Benjamin Williams,
Soldier, Statesman
lie was four times Governor of
North Carolina, lie represented
three counties in the Legislature,
and he rendered valiant service
as a soldier during the Revolution¬
ary War.
By R. C. LAWRENCE
I DOUBT if many Carolinians
now living are familiar with
this name, yet it was once one
of the most illustrious in the annals
of the generation in which he lived.
Me won distinction not only as a
soldier, but had the unique honor
of representing three different
counties in the General Assembly;
and he was one of the few men who
have been ever elected as Governor
more than once at different stages
of their career.
He was not only a notable figure
in his own right, but his wife was
a daughter of Robert Jones, who
was Attorney General for the Col¬
ony under the administrations of
Colonial Governors Arthur Dobbs
and William Tryon. Benjamin Wil¬
liams was therefore the brother-
in-law of those distinguished Caro¬
lina patriots Willie Jones, staunch
Republican leader in post- Revolu¬
tionary days, who fiercely fought
against the adoption of the Fed¬
eral Constitution; and of General
Allen Jones, able champion of the
Federalist cause in the state, who
was a leader in finally securing the
ratification of the Constitution at
the Fayetteville Convention.
Born in 1752
Governor Williams was a native
North Carolinian, born in 1752,
and from early manhood he took a
leading part in the public affairs
of the Colony. In 1774. when the
first Provincial Congress ever held
in the Province independently of
the royal authority, assembled at
New Bern, Williams although only
twenty-two years of age appeared
as a delegate from the county of
Johnston. When the second Pro¬
vincial Congress assembled at
Hillsboro in August. 1775, the royal
Governor had fled before the wrath
of an outraged people, and it be¬
came necessary lor the Hillsboro
Congress to adopt some form of
civil government. The form finally
agreed upon vested the executive
authority in a Provincial Council,
under which were Committees of
Public Safety for the several dis¬
tricts. together with similar com¬
mittees for the several counties
and towns. Certainly only men of
good judgment, who stood high in
the estimation of their people,
would be named as members of
these committees. It was quite an
honor, therefore, which was paid
young Williams, when he was
chosen as a member of the district
committee for the New Bern Dis¬
trict.
This Congress also authorized
the raising of two regiments of
troops of the Continental Line,
these being the first trooos ever
raised in the Colonv for Revolu¬
tionary service, and Williams was
also elected as a Lieutenant in the
second regiment, being promoted
to the rank of Captain within less
than a year. The Colonel of this
regiment as originally constituted
was Robert Howe, who subsequent¬
ly rose to be a Major General and
who at one time had command of
the entire Department of the South.
Howe was such an outstanding
Whig that when the British Gen¬
eral Sir Henry Clinton offered a
full pardon to all who would return
to their allegiance to the British
crown, he expressly excepted
Howe from the benefits of his proc¬
lamation. When Howe was pro¬
moted to be Brigadier, he was suc¬
ceeded as Colonel by Alexander
Martin of Guilford, who, after the
Revolution, was elected as Gov¬
The marker which marks the grave
of Governor Williams. It is located
in Moore County, about twelve
miles north of Carthage.
ernor for several terms, and who
was a delegate to the Convention
at Philadelphia which framed the
Federal Constitution. It will there¬
fore be seen that this regiment had
the distinction of furnishing to the
State a Major General and two
Governors.
In Several Campaigns
Captain Williams took an active
part in several campaigns, lie
served through the operations con¬
ducted by the Continental Line
against the command of Lord Dun-
more in Virginia; he fought against
the forces under Sir Henry Clinton
in South Carolina; and for a time
his regiment formed a part of the
army of the North led by Washing¬
ton himself. For some reason he re¬
signed his military commission in
1779 and retired to private life,
only to be immediately elected as a
member of the House of Commons
from Craven County.
When the British armies under
( Continued on page 23)
THE STATE October 6. 1945
