The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1843-12-08
E,nm ne Raleieh Reg,stsr.

was mentioned &c connekioh Win Tue HIS
tory of Norsb Carolina. Proirac,ed illness.
and consequent accumulation Of duties,
have hitherto prevented my giving the due
degree Of attention 10 your enquiries. ]
have o. no time contemplated task Of the
nature suggested, and do not concur with
you ip The opinion, that am well qualified
for the performance Of it. | have some
fondness for antiquarian research, howev-
er, aud the indulgence Of this propensity
has probably produced the impression that
l aspired to The higher and more ardnous
Office OF Historian.
canno; justly make pretensions 10 either
very extensive, or very accurate knowledge
Of the early history of This State. There
is no one who can. The researches of
Judge Martin, Mr.. Bancroft, The Rer.
DR.. HACKS and J. s. Jones, in this unex
plored field. have not been fruitless, and
ye. a very slight examination will satisfy
any one how little is known in comparison
with what may be ascertained. You are
certa.aly correct 10 supposIng, that our
early history cannot be written from any
sources of information accessible on thus
side of the Atlantic. l. would be very
easy to show this by an analysis Of the al
tempts Of Williamson and Martin. The
latter is much the more systematic and ac-
curate Of The two. He possessed adyanta.
ses, moreover, not 10 be attained by any
one at the present day, who limits his re.
searches 10 our country, and il may be long
before we will have another historian, who
will devote equal ability, learning, patience
and perseverance TO the subject. All our
public records we're, under Resolution Of
the General Assembly, subjected TO his
scrutiny more than half century ego
The Letter Book and documents of Thorn.
as Pollock, President of the Council in
l7i2, the papers o! Gabriel Johnson, Gov
eruor Of the Province from l734 to 1852,
and Of Matthew Rowan, who, as President
of the Council, entered upoa the duties Of
the Executive Department 10 the following
year; together with many papers obtained
during various journeys undertaken for this
purpose, underwent his examination. or
these public records, some OF the most in.
teres'lng are not DOW to be found Many
of The private papers are in his possession
ID New Orleans, not 10 a condition OF be.
ing useful TO any but him who collected
them" and still greater number, are pro.
baby either lost OF widely dispersed among
the descendants of those who originally
placed them 10 his hands.
The success which crowned the efforts of /
both Williamson and Martin, may be infer.
red, TO some extent, from the following ex.
tracts from Bancrotl's United States, Vol. I
H., Chap. XIII:
=" The accounts in the historians Of y. I
Carolina are confused. As far as | can
learn, no memorials Of the earliest settlers
remain. ] have no document older than
1853, aud no exact account which | can
trust older than 1862, p. l34, Mote. -
" Martin |, l3S, says George Drummoad. /
Henaing II, 266, Identifies the man and
settles the question. Williamson |, II0, is |
even more inaccurate than Martin F; he says
Dfunmond died in the colony. So care /,
lessly has the history of Nor,. Carolina
been written, that the name, the merits and
the end OF its first Governor are no, known."'
aar.In's is certainly neagre work, and
yet careful examination has satisfied me, +!
that be made the most Of bis opportunities.
The publication BY Henuing Of The Statutes
al large of Virginia, subsequently, 10 the
composition of Martins History, enabled
bancroft 10 ascertain The true name aud the
iragIcai history Of our FIRST Governor. But
can he, or can any one else, pronounce
the name, or declare the mer.
g;s, or end Of either Of The three immediate
successors Of Drummond Who is able to
inform Us when, where and by whom, North
CGroiIaa was first settled, or give a con.
nected account Of Culpepper's rebellion 10
1917 : or even Of Cary's ia 1907! From
The date Of The first charter Of Carolina in
1863, uaih the Colony passed uuder the
government OF the Grown, GU, history not
merely remains to te written, but the ma.
ieriais for At are y e. 10 be ascerialued and
procured.
To what exien! Inc late Judge Murphey
prosecuted his historical enquiries, have
not the means Of asceriaining very accu.
ra.ely. | am satisfied, however, that he
arrived late in life al the conclusion, tina.
all attempts al history, III the existing state
OF our kaowledse on the subject, would be
idse. 10 the winter Of 1867, be visited
Raleigh, and submitted bis Memorial, 10
relation 10 his projected work, to tho Gen
eral Assembly. At the same time, be pro. /
cured the adoption Of Resolution, request !
ing The Governor 10 make application TO
the British Government for liberty 10 pro.
cure tor the use Of the State, from the OF. 7
fee Of the Board Of Trade aud Plantations
IN London, copies Of such papers aud docu.
menis as related 10 the Coloaal history OF
North Carolina. Ii is fortunate circum.
stance. that this application was made a,
time when we had Minister at the Cont
OF 81. James, SO peculiarly qualified, and
heartily disposed TO promote the objects. as
toe distinguished President Of the His,ori
cal Society Of New York. On the 25,h
August, 1877, he transmitted communi.
cation 10 Gov. Burton, ACCOMPANIED By
manuscript, index of Colonial papers. Gov.
efiDg aboU. 403 tooiscap naues ,a,,,;n, .,