Herman Husba
Is, Regulator
Ho was a thorn in tho flesh, so far as Royal
Governor Tryon w as concerned, and had an
inhorn hatred of oppression in any form.
His career was an extremely stormy one.
By II. C. LAWRENCE
HERMAN HUSBANDS was a
leader of the Regulators dur¬
ing the pre-Revolution era.
He was a native of Pennsylvania
and is said to have been a kins¬
man of Benjamin Franklin. He was
a man of education, with a talent
for public leadership and with an
inborn hatred of oppression in any
form. He represented Orange
County in the Colonial Assembly
and at the Convention held at
New Bern. Had the Regulators
been successful at the battle fought
on Great Alamance Creek, Hus¬
bands would have been acclaimed
as a patriot; but as he was unsuc¬
cessful he had to flee the State, and
if the Royal Governor could have
laid his hands upon him. he would
undoubtedly have handed him. Yet
there can be no question but that
his people had heavy grievances
which he sought to redress, even if
he did go about it in the wrong
way.
Husbands left an unfinished ac¬
count of the troubles which led up
to the movement of the Regulators,
and historian Wheeler considered
this of sufficient importance to in¬
clude it in detail in his history.
Corrupt Col. Fanning
Primary cause of the trouble was
the conduct of Col. Edmund Fan¬
ning. He was an officer in the Brit¬
ish army; a graduate of Yale
College, with an LL.D. conferred
upon him by that institution. He
was for years a member of the As¬
sembly from Orange County, and
was Register of Deeds for that
county. There can be no question
but that he was an extortioner, and
he was convicted of this offense in
several cases before a friendly
court and under the immediate
protection of a friendly Royal
Governor.
As early as 1766, the extor¬
tionate charges of local officers in
Brunswick, Cumberland and cer¬
tain other counties had caused the
people to refuse to pay any taxes.
That summer, at a meeting of the
Inferior Court of Orange County, it
was agreed that representatives of
the people should meet at some
suitable place where there was no
liquor to consider whether the
people were being oppressed, and
if so to require redress at the hands
of the oppressors. On the appointed
day, the local officers failed to ap¬
pear. so nothing could be then ac¬
complished. In lieu thereof, Tyree
Harris, Sheriff of Orange, pub¬
lished a notice that he would at¬
tend at certain specified places to
receive taxes; and that all who
failed to pay at the appointed time
would have to pay two shillings
eight pence extra. It was known
that the Royal Governor, William
Tryon, intended to expend some
15,000 pounds of public funds in
the construction of a palace for the
Governor. This building was
erected, and a part thereof is still
in existence at New Bern. It is said
to have been the finest building of
its day, not only in the state but in
America. The use of the public
purse for this purpose further in¬
flamed public feeling.
A Determined Course
In March, 1768, a number of
citizens formed themselves into an
Association for the following
avowed purposes:
1. To pay no more taxes until
and unless satisfied that such were
properly levied.
2. To pay no more than lawful
fees to any officer.
3. To attend frequent meetings
for the discussion of the public
welfare.
4. To contribute to the cost and
expense of the Association.
5. In the event a difference of
opinion should develop, to abide by
the will of the majority.
In April 1768 this Association
took the name Regulators, which is
self-explanatory. An accounting
was requested from the local of¬
ficers which was refused. An
Orange Deputy Sheriff seized a
mare belonging to one of the Regu¬
lators for delinquent taxes, where¬
upon seventy citizens rescued the
mare and fired a few shots into the
roof of Col. Fanning’s home, “to
signify that they blamed him for
this abuse."
That same month another meet¬
ing was held, at which a proclama¬
tion from Governor Tryon was
read, calling upon the Regulators
to disperse. One Regulator was ar¬
rested for some alleged infraction
of the law, whereupon seven hun¬
dred armed men marched upon
Hillsboro. They were met by the
Governor’s Secretary, who assured
them that the Governor would in¬
vestigate conditions. This post¬
poned the final trouble, and so
pleased was the Secretary over his
achievement that he called for sev¬
eral bottles of wine and drank
them as a testimony of his agree¬
ment. It turned out that the Gov¬
ernor had not authorized his
Secretary to make any such state¬
ment.
In May 1768 the Regulators held
another meeting at which they af¬
firmed their loyalty to King
George, and their belief that the in¬
justice of which they complained
arose from "the downright roguish
practices of men who have crept
into office and have practiced upon
our ignorance." A committee was
named to confer with the Governor
and acquaint him with the condi¬
tions complained of.
Tryon Upholds Fanning
Governor Tryon made his reply
to this committee in writing, in
which he deprecated the formation
of the Regulators, and said further:
"The discreet and steady behaviour
of Col. Fanning met not only with
the entire approbation of myself
and His Majesty’s Council, but* will
ever be acknowledged by every
well-wisher to this Province." The
Governor served notice that there
must be no more public meetings.
The Committee made known
these proceedings to the Regula¬
tors, and reported that the Gover¬
nor sided with the local officers;
that he laid all the faults upon the
(Continued on page 17)
THE STATE. NOVCMOCR 12. 1049
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