Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1876-06-02
From the Raleigh Sentinel.l
General Thomas Person

Was born at Littleton, or Person e
Ordinary. as it was then called, aud
died in November, 1899, at Mrs. Tom.
Taylor's, his sister, in Franklin county,
and was buried at Personton, in War
rem county, five miles from Littleton
He had two sisters, Mary, married to
Geo. Little, and Martha, married to
Major Thomas Taylor, and one brother,
named William. Gen. Person was a
surveyor, a large land and slave
owner; his deeds covered 70, 900 acres.
lie gave largely of lands to the Uni
verslty. He gave plantation to Par
son Micklejohn, near Goshen, in Gran
willie, where he lived. The place given
to Micklejohn is called to this day the
Glebe. Parson Micklejohn preached
In Hlllsboro soon after the battle of
Alamauce, when six regulators were
hung in sight o. the court house. The
old man is said to have lodged the
tru h on one occasion when his friend
and patron, Gen. Person, was in prison
bounds and boarding at the house
with Micklejohn. He was asked
if General Person had not left his
prison bounds the night before
The answer was, 81 supped and
breakfasted with the General The
truth was, the General had ridden his
fine gray mare that might all the way
to Goshen and back to Hillsboro. after
/ hiding his deeds and vauables in
brick kiln. He offered 10000 acres
Of land to the Unive rsity, if the trus-
tees would agree to locate at Goshen
Besides the land he gave 81, 900 in sill
Yer to the University. He narrow
ly escaped a~shssl .atlOu, being way
laid On the road bet ween Hi.lsboro az d
Raleigh. This money Was paid him
in Hillsboro by his debtors at Faddis'
hotel. The money was put in his gig
boz, and after some delay he arfed
for Raleigh. A desperate character |
who knew the road he usually travelled |
to Raleigh, aud kro wing the large |
amount of money in hi! gig box, lay il
ambush to take his life. There are
two roads from HIisboro to Raleigh.
On this occasion the General cou-
cluded he would take the one not |
often travelled. 1t was lucky choice,
for the robber lay in ambush |
on the other. We have forgotten |
the name of this highwayman. He was
subsequently hung in Tennessee, and |
under the gallows made the coufes-
sion of his intention to murder and rob |
Gen. Person. Gen. Per son was never |
married. He adopted VIM. Little, his |
sisters child, and father of Col. Geo. |
Little, at the age of two years. The |
day his nephew was of age he gave him |
n deed for 5000 acres of land. He ed |
ucated W. ?. Little at Springs Coll age, |
near williamson in Granville county, |
where Judge Williams lived and for
whom WiilamsborO Is called. Sher-. |
wood Haywood, John Haywood, Rob |
er5 Goodloe Harper and others were
educated at this college. General |
Person was Regulator and paid the
penalty for his patriotism by laying |
for a season i'll Hillsboro Jail. We |
have heard two stories connected |
with his Imprisonment. One is
that he escaped or bribed his guard |
and rode to Goshen and back on
the same night, after hiding valuable |
papers in brick kiln. The other |
story is from Judge Cameron, who
said messenger was hired and sent to |
Goshen to hide his papers. Chief |
Justice Henderson always spoke OF !
Gen. Person with the fondest affec- |
ton, and often declared he was one Of |
natures noblemen. Judge Henderson |
wrote Gen. Persons will, but the will |
was never found after his death. Not |
withstanding the severe treatment |
Gen. Person received from King |
George, through Gov. Tryon in 1771, |
as {. a.Reguiator. he was again ready in
IT'S to take up arms against the King, |
and peril, life and fortune inthe cause.
In 1871 when CORVALLIS had retreated |
from North Carolina, Gen. Person
entertained a whole Virginia regi- |
ment for several lays at his Goshen |
home in Granville. Among the rations |
furnished were fifty beef cattle. He |
had at this time hundred uubroken |
colts and horses. The Virginia regf- |
ment is said to have left Goshen vel! |
pleased with North Carolina hospi- |
tality. Oh, for one such man as Per
son to recu sctate the University.