Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1862-01-11
FANNING NARRATIVE.

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portant period in our earlier revolutionary history
The Roman maxim that during the war the laws
are silent, may be likewise applied to letters and
Southern literature hitherto always dependent and
depressed must now lie for the most part IN aoey-
ance until the present is brought to close 1t
is pleasant, however, to draw attention to an in
teiesng exception TO the general rule in the recent
appearance at Richmond, under the editorial care
of Thomas H. Wynne of The Narrative of Col
! David Tanning, "a Tory in the Revolutionary war
with Great Brittany giving an account OF his Ad-
ventures in North Carolina, from 1775 to 1888, as
| written by himself with an Introduction and Ex-
planatory Notes" 1t is neatly printed on elegant
snow-white paper-a rarity in these days of block
ade--and comprises ninety two pages luxuriatng IN
a wide sea of margin. The surprise which the an
nouncement of such work issuing from the press
in these hard times, may occasion, will be lessened
when we add that it is printed for pirate circuLG
ton only-the number of copies being limited to
fifty. The editor Mr.. Wynne, is distinguished for
his enthusiastic interest in the collection and preser
walton of the scattered materias-the hosam and
ieSam of historical literature and he has given
striking exhibition of it. in bringing out this work.
amid the distractions of business and the disturb
ances of war. From Mr. Wynne's preface we learn
that the acquisition of copy of Tanning MSS, is
mainly owing to the perSevering efforts OF Mr.
Wheeler, author of History of North Carolina
The introduction to the Narrative" is from his pen.
After Fannings death in 1926, at ST. John, New
Brunswick his son, who appears to have been
very worthy man, allowed agent of the Massa-
chpSetts Historical Society, to make a copy of the
original MSS and Mr.. Wheeler obtained permission
to make transcript of that copy, which is exact
rerbatinl ct GterdtiRa
Governor Swain, the patriach OF historical mat
tiers in North Carolina, had long known of the ex
istence of Fanning's MSS, and had made repeated
Intellectual efforts to obtain copy, and 1t was owing
to q suggestion of his that Mr.. Wheeler made his
recent successful effort to get it. He gives it as his
opinion based upon internal evidence and a COM
parisOn with other accounts that the narrative"
may be depended upon as "a truthful record
The explanatory notes add much to the interest of
the Narrative" Among them is one making ref
erence TO some sketches of the Revolutionary war
in the Carnnas, published in the I'd volume of the
Southern Literary Messenger, from the MSS OF Col.
GufUrd Dudley. The note is erroneous in regard
to Mrs Dudley. She was not niece Of John Ran
dUph, of Roanoke the orator. but his frst cousin.
She still survived in Louisiana in 1915, aged eighty
years, and in letter written in that year. she
said: a. have nothing to do but read my Bible and
write TO my friends" Col Dudley, who raised
patriot volunteer company, at Halifax, North Caro-
lima, in l174, was native of Caroline county. Va.
David Tanning was born in johnson county, n.
c. and was of age about the time Of the outbreak
of the old Revolution. He wrote his Narrative"
in 1890, in Nova Scotia. Although ilteratc, as is
abundantly apparent from the orthography and
SyntaX of his q" Narrative" he possessed eX.raord
nary qualifications for the career ola Tory partzan.
He was fearless prompt, cold,booded, remorseleSS
Indomitabe, fail Of resources. He was Colonel OF
Loyal militia of Chatham and Randolph counties;
engaged IN forty SkirmiSheS killed many 'reb
els" took much plumber and many prisoners; cap
tuTed at llsbOro, Gov. Burke, his council, and
divers officers of the Rebel army; he was twice
wounded and fourteen times made prisoner He
repeatedly effected his escape with the scientific
skill OF an accomplished burglar. Some Of these
episodes in his career were rather unpleasant: IL
got back TO Roburus Greek; hut was taken in three
days; and again introduced at Ninety-SX. | was
chained and roned as before in the centre of
so feet square; forty five from the ground the
beating in, through The roof, with CRATES open
night and day" 1t was, however, not many days
before he effected his escape; but on the folio wing
day, meeting with party of Rebels, he says Il
received two bullets in my back one Of which is
not extracted. | luckily kept my seat in the sad
die, and rode off After proceeding ~ miles
turned my horse into the woods and remained there
eight days; having no support but herbs, except
three eggs
Tanning was one Of three persons excepted from
the amnesty act passed by North Carolina in 1888
During the Revolutionary war, every State con-
tanned formidable number Of the disatfected, some
of whom were doubtless conscientious, and sacri-
feed their property and their homes to mistaken
sense of duty but the larger portion Of them, like
! Tanning, were unprncipled and malignant.
1t is an interesting subject of inquiry in what
proportion the disatfected Of the old Revolution
compare with those Of the Revolution Of 1861. The
relative number was undoubtedly far greater then
than The condition of North Carolina in
1851 was most deporable; without continental
troops, without arms, with only regiment of yolun
teers in arms, Col. Dudey's, and that in the upper
part OF the State; and Tanning ranging through a
large tract of country, plunderng, burning, killing
the General Assembly, the Governor, the Council,
and other officers of the civil government and the
State archives collected at Wake Courthouse (now
Raleigh with Tanning threatening on the one hand,
and garrison of British veterans at Wilmington
the other But the limits of this notice will not al
low US to pursue this and other interesting topics
that suggest themselves. Fannng's Narrative"
of this period of internecine in North Carolina
the future historian will make much use Of and he
will borrow from it vivid pictures of the times
that tried mems SOULS" and it will be especially
serviceabe for biography of Fanning-a desidera-
um which, it is to be hoped will hereafter be sup
piled, when the clangor of shall have ceased,
and Southern literature shall enter upon new and
brighter career under the benignant auspices of the
Independent Confederacy.
! The POWER OF RIFLED GUNs-SHIPs AGAINST Bat
, TEIIEs-lMPORTANT OFFICIAL SUGGESTIONS. Colonel
! Harvey Brown the Yankee commander at Fl Pick