School History of North Carolina Part 14

9. Under what circ.u.mstances did the news reach the Governor?

What did the Governor do concerning the a.s.sembly?

10. Mention the first act of resistance to this law.

11. When did the Diligence arrive? What occurred on her arrival?

12. What did the Governor do on January 6th? With what result?

13. What trouble befell the Viper?

14. What occurred on February 20th?

15. What further is said of this affair?

16. What did the Governor say of these things?

17. What was the conclusion of this affair?

18. What joyful news was received on June 13th, 1766?

How had Governor Tryon been affected by the resistance of the people to the Stamp Act?

CHAPTER XXI.

GOVERNOR TRYON AND THE REGULATORS.

A. D. 1766 TO 1771.

In the middle and western counties of North Carolina in the period referred to, there was collected a large increase of population. Immigrants had come in large companies from Scotland, Ireland, England and Germany. Fully two hundred thousand inhabitants were by that time to be found east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. They were separated by that great barrier from the Cherokees, who latterly had well respected this line of separation.

2. A great portion of the western settlers had recently come to their new homes, and were very poorly provided with the means of living. They were hundreds of miles from market, and made nothing on their farms to sell but wheat. These farmers were taxed about twelve dollars apiece on the poll, and paid an annual rent of seventy-five cents on each one hundred acres of their land.

3. When they hauled wheat to Cross Creek, now Fayetteville, it realized but little more than enough to pay for the salt needed in the family. Sugar and coffee were luxuries in which they rarely indulged. It can thus be seen how cruel would have been even an honest collection of what the laws demanded of these recent settlers as taxes. When these sums were enormously increased by dishonest sheriffs the farmers were in despair, for it was beyond their power to pay.

4. The farmers knew they were being cheated, and resolved to put an end to such practices. Colonel Edmund Fanning, of Hillsboro, in Orange county, was growing rich as Register of Deeds, and was the ringleader in this oppression of the people.

5. In this same county lived Herman Husbands, who was a Quaker preacher, and, though of limited education, was a man of considerable natural abilities. He prevailed on his neighbors at Sandy Creek to form an a.s.sociation for mutual protection against the wrongs of the public officers. His organization was known as the "Regulators," and they were to help each other in the lawsuits and indictments growing out of a refusal to pay unlawful demands.

6. This was wise and proper, as these men were not rebellious, but only desired relief from oppression, but Husbands should have joined the league he was thus creating, and thereby shared the liabilities of the members. This he would not do, but preached and harangued until the people were in a fever of excitement.

1768.

7. The first trouble grew out of a seizure of a horse from one of two men sent to Hillsboro on a mission to the sheriff. The Regulators retook the horse by force, and fired into the roof of Colonel Fanning's house. That night Husbands was arrested and carried to Hillsboro, and gave bail for his appearance at the next Superior Court. He had hardly left Hillsboro before seven hundred men came to his rescue; they went away with promises made by Isaac Edwards, who was Tryon's Secretary, that the Governor would redress their wrongs.

8. Governor Tryon went to Hillsboro in a few weeks, but condemned only the people who had asked his aid, and, after going further west, came back to the Superior Court with an army of eleven hundred men, which he had raised in Mecklenburg and Rowan counties. Husbands was acquitted on trial, but three other Regulators were heavily fined and imprisoned. Colonel Fanning was convicted in five cases of extortion in office, and the judges, to their shame, imposed a fine of only one penny in each case.

9. This marching of troops, and the failure of the court to do its duty, only made matters worse. The Regulators grew in numbers and violence until the courts could not be held in some counties.

Husbands was expelled from his place in the House of a.s.sembly and thrown into prison for a libel on Judge Maurice Moore. His release was effected in time to stop a crowd of several hundred men from going to New Bern, where they had declared they would release him and burn the splendid palace the Governor had just built.

1771.

10. Matters continued to grow worse until, in 1771, Governor Tryon raised an army in the eastern counties, under a law of the a.s.sembly, and marched to Orange to put down what he called the "rebellion of the Regulators," Colonel Waddell, with another body of troops, marched from Salisbury to join him, but was met by the Regulators and driven back.

11. On the 16th of May, 1771, the force of Governor Tryon, numbering eleven hundred men, met about two thousand of the Regulators at a place called "Alamance," in Orange County. In the battle that ensued there was stubborn fighting until the ammunition of the Regulators was exhausted, and they were driven from the field. Many men lost their lives, and all that was gained by North Carolina, after a n.o.ble resistance to oppression, was that Edmund Fanning and others, who were largely responsible for all its disorders, left the province.

12. The brutal malice and cruelty in Governor Tryon's character was exhibited soon after the battle. Several prisoners were taken by him, and one of them, a poor half-witted youth named James Few, was, by Tryon's order, hung on the spot without trial.

Twelve other prisoners were soon convicted of high treason and sentenced to death. Six of them were hanged almost immediately; the execution of the others was delayed for a few days in order that a grand military display might be made on the occasion, the details of which the Governor superintended in person.

[NOTE--It has been said that the battle of Alamance was begun by Governor Tryon, who fired the first gun at a prisoner named Robert Thompson, killing him instantly. The men seemed to hesitate about beginning the fight, and Governor Tryon, rising in his stirrups, exclaimed: "Fire! fire on them, or on me!"]

13. Governor Tryon left the province a month after the battle of Alamance to become, by the king's appointment, Governor of New York. He had signally failed to do his duty in compelling his subordinates to deal honestly with the people, but yet he retained the confidence of many able and patriotic men. Richard Caswell and many other leaders in the province were distressed that he had ceased to be the Chief Magistrate of North Carolina.

QUESTIONS.

1. How were the middle and western sections of North Carolina being peopled at this period?

2. Give some description of these people. How were they taxed?

3. What return did the sale of their crops bring them? How was theirs a hard lot?

4. By whom were the poor farmers being oppressed?

5. What noted man is now mentioned? Can you tell something of the acts of Herman Husbands in the province?

6. How did he shrink from becoming a member of his league?

7. What was the first trouble? How did they settle the matter?

Mention some circ.u.mstances of the trial of Husbands?

8. What was the result of Governor Tyron's visit to Hillsboro?

How did the trials at court terminate?

9. How were the Regulators affected by this "mock judgment"?

Into what trouble did Husbands next fall?

10. What steps were taken by Governor Tryon towards crushing the Regulators? By whom was his army reinforced?

11. Can you describe the memorable "Battle of Alamance"? What benefit was derived from it? Point out on the map the scene of the battle.

12. What was Governor Tryon's conduct after the battle?

13. When did Governor Tryon leave North Carolina, and for what purpose?