The North-Carolina standard., 1844-12-04
HousE OF coMlnoMs.


greed 10, 1.-THE House proceeded 10 vote Mr.. Nixon,
from the experimenting committee reported that
Mr. Ho!derby, having received a majority OF the
votes given, wassdecared duly elected.
& The Speaker laid before the House commune
! caHon from the Public Treasurer, which was sent
to the Senate with proposition to PRINT, which
was agreed 10.
| Mr.. ScaLes introduced the following resolution
| Resolved, That the Clerk of this House be di-
rected 10 furnish each member thereof with one
py of The (" Indexes to Colonial Documents rela-
live TO North Carolina.
The resolution having been read
Mr.. Scales rose and remarked that his object in
submitting this resolution was two-fold: first, TO
carry out the intention of the last Legislature,
which authorized the printing of these Documents,
by furnishing each member with copy thereof;
and secondly, thereby to enable the Legislature to
act undersandingly upon the recommendations of
his excellency the Governor. Copies of this work
could be easily procured, as he understood several
hundred copies had been printed.
MR.. SHEPARD,of Wake then rose and spoke
| as follows
MR SPEAKER: I am gratiied to see the resolu-
ton now before US. These Indexes were published
by order of the last legislature under resolution
ratified 26th January, 1913. Being published after
the termination of the last session. members did not
get the copy they Usually do, OF all documents SO
ordered. They refer to colonial existence, and
now repose dusty shelves in the various offices
of the British Cove rnment. The legislature of '26-
81 directed Gov. Burton TO obtain them of Mr.. Gal
latin our resident minister in London but the ma
nuscript we thus obtained, was never printed un-
til the year 1843 Too1itte, MIR. Speaker, is known
of our political olonia history, and | highly
pleased that the Governor In his late message, re-
commended to TO send agent TO Europe TO
get possession of these papers We can better
Judge of his excelencys proposition If we had these
" "Indexes' before US. Boston is styled the cradle
Of liberty, and these documents would abundany
establish the title of North Carolina to the claim of
being the birth place of American Independence.
| venture the assertion without fear of conradc-
there nOIOuS thrilling
dents connected with the revolutionary history OF
this Stale than ary other in the Union. The las;
summer twelve months, during visit 10 the west
ern part Of North Carolina, | heard OF tradition
among the ciIiZrns of Rockingham to the follow
ing effect. Not be tedious, | will now only
relate the substance of the story. Ii is certainly
The most chival lr"us and interesting exploit per
formed durIag the seven years war; and OF this
exploit we have only The evidence OF tradition
while the documents to which lhave referred would
no doubt prove its authenticity.
During the revolutionary contest which evcnua-
ted in establishing the independence Of The United
States, the intestine feuds and civil broIls which Of
ten ragged in the interior of the several states eVen
where regular and systematic warfare did not In:-
medlaIey penetrate) were frequently attended By
he most enbitrrcd ma ignIIy and aruCious violence.
Marked, as civil dlsSenlions must ever he by the
various phaZes of passion by mistaken z al and
ardent enthu .iaSm by the okng< of sOdi interest
by base calculations of dishonest gaii. ind by the
lerocity Of Infatuated leaders-sCenes Ut blood and
carnage, of incendarsms and wanton persecution,
were TO the disgrace of human nature, often exhIb-
lied without alIeriaIion remorse. Some
Of the western counties OF North Carolina. Rock
ngham, Chatham, and Gullfurd, became the thea
tire on which The diLbOlichl spirit displayed
without restraint. In the absence of regular gov
ernment and the wholesome operation of law, ii Is
not surprising that the blind passions Of the InaIi
cal actors should set at defiance The suggestions of
irstice pity and humanity. II is scarcely necessa-
nv TO observe that the parties prime pdly arraYed in
the bloody strife the Tories or supporters of
the Rova government on the-One hand, and the
ardent friends Of the Revolution on the other.
The period TO which allude is supposed to be
the hottest part of the Revolutionary struggle.
The names of most Of the Dam liz persona have
probably been lost in the lapse OF time, but il is not
impossible that there are persons still living, who
could, If they thought proper, supply maLy ofthem.
chieflain Of fearful notoreIy, attached TO the
Royal party, for considerable time infested the
county of Rockingham. His name | believe, was
McIutosh Uhou2h however strong my impress
ions, in this my memory may be at fault) Occa-
sionally his excursions were extended into the
neighboring counties, and his depredations of
the most daring and wanton character. In his
thu <a sric devotion The Roy Il cause, he
a .sed bv none Of his onteml o aries He rendered
himself the of the surrounding country by his
known nrepiditv, his talents for PARTISAN warfare
his nsolence and habitual cruelty. His towering
form muscular strength and adroiiness in the use
of arms placed him almost beyond the risk Of per-
sonal or single handed encounters; and supported
by band of Iawess and desperate associates. whom
he had trained in strict subordinatiOn 10 his COM
mands he bade defiance the small volunteer par
ties, which occasionally sought meeting with
him Confident i'm his advantages-he entered O. ,
penly upon the boldest erprises-despising the
restraints of law. justice morality, siezng upon
the property of the neighboring farmers-plunder-
ing travellers on the high way, and levving con-
triburions on whatever route he selected for his !
troop. He punished with every species of bruta-
ty those WHO dared TO resist his iniquitous robbie
ries, and unresisting sufferers robbed.
scourged and hagellated for his amusement and
that Of his gang. Riotng in abundance, forced a
like from the rich and the poor-the laborious and
independent-the terror of his name commanded
submission from conscious weakness and impo-
tence. He was polite as we'll as bold-and num-
bered among the disafscted inhabitants many Sc
cret adherents, ever vigiant TO him of dan
ger, of any attempts 10 arrest his of Vio
lence and crime = Many were the plans formed 10
seize and drag him TO justice-but faithfully adver
tised by his secret friends, he evaded them all
and if too weak to face strong or numerous party
he took refuge in the Businesses of mountains for
ests and morasses, from whence, when the danger
was past he would issue with his band, more furi-
GUS than ever, pilaging, burning, and destroying
the property Of those who had taken arms in pur-
suit of him. Many were his hairbreadth escapes
aud we'll waged conflicts in which he owed his
safety to his prowess and address. Such was the
notorietY of this formidable bandit.
There lived in the county of Rockingham at this
time, young of the true yeeman class in the
full vigor of strength and manhood, distinguished
for his personal intrepiditY, ardent and devoted
republican, who heard with impatient indignation