Page Six
THE STATE
August 17, 1935
GOVERNORS OF NORTH CAROLINA
- No. 26-RICHARD CASWELL -
- By W. J. Sadler -
T
I
К
administration of
'iflitird Caswell, tirst
iMuraar uf North
b iC.
various
ng tlw
the Genoral Assembly of tin1
«late following the signing
of tin- American Declara*
lion of Independence, was
featured by many historic
events, among them being
the drafting of the state
constitution on December Is,
That constitution, with
amendment» adopted dun
• nsuing 159 year.*. i- to thi* day North
Carolina'» governmental Bible. It was
given tin* stump of approval after mem
Iters of a convention had labored more
than a month over its preparation in
the town ..f Halifax. Following tlm
formal acceptance of the constitution,
the convention elected Caswell to guide
the destinies of the commonwealth dur¬
ing one of the most critical periods of
it» history.
Native of Maryland
Caswell'* original term was for only
one year, hut his services proved to he
•o eminently satisfactory that he was
reelected on three occasion-, remaining
in the gubernatorial office until April,
I7m>, when he was succeeded by Abner
Nash. Cu swell was not u native of
North Carolina, but had come to thi*
•late from Maryland at an early age.
At the time Caswell assumed office,
North Carolina had a population of
almost 3<»0,UOO i-T-ous, but the state
w a- poorly equipped in the manner of
fnvlorie.* and industries for producing
material and supplies necessary to the
waging ot a war aitainst so powerful
.»
foe a- the British Empire.
Many Answered Call
d the call to fight the English,
ietnl . in properly equipping
•r a military* campaign was ex¬
ilic more prosperous of the
<•cncr.il Janies Moore was
the lirst to command Tar Heel troops
during the Kcvolut ionary War. and,
following hi* unfortunate death earlv
HICII
Л1Ш
CASWELL, first Governor
of .\orth C arolina to be» elected by
an indepi'iident legislature. sckrvetl
during a eritieail period in the his¬
tory of the state and nation, but he*
acquitted himself nHI, anil histo¬
rians aeelaini him one of our out¬
standing Chief Executives.
Ill
and assh
them for
tended h
colonies.
in 1777, he was succeeded by General
Francis Nash. The names of both of
these illustrious soldiers who so ably
aided in securing American independ¬
ence are indelibly written in the his¬
tory of North Carolina.
Soon after the command of the Tar
Heel soldiers bail been assumed by
General Nash,
я
number of regiment*
made their way north info Pennsyl¬
vania where General George Washing¬
ton. commander-in-chief of the Ameri¬
can armies, was attempting to hold the
British at hay. They took an active
and gallant part in the battles of
Brandywine and Germantown, which
were fought unsuccessfully in efforts to
prevent the capture by the English of
Philadelphia, at that time the seat of
government.
Suffered at Valley Forge
Following these historic encounters,
the Tar Heel troo|>ers went into winter
quarters with Washington's army at
Valley Forge, that Gethscinuiie of «ill
fering and death, the history of which
i.- so familiar to and cherished hv all
Americans. The North Carolinians
went barefoot in the snow, like so many
of their compatriots, leaving bloody
footprint* in their wake; they suffered
from the extreme cold weather and
from hunger, and in many other way-
proved their devotion to the cause of
liberty.
News uf the desperate plight of hi*
soldier* at Valley Forge was long in
reaching Governor Caswell. However,
when he finally learned of their suf¬
fering, he urged his fellow citizens to
make donations uf food, clothing,
blanket* and other supplies which «cut
to the troops by slow wagon train-.
"Governor Caswell," says
one historian, "also bought
army supplies from little
vessels which, in spite of
British fleets, were slipping
to sea from Ocraeoke and
other North Carolina ports
and often returning with
valuable cargoes. These
vessels were generally owned
by shrewd merchants, but
a few belonged to the state. Wagons
from Pennsylvania often came all the
way to Albemarle Sound for these
supplies."
Aided by Foreigners
Every school child knows the history
of the great moral support and physi¬
cal aid which were brought to the
American colonists during tile Revolu¬
tion by the German, Baron von
Steul»*n, and the Frenchman. Marquis
de I .a Fayette. These famous friends
of liberty were, on many occasions, in
command of regiment- containing
thousands of North Carolina troops.
I "util the fall of 177S, the British
had concentrated their attacks upon the
northern sections of the I'nited States,
but they finally decided to try their
luck in the South. A large fleet and
thousands of soldiers were despatched
to the shores of Georgia, resulting in
th. l.-eiging and capture of Savannah
in December, 177S. From that city,
the English troops moved northward
to South Carolina, and a number of
battles, in which Tar Heel soldier* took
part, were fought in the Palmetto
star.- during ( ’a swell’s administration,
finally resulting ill the surrender of
the ritv of Charleston. Some time
later ibis state also was invaded.
Many Reforms Adopted
While Governor Caswell was in of¬
fice. many reforms in government
were inaugurated, including the estab¬
lishment of county and Superior
court*. "Court Week" has been a big
occasion in many counties of the state
since that time. It was during that
period, too. that the idea of state fairs
was given birth.