The North-Carolina standard., 1845-09-03
Eromlhe washington. Union.

~
The National InteIIigencer OF August Isl un-
der the head of " Revolutionary L"grnds con-
tains an editorial critiqre upon an article ID the
6 TJo;on u of Jrily Ith entitled Sketches o! the
Revolutionary War in Moth Carolina" TO no.
tice part of whish must request brlei space
in yont paper The: Individual now addressing
Won had no agency in the preparation OF these
sketches, nor any knowledge that such pubfica;
,ion had been made or was intended, until a day
or two before the appearance efthe Inteiltgencer
remarks upon'it 1t may be proper turther TO aod.
that. although subscriber and constant reader OF
the IntelIigencer. he is not that Subscriber VINO
desired republication of them in It's columns.
Nor docs he take any exception to Its declaration
that they are devoid of interest. But tecflng a
natural concern in the fame of the person who IS
the subject of tho first Of the sketches, and win
whose services and suffcringsi in the cause OF the
country, at the darkest period Of the war IN the
South the Intclligencer is pleased wantoniy ID
trihe-very much to the amusement at least OF the
editors-hA is constrained to interpose, not merely
10 assert the truth of history, but TO repei such
gross and causeess injhstice
These sketches purport to be narratives derlV-
ed from a matron eghty-6ve years OF age, now
living in The vicinity Of Chaflotte in Mecklenburg
county, who is dPnominated by the writer " Aunt
Suzy," an1 whose family name appears to be Al
exander And it may be remembered by your
readers that one of them refers to the refuge las
in his boyhood) at the house of this old ladys Ia.
ther about the time Of the British invasion OF
North Carolina and the other, TO the succor ana
relief afforded by herself and her mother to Joseph
Graham an officer who had fought under Col.
Davie in the defence of Charlotte, on the 26th
of September, 1880; who had been badly wound
ed in The retreat, and who came bleeding and dis
abled to their dwelling on the evening of the same
dav This individual is described in the editorial
vo1 tot fho Skp
OF the present governor of that State and is readily
recognised by every one in the least degree tlml-
liar with the traditions of the section OF country
where these events happened, as the late Gencrai
joseph Graham, then OF Mecklenburg, but for the
last forty years preceding his death lin l836) an
inhabtdnt of the adjoining county of Lincoln
The Intclligencer denounccs these stores as en-
tirely fabulous, so far as they Jackson be-
cause contradcted by history; and if not impossl-
Bile, as they relate 10 Graham, altogether Incapa-
bic of having their truth ascertained, since history
had not deioncd TO notice him at all. The editors
then proceed in vein Of great merrment to con-
sign him to oblivion. loaded with such weight
of ridicule rs practscd pens are enabled to educe
from the familiar contraction OF his name in
which the old matron induIgrs herself-her dcs-
cription of his dress-and from the application of
epithets of sarcasm. And being classiques, they
conclude this strain with dcrisve application OF
the hacknryed verse OF Horace:
Where fortes ante Agamemaena,
Multi &c.
Possibly it NAV turn out, that the brave men
who lived before AgameInnon had this advantage
over their successors In l7S0-lhat if they have I
been doomed to sleep unknown, in the long night |
of ages for want OF the sGcSr Gates, the truthful
author to record their deeds. they have been at
least exempted from the prosecutions of the buff
foons of literature, who, beyond the narrow circle |
IN which they choose 10 minister the dispensers
of fame, will not suffer violet to spring from |
the grave of hero, without plucking it up and
casting it in mockery away.
All this is done, as the critique declares, nc.
cording to the most approved rules of historical
criticism" with great zeal for truth" and after
Professed examination Of the entire history Of
that period. Indeed, it to have been presum-
ed, in common charity that such a course of de- !
rison and insult would hardly have been induIgcd ,
in by those protesting deliberately to give infor
nation to the public, without having had recourse
to the best sources of information and finding
them TO justify it Its truth (say the editors)
there was no ascertaIning; but at least thought
we might be able to satisfy ourselves Of the pos
si6ility though not the reality, Of the facts; go
we considered, consulted, and remembered" But
they could find no trace of such character in !
history.
Now, after all this, those who have read the
remarks of the editors will readily agree, that if
any such person as 10. Graham" did in fact OK
ist he was never in greater danger Of annihla-
ton from the sabres of tTarlcon's dragoons than
IS his memory from the sneers of the critics Of the
National Entelligcncer. How much they con-
sidered and remembered" on this matter, "there
is no ascertaining )" nor is it very apparent how
either process would have helped them to facts
which. it is very evident were never within their
knowledge; though, with their prcten<ions on the
subject they should have been. But they also |
"consulied" in search of the truth PRAY, with |
whom? Certainly, with no one having the |
slightest acquaintance with the traditions of the
revolution in western North Carolina The GAL |
liant defence of Charlotte by DAVE, with but few
more than two hundred men, against the approach |
OF the whole British army-his driving back
their columns Of horse in three several charges
which they made, and keeping them at bay until
Lord CORVALLIS advanced in person to his cavaI. |
ry, reproached them with cowardice, and, bv re-
lntorcements of ovcrpowering numbers, at last
compelled our troops1o retire from the unequal
contest-are remembered by the people Of that
region with pride bordering enthusiasm. |
They boast OF it as Z" warm reception" given |
to his lordship in what, from that and like ater1-
tions, he was pleased to style the "hornet's nest
Of America. And the part borne by Graham in |
that action, at the head of the volunteers of Neck
lenburg-his command of the reserve, covering
the retreat-his being wounded, and left for dead
about four miles from the village, on the Sails
bury road-are as familiarly known to the whole
people IN the western part of the State as the de-
feat OF Ferguson at Kings Mountain; oil. the fall |
OF Davidson at the passage of the Catawba. It I