Names of “Liberty Ships"
Mosl of them have been named for famous
North Carolinians, anil here is a brief
sketch of each of the individuals wlioso
names are now being carried by these ships.
AS this is being written eighty
£jL Liberty Ship* have been
/ .
A launched from the Wilmington
shipyard, the first having slid down
the ways into the historic ('ape Fear
in I ‘premier, 1041, at which lime his
excellency, Governor Hroughton, de¬
livered a memorable nddross. Quite
a number of these ships hear the
names of famous North Carolinians,
and 1 am giving below a list of these
in the order in which they were
launched, with a few of the charac¬
teristics of each of the |K-r»ons for
whom a ship has been named :
Zehulon B. Vance: Of Buncombe
County. Famous Civil War Gover¬
nor; and again Governor in 187(1,
"hen he redeemed his Stale from the
wreckers of the Recount ruction era;
I uited States Senator for a genera¬
tion; our most famous statesman of
all time and the first representative
of our state in the National Hall of
Fame at Washington. It was pecu¬
liarly appropriate that a ship War¬
ing his honored name should have
been launched on Cape Fear, for it
wan Vance who organized for the
Confederacy a fleet of blockade run-
ners, most famous of which was
named the 4d-<4inc<?. which brought
from Nassau and other British ports,
medical and other vital supplies for
the Confederate cause. Vance County
preserves his memory.
Virginia Dare : First white child
born witbiu the limits of our state,
whose ultimate fate remains n mys¬
tery, although the authorities of Bro-
nau College claim to have solved it
through deciphering the inscriptions
on a large number of "Virginia Dare
Slones" found in various parts of the
country. A famous character in legend,
song and story. Dare County pre¬
serves her memory.
William Hooper: An Englishman
who emigrated to New Hanover
County, where he became prominent
at the Bar and in the political life
of the state, and was one of our
state’s three signers of the immortal
Declaration of Independence. Buried
at Hillsboro. His descendant of the
sumo name served as Professor at the
University and as President of Wake
Forest College.
By II. C. LAWRENCE
Hugh W ill ia niton : Probably the
most versatile of Carolinians. A min¬
ister; a professor of mathematics ; a
physician and surgeon to the Caro¬
lina troops during the Revolution, re¬
maining several months at Camden,
S. C., t<> succor the wounded of the
routed army of General Gates; promi¬
nent in the political life of the state;
a signer of the Federal Constitution;
author of an authoritative history of
the state.
William II. Doric: Of Halifax
County. I'liremost statesman of his
generation. Outstanding lawyer and
legislator; distinguished soldier dur-
house; member of the Conventions
which framed both the State and Fed¬
eral constitutions ; member of the Con¬
vention which refused to ratify the
Federal Constitution. Officially desig¬
nated as the Father of the University,
l he cornerstone of which lie laid in his
capacity as Masonic Grand Master.
Movement now on foot to bring his
remains from his plantation in South
Carolina and re-inter them at Chapel
Hill near the famous "Davie poplar.”
Davie County preserves his name.
William Hatton : Of Craven
County. Wader of the Bar; Con¬
gressman; Supreme Court Justice;
outstanding member of the Roman
Catholic faith, he successfully led the
fight for religious freedom in the
Constitutional Convention of 1835
and scoured the removal of the clause
which prohibited those of his religi¬
ous faith from holding public office.
Most beloved figure of his generation.
Author of our state song. "The Old
North State.” Gaston County and
its county seat both honor his mem¬
ory.
William .1. Graham: Of Orange
County. Twice Governor; foremost
Whig statesman of his generation;
United Sfntes Senator; Secretary of
the Navy: Chairman of the Board of
University Trustees, which he mate¬
rially aided in re-opening following
the Civil War. Founder of a famous
family. Graham County preserves his
memory.
James K. Polk: Of Mecklenburg
County. Only University Alumnus to
become President of the United
States. Emigrated to Tennessee, of
which state he became Governor and
from which he served fourteen years
as a member of Congress during which
time he never missed a single roll call.
He was the successful candidate for
the Presidency against
Пепгу
Clay.
Our Polk County was not named for
the President but for a revolutionary
officer.
Alexander Marlin: Of Rocking¬
ham County. Legislator; Governor in
early manhood; again in middle life;
yet again in old age. Member of the
Convention which framed the Federal
Constitution. Our county of Martin
was not named for him, hut for
Josinh Martin, last of the Royal
Governors, being the only Carolina
County which preserves the name of
a Royal Governor.
Richard D. Spaighl: Of Craven
County. There were two Carolina
Governors bearing this name, the
only instance in our history where
father and son have served as chief
executive. The younger Speight was
killed in a duel with John Stanly,
arising from a political quarrel.
Samuel Ashe: Of New Hanover
County. Legislator and Governor;
founder of a famous family, and lead¬
ing figure of his generation. His name
is preserved both in the county of
Ashe and in the city of Asheville.
Benjamin Williams: Of Brunswick
County, lie removed to Moore
County, from which he was elected
ns Governor. The house in which he
lived in Moore was owned at different
periods by four different Governors of
our state.
James Turner: Of Warren County.
Contemporary of Nathaniel Macon;
Governor and United States Senator.
Nathaniel Alexander: Of Mecklen¬
burg County. The only practicing
physician who was ever elected ns
Governor, and there is a legend that
he continued the practice of his pro¬
fession while Governor, accepting no
reward for his services. Alexander
