The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1884-06-04
Col. Edward Buncombe

Harris
Col. Edward Buncombe, Of Ncrtl
carolina, was a native OF st. Christie
piers Island. West Indies. About tn,
year 1850 or -, Joseph Bunccmbe
Esq, purchased a large tract Of land IL
1yrrel county, North Carrlina, aud bull
90 II the historic old residence known a
Buncombe Hall, over whose ho-pitablt
portals i yet inscribed the legend
"wecome all
To Buncom be Hall"
After the death Of loser h Buncombe
IN l1Gj, Colonel Edward Buncombe, his
nephew and heir, visited his possession,
10 Carolina aud was 50 much pleased with
them he determined to return to ST
Christopher and make arrangements tC
move his family to Bulcombe Hall. In
loo he came, bringing VITA him his wife
and children, a chaplain, a physician, q
shepherd for his sheep, several ladie:
who were the guest and friends of hi.
wife. about two hundred slaves and a raj
collection of silver plate, jewels, portraits
and other valuables. He first served the
State as a member of her General AS
sembly from Tyrrell. At the beginning OF
the Revolutionary War, being appointed
colonel OF the Fifth Regiment Of State
troops, he determined to raise, equip and
drill a regiment at his own expense. He
secured all the available soldiers 10 what
is now known as Washington and TyrrelI
counties, and sent aides-de-camp into the
adjacent counties for recruits until a reg
lment ofseven hundred men were mus
tered on the spacious grounds belonging
to Buncombe Hall. For several months
these men were quartered and drilled at
his own expense. When they we're pre-
pared for war he marched northward
with them and joined the American army
under Washington. He served as colonel
OF his regiment until the battle of Ger
mantown, where he received a mortal
wound, from the effects Of which he died
at Philadelphia, which on parole. His
wife died prior to the breaking out of the
Revolution. and is buried under the mid
die aisle of old st. Paul's Church, Eden
ton. His eldest daughter, Eliza Taylor
Buncombe, was sent to school in New
York city when she was six years old.
Immediately after finishing her education
she married John :Goelet, the uncle of
the eccentric millionaire, Peter Goelet,
who died about two years ago in New
York City. John Goelet, finding his
wlfe's large estate in North Carolina
shamefully neglected, came to Buncoulbe
Hall to reside permanently. This John
Goelet and his two brothers were Hugue-
nets who left France Immediately after
the revocation Of the ediet of Nantes. A
number of the descendants still live In
New York City. The North Carolina
Geolcts are the only descendants of the
distinguished subject of this sketch. The
The Goelet coat of arms was hung, instead
Of the Buncombe arms, on the walls of
Buncombe Hall, painted on the panels of
the family coach, aud the Goelet crest, a
graceful swan, was engraved on the silver
plate, which had been made to order for
The orphaned, beautiful and wealthy
bride. The miniature of Mrs. John
Goelet, nov in possession of her family.
represents a young woman of striking
beauty. She had three sons-John Bun
combe Goelet, Peter Goelet, Edward
Goelet-and one daughter, who married
Thomas Haughton, Esq. Colonel Bum
combe's two younger children, Hester
and Thomas, were sent to his'friend Cul-
len Pollock, who, with a DIR. Lennox,
were appointed their guardians and the
executors of Colonel Buncombe's will.
Thomas Buncombe died while a mere
youth. Hester Buncombe married a Mr..
Clark, Of BERTHE. She left one daughter,
Ann Buncombe, who married, John Cox,
of Edenton, an uncle of General William
r. Cox, now a member Of Congress from
North Carolina,
When Colonel Buncombe left Bun
combe Hall with his regiment, his silver
plate and other valuable were stored in
a room which was nailed up and her.
medically sealed. The estates we're left
in charge of a man named Crook. As
soon as Crook heard of Colonel Bun
combe's death he broke into the room
and stole the silver and the greater por-
ton of the jewels and other valuable. He
ruthlessly cut down for fire wood one side
of a beautiful avenue of sycamore which
adorned the grounds. He even wrote to
Benedict Arnold inqulring as to the
whereabout of Colonel Buncombe's sword
and body servant Charles. The auto
graph replies of Major Arnold to several
of Crook impertlnent inquiries are still
preserved among the papers.
Colonel Edward Buncombe was "a
years old when he first came to North
Carolina. He was 81 when he was wound
ed at Germantown. There is doubt as
to the exaot locality of his final rest
ing place, though it is probable he
sleeps in a long disused churchyard at
Philadelphia. No man was more uni
~versally beloved and admired by his
neighbors. When the people of his dis
trict heard of his appointment to the
Fifth North Carolina Regiment, they
we're so much pleased at his promotion
that they took the horses from his car
rage and bore it on their shoulders,
three miles, its destination, the court
house near the mouth of Scuprernong
river. On another occasion he heard that
the citizens Of Edenton had tarred, feath-
cred, shot at, and otherwise i'll treated
bis friend, Cullen Pollock, who was a
notorious Loyalist. Colonel Buncombe
at once ''huckled on his armor," and
attended only by one servant, went to
Edcnton and dared the man or set of
men who we're the instigators of the out
rage 70 show themselves" No one came
out to accept his challenge, and Cullen
Pollock lived to abuse the trust Colonel
Buncombe had reposed in him by a Grim
inal neglect Of the large fortune left in
his charge. Another Tory, Davidson,
was sheltered in Colonel Buncombe's own
carriage from an Infatuated mob, and
and afterwards carried to BuncOmbe Hall
for safety.
A fine portrait of Col. Buncombe which
once hung in the ~drawing-room of Bun
combe Hall, is still preserved as a valued
heirloom. He wears a garnet velvet coat
with point lace rufnes on his shirt front
and wristbands. Among the other scrik-
ing portraits in the Buncombe Hall COL
( lection is one Of Colonel Buncombe's SIS
ter, Mrs. Ann Cain. and another of her
little daughter, both of whom remained
ed in St. C~hristophers's. A miniature
portrait. supposed TO have been painted
by Benjamin West, represents the broth.