during the year 1749 ISTorth Carolina was found to 'be
a little better than an asylum for fugitives since it was desti-tute
of any regular government.' Such are the unpleasant
incidents which occupy the story of an inconsiderable set-tlement,
that gradually filled with people as the law offered
protection to the vagabond, as every one lived without con-trol,
and all enjoyed in security what a trivial labor had
gained." h
While the ISTorth Carolina patriots were blazing the way
for American independence, and a year or two before their
armed resistance to Great Britain, this man Chalmers, who
for a century was accepted as authority on our Colonial his-tory,
dismisses us from history in these words
:
"The story of this tumultous settlement is from this period
filled with nothing but the play of parties, the wailings of
imbecility and the complaint of recrimination." c
a Ban., Vol. 2, pp. 158, 164, 165.
6 Chalmers, Vol. 2, pp. 81, 163, 164, 165 and 197.
cChal., Vol. 2, p. 361.
94: THE NORTH CAEOLINA BOOKLET.
In the earliest time of our colonization, because we gave
protection to the defeated patriot followers of Bacon, Gov.
Berkeley in his murderous wrath slandered and maligned us.
In the settlement of our northern boundary line, because
we could not be outwitted or cajoled. Col. Byrd ridiculed us,
and the people who were esteemed as Virginians, when they
were found to reside on the south of the boundary line, were
aspersed as North Carolinians. *
When ISTorth Carolina spent her blood and treasure in the
defence of other colonies especially Virginia, in the war
against the French and Indians on the Ohio, Sparks, writing
of the Commander-in-Chief, James Innes, and his Carolin-ians,
gravely and seriously remarks: "But, aside from the
incompetency of this officer, he was an inhabitant of I^orth
Carolina, and, as such, unacceptable to the Virginia troops" a
"111 fares it with a State whose history is written by others
than her own sons !"
For a century and a half no native Carolinian attempted
to tell the story of his people—we had neither pen nor type
to speak for us. Printing was introduced into ISTorth Caro-lina
by James Davis in 1749. Previous to that time our
printing was done in London, in Virginia and at Charleston.
The first newspaper we had was in 1Y64—The ISTorth Car-olina
Magazine and Universal Intelligencer, published by
James Davis, "on a demi-sheet in quarto pages, but it was
a The Writings of Washington, Vol. 2, p. 262 note.
* Note.—Col. Byrd, in spite of his ridicule of onr people, seemed to
think well of our soil and climate, as he wrote Gov. Burrington in
1731 : "It must be owned North Carolina is a very happy country
where people may live with the least labor that thev can in any part
of the world." C. R.. Vol. 3, p. 194.
In 3733 he secured twenty thousand acres of land in North Caro-lina
on the Virginia line of which he writes as "the Land of Eden."
Gen. Jas. D. Glenn and Hon. R. B. Glenn now own three thousand
acres of this same tract—Gov. Glenn informs me that a beech tree,
one of the original corners of the Byrd survey is still standing with
the initials of Col. Byrd cut thereon. This tree is one of the corners
of the Glenn estate, and is now fenced and carefully protected from
depredations.
THE NORTH CAROLINA BOOKLET. 95
filled Avith long extracts from the works of theological writers,
or selections from British magazines." a *
Our first newspaper controversy of which I find record was
in 1732, when Gov. George Burrington published a procla-mation
in Timothy's Southern Gazette in regard to our
southern boundary line, and Gov. Johnston replied with a
counter proclamation, setting forth South Carolina's claim
in the same issue." b
^'The second newspaper in IN^orth Carolina was called the
ISTorth Carolina Gazette and Weekly Post Boy. It was
printed at Wilmington, by Andrew Stewart, a Scotchman,
and contained intelligence of current events. The first num-ber
was published in September, 1764. The Cape Fear Mer-cury
was established by Adam Boyd in October, 1767. Boyd
was a zealous patriot, and was an active member of the Com-mittee
of Safety of Wilmington." c
In the space of an article of this nature it will be impos-sible
to attempt a portrayal of conditions in ISTorth Carolina
in the colonial period, so I will give some notes on ISTorth
Carolina before the middle of the eighteenth century, when,
with the fall of the fortunes of the house of Stuart, that great
immigration set in that brought many thousands of Scot-land's
best people to us. This immigration made ISTorth
Carolina second in growth and development to no province
a Lossing.
6 Saunders, P. N., Vol. 5, 36 ; C. R., Vol. 5, 373.
c Lossing.
* Note.—The first newspaper in America was at Boston in 1704
called the Boston News-Letter, a weekly gazette by Bartholomew
Green ; Holmes' Annals, Vol. 1, p. 490, and until 1719 this was the
only paper printed in the British North American Colonies. Printing
was first introduced into Virginia by William Parks in 1726. Holmes'
Annals, Vol. 1, p. 539. The first paper published in Virginia was
issued "at Williamsburg in 1736, a sheet about twelve inches by six
in size. It was printed weekly by William Parks, at fifteen shillings
per annum. No other paper was published in Virginia until the
Stamp Act excitement in 1765-6." Lossing. A printing house was
opened in Charleston by Bleazer Phillips, in 1730, who died the fol-lowing
year. Thomas Whitemarsh arrived soon after with a press
and began the publication of a newspaper, the first printed in the
Carolinas. Holmes' Annals.
96 THE NOETH CABOLINA BOOKLET.
in America. It is unfortuiiate that we had no contemporary
chronicler to draw a true picture of the social and industrial
conditions of those times—the home-life of our people.
The absence of cities, which are usually the literary cen-ters,
and want of known depositories where records could be
collected and preserved, has permitted the destruction of
most of the literature, papers and personal correspondence
of our early colonial times. This absence is accounted for
by an historian as follows
:
"JSTor are the towns of any considerable note. This last
circumstance is owing to the vast commodiousness of water
carriage, which everywhere presents itself to the plantations
of private planters, and scarcity of handicraft." a
Such papers and records as have been preserved throw
more light upon the public and political questions of the day
than upon the personal, social and industrial life of the early
Carolinian. Probably the richest sources from which to
gather information of the social life of that day are the
wills and inventories filed in the office of the Secretary of
State. This is a field of exploration that will yet bring out
much truth and make a fair presentation of our social con-ditions
of which we will not be ashamed. ITorth Carolina
authors have relied for the picture of the home-life of our
people largely upon the writers in other colonies, who have
denied us justice, and in some cases seemed to feel it neces-sary
to bolster the glories of their own colonies by disparag-ing
l^orth Carolina and making comparison therewith.
I do not intend to exaggerate the virtues and excellencies
of our colonists, but will try to give a brief view of our
province, relying on the cotemporary records, and wherever
possible, quote the words of the writers which paint her
just as she was, "warts and all."
It is admitted that the physical conditions of a country
largely determine the character, industry and habits of its
a Holmes' Annals, Vol. 2, p. 117.
THE NORTH CAROLINA BOOKLET. 97
people. Under the second charter of Charles II, Carolina
embraced over a million square miles. It included all the
land on the American Continent between 29 and 36 degrees
30 minutes JSTorth latitude. The northern boundary line be-came
the line of the famous Missouri Compromise. After
the separation of ISTorth Carolina and South Carolina, the
northern colony was confined to the territory between 34
degrees and 36.30 INT. latitude. This is the choicest belt of
the temperate zone. The greatest nations of the earth have
been the product of this latitude. In this paper we will have
reference only to that part of ISTorth Carolina lying on the
seaboard and watered by the Chowan, Roanoke, ilSTeuse and
Cape Fear rivers, being the only part that was settled during
the period under consideration. The coastal plain region
of IsTorth Carolina lies in "the same parallel of latitude as
the central Mediterranean basin, that climatically most fav-ored
region of the globe,"a
Dr. Emmons says "middle and Eastern ]l!^orth Carolina cor-respond
to middle and Southern France, and Western ISTorth
Carolina to ISTorthern France and Belgium—all the climates
of Italy from Palermo to Milan and Venice are represented."
The soil of Eastern ISTorth Carolina in variety and fer-tility
is unsurpassed, ranging from the black or sandy loam
to the most retentive clays—our rich swamp soils show "a
greater capacity for endurance than the prairie soils of Illi-nois."
h
For agricultural and stock-raising advantages, the climatic
and soil conditions in tide-water ISTorth Carolina are un-equalled.
With a mean temperature of 61 degrees Fahren-heit,
and a precipitation of 55 inches, everything can be
raised that can be grovtoi in the N^orth temperate zone. So
varied are her agricultural products that ISTorth Carolina is
the only State that fills every divisional column of the cen-o
North Carolina and its Resources.
6 Dr. Emmons.
98 THE NOETH CAEOLINA BOOKLET.
sus reports. One viewing the State with a critic's eje must
exclaim with Hon. W. D. Kelly, of Pennsylvania, ''North
Carolina is the fairest portion of God's earth on which my
feet have ever rested." a
In Barlowe's account of his first voyage to ISTorth Carolina
he says : "The soil is the most plentiful, sweet, fruitful and
wholesome of all the world."
Kobert Home, writing in 1664 of the Cape Fear Country,
says
:
h
"Is there therefore any younger brother who is born of
gentle blood and whose spirit is elevated above the common
sort, and yet the hard usage of our country hath not allowed
a suitable fortune ? He will not surely be afraid to leave
his native soil to advance his fortunes equal to his blood and
spirit, and so he will avoid those unlawful ways too many
of our young gentlemen take to maintain themselves accord-ing
to their high education, having but small estates ; here,
with a few servants and a small stock, a great estate may be
raised, although his birth has not entitled him to any of the
land of his ancestors, yet his industry may supply him so
as to make him the head of as famous a family. Such as
are here tormented with much care how to gain a comfort-able
livelihood, or that with their labor can hardly get a
suitable subsistence, shall do well to go to this place, where
any man whatever, that is but willing to take moderate pains,
may be assured of a most comfortable subsistence, and be in
a way to raise his fortunes far beyond what he could ever
hope for in England. Let no man be troubled at the thought
of being a servant four or five years, for I can assure you
that many men give money with their children to serve seven
years, to take more pains and fare nothing so well as the
servants on this plantation will do. Then it is to be con-sidered
that so soon as he is out of his time he has land and
a North Carolina and its Resources.
