Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1889-09-06
OF BUNCOMBE.
rHB ORIGIN OF A MOST PECULIAR
COLONY.

Negroes who Were Freed by the
late War.
No account of the yellow bellies OF
Buncombe would be complete without
short sketch of the illustrlous revolu-
Sionary patriot, Col. Edward Buncombe,
from whom they derive their name. He
4 was born OF English parentage A. d. 1742.
AT the age OF rs he married and settled
on the island Of st. Kits. In 176S, with
wife, child and slaves. he embarked for
the