GOVERNORS OF NORTH CAROLINA
- No. 15— EDWARD HYDE -
- By W. J. Sadler -
III
К
massacre by Indi¬
an* of hundred* of
mi colonists and
by
и
fniitoim
of additional bun-
including himself,
the administration
Ж
Carol
the death
plague
deeds,
marred
of Edward Hyde, 15th Gov¬
ernor of the Albemarle and,
in reality, the first Chief Ex¬
ecutive of North Carolina.
Hyde bore many honors in
hit native England. Ho was
Earl of Clarendon, a cousin
of Queen Anne and a mem¬
ber of that group of noblemen known
a* tho l^>rd* Proprietor* which held
title to many million* <>f acres of do¬
main in the New World.
Separate Identity Attained
At tho time of hi* appointment, in
1710, South Carolina had been the sent
of government for both that >t*te and
the Albemarle, with a deputy Governor
ruling the northern section of the two
province*. When the Lord* Proprietor»
decided to send Hyde to succeed Thomas
Cary a* the first official of this state,
his appointment designated him as
Governor of the "North |«irt of Caro¬
lina." The region now comprising the
eastern section of tbi* Mate hitherto
had been known a. the Albemarle, and
that is how Hyde became the firet Gov-
vrnor of North Carolina.
When he departed from England to
take over his new duties, Hyde had been
advised by the Lords Proprietor* that
"the best way to keep quiet in the colo¬
ny is to show all gentleness.” Those
gentlemen apparently were wearied of
the constant bitterness and dissension
which had nrisen during a number of
previous administrations, and believed
that conciliatory method* would pro¬
duce better results than the arbitrary
actions of several of Hyde"» predo-
WAR and pestilence, u.s well ns stub¬
bornness niul tyranny on the part
of Fduard Hyde. 1 5th Governor of
the Albemarle and first Governor of
Aorth Carolina, made his adminis¬
tration one of the most disastrous
the colonists in the .\ou World had
been called upon to endure. He.
himself, was fatally stricken by the
disease which caused the death of so
many settlers.
cau*d to be enacted a statute attesting
revere penalties again»! any citircn
found guilty of speaking in a .lighting
mannor of hi. government; insisted
upon the allegiance to the Church of
England by all the colonist*, and other-
wire infuriated those over whom he had
been appointed to rule.
Cory's anger was so great that he re¬
cruited a number of hi* follower* ami
barricaded himself in the home of a
friend, sending Hyde a defiant message
and saying in effect. “Come and get
rue!" The former Governor, angered
even further when Hyde made no at¬
tempt to rapture him by force, armed
a small boat with a number of cannon
and announced his intention of taking
Hydo and hi* Council by force. He wa*
defeated, however, when the Governor
of Virginia rent troop* to llvde* aid,
and Cary was captured and sent to
England for trial. The hearing resulted
in his freedom from the charge, made
by Hyde.
Indians Grow Restless
A Domineering Attitude
However, Hyde’* initial «diet, upon
assuming tho gubernatorial chair cre¬
ated even more discord. He i**Ued
orders humiliating to
Гагу
and Edward
of the
Moseley, Speaker
Meanwhile, the Indians were becom¬
ing more and more rc*tles* over the in*
roads being made into their land* by the
white men, and plans for war were be¬
ing fomented even among those who
served in the home* and on the farms of
the »ttlor* who had befriended them.
They decided that tire discord created
5 the antagonism between Hyde aud
ry presented an opportunity that
should not be neglected, and their lead¬
er* ordered a mas-acre.
The Indians struck just at sun rite
Assembly; on the morning of September Si, 1711.
Squad* of the re-1 men had
Uen placed around practi¬
cally every home in a large
•cot ion of the Albemarle
during the previous night
and at daybreak they at¬
tacked. Historical records
declare that it never will be
known definitely how many
of the -enter, were slain,
hut it is stated that in two
hours 13C were killed in one
rection alone. The Indian*
continued their initial wan¬
ton destruction of life and
property for three day*, burning homes
and farm building* and putting to death
all -enters whom they encountered.
Red Men Routed
With the first onslaught of the Indi¬
ans, authorities in the Albemarle had
appealed to the Governors of Virginia
я
ml South Carolina to rend aid in the
form of troop*. Virginia failed to re¬
spond, hut South Carolina militiamen
soon arrived in the vicinity of what i*
now New Bern and routed the red men
with the loss by death of many of their
members.
A truce wa* agreed upon by a Colonel
Barnwell, commander of the troops, aud
the Indian chief*, after Barnwell had
threatened to annihilate hi* enemies
unless they abandoned hostilities and
released unharmed all while prisoners
held by them. This truce, however, wa*
violated following the withdrawal of
tire white fighting men after they had
kept peace in the Albemarle for a num¬
ber of months, the Indian* resuming
their war against the settlers.
It was during tbe Indian trouble*
that yellow fever was added to the
miseries of the colonist*. The plague
took almmt ns many lives a- did the
■naunerc* of the Indian*, even cau-ing
the death of Governor Hyde in Septem-
Itcr, 1712, after he had served a* Chief
Executive for a little more than two
year*. His administration could not in
any manner bo termed a Slice-"*, for it
brought to the colonists one of the most
turbulent and disastrous periods of
their existence.