6 Hawks, Vol. 2, p. 41.
THE NORTH CAROLINA BOOKLET. 99
tools, and clothes given him, and is in a way of advance-ment.
Therefore all artificers—as carpenters, wheelwrights,
joiners, coopers, bricklayers, smiths, or diligent husbandmen
and laborers, that are willing to advance their fortunes, and
live in a most pleasant, healthful and fruitful country, where
artificers are of high esteem, and used with all civility and
courtesy imaginable may take notice."
Lawson tells us that in 1700 an extensive traveller assured
him that Carolina was the best country he could go to.
In writing of ISTorth Carolina Lawson says
:
"A second Settlement of this Country was made about fifty
Years ago, in that part we now call Albemarl-Country, and
chiefly in Chuwon Precinct, by several substantial Planters
from Virginia and other Plantations; Who, finding mild
Winters and fertile Soil beyond Expectation, producing every-thing
that was planted to a prodigious Increase ; their Cattle,
Horses, Sheep and Swine, breeding very fast, and passing the
Winters without any Assistance from the Planter; so that
everything seemed to come by Nature, the Husbandman liv-ing
almost void of Care, and free from those fatigues which
are absolutely requisite in Winter-Countries. * * *
ISTevertheless, I say, the Fame of this new-discovered summer
country spread thro' the neighboring Colonies, and, in a few
Years, drew a considerable ISTumber of Families thereto, who
all found Land enough to settle themselves in (had there
been many Thousand more), and that which was very good
and commodiously seated, both for Profit and Pleasure. And,
indeed, most of the Plantations in Carolina, naturally enjoy
a noble Prospect of large and spacious Rivers, pleasant
Savannas and fine meadows." * * *
"The Planters possessing all these Blessings and the Pro-duce
of great Quantities of Wheat and Indian Corn, in which
this Country is very fruitful as likewise in Beef, Pork, Tal-low,
Hides, Deer-Skins and Furs; For these Commodities the
]N'ew-England-Men and Bermudians visited Carolina in their
100 THE NOBTH CAROLINA BOOKLET.
Barks and Sloops, and carry'd out what they made, bringing
them in Exchange Rum, Sugar, Salt, Molasses and some
wearing Apj)arel, tho' the last at very extravagant prices."
* * * "The inhabitants of Carolina, thro' the richness
of the Soil live an easy and pleasant life. * * * The
country in general affords pleasant Seats, the Land (except in
some few places) being dry and, high banks, parcell'd out
into most convenient Necks (by the Creeks), easy to be
fenced in for securing their Stocks to more strict Boun-daries
whereby, with a small trouble of fencing, almost every
Man may enjoy, to himself, an entire Plantation, or rather
Park." * * * <'^g ii^Q land is very fruitful, so are the
Planters hospitable to all that come to visit them ; there being
very few housekeepers but what live very nobly and give
away more Provisions to Coasters and Guests who come
to see them, than they expend among their own Families." a
"Carolina was settled under the auspices of the wealthiest
and most influential nobility, and its fundamental laws were
framed with forethought by the most sagacious politician
and the most profound philosopher of England." Later,
"the colonists repudiated the Constitutions of Carolina,"
adopting only those parts most suited to their needs, h
The early settlers of JSTorth Carolina were English, from
Virginia, ISTew England and Old England and Barbadoes
;
French Huguenots and German Palatines. The English set-tled
in Albemarle and Bath counties ; the French on Pamlico,
ISTeuse and Trent Rivers in Bath, and the Germans on IsTeuse
and Trent. The Barbadians who first settled at Cape Fear did
not follow Yeamans to South Carolina. They went up to the
Albemarle settlement and to IS^ansemond County, in Virginia,
in part, and in part to Boston. In this fact is to be found an
easy explanation of the increase at this time in Albemarle
both from 'New England and from Barbadoes. c
a Lawson, pp. 63. 64.
ft Bancroft, Vol. 2, p. 128.
oS. P. N., Vol. 1, p. 10.
THE NOETH CAEOLINA BOOKLET. 101
Those in New England kept up their relations with
their kinsmen in ISTorth Carolina. The 'New Eng-land
skipper and trader practically controlled the com-merce
of this province by exchanging their manufactures
for our produce. There was increasing immigration from
JSTew England to ISTorth Carolina which continued until the
Civil War of 1861.
In 1700 there were only about five thousand people in the
province—at the beginning of the Tuscarora War there were
ten or eleven thousand inhabitants. Bath County was the
seat of this war. This county embraced PamjDticough, Wick-ham
and Archdale precincts, and extended into the wilder-ness
on the South and West. Pampticough and Wickham
precincts covered the territory between the Koanoke and
Pamlico Rivers. Archdale precinct claimed the land between
Pamlico and ISTeuse rivers, and also the jSTeuse settlements
on both sides K'euse River, a These precincts are now Beau-fort,
Hyde and Craven Counties.
At the time of the Tuscarora war the white settlers were
fringed along the coast and the Indians occupied all other
lands. Chocowinity was the frontier, and tradition says that
on the morning of the Indian massacre John Porter's house
at Chocowinity was the first to be fired. On the Roanoke
were the forts of the Cheeweo and Resootska. On the Tar
near the present town of Washington, was I^akay—there was
also a fort just about two miles above Bear Creek, on what
is still known as Indian Port branch on Grimesland planta-tion.
*
a C. R. Vol. 1, p. 629.
* Note.—A field of about ten acres cleared by the Indians on Indian
Fort Branch in the west corner of a seventy -five-acre field (Pridgen
cut) is still in cultivation.
102 THE NOETH CAKOLIlSrA BOOKLET.
Further up the Tar about two or three miles below the
present town of Greenville was King Blount's town, Uco-hnerunt.
On the Contentnea were Conneghta, Tahunta and
Hookerooka Forts and Hancock's town. a. To the South
and West was the unknown wilderness and the Indian towns
of Keeouwee (old town) Totero Fort, Uharee, Acconee-chj,
etc. *
After the war most of the Tuscaroras went to their kin-dred
in ISTew York. King Blount and his people were given
a reservation between Tar and Neuse River, but were soon
moved at his own request to lands on Roanoke River where
fifty-three thousand (53,000) acres were given them in Ber-tie
County, and a fort was built for their defence from
enemy Indians, h Here they lived under their Kings, Tom
Blount and his son, James Blount, many years. They were
afterwards joined by the Supponees and the Chowans. c
a See map Eman. Bowen.
b <1 R., Vol. 2, pp. 283, 484, 496.
c C. R., Vol. 3, p. 538.
* Note.—lu the preliminary articles of peace signed November
25th, 1712, between Major General Thomas Pollock for the colonists
and Tom Blount, Saroonha Hounthanohnoh, Chaunthorunthoo, Ne-woonttootsery
and Herunttocken for a number of Indian towns, it
was agreed among other things : "Imprimis, The afsd great men
Doe hereby Covenant & agree to & with ye said presidt & Councill
that they shall and will, with ye utmost expedition & Dilligence,
make Warr agt. all ye Indyans belonging to ye Townes or Nations
of Catechny, Cores, Nuse & Bare River and pamptico, and that they
shall not nor will not give any Quarter to any male Indyan of those
Towns or Nations above ye Age of fourteen yeares, and also that
they shall & will sell off & dispose of all ye males under that age.
And that further, after they shall have destroy'd those townes or
soe soone as this Governm't shall think proper to require it the said
great men doe hereby promise to Join ye English with Soe menny Men
as may be thought proper to destroy & cutt off all ye Matchepungo
Indyans. * * *
4thly.—It is hereby farther Agreed by ye Great Men af-sd that
these Severall Townes of Tostehant, Rauroota, Tarhuntah, Keutah,
Toherooka, Juninits & Caunookehee, nor any of ye Indyans belonging
to thein or either of them, shall not nor will not Hunt nor rainge
among ye English plantations nor Stocks without leave, nor then
above ye number of three at one tyme, neither shall they Claime any
property in ye lands on ye South Side of Nuse called Chatookae
River, nor below Catachney Creek on Nuse, nor below Bare Creek
ate not-sha-hun-han-rough on ye Noth (south) side of pamptico
river." See original treaty framed in State Hall of History.
THE NORTH CAROLINA BOOKLET. 103
These Indians also removed to New York, but they held
their lands on the Roanoke and collected rents for them well
on into the nineteenth century.
The Indians remaining in the province about 1Y30, through
their Chiefs, King Tom Blount, of the Tuscaroras; King
Hoyter, of the Chowans, and King Durant, of the Yawpims,
paid a yearly tribute to the Governor, h
The Tuscarora war and the hardships following caused
many people to leave the province, but this war was a bless-ing
in disguise. As soon as the Indian troubles were finally
disposed of, settlers sought the desirable lands higher up on
the Roanoke, Tar and IN^euse Rivers and their tributaries.
In a few years settlements were begun on the Cape Fear.
In the war we were aided by South Carolina and some of
her leading citizens were so favorably impressed with our
country that many of them and their friends soon moved
here.
From a population of eleven thousand two hundred (seven
thousand five hundred white, three thousand seven hundred
negro) in 1715 c just after the Indian war the
province of ISTorth Carolina had grown to thirty-six thousand,
in 1Y30 at the end of the Proprietary period. From that
time until the Revolution probably no province in America
grew faster in wealth and population. In 1752 our popula-tion
was ninety thousand d^ seventy thousand white, twenty
thousand negro, having been tripled in twenty years.
The Indian captives, more than six hundred, taken by
Cols. Barnwell and Moore and their soldiers and ally In-dians,
were sent to South Carolina as slaves. Those taken
by our people were sold into slavery in the West Indies or
kept in bondage here. An Indian slave was valued at about
£10, and was generally sold away from home. ITegroes
6 C. R., Vol. 4, pp. 34, 446.
c Clialmei;s.
d S. P. N., Vol. 4, 22.
104 THE WOfiTH CAKOLINA BOOKLET.
commanded higher prices as they were niore docile and ca-pable
of greater labor.
