The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1853-02-09

81
Biographical memoirs Of rs principal
ctars in . Losxing's Field Book Pf the
No one can, however.
the gatherings q these m
repid SIMS sf liberty" under me
eaders Of their respective sections es
,eighborhood- theirissuing forth, asdid
ne largest portion % them. from tRe
,erees and masses of the Alleghsnle<s
and taking the field. without quarter
master or eommissary, each man upon
his own horse. and furnished with rs
ouu arms. /" the horse 10 b. sustained by |
the grass of nature. and The soldier from
me 6omely contents of his wallet, made
and filed by his wife OF moiher'-their
eoneentration-their arrangement ef
the temporary command by election
their long narches-their eager pur-
suit Of the enemy-his refuge on the
mountain tnp--their assault. persever-
ing courage. and overwhelming ricto-
ry-without being carried back. IN iia.
aglnaiion, TO the. sublime simplicity
and bravery Of classic romance in
Sparta and early Rome, or to the mem
cradle defence Of the Swiss cantons
against the invasion Of Austria.
This victory. which was obtained on
the eth of Octaber. was decisive Of the
campaign. Instead Of proceeding 20
his meditated conquest. the British
general Was compelled to address hun
self to the task OF maintaining what he
had acquired. Departing from Char
lotte IN the night. pursued by Davidson
and Dayie TO the Catawba. with the
capture of a portion Of his baggage he
retreated to Winnsborough. some twens
Nv miles westward Of Camden. as the
most eligible position for the preser-
walton al his acquisitions in South Ca
rolina.
Thus terminated the INVASION Of 1880.
But the end Of the war was not yet.
By his selection Of Hillsborough as
the point for reforminghis routed army,
General Gates had the advantage Of
consultation with the Governor OF the
State and the Legislature, which. ~
view Of the public danger. now held tw,
appointed sessions in each year. hat
assembled in that town on the 9Th q
September. This body at once applied
itself to providing for the defence Of th'
State in every practicable method. A
its preceding session board had beer
created !" for CARRYING on trade, for thu
benefit Of the State" for The purpose Q
importing or procuring arms. aud 10th
er military stores for the army, as wei
as the importation Of salt, and all kinds
of merchandise, for the use and con
sumption Of the good people Of thu
State" And now, to purchase supplies
for the large army it was hoped to as
semble and recruit, taxes were laid, Il
be paid in provisions, and agents ap
. pointed IN every county Tor their col
! lection purchases were authorized q
all the means of subsistence, as well a
, Of wagons, horses, and other necessa
: ries, so FAR as the impoverished treasur.
. would allow, aud impressments wer
freely authorized, other means Of SUP
!, ply falling. But the most notable a
: their proceedings was "An act Great
4 ing a Board Of War" to direct an,
) control the military Of the State, and
{ resolution requesting Gen. Smallwoo,l
. Of the Continental line. aud second u
command to Gen. Gates. 10 assume th,
! command of her militia that were q
should be called into service; measure
originating, doubtless. in no feeling o
disrespcct to Governor Nash, the actu
al occupant Of the executive chair, an,
, prompted By sense OF the momentou
, nature of the crisis hut utterly at va
/. rance with the plain precepts of u,
constitution, which then, as now. de
clared thai the Governor. for the tim
being, shall be the captain general an
) commander in chiefoI themIItia." Th
/. Governor. under the constitution, ha
, no power Of veto to arrest the law, ana
!, fagraafe beilo, did not interfere wit
: the action Of the board, though, in
/. later stage Of its existence, he refuse,
], to fill a vacancy occurring from III
: resignation of one Of its members, up
t on the ground of the constitutional ob
lection. The. Legislature of Sout
: Carolina, the preceding year, had, b
/ Its enac tment, clothed John Rutledge
; then the Governor, with the power
{ of a dictator. Precedents these, rathe
: classical than constitutional, accortlin,
to our system, and only resorted Ia
| unquestionably, in Those emergencies
because of the imminent danger to tn
very existence of the State. The com
! missioners constituting this board, b,
the election of the Legislature itself
were John Penn, Alexander Martin
aud Oran,latcs Davis. Their session
was commenced at Hillsborough, OF
the 18th OF September. 1880, and con
tinued, by adjournment, at HaIifax
; until the SOth of January, 1881, whel
its authorities were returned to TIL
Legislature. Their journal. with s.
. much Of their correspondence as ha
been preserved, is among the most in
terestlng documents ia our publi
archives. They undertook the task de
yolved on them in the most devote,