Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1855-07-04
poeuMENTARYa HISTORY.

In recent interview with this distinguished gentle
no is engaged in the kindred pursuit of Doc
uInentary History in our sister State he very kindly
promised to aid Sils in our labors We trust our
\ Stateswill be materially benefited and would be
much pleased if the ature would follow the
worthy example Of the North State in appointing
4 agent to collect ndarrange such inaterial We
are pleased to find interest in collection, and
4 to acknowledge the receipt of valuable papers from
several parts of the State, the due acknowledgment
i of which will be made in the proper place Such
of our friends intend to send Others will OBJ
ge us by doing SO at once, as we are about going to
/ press Documents relating to the period from 1854
to 1870, will be included in the proposed volume,
and it is probable that third will Immediately fol-
| low. s
CHAPEL HILL, JUNE 10.
DEAR SRI have availed myself of my earliest
leisu since my return from New York. to look into
| your Documentary History of the Revolution in
South Carolina, and am much pleased with it.
These letters, daguerieotyp,s of the times which
tried mems souls present history its most authen
tic, and not unrequenty in its attractive FORM
Some of them are important to the historian of the
! Union, and many of them are as interesting to the
! people of North of South Corolina.
) will be glad to hear of the early completion of
| your work, and am particuy anxious to see the de-
! tails CT the Snow-Camp campaign, and General
Wllilamsons account of the expedition against the
Cherokees in 1875. General Rutherf rd at the head
Of $500 militia from this State, cooperated with
Williamson in the expedition against the Cherokees.
| We were fully represented in the Snow Camp cam
paign, and subsequently, indeed in all your princ
| pal Revolutionary battle-tieldS.
! In connection with your book have spent a few
hours in turning over the leaves Of Gov. Caswells
Letter Books, two foios of G40 and $50 pages which
are at preseut in my possession. by the courtesy of
our Governor. Gov. Caswell called to the Exc
| cutive chair on the 18TH of December, 1916 and
remained in Office until about the beginning Of Nav
1880. These volumes contain numerous letters from
| Governor Rutlcdge, Henry Laurens President of
! the Continental Congress, Rawins Lownds, Gener-
ais Ash, Howe and Ellington, which will serve quite
as effectual|y to illustrate your annals
To one incident beg leave to call your attention
On the Doth September, 1878 Cornelius Harnett,
one of our delegates to Congress, writes to Gov.
Caswe as follows: I" The South Carolina and Gcor-
gia delegates are so ncensed against Gen. Robert
Howe that he is directed Immediately to join Gen.
Washington at headquarters and Gen. Lincoln is to
command in the Southern department. This gem
tlcman is valuable and experienced offcer-he is
ordered to repair Immediately to Charleston
BY the resolve Of Congress, enclosed to you by
his Excelency the President, you will find it is the
desire of SouthCarolina that you should take the
command of the North Carolina troops with the
rank and pay of Major General in the Continental
service"
On the 29th September John Penn writes: "The
high opinion entertained of your Excellency here
and the very great desire that the delegates of that
State (South-Carona) had, that you would accept
the command the reason of the resolve relative
to you but in this you will, doubt consider the
interest of North Carolina and the proprety of be-
ing absent from your government"
Governor CaSvyell, it seems, declined the COM
mand at that time and called John Ashe Major
General, Bryan, Butler Ellington and Rutherford,
as Brigaders into service. In 1880, Immediately
upon the expiration of his gubernatoral term, he
went to the head of our troops, with the rank and
promised pay of Contine ntal Major General, and
served such under General Gates in the disastrous
defeat at Camden.
To return Howe-on the Oath November Har- |
nett again writes to Caswel, complaining in general
terms, that Howe's recall had been produced by |
small and unworthy motives, personal and perhaps |
feminine intrigues and that although Congress had |
yielded to these influences, his abilities admit
ted, and fair opportunity would in due time be af
forded fer their display
The late A. NJ Hooper, Esq, in biographical
sketch, recently published in the University Maya.
zine, intimaes that the pride of the two States
touched by the election ola North Carolihan the
command of the Southern Department. when these
States and not his own were the theatre of war;
and that Howe, from the beginning to the close of
his career, was never cordially sustained by either
of our Southern sisters.
1t seems that on the 18th of August, 1878, there
hostile meeting at Cannonsburg, in your State
between Howe and General Christopher Gadsden
the latter having refused retract injurious reHec-
tons upon the conduct of the former. Barnard Bee
the second of Gadsden, ard General Charles
Pinckney of Howe Howe's ball grazed Gadsdens
ear, the former was untouched, and they subSe-
quently became warm friends. The celebrated Major
Andre made this Guel the subject OF a Satlrical
poem of eighteen stanzaS, which is preserved in
JohnsonS Traditions and "reminiscences of the Rev
oiutOn, pL. @O4, D, g.
Iarnett had the best possible reasons for sustain
ing and cheli>hing the reputation OF Howe The
latter was not merely gallant soldier, but pol
ished gentleman of rare attainmentS. He is under
stood to have been a scion of the noble stock that
bea"s his name and to have enjoyed extensive inter-
course with good society at home and abroad. This
may have been for the extraordinary at
tenton which he received at the hands of Sir Hen
ry Clinton. The proclamation of the latter, issued
ION board the Pallas in Cape Fear river, in the pro-
vince of North Carolina on the 9th May, 1776,
offered free pardon to all such as should lay down
their arms and submit to the laws, excepting only
from the benefit of such pardon Carnelius Harnett
and Robert Howe" On the following Sunday be-
tween and o'clock in the morning. 900 troops,
under the command of Lord CORVALLIS, landed in
the county of Brunswick, and ravaged Howe's PLAN
taton. These Incidents and his brilliant services in
the defence of Norfolk, sufficient Inducements
to the Continental Congress to place him at the
head of our forces in the So born Department Can
you supply me with satisfactory proof of the real
causes which produced his recall?
The General Assembly of this State, at the last
sion authorized the Governor TO appoint agent 10
collect documentary information, in relation the
history of North Carolina with authority in his dis
erection to visit the mother country for this purpose.
have the request of Gov Bragg, given some at
tention to domestic sources and have succeeded
in securing some interesting papers.
The original Letter Book of Gov. Tryon, contain
ing his official correspondence from October 1894
December, 1771; and the minutes of the Council 4
from April 1865, to June 177l, presenting his views
of the connections produced by the passage of the
Stamp Act and the details of the war with the Reg