In the Indian war our ally Indians were offered "a reward
of six blanlvcts for the head of each man of the said Indians
killed by the (friendly) Tuscaroras, and the usual price of
slaves for each woman and child delivered captives." a
The white people after capturing Indians sometimes
indulged in barbarities, as DeGraffenreid gives us an account
of the roasting of an Indian King in 1711. &
Even as late as 1760 a law was passed making Indian
captives slaves and "the absolute right and property of who
shall be the captor of such Indian," and ten pounds was
given for an Indan scalp taken by a citizen, and five pounds
was given for a scalp captured by a solider. To some of
our people it seemed profitable for the Indians to raise dis-turbances,
but this province was never directly charged with
inciting them to war for sinister purposes. Of one of
our neighbors an historian says : "This province long con-tinued
'that barbarous practice' which was then introduced
(1680) of promoting Indian hostility that they might gain
by the traffic of Indian slaves." c
"The moving causes of immigration to Albemarle were its
delightful climate, magnificent bottom lands and bountiful
products." d
Land-holding gave dignity and importance. The large
land-holders, then as now, wielded great influence in their
communities. They were the aristocracy of the country and
the governing classes ; their sons inheriting prestige and
leadership with their estates.
Many of the early settlers came from other colonies for
the rich lands along our river bottoms, which were found to
be cheap, fertile and abundant. These "river plantations"
aQ. R., Vol. 1, p. 15.
bC. R., Vol. 1, p. 946.
c Chalmers, Vol. 2, p. 172.
d Saundei's.
THE NOKTH CAKOLINA BOOKLET. 105
of l^orth Carolina and the South were to become famous all
over the world. Land could be easily secured. A planter
starting life with modest beginnings would, by the productive-ness
of this soil and the natural fruitfulness of his slaves,
horses, cattle and hogs, die rich in old age.
Brickell, who for awhile lived at Edenton, writing about
1735 says the Albemarle Country was settled by "Persons
from Virginia and other N^orthern Colonies who, finding the
Soil so very good and fertile, settled here, and are become
very ISTumerous and Rich; for the lands here produce every-thing
Planted in them in great abundance. Horses, Cows,
Sheep and Swine breeding in vast numbers, the winter being
very short, and that so mild that the Planters are at little or
no Labour or Expense in providing Fodder for their Stock
to what other jSTortherly Countries are." a
Among the planters were gentry who lived as much like
their relations in England and Scotland as conditions in a
sparsely settled country would admit. Some of the early
planters came here in ofiicial positions as deputies of the
Lords Proprietors, bringing with them their friends, retain-ers
and tenants. With the various governors came their
kinsmen, supporters and adherents. An examination of the
wills in the ofiice of the Secretary of State will show from
the signatures with seals bearing imprinted theron crests
and coats of arms of signers, that many of the leading men
of Carolina belonged to the gentry of England and Scot-land.
Many of them were highly educated and classical
scholars of great learning. The drafts of old laws, state
papers, wills and letters of that day will, in phraseology
and elegance of diction, compare most favorably with the
productions of the best scholars of to-day.
At the close of the Proprietary period, it may not be far
wrong to suggest that the per cent of highly educated and
leading men in the colony in proportion to population (which
ffl Brickell, p. 9.
106 . THE NOETH CAEOLINA BOOKLET.
was thirty-five thousand) was as great as it is in jSTorth
Carolina to-day, but the masses for many years had little
opportunity for education.
Of the great families of the province at that time, during
the second quarter of the eighteenth century, may be men-tioned
the Swanns, Porters, Gales, Moseleys, Moores, Pol-locks,
Vails, Blounts, Bryans, Maules, Ashes, Johnstons,
Herritages and others. It is safe to say that in honor, char-acter,
virtue and accomplishments, they were not excelled
by any families on the American continent. They were
people of education, refinement, culture and abundance.
Without great wealth they lived in comfort and plenty. With
lands, slaves, books, plate, horses and carriages they were
leaders in a social life that rivaled the best in the adjoining
colonies.
The early settlers took up the choicest lands on the rivers
to sucli an extent that laws were passed to prevent the entering
of too much land on the rivers to the exclusion of other set-tlers.
In laying out the lands the enterer was at first al-lowed
to take up 640 acres or a square mile in one tract
on the river, a, but the act further provided that
the surveyor should not "lay out two several tracts
of land for any one person within two miles at
least of each other, unless by particular warrant from the
Lords Proprietors for that purpose." It must have been
easy to obtain this "particular warrant from the Lords Pro-prietors
for that purpose," or the law was not strictly ob-served,
as we find many men in the province owning large
bodies of land before l^orth Carolina became a Royal
Province. Of the large landed proprietors, some of them
owning as much as fifty thousand acres, may be mentioned
George Burrington, Frederick Jones, Roger Moore, Edward
Moseley, Maurice Moore, John Lovick, William Maule, Dr.
Patrick Maule, Seth Sothell, Robert Forster, Martin Franks,
a Chap. 33, Sec. 4, Laws 1715.
THE NORTH CAROLINA BOOKLET, 107
Christopher Gale, John Porter, Thomas Pollock, Cullen Pol-lock,
William Stephenson, John Baptista Ashe and others. *
To prevent non-residents entering land for speculation, one
was required to have resided in the province for two years
before they could sell their rights and lands, a All
persons entering land were required to pay on the
29th of September one shilling for every fifty acres as
quit rents, and were to be allowed three years to seat and
plant, and the patentee was required to build a habitable
house and to clear and fence and plant at least one (1) acre
of land within the time limited, h In the Coun-cil
Journal March 31, 1726, we read: "Por saving
of lands for the future, every house shall be fifteen foot long,
ten Broad, Made tight and habitable of Clapboards or Loggs
squared, with a roof and chimney-place and a Door-place
The whole acre cleared well, the major part of it broke up
and planted with either fruite, trees or grain." c
The large land-owners probably built one or two
log houses on each tract of land, and placed thereon an over-seer
with several slaves. The overseers were frequently in-dentured
servants in bond or those who had served their term
and were in the employment of their former masters. They
were sometimes hired for wages, but often for a part of the
produce of the land. The customary wages being "for which
Service he is allowed every seventh Calfe, seventh Pole and
half of all young hogs that are bred during his stewardship,
a Laws 1715, C. 2.
6 Laws 1715, Ch. 26.
cG. R., Vol. 2, p. 607.
* Note.—Bernheim, Vann and other writers say Martin Franks
came to North Carolina in 1732. This is an error. He was treasurer
of Craven precinct before that time (Page manuscript laws, in
Everard's time) and was one of the signers of a petition in 1711-12.
(Hawks.) In Grant records, Book 2, page 254, is recorded, Apr.
14, 1730, a grant in Craven Precinct, Bath County, to Martin Franks
for Ten thousand one hundred and seventy-five (10,175) acres. The
grant recites that "All of which land was granted to the sd Martin
Frank by a warrant dated June 15th, 1711."
108 . THE NOKTH CAROLINA BOOKLET.
and likewise the seventh part of all sorts of grain and to-bacco
that is produced on the said plantation, "a
* The slaves also made tar and turpentine in the spring and
summer season, clearing land in the fall and winter ; the
women and children worked the corn raising sufficient for
the men and animals.
During the wars between England and France, the Swedish
merchants, who controlled the naval stores trade of the world,
put the price of tar to such an extortionate figure that Eng-land
gave bounties to her colonists to produce it. ** About
1Y04, jSTorth Carolina commenced its production, and for two
hundred years it has been one of the chief products of the
State. In the year 1753 North Carolina exported 61,528
barrels of tar; 12,052 do. of pitch; 10,429 do. turpentine,
762,000 staves; 61,580 bus. corn, 100 (?) hhds. tobacco, and
about 30,000 deer skins, besides lumber and other commodi-ties.
In 1708 the exports from all America was 6,089 bar-rels
of pitch and tar to England, h
aBriekell, p. 269.
1) Chalmers.
* XoTE.-—In Cnrroll's Historical Collections of South Carolina, Vol.
2, p. 201, we are told that overseers, when hired for wages, were
pnid fifteen to forty pounds per annum, and laborers from one shill-ing
and three pence to two shillings a day "with Lodging and Diet."
* * *
** The following is taken from the English Statutes at Large, Vol. 4,
1099-171.3.
"Chap. X. 1704—
** The following is taken from the English Statutes at Large, Vol. 4,
Majesty's plantations in America.
* * * any of the naval stores hereafter mentioned, shall have
anrl e^^iov. ns a Reward or Praeraium for such Importation, after
and according to the several rates for such Naval Stores as fol-lo"'
«, vi'^
:
II. For good and mei'chantahle Tar per Tun, containing eight
Barrels. ,ind each Barrel to gage thirty-one Gallons and an half,
FoTir Pounds.
For good and merchantable Pitch per Tun, each Tun containing
twenty Gross hundreds (Net Pitch) to be brought in eight barrels,
four Pounds.
For good and merchantable Rozin or Turpentine per Tun, each
Tun contnining twenty Gross hundred (Net Rozin or Turpentine) to
be brought in ei^ht Barrels, three Pounds.
For TTemp. Water rotted, bright and clean, per Tun, each Tun
contnining twenty Gross hundreds, six Pounds.
For all Masts. Yards and Bowsprits, per Tun, allowing forty Foot
to each Tun. Girt measure, according to the customary way of
measuring round bodies, one Found.
This Act was later repealed.)
THE NORTH CAROLINA BOOKLET. 109
Every planter of ordinary thrift soon became independent.
In the most primitive period of our history the first houses
of the planters were built of logs. The house was of notched
logs and was probably such as is seen in many sections of
the State to-day. Between the logs were fastened split poles
which were chinked with mud. The chimneys were mostly
wooden, the base, body and brast of chimney being logged
up to the funnel, after which a square pen or stack of sticks
was made and daubed inside and out with clay to cement
together and to protect from burning. The inside of the
fire-place was covered with mud in the same way. Lumber
was scarce and expensive, and such as they had was sawed
by hand in saw-pits or imported from Boston, a It was prob-ably
about 1730, before saw mills made their appearance in
JSTorth Carolina, h Just before 1750 these mills sawed about
150,000 feet a year.
Col. Byrd, in his "History of the Dividing Line," c says
:
"Most of the houses in this part of the Country are log
houses, covered with Pine or Cypress shingles three feet
long and one broad. They are hung upon laths with Peggs,
and their doors too turn upon Wooden Hinges, and have
Wooden Locks to secure them, so that the Building is finisht
without nails or other iron work."
It may be interesting to note what was regarded as a
habitable house as shown by the size of houses required to be
built in the various towns within eighteen months or two
years after purchasing lots. Pollock in 1720 required that
the houses built on lots in iN'ew Bern (which town he owned)
should be "not less than Fifteen Foot square." d As
late as 1756, eighteen months' time was given for
building on lots taken up, and a habitable house of sixteen
a Thomas Pollock's Will.
6 C. R., Vol. 3, pp. 427, 432, (1732) ; C. R., Vol. 4. pp. 52, 61, (1735).
c Vol. 1, p. 59.
d C. R., Vol. 2, p. 886.
110 THE jSTOETH CAEOLINA BOOKLET.
feet by twenty-four feet required, a In Edenton h houses were
required to be "not of less Dimensions tban Twenty Feet long,
Fifteen Feet in width and Eight Feet in Height between the
first floor and the joists, etc." ISTo wooden chimneys were
allowed to be built there after the first day of May, 1741. c
At Brunswick houses were to be 20 feetxl6 feet, d When
the town of Johnston, in Onslow, which was afterwards de-stroyed
by a wind storm in September, 1752, e was incorpor-ated/
the inhabitants buying lots were required to build within
two years a "good, substantial habitable frame-house not of
less dimensions than Twenty Four feet in length and Six-teen
feet wide, besides sheds and Leantos." When Capt.
Kichard Sanderson attempted to build a town on Roanoke
Island g it was required that the houses should be 20 feetxl5
feet. In the establishment of ISTe^vtown (which afterwards
became Wilmnigton), it was made a town, "Provided, the
Inhabitants thereof do, within the space of two years from
the date hereof build and erect six Brick Houses in the princ-ipal
streets, of forty feet long and thirty feet deep." Ji When
the village of ISTewton was changed into the town of Wil-mington
i it was required that before one was allowed to vote
for a representative for the said town in the General As-sembly
he must be "a Tenant of a Brick, Stone or framed
habitable House, of the Length of Twenty Feet, and Sixteen
Feet Broad ; or an inhabitant of a Brick House of the Length
of Thirty Feet, and Sixteen Feet Broad, between the Boiinds
of said Town, upwards, and Smith's Creek, and within One
Hundred and Twenty Poles to the Cape Fear Biver." This
a Laws 1756, Ch. 12.
6 Laws, 1740, Ch. 1, Sec. 2.
c Sec. 13.
d Laws 174.5. Ch. 12, Sec. 8.
e Martin. Vol. 2, p. 61.
f Laws 1741, Ch. 12, Sec. 6.
.9 Laws 1715, Ch. 59.
li C. R., Vol. 4, p. 43.
iLaws 1739, Ch. 4, Sees. 4 and 5, and Laws 1740, Ch. 4, Sees. 7
and 8.
THE NORTH CAEOLINA BOOKLET. Ill
was probably intended to include several of the prominent
men who lived near to town.
The planters lived upon their estates with residences gen-erally
more pretentious than the town houses. A few of these
houses were of brick, but they were commonly frame houses.
Some of them were of considerable dimensions even early in
the eighteenth century. There were few brick houses in
ISTorth Carolina. Even after the planters became wealthy
they did not affect them. In a humid climate brick houses
were probably damp and unhealthy. In ISTew Bern there
were only two brick dwelling houses as late as 1792. a
There are to-day standing houses of well-to-do planters
that were built prior to 1750. Some of them brick, but
mostly of wood. These houses are about forty feet long and
twenty feet wide, to which are added shed rooms or "leantos."
The basements or cellars are about 7 or 8 feet pitch, the walls
to the cellar being massive masonry of rock, the rock having
come from the West Indies as ballast for vessels. In the
cellar is generally a large room about 19x19 feet at one end,
and the other end divided into small rooms which are used
for storage. The walls of the cellar rise several feet above
the ground. In the large cellar room there is a fire-place
several feet deep, about eight feet wide and four feet high.
a Morse Geog., Mrs. Powell's "New Bern."
Note.—All the earlier brick buildings are said to have been built
with "brick brought from England." This probably means of "Eng-lish
Brick" except a few press brick for tiles and ornamental pur-poses.
In Harriot's Narrative (1586) we read: "The planters may
be well supplied with brick, for the making whereof in divers places
of the country there is clay both excellent, good and plenty, and also
by lime made of oyster shells and others burnt, etc."
When Bacon burned Jamestown in 1675 there were a number of
brick houses in the town. Drummond, the former Governor of North
Carolina owning one which in an excess of patriotism he fired with
his own hands. An old grant in Virginia in 1637 for lands at James-town
calls for the "Brick Mill" ; Lawson says in 1700 that there were
"Large Brick Buildings" in Charleston at that time ; he further says
"Good Brick and Tiles" were made in North Carolina. Brickell also
informs us that "Brick and Tile" were made here in his time. The
light tonnage of the vessels averaging probably not more than 100
tons burden coming into these waters after a month's sail from Eng-land,
would have made the importing of brick quite expensive.
112 THE ISrOKTH CAEOLINA BOOKLET.
There were receptables or ovens built in the sides of the fire-place.
Across the chimney, inside, ran a heavy iron rod on
which were the cranes for hanging pots. These cranes were
made in two pieces and so adjusted that pots could be raised
or lowered at will. In the cellar rooms were small windows.
Resting on the cellar walls were the sills of tt^e house, gener-ally
10x12 inches or 12x12 inches, hewn out of heart pine
running the full length and breadth of the house; on these
were the sleepers, six inches by eight inches or eight inches
by ten inches, hewn out of heart pine, joined at the ends,
mortised, tenoned and truncheoned with lightwood trunch-eons
about one and a half or two inches in diameter. The
sills were sometimes tarred with hot tar and wrapped in
tarred canvas as a further protection against moisture. On
the first floor is a large square room 19x19 feet. For sev-eral
feet from the floor around the room, coming up to the
base of the windows is panelling. The fire-place is four or
five feet wide, and above it about six feet tall is the old
wooden mantel of best workmanship. Adjoining the big room
is a narrow passage with stairs ascending to the second floor
and garret; across the passage are two small rooms.
The second floor is a duplicate of the first and the garret
is divided into small rooms with small windows at end of
house. These houses frequently had brick ends as is so often
seen in tidewater Virginia. All the timbers are of unbled
pine and the nails used are hand-wrought.
Note.—There are three of these houses still stfiucTing in Beaufort
County : The Cotanche or Marsh House at Bath, the Maule House
at Maule's Point and the old house at the Grimes Plantation on
Tranters Creek. The old Cotanche House at Bath has closets in its
massive chimney in which valuables could be placed to secure from
fire. The chimney closets have small windows in the chimney. It
was not uncommon to have an excavation bricked up on each side
of the chimney opening inside by the hearth in which valuables
could be placed. In some old chimneys under fire-places have been
discovered a box or barrel with covers neatly fixed in the chimney
foundation, so that by raking away the ashes and taking up part of
the hearth these little vaults could be reached. These deposit places
were safe from discovery and secure from fire.
THE ISrOKTH CAROLINA BOOKLET. 113
The planter's liome residence was called the Manor or
Manor House, The House, The Great House, etc. The
family servants were settled near at hnad, while the overseer's
house and quarters were some distance away. The estates
were generally named, sometimes after the family or family
estates in England, and often after the place in England
from whence the planter came. The large planters prided
themselves upon being "gentlemen"—the owner of lands with
laborers to work for them. He was truly lord of all he sur-veyed,
governed his own household and was law-giver to his
poor neighbors. He arbitrated their disputes and settled
their differences—he doctored them in sickness and helped
them in time of need. The title of head or master of an
estate carried with it position and hereditary dignity and
power little less than an inherited title carried with it in the
mother country.
Labor was in the greatest demand. In January, 1733,
Gov. Burrington, in writing to the Lords of Trade and Plan-tations,
says : "Land is not wanting for men in Carolina, but
men for land." * * * "j compute the white men,
women and children in ISTorth Carolina to be fully thirty
thousand, and the negroes about six thousand. The Indians,
men, women and children, less than eight hundred. * * *
Great is the loss this country has sustained in not being sup-ply'd
by vessels from Guinea with negroes; in any part of
the province the people are able to pay for a ships load ; but
as none come directly from Africa, we are under a necessity
to buy the refuse, refractory and distempered negroes,
brought from other governments; it is hoped some merchants
in England will speedily furnish this colony with negroes to
increase the produce and its trade to England." a
The planter's wealth was generally estimated by the num-ber
of his slaves. All planters of any pretentions owned
a C. R., Vol. 3, pp. 430, 431. See also Vol. 4, p. 172.
114 THE NOKTH CAKOLINA BOOKLET.
slaves—negroes, Indians, mulatoes and mustees. The gold
and silver that came into the hands of planters from sale of
produce was saved to purchase slaves with, as the traders re-quired
specie payments. Female slaves under 20 years of
age were especially desired.
In 1733 the value of products exported to Virginia for
which our people received cash was about £50,000 a year, a
Quit rents, dues, taxes and all other debts, public and private,
were paid to the government or creditors in commodities
which were rated in 1715 as follows:
£. s. d.
"Tobacco, per cwt ' 10
Indian corn per bushel 1 8
Wheat per bushel 3 6
Tallow tryped, per lb 5
Leather tanned and uncured, per lb 8
Beaver and other skins per lb 2 6
Wild cat skins per piece 1
Butter per lb 6
Cheese per lb 4
Buck and doe skins (raw) per lb 9
Buck and doe skins (drest) per lb 1 4
Feathers per lb 1 4
Pitch (full gauged) per barl 1
Whale oil " " 1 10
Porke " " 2 5
Beef " " 1 10 0"
Pates were later somewhat changed. Plax and hemp were
also added, b
There was little currency in the province even at a much
later period. In writing of ISTorth Carolina just before the
Revolution a traveler says: "There is but little specie in
6 C. R., Vol. 3, p. 622.
cC. R., Vol. 4, pp. 469, 920.
THE NORTH CAEOLINA BOOKLET. 115
circulation ; indeed, there is no great occasion for it ; for a
planter raises his owti meats, beef and bacon, his own corn
and bread, his drink, cyder and brandy, his fruit, apples,
peaches, etc., and a great part of his clothing which is cot-ton."
a Almost all wealth was in land, slaves and stock.
There was not much loaning of money; the legal rate of in-terest
was 6 per cent, and the penalty for usury was for-feitiire
of twice the amount of the principal, h There was a
considerable amount of Mexican, Peruvian and Spanish coin
in circulation in the province, the value of which was fixed
by proclamation of Queen Anne.
a Smyth's Tour in America, p. 99.
&Laws 1741, Ch. 11.
Note.—"An act for ascertaining the rates of foreign coins in Her
Majesty's Plantations in America.
WHEREAS, for remedying the inconveniences which had arisen
from the different rates at which the same species of Foreign Silver
coins did pass in Her Majesty's several Colonies and Plantations in
America, Her Most Excellent Majesty has thought fit by her Royal
Proclamation bearing date the eighteenth day of June one thousand
seven hundred and four, and in the third year of her Reign, to settle
and ascertain the currency of foreign coins in her said Colonies and
Plantations in the manner and words following
:
We having had under our Consideration the different rates at
which the same Species of Foreign Coins do pass in our several
Colonies and Plantations in America, and the inconveniences thereof
by the indirect practice of drawing the money from one Plantation
to another to the great Prejudice of the Trade of our Subjects ; and
being sensible that the same cannot be otherwise remedied than by
reducing all foreign coins to the same current Rate within all our
Dominions in America ; and the principal oQicers of our Mint having
laid before us a table of the value of the several Foreign Coins
which usually pass in Payments in our said Plantations according
to their Weight and Assays made of them in our Mint, thereby
shewing the just proportion which each coin ought to have to the
other which is as followeth ; * * *
II. And whereas, notwithstanding the said Proclamation the
same indirect practices as are therein mentioned are still carried
on within some of the said Colonies or Plantations and the money
thereby drawn from one Plantation to another, in Prejudice of the
Trade of Her Majesty's subjects ; Wherefore for the better enforcing
the due Execution of her Majesty's said Proclamation throughout
all the said Colonies and Plantations, and for the more effectual
remedying the said Inconvenieucies, thereby intended to be remedied,
Be it enacted by the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with
the Advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and
Commons in this present Parliament assembled and bv the authority
of the same * * * ." Statutes at Large, Vol. 4, 1699-1715. Cap.
30, p. 324, 1707.
The penalty for the violation of this law was six months' imprison-ment
and a fine of Ten pounds for each offence.
116 THE NORTH CAKOLINA BOOKLET.
Slaves were generally bought in Virginia or South Caro-lina
at high prices, and after the most select ones had been
chosen by the planters of those States. With the opening
of the Cape Fear, the planters had an opportunity to buy
slaves at first hands. Some of the planters who first settled
on the Cape Fear took with them a considerable number of
slaves from their plantations in Chowan and Pamlico.
Among these may be mentioned:
Edward Moseley with 62 slaves.
Roger Moore with 100 slaves.
John Porter with 62 slaves.
John Lovick with 34 slaves, a
They moved that many in 1732 and were allowed head-rights
of fifty acres for each member of their families. Roger
Moore at the time of his death in 1751 o^vned 250 negroes.
Slavery was the greatest eleemosynary and educational in-stitution
for a weak and inferior race that the world has ever
known. Some of the planters freed their slaves, but this
does not seem to have met the approval of the colonists as
freed slaves were required to leave the province or to be sold
again into slavery, b
In disposing of slaves care was taken not to separate the
men and their wives and children; an instance of this kind
is sho^vn in the will of Cullen Pollock, 1749. Occasionally
negro slaves could read and Avrite even in the earliest period,
and negroes were allowed to raise "side crops" of tobacco,
to gather herbs, etc., and the money derived from these was
theirs individually and to do as they pleased with, c
When it became necessary to execute a slave the owner
was repaid his value, which was assessed by the Justices and
allowed by the Assembly, d
aC. R., Vol. 3, p. 426, etc.
ftLaws 1741, Ch. 24, Sec. 56.
cBrickell, p. 275.
dl741, Ch. 24, Sec. 46.
THE NORTH CAEOLINA BOOKLET. 117
All slaves were tythable at the age of 12 years, a
Every master was allowed to permit one slave on every plan-tation
to carry a gun for the protection of stock and for hunt-ing
game for the table, h All slaves away from their mas-ters'
plantations were required to have "certificate of leave
in writing for so doing, from his or her master or overseer
(negroes wearing liveries always excepted)." c It seemed to
please the fancy of the planters to name their slaves after the
great characters in mythology and history, or to give them
some whimsical name. Every large plantation had its Csesar,
Hannibal, Scipio, Jupiter, Moses, Aaron, Pompey, Mars,
Venus, Dido, Diana, Africa, Mustapha, etc.
Indentured white servants were not as numerous in this
country as in Virginia and Maryland. These unfortunates
represented many classes and conditions. "Some of the con-victs
sold as indentured servants were persons of family and
education." d Convicts were sent to the colonies and
sold into bondage. Others were sent into servitude
for political offences. Many of the supporters of
the Duke of Monmouth were deported to the American
colonies and sentenced to ten years' servitude. Some in-dentured
themselves to pay their passage money, which was
about £5 in cash, and were sold upon arrival here by the
sailing master. Christian servants above 16 years old im-ported
into this government without indenture, were required
to serve five years. All under 16 years of age were to serve
till they were 22 years old. e All Christians were to be al-lowed
by their master or mistress at the expiration of their
service three barrels of Indian corn, two new suits of ap-parel
valued at £5 at best, or in lieu of a suit of "apparell"
"a good well-fixed gun if he be a man servant" ; they were
also enttiled to fifty acres of land which they seldom took up.
a 1741, Ch. 24.
6 Laws 1741, Ch. 24, Sec. 41.
C1741, Ch. 24, Sec. 5.3.
fZ Bancroft, Vol. 2, p. 2.51.
eLaws 1715, Ch. 46, Sec. 6.
118 THE KOETH CAKOLINA BOOKLET.
Many people, especially women and children, were kidnap-ped
in London and other cities and brought to America to
be sold as bond servants. The Colony passed an
act a whereby the person kidnapped, if a Chris-tian
or a subject of a friendly power, might recover
from the Importer or Seller double the amount for which
he was sold, and the defendant was required to give bond
to transport the person back to the land from whence he
came within one year.
Writing to the Lords of Trade and Plantations Gov. Bur-rington
says : h "It is by breeding Horses, Hoggs,
and Cattle that people without slaves gain substance
here at first, not by their labor." The abundance
of grass, reeds and rich vegetation caused the horses, cattle
and hogs to multiply in vast numbers ; the stock were branded
or marked and turned loose in the woods, being penned and
fed enough to keep them from going entirely wild. Lawson
says (1Y07) he had seen as many as one thousand cattle be-longing
to one owner, and Brickell says he had seen one hun-dred
calves in one pen belonging to one person. The calves
were confined to insure the return of the cows each evening,
a custom that prevails with cattle raisers in Eastern Caro-lina
to this day.
About 1728 there was a disease that destroyed half the
cattle in the Province ; c again about 1760 another cattle
distemper was brought in the Province from South Caro-lina
by which near 7-8 of the stock was lost, d The impor-tance
of the cattle industry seems to have declined from that
time.
a Laws 1741, Ch. 25, Sec. 23.
& C. R., Vol. 3. p. 148.
cC. R., Vol. 3, p. 28.
(I C. R., Vol. 6, p. 1,029.
Note.—We are told that in South Carolina the writer Peter Purry
in 1731 had known "one Planter to mark two hundred calves last
sprinsr" ; Again, another writer states that in South Carolina "Black
Cattle are extremely plentiful, manv gentlemen owning from five
hundred to fifteen hundred head. Carr. Coll., Vol. 2, pp. 123, 482.
/ THE NOETH CAEOLINA BOOKLET. 119
Horses were raised in considerable numbers. They were
turned out to range, it being necessary to feed them only in
the winter time. In almost every locality in the early settled
sections of ISTorth Carolina there are to-day places where tra-dition
tells us were "horse pens." Many localities have such
names as the "Horse neck pocoson," "Horse Pen branch,"
etc. These horses are described as smaller than the average
horses now in use but of great endurance. Many of them
are said to have gone wild.
Hogs were raised in vast numbers, the woods abounding
in berries, fruits, acorns and mast of all kinds. The Coastal
Plain was heavily set in oaks of all kinds and the acorns
furnished abundant food for hogs. Hogs were kept until
grown, and it became a custom on account of their uniform
size to count the pieces, hams, shoulders, sides, etc., instead
of weighing. This custom prevailed until the middle of the
past century. Planters now living tell me that they have sold
dried meats that way which were transported in flat boats
down the rivers to be loaded in vessels for the West Indies.
Beef and pork barrelled dry, and in pickle, were of the rated
commodities, and for many years were two of the chief ex-ports
of the colony.
Gov. Burrington reported in 1736 that there were fifty
thousand hogs and ten thousand fat oxen driven into Vir-ginia
yearly, a The want of salt made this necessary.
These came from Pamlico and Albemarle, and were in ad-dition
to the amount of barrelled meat shipped.
Horses were branded and Cattle and Hogs were marked
in the ears, a custom that still prevails.
For altering or defacing brands or the mismarking of
stock there was a penalty of ten pounds proclamation money
over and above the value of the animal, and "forty lashes on
aC. R., Vol. 4, p. 172.
