The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1886-04-22


From niyersity Magazine Of May, 1850
r41y,~ BrRkE. the third Governor of
NJ State of North Carolina after the kcv-
2 aI,..uu was born in Galway county, Ire
@ lni about the year l941. He vas the son
Z If lick Burke, (of the 1yaquin famly.J
81 ,,l LetitIa Ould, sister Of Sir Fielding
~ trId He received "a liberal education,
81 aud Was blcd to the profession Of med lclnc
81 Iu his native country, but from some un
D explained family disscnsions, left his
81 lther~ house and emigratcd to Virginia
4cu about seventeen years of age. For
Il ONE years he resided III Richmond, en-
81 laged Ill the study and practice Of med
II me- and Judging from his own account
s. VI himself with industry and success.
81 Becoming convinced, however, that III
III taI- country it was not field in which the
81 most plentiful harvest might be reaped, he
q resolved to study law, which promised
q more profit, and yet much less anxiety"
81 Entering upon his new studies with equal
. energy, in a short time he qualified him
81 self for admission to the bar, and remov
81 ing to Norfolk, practiced in the same
s# courts with Thomas Jefferson, with whom
hc maintained Il correspondence for sew
# cral years.
There are still remaining many records
81 and private letters of Gov. Burke from
81 which it is easily learned that he was a
2 man of most noble and generous temper,
4 particularly calculated to adorn social life,
81 and to secure the love and admiration Of
many warm friends. He was an accom-
3 pIIshed writer, and ready speaker, and his
8 acknowledged and commanding abilities
seem to have established his reputation
and influence at an early age. Being
81 distant relative of EdanuS Burke, after
wards member of Congress, and Judge
& Of South Carolina, Gov Burke became his
early and efficient friend and patron, and
al conducted a kind correspondence with HIM
" TO the close Of his life In 1110 he married
g Mary Freeman, of Norfolk, who is said to
q have been lady of great personal beauty
and grace, though unhapply not other
# wise calculated to make his happiness in
s. domestic life. In 1112 they removed 20
81 North Carolina, and setted in the neigh
borhood of IIllsborough, Orange county,
81 naming their plantation Tyaquin, after the
81 family seat IN Ireland.
At the very commencement of the diff
sd flcuties with Great Britain, he threw him
81 self with ardor on the American side, and
S. soon became Que of the leading spirits in
the struggle that ensued. In a letter to q
81 lady in Ireland, he WrlteS-''the spirit OF
So liberty breathes here even to enthusiasm
a and every peasant knows the rights OF
"a freedom better than many in the British
81 Senate What our present disputes with
81 the mother country may end IN, l cannot
rs guess, but we think ourselves extremely
# Il-used, and are determined to be free at
@ aa events" He first attracted public no
tee in Virginia, entered actively into the
81 public service. He represented the coun-
81 ty of orange in various political conven-
tions of the day, and in 1116, sat as dele
q gate IN the Provincial Congress at Hall
fax in the formation Of the Constltu-
ton Of the State he took a distinguished
part among the able men who were asso-
- ciated in that work, and in December
1,16 was appointed, with William Hoop
er and Joseph Hews,) delegate to the
Continental Congress at Philadelphia,
,.here he served till his ELECTION, by ac-
ulamaton, to the office of Governor OF
North Carolina, in June 1871. 1t appears
that he left his seat in Congress and went
Z as amateur to the battle of Brandywlne,
and his election to the Chief Maglstracy
Z of this State may in some degree have been
due to the patriotic ardor thus manifested
Il IS evident that Gov. Burke succeeded
hi liouhled times % q dlsordered Govern
mont The difficulties pointed out by
GOV Nash, he seems to have experienced
in his turn with equal force. In two shor1
messages transmitted to the Assembly
soon after his entrance upon office he eX
presses himself as hampered and annoyed
by the division of power alluded to III Gov
Eashs letter, so much, that II the Assem-
uly should persist in their unconstitutlona
81 requirements and restraints he would a
once resign an office which nothing but al
ardent desire to be of some service to hi
g country had induced him to accept.
Unfortunately for himself and for tn
Commonwealth for whose best interest
he 50 energetically and judioiously labored
tt0v Burke's honorable and successful
4 career was suddenly and sadly closed. Oh
the 18th or 18th day of September, 1871
A he was surprised in his house at Hillsbor
by party of Tories under the comman'
Of the notorious David Tanning, but o.
that day headed by his coadjutor O'Neil
hurried off to Wilmington, then In tn
possession of the British, and delivered
Major Craig From this misfortune ma
be dated the cloud that obscured the re
naming years of Coy. Burke's life, an
which renders the duty of his biographe
delicate and painful.
From Wheeler's History we learn tha
Gen Butler endeavored to intercept ti
march to Wilmington, overtaklng them 6
IinQly's Mills ON Cane Greek, where
sharp conflict ensued in which Fannln
was severely wounded. But he succeede
in making good his retreat with his impol
4, tant prize From Wilmington, Gov Burk
was transferred to Charleston, where Gel
Leslie was in command. BY affecting t
COuSluCT lllll OulS ttS d JllSOuci VI ctdt'
the British placed Gov. Burke on diffe
ent footing from their prisoners Of wa
and precluded all chance of release by e,
change for an equivalent. He was parole
to James Island at that time infested
large numbers of pory refugees and de
peradoes, to whom Gov. Burke, from b
last history and official station was 9
object of deep and inveterate hostilit
To repeated applications from this unto
tunate gentleman to the British Comma
der for parole to his own or some 9th
Southern State, or to be exchanged for {
Equivalent, or, if all these should be 7
fused for a transfer to some other pac
M where his personal safety at least might
secured, and himself no longer subject
(. d.i; insult and degradation he recei
Cd no direct answer from the British OF
GERS, but was given to understand tn
none Of his requests could be allowed al
that he was to be detained Indefinitely +
the purpose of retaliation, should Dav
Tanning or any other Tory marauder
taken and suffer punishment. The clio
~onlinement Of high spirited and rein
gentleman, and his parole only to linn
within which he was in constant dang
Of assassination, was in cOntraventiOn 4
only of all just and generous principL
but also of recent precedent. There a
eXtant some very affecting letters fro