(Note.—The writer's mark now in use "a crop slit and under bit
both ears," has been the family stock mark for more than a cen-tury.)
120 THE NORTH CAROLINA BOOKLET.
his bare back well laid on, and for the second offence he
shall pay the price above-mentioned, stand in the Pillorv
Two Hours and be branded in the left hand with a red hot
iron the letter T." * * * ''Such slave or slaves shall,
for first offence, suffer both his ears to be cut off, and be pub-licly
whipt, at the Discretion of the Justices and Freeholders
before whom he shall be tried; and for the second offence
shall suffer death." a
The discovery of the rich Cape Fear bottoms where the
rice lands are as fertile as any in the world, attracted at-tention
near the close of the Proprietary period, and quite
a colony of the leading men from Albemarle and Bath coun-ties
went there ; among them the Porters, Ashes, Moores, Lil-lingtons,
Moseleys, etc. Of these the Hon. Geo. Davis says
:
"They were no needy adventurers, driven by necessity, no
unlettered boors, ill at ease in the haunts of civilization, and
seeking their proper sphere amidst the barbarism of the sav-ages.
They were gentlemen of birth and education, bred in
the refinements of polished society, and bringing with them
ample fortunes, gentle manners, and cultivated minds—most
of them united by ties of blood, and all by those of friend-ship,
they came as one household, sufficient to themselves, and
reared their family altars in love and peace."
, It was not an uncommon thing for a wealthy planter to
own twenty or thirty thousand acres of land. &
Provoked by a charge that some of them owned more than
one hundred thousand acres each, John Porter, Edward
Hyrne, Jno. Swann, Sam Swann, J. Davis, M. Moore, Thos.
Jones, ]S[athaniel Moore and Jno. Davis signed a memorial,
saying they together did not own more than seventy-five
thousand acres, and had "not more than twelve hundred per-sons
in their families." c
a Laws 1741, Ch. 8.
6 C. R., Vol. 4, p. 426.
cC. R., Vol. 4, p. 315.
THE NOKTH CAROLINA BOOKLET. 121
The planters lived on the streams, and every family had
its perianger, canoe, sloop or brigantine.
The water-ways were the chief mode of transportation.
To the planters' doors came the ships of the old world, and
especially the sloops of the liew England and West India
trader.
Many of the more substantial planters owned vessels that
traded with New England, the Barbadoes and occasionally
made trips to Europe. The periaugers would carry eight or
ten tons or fifty or sixty barrels of pork or tar, and were welt
adapted to the shallow creeks and landings that they oftenest
frequented. The usual vessels in our waters were not of
more than fifty or seventy-five tons, mainly the jSTew England
sloops. At an early period an effort was made to encourage
!N^orth Carolina ship owners, and in an act of
1715, a vessels entering the government were re-quired
to pay one pound of powder, four pounds swan shot
and twelve flints for every three tons' measure, and for want
thereof ten shillings for every three tons—this was not to
apply to vessels built in this country or owned in whole or
in part here, nor to those vessels loaded wtih salt to unload
here.
The absence of deep water shipping ports was the greatest
handicap under which this province labored. Eor many
years its importations were through the Virginia capes. Most
of its commodities were brought from ISTew England where
they were imported and re-shipped to us.
Tobacco promised at one time to be our chief money crop,
but there was an over production. The first Carolina law of
which we have any record was "An Act prohibiting the sow-ing,
setting, planting or in any way tending any tobacco"
from Eeby. 1st.,
"
166Y, to Eeby. 1st., 1668. h A
similar effort was made by Virginia and Maryland
ffl7].5. Ch. 3.5.
6 S. P. N., Vol 1, p. 34.
122 THE NOKTH CAROLINA BOOKLET.
at tlie same time. The next blow to our tobacco interests
came about 1679 in "An act against importing tobacco from
Carolina, and other ports without the Capes of Virginia."
it was enacted: "That such importation from henceforth
be, and bj virtue of this, remain prohibited and forbidden;
and that if any tobacco hereafter, in anywise whatsoever,
shall be imported from Carolina or other ports without the
Capes, into this colony and dominion in order to be laid here
on shore, sold or shipped, the same shall be thereby forfeited
and lost." a
Another act similar to the above was passed by Virginia
against North Carolina in 1726. Against this the inhabitants
of Albemarle protested, setting forth "That the Inlets to that
part of ]S[orth Carolina are not capable of receiving vessels
of Burthen fitt for the transportating of Tobacco from thence
to Great Brittain." This eifectually prohibited shipping, and
thereby destroyed our market for tobacco. The planters
could raise tobacco sufficient to pay quit rents, etc,, which the
government accepted at the rated price, but they could not
sell it profitably and were forced to leave off planting in
quantity for profit. "Endeavoring to cloathe themselves with
their own manufactures" would compete with British manu-facturers,
so the British Board of Trade repealed these acts
July 29, 1731. h
According to Lawson Roanoke Inlet was ten feet over the
bar, but the sands were shifting and uncertain after coming
within. Hatteras had four or five fathom on bar, but after
getting into the sound not more than six feet of water was
to be found. At Ocracoke, in Lawson's time, there was
thirteen feet at low water and eighteen feet at high water,
and after crossing the bar safe anchorage was found in seven
or eight fathom water. Wimble (1738) says there was 17
feet on bar ; in Teach's hole 4 fathoms of water, and in the
sound an eie:ht to nine feet channel was to be found.
oC. R., A^ol. 1, p. 628.
6 C. R., Vol. 3, p. 211.
THE NOKTH CAROLINA BOOKLET. 123
At Beaufort, on Topsail Inlet, was two fathoms of water,
according to Lawson, and five or six fathoms in the harbor.
Wimble says there was seventeen feet on the bar. Prof.
Bache, Superintendent of Coast Survey in 1851, gives seven-teen
feet at low water. In report to Congress Prof. Bache
states that "a ship drawing twenty feet of water can leave at
any state of tide, with almost any wind and discharge her
pilot at sea in from thirty to forty-five minutes after weighing
anchor."
Roanoke Inlet was early abandoned because it was shifting,
shallow and dangerous, and Ocracoke became the customary
entrance as about nine feet of water could be secured from
Ocracoke to Bath, JSTewberne and Edenton. From Bath town
to Ocracoke was reckoned seventy miles, a
Bath promised at one time to be the commercial metropolis
of Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds, and was an important port
of entry. When it was determined to have a permanent
capital the General Assembly voted to make Bath the seat
of government, but "by management" Gov. Johnston secured
the selection of ISTewberne. h
Burrington, who had considerable wisdom, wished to make
Ocracoke the port of entry, abolishing collection districts of
Roanoke (Edenton), Currituck and Bath town. At Ocra-coke
we could have a direct trade with Europe, receiving the
larger sea-going vessels there and distributing the produce
to the various parts of our colony in smaller vessels and have
direct importation of negroes. He did not, however, have
sufficient influence at Court for that purpose, and for years
our neighbors to the north and south of us received the great
a C. R., Vol. 3, p. 170.
& C. R., Vol. 4, p. 833.
124 THE NORTH CAROLINA BOOKLET.
ships and re-shipped to our waters in smaller vessels, receiv-ing
the profits and benefits that should have been ours. *
Gov. Burrington in 1731 writes:
"The pilots I have appointed assure me that at Ocracoke
they bring in vessels that draw sixteen or eighteen feet water,
at Port Beaufort that draw twenty, and at Cape Fear near
two and twenty—this account the Pilots offered to swear
too. Currituck Inlet is shut up, and Roanoke is so dangerous
that few people care to use it, but go round to Ocracoke." a
Port Beaufort had but a very small quantity of land be-longing
to its district and was very inconvenient to traders on
^euse River, and the traders in that section were "forced to
ride forty miles to enter and clear at Beaufort thro' a low,
watery and uninhabited country, which after great rains is
not passable in many days." h
At Cape Pear Lawson found "seven fathom on barr with
fine harbor" and this was, and is, probably the best natural
port south of ITew York. Tryon said in 1Y64: "The en-trance
over this bar is esteemed equal to that of Charleston." c
aC. R., Vol. 3, p. 210.
6 C. R., Vol. 4, p. 169.
cC. R.. Vol. 6, p. 1,059.
* Note.—Burrington says, C. R., Vol. 3. p. 336, "At the south end
of an island called Ocracock there is sufBcient depth of water for
any merchantman to come in and a secure harbor, this Island is
separated from the main land by a Sound about fourteen leagues
over that cannot be passed by a Vessell that draws tenn foot water,
it has communications with many large rivers that water so great
a part of this country as contain four parts m five of all the Inhabi-tants
within the Province. On this Island there is a hill whereon
if a small fort was Erected Cannon would from thence Command the
Barr. Channell and Harbour, there is no one thing that would cause
the trade of this Province to flourish like setting a Custom House on
this Place, this would procure a trade from England, in a little time
put an end to the Pedling carried on by the Virginians and People of
New England."
Note.—A letter from Capt. Winslow of the U. S. Corps of Engi-neers
gives the distance from Ocracoke Inlet to Washington, N. C,
7.5 miles; (about 12 miles above Bath). Ocracoke Inlet to New
Berne, N. C. 70 miles : Ocracoke Inlet to Edenton. N. C. 130 miles."
Regarding Roanoke Inlet he gives the following data
:
"It was open in 1585; depth not known. It was navigable for (9)
nine feet in 1708; for eight (8) feet in 17.38 and 1775; it was open
in 1795 ; depth not known, and was closed in 1875. The time of the
closure not being definitely known."
THE NOKTH CAEOLINA BOOKLET. 125
"The distance from Charleston bar to that of Cape Fear is
sixty leagues, and has been frequently run in twenty hours."
In a letter to the Lords of the Board of Trade, Dec. 12,
1Y34, Gab Johnson says the Cape Fear was "the best navi-gation
of any betwixt Chesapeak Bay and Cape Florida, and
that the past year forty-two ships went loaded from this
river." He said that the first settlement there was about
eight years before.
When direct trade commenced at Wilmington the Cape
Fear country soon became one of the most important com-mercial
sections in America.
The leading men of the province were well educated,
though little provision was made for the laboring classes.
Gentlemen's sons were sent to Williamsburg, Charleston,
l^ew England and Old England ; some had tutors at home.
The daughters were taught by their own mothers or placed
with ladies who undertook to educate them.
The ministers and lay readers were generally also teachers^
and educated indentured servants were sometimes used for
that purpose. Charles Griffin about 1705 was probably the
first professional teacher in the Province, and otKers fol-lowed.
Brickell a says : "The want of the Protest-ant
clergy is generally supplied by some School-Masters, who
read the Liturgy. These are most numerous and are dis-persed
through the whole Province." A free school for the
education of Indian and negro children was established by the
Society for the Propagation of the Gospel at Bath about
1720. h
The law required c "That all orphans shall be
Educated and provided for according to their Rank
and degree" out of the "Income or Interest of their
Estate and Stock, if the same will be sufficient, otherwise such
a Page 35.
See Rainsford's letter.
c Ch. 49, Laws 1715. Sec. 4.
126 THE NOBTH CAEOLINA BOOKLET.
orphan shall be bound apprentice to some Handycraft Trade
(the Master or Mistress of such Orphan not being of the Pro-fession
of the People called Quakers) till they shall come
of age."
Religion was established by law, but the people were al-lowed
to worship God in their o^ti way and no one was re-quired
to conform to the faith and forms of The Church unless
they wished to. The Established Church was supposed to be
supported by taxes, but the inhabitants do not seem to have
been liberal or prompt in their settlements
:
^'With absolute freedom of sonscience, benevolent reason
was the simple rule of their conduct." a
All Protestant Dissenters were allowed to have their meet-ings
for the exercise of their religion without molestation,
but no Quaker was qualified or permitted to give evidence in
any criminal causes or to serve on any jury, or bear any
office or place of profit or trust in the government. 1)
The early settlers were governed by the laws of England
and such additional laws as were not repugnant thereto.
In the revision of 1715 the first of the "Six Confirmed
Laws" was "An Act concerning Marriages." After reciting
the absence of ministers in the Province to join "in wedlock
according to the Rites and Customs of our natural Country
the Kingdom of England : that none may be hindered from
so necessary a work for the preservation of Mankind and
settlement of this country." Sec. 2 reads. "It is enacted and
be it enacted by the Palatin and Lords Proprietors, of Caro-lina,
by and with the consent and Advice of the present
Grand Assembly and the authority thereof, that any two
persons desirous to be joined together in the Holy Estate of
Matrimony, taking three or four neighbours along with them
and repairing to the Governor or any one of the Council,
before him declaring that they do join together in the Holy
a Bancroft, Vol. 2. p. 154.
6 1715, Ch. 9, Sees. 2, 6. Re-enacted in 1749..
THE NOETH CAROLINA BOOKLET. 127
Estate of Wedlock and do accept one the other for Man and
Wife, and the said Governor or Councellor before whom
such Act is performed, giving certificate thereof, and the
said certificate being registered in the Secretary's ofiice, or by
the Register of the Precinct or in such office as shall here-after
be appointed for that use. It shall be deemed a Lawful
Marriage, & the persons violating that marriage shall be
punished as they had been married according to the Rites
and Customs of England."
Later magistrates were allowed to perform the marriage
ceremony: a Registration of marriages, births and
deaths were required, & and "every Planter, Owner,
Attorney or Overseer of every settled plantation in
this Government, or that hereafter shall be settled
shall set apart a Burial place, and fence the same for the
interring of all such Christian persons whether bond or free
that shall die on their plantations." *
In this day of temperance agitation the following law may
be worth mentioning, and the idea of requiring a bond of
liquor dealers for the faithful observance of the law may be
worth reviving: c "An act concerning Ordinary
keepers and Tippling houses." The keepers of Taverns or
Ordinaries were required to have license to sell liquor and
to give bond for the due observance of the law; it further
ffll741, Ch. 1, Sec. 9.
6Ch. 47, 1715.
C1715, Ch. 53.
* Note.—It seems to have been a custom at buryings to feed the
people attending. The following bill pasted in "Minute Docket
1695-1712" may not be uninteresting,
lett: (1703.)
f. s. d.
My trouble in ye sickness 10
coffin 10
sheat 8
digging grave, etc 5 6
funeral dinner 1 10
By looking after hogs, etc 1 5
128 THE WORTH CAEOLINA BOOKLET.
provided that ''nothing in this act shall be adjudged to hinder
any Man from selling Cyder or other liquors, the produce of
his own plantation, at any time hereafter by full and Lawful
measures (the same not being drunk in the cellar house or
plantation.)" The rate of charges for ''Drink, Dyet, Lodg-ing,
Fodder, Provender, Corn or Pasturage" was fixed by
the Justices of the County Court, a There were
very few poor in the province as there was great
demand for labor, and every one who would exert himself
had an abundance of "hog and hominy." The fines collected
for Sabbath breaking and swearing, profaneness, etc., were
paid by the Justices to the Church Warden for the use of
the poor of the parish, h If any person was
wounded, maimed or hurt in his country's service
"and not of ability to maintain himself or pay for
his cure, he or they shall be cured at the Publick charge,
and have one good negro man-slave allowed and purchased
for him for his maintenance, and in the same case if any one
shall be killed, the Publick shall make the same provision for
his wife and family."
To vote for a member of the Assembly one was required
to be 21 years of age and to have been an inhabitant of the
government six months, and a free-holder with fifty
acres, c This property qualification was not hard
to attain, as every resident was entitled to fifty acres
for himself and the same for each member of his family, if
he chose to enter it. To be a member of the Assembly it was
necessary to have been a resident of the Province for one full
year and to be 21 years of age and own 100 acres of land.
There were a number of good roads in the province before
1Y50—that from Edenton to Williamsburg, a distance of
«. 1741, Cli. 20. Sec. 4.
&Laws 1715. Ch. 25. Sec. 8.
C1743, Ch. 1, Sec. 5.
THE NOKTI-r CAROLINA BOOKLET. 129
100 miles, being very good and a great highway of traveL
The road from ''Edenton to Virginia, being made broad and
convenient for all sorts of carriages, such as Coaches, Chaises,
Waggons and Carts, and especially for Horsemen." a
There was a road from Edenton to Bath, from
Bath to ISTew Berne, and from ISTew Berne to Brunswick
—
distance, two hundred miles.
The road system was not much inferior to that in many
counties in ISTorth Carolina to-day. Every male person,
white or black, from sixteen years of age to sixty, was re-quired
to work the roads, h
An effort to secure the carrying of letters was made early
in our history. All letters superscribed for his Majesty's
service directed to or subsigned by the Governor or other
"Publick Officer" or by some Field Officer in the Militia at
such time when the government is actually engaged in war
against the "Indyan Enemie" shall be "Immediately con-veyed
from Plantation to the place and persons to whom
they are directed under the Penalty of Eive pounds for
each default—one halfe to the Government and the other half
to him or them which shall sue for the same." c
It was further enacted that "where any person in
the family the said letter comes to can write such person is
hereby required to endorse the day and houre of the Receipt
of it that the neglect or Contempt of any person therein may
be the better discovered and punishment inflicted accord-ingly."
The bill, costs and charges of carriages was ad-judged
by the Court of each Precinct and paid by the Gen-eral
Assembly, d Burring-ton said in 1T31 "this law never an-swered
the end, and is now entirely useless." e
aBrickell, page 262.
&1745, Ch. 3; C. R.. Vol. 3, p. 435.
C1715, Ch. 15, Sec. 56.
(7 Laws 1715, Ch. 56.
eBurrington, 1731; C. R., Vol. 3, p. 188.
130 THE NOKTH CAEOLINA BOOKLET.
A general post-office was established in 'New York in 1710
for tlie Continent, with several branches, including Charles-ton
in Carolina. Act Parliament 1710, Queen Anne. *
In 1755 Gov. Dobbs in a message to the General Assembly
called attention to the necessity of an "Established Post thro'
this Province" and the necessity of correspondence with the
neighboring Colonies, whereon James Davis, Printer, was
employed for the sum of one hundred pounds, six shillings
and eight pence Proclamation money for one year, "to convey
all Publick Letters, Expresses and Dispatches relating to this
Province to any part thereof, and every fifteen days send a
messenger to Suffolk, in Virginia, and to Wilmington." a
In a message to the General Assembly in 1764 Gov. Dobbs
states that a "Packet Boat" has been established from Eng-land
to Charleston. He urges the establishment of a post
"once a Fortnight to carry letters from Suffolk, in Virginia,
thro' this Province at least to our Sounthern Boundary."
aC. R., Vol. 5, p. 516.
* Note.—"An Act for establishing a General Post Office for all
Her Majesty's Dominions and for settling a weekly Sum out of the
Revenues thereof, for the Service of the War, and other Her Maj-esty's
occasions." Statutes at Large, Vol. 4, 1699-1713. (A. D.,
1710), page 434.
"All letters and packets from London to New York in North
America, and thence to London: Single, one shilling. Double (letters)
two shillings, treble (letters) three shillings, Ounce four Shillings.
All letters and Packets from any Part of the West Indies, to New
York aforesaid : Single four pence ; Double eight pence, Treble one
shilling. Ounce one shilling and four pence.
All letters and I'ackets from New York to any place within Sixty
English Miles thereof, and thence back to New York: Single, four
Pence, Double eight pence, treble one shilling. Ounce, one shilling
and four Pence.
All letters and Packets from New York aforesaid, to Charlestown,
the Chief town in North and South Carolina, and from Charlestown
aforesaid to New York : Single, one shilling six Pence ; Double, three
Shillings ; Treble four shillings six Pence ; Ounce six shillings.
All letters and Packets from Charlestown aforesaid to any Place
not exceeding one hundred English Miles, and thence back again
:
Single, six pence ; Double, one shilling ; Treble, one Shilling, six
pence. Ounce two shillings."
Mail carriers were allowed immediate and free ferriage over the
rivers and for delaying more than half an hour or charging, the fer-ryman
was to forfeit and pay for every offence the sum of £5.
THE NORTH CAROLINA BOOKLET. 131
The General Assembly appropriated £133 6s. 8d. to be paid
to the Postmaster if he establish this post, a
The distribution of mails was made from Williamsburg
and Charleston. In a letter from Governor Tryon, Dec. 8,
1764, to Lord Hyde, Postmaster-General, he states that the
Assembly voted £133 1-2 to establish a post from Williams-burg
to Charleston "charging the customary postage on let-ters,"
by the following route:
From Williamsburg to Edenton 100 miles
From Edenton to Brunswick 200 miles
From Brunswick to Charleston 180 miles
480 miles
(This included the to^vns of Bath, !N^ewbern and Wilming-ton.)
The post had just been established from ]^ew York to
Williamsburg. He also petitioned that his Majesty's packet
be ordered to touch at Cape Fear River at Fort Johnston.
He stated that dispatches sometimes laid six weeks at Charles-ton
and occasionally months in Virginia before they were
received, h Later Tryon recommended the foUo^ving route
to avoid the "broad ferries of ISTeuse River, Pamlico and
Albemarle Sounds" from Suffolk, c
Route from Suffolk, in Virginia, to the Boundary House
of ]*^orth and South Carolina on the sea coast.
Miles.
From Suffolk to Cotton's Ferry on Chowan River .... 40
Appletree Ferry on the Roanoke 30
* Salters on Tar or Pamlico River. .... 35
Kemps' Ferry on ISTeuse 28
ISTewbern 10
Trentbridge 13
ffC. R., Vol. 6, pp. 1.291, 1,300.
& C. R., Vol. 6, p. 1,058.
cC. R., Vol. 7, p. 149.
*]SroTR.—wSalt^rs was afterwards Watkins' Ferry and is now Boyd's
Ferry on Grimesland Plantation.
132 THE NORTH CAROLINA BOOKLET.
Mrs. Warburtons 13
Sneads on Xew River ferry 26
Sage's 13
Collins' 14
Wilmington 15
Brunswick 15
The Ferry 2
To Bells' 20
The Boundary House 23
Total miles 297
Gov. Tryon used special messengers for carrying his dis-patches.
It seems that the first post route actually established thro'
ISTorth Carolina was in January, 1769, though it was carried
but once a month, a
In 1770 the General Assembly passed "an Act to encourage
and support the establishment of a Post-ofiice within this
Province." Of this act Martin says: "Davis says that this
act was repealed by proclamation. I have no certificate of
that ; However, it was only to be in force for two years, and
from thence to the end of the next session of Assembly." *
One of the first acts of the Continental Congress was to
establish a post-office with post routes from Falmouth, Me.,
to Savannah, Ga.
The large plantations were miniature republics, raising
their own beef, pork, horses, corn, grain, tobacco, wool, cot-ton,
tallow, myrtle-wax, ** beeswax, etc., and catching fish in
the nearby streams.
aC. R., Vol. 8, pp. 3, 4.
* Note.—I cannot find the manuscript law among the records in the
Secretary of State's office. G.
**NoTE.—The myrtle-wax was mixed with tallow and used for
making candles and is said to have emitted a delightful and fragrant
perfume while burning.
THE IS^ORTH CAROLINA BOOKLET. 133
Each planter had his own saw pit, carpenter and cooper
and blacksmith shop, tannery, etc. He raised wool and cot-ton
enough to clothe his j)eoj)le, carded, spun and wove his
owai cloth and made his own shoes.
In 17 o 5 Brickell says 'The Cloathings used by the Men
are English Cloaths, Druggets, Durois, Green Linnen, etc.
The women have their silks, Calicoes, Stamp-Linnen, Cali-manchoes
and all kind of Stuffs, some whereof are manu-factured
in the Province." a
In a few years after this "negro cloth" was made in con-siderable
quantities and old inventories show us that almost
every family had their spinning wheel, linen wheel, flax
brake, hackles, looms, etc. Little cotton was exported. Only
seven bags of two hundred and twenty-five pounds each being
exported from Charleston in 1747, and none from any other
province, h
In 1781 fifteen thousand nine hundred and seventy-five
pounds (seventy-one bags two hundred and twenty-five
pounds each), were shipped to England and seized on the
ground that the United States could not produce so much.
a Page 38.
b Carr. Coll., Vol. 2, p. 234.
Note.—When Whitney invented the cotton gin in 1794 cotton grow-ing
was greatly enrouraged. He was paid $90,000 by the cotton-grow-ing
States (N. C. paying thirty thousand dollars, South Carolina fifty
thousand dollars, and Georgia ten thousand dollars) that their plant-ers
could have the privilege of using his invention. The "Saw-Gin"
was a circular saw revolving between iron ribs, tearing the lint from
the seeds. One of these of ten saws can be now seen in the State
Museum. A tax was laid by the State of 2s. 6d. per annum for each
saw used.
In 1810 North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia and Virginia
manufactured more than all of New England.
North Carolina manufactured 7,376,154 yards of cloth.
Virginia manufactured 3.007,255 yards of cloth.
South Carolina manufactured 3,08.3,188 yards of cloth.
Georgia manufactured 3,688,534 yards of cloth.
In 1810, at a military review in North Carolina where 1,500 persons
were present, all but forty wore homespun.
J. L. Watkins. Dept. Ag. Year Book 1903.
134 THE NORTH CAEOLINA BOOKLET.
Considerable linen cloth was made and the French colon-ists
had introduced silk culture as well as wine-making.
From 1731 to 1755 there were 40756 lbs. of raw and
"Wrought Silk" exported from ISTorth and South Carolina
into Great Britain, and 38621 lbs. of mixed "Silken Stuffs"
imported into ISTorth Carolina and South Carolina from Great
Britain, a *
The gentry for themselves and wives generally imported
their clothing and dressed in a similar style to people of their
station in England. England discouraged manufacturing in
the colonies in every way possible, and up to the Revolution
the gentry and better classes imported their clothing, but
when we separated from England we began to make every-thing
we needed.
ISTails were made in blacksmith shops on plantations ; and
all ironware, pewter, etc., were imported. By an act of
Parliament, a
a Carr. Coll., 272.
a Holmes' Annals, Vol. 2, p. 42.
* Note.—In connection with silk it may be interesting to quote a few
lines from Coxe in his Caralana, p. 92. "Besides we have a grass, as
they call Silk grass, which makes very pretty stuffs, such as come
from the East Indies, which they call Herba Stuffs, whereof a gar-ment
was made for Queen Elizabeth, whose ingredient came from Sir
Walter Raleigh's colony, by him called Virginia, now North Carolina,
a part of this Province, which, to encourage colonies and plantations,
she was pleased to wear for divers weeks."
flolmes' Annals, Vol. 1, p. 486.
Master Ralph Lane writing to Mr. Richard Hakluyt from the '' new
fort in Virginia" Sept. 3. 1585, mentions "several kinds of flax and
one kind like silk, the same gathered as a grass as common there as
grass here."
Hawks 1, p. 100.
Thomas Harriot in his narrative writes of "silk of grass or grass-silk.
There is a kind of grass in the country upon the blades whereof
there groweth very good silk in form of a thin glittering skin to be
stript off."
Hawks 1, p. 154.
The Rev. Dr. Curtis, the Botanist, says the plants mentioned by
Lane and Harriot are evidently the same thing. "We have a plant
(chrysopsis graminifolia) in the pine woods, almost "as common as
grass" and now known as silk weed, which answers well to the ac-counts
of these writers, and which I have no doubt is the one intended
by them."
THE NOKTH CAJBOLINA BOOKLET. 135
the "Erection of any mill or other machine for slitting
or rolling iron or any plating forge to work with a tilt ham-mer
or any furnace for making steel" in any of the colonies
was forbidden. *
The poorer planters at first used stone hand-mortars for
pounding their grain tho' the better classes had hand-mills.
These mills were of stones with about twenty inches or two
feet face, and at first brought from England, though it was
soon found that the calcareous rock on JSTeuse River h
made admirable ones. This rock when first quarried
was soft and easily shaped, but when exposed became hard
and durable. These hand mills were worth five or six
pounds, c
In 1710 DeGraffenreid said there was only one water
mill in the province. As late as 1Y30 there were only two
or three water mills in the province and no wind mills, d
The Assembly of 1715 a to encourage mills passed
an act permitting the condemnation by the Pre-cinct
Court of two acres for a water mill, and one-half acre
for wind mill by any one engaging to erect a mill thereon
within two years. If the owner of the land w^ould obligate to
build such mill himself, then the motion of the applicant for
mill was denied.
?)Brickell, 263.
c See inventories.
d Brickell.
a Ch. 37.
*NoTE.—In 1731 Gov. Burrington states that there was an abun-dance
of iron ore in North Carolina.
Note.—In 1775 at Hillpboro, the Provincial Congress made an
effort to encourage manufactures. "Premiums were voted for the
manufacture of saltpetre, gunpowder, cotton and woolen cards, pins,
needles, linen and woolen cloth, and for the erection of rolling and
slitting mills, furnaces for the manufacture of steel and iron, paper
mills, salt works, and for refining sulphur." Lossing, Vol. 2, p. 582
;
see also C. R., Vol. 9, p. 1,185 and Vol. 10, pp. 216-219. Immediately
manufactures sprung into existence.
136 THE NORTH CAEOLINA BOOKLET.
In 1722 there were nine precincts in JSTortli Carolina, and
an act of that year provided for the erection of court-houses
at the following places
:
For the Precinct of Chowan at Edenton
;
For the Precinct of Perquimans at Jonathan Phelps Point
at the Mouth of the ISTarrows;
For the Precinct of Currituck on the land of Mr. William
Peyner next to the land of ]\[r. William Parker; or at Mr.
Parker's, ''as the justices shall appoint"
;
For the Precincts of Beaufort and Hyde at Bath to^^Ti
;
For the Precinct of Craven at ISTew Bern;
For the Precinct of Carteret at Beaufort town;
For the Precinct of Bertie, now by this Assembly laid out
at some convenient place at Ahotsky where the Justices shall
appoint.
For the Precinct of Pasquotank at such place as the Jus-tices
shall appoint.
Hyde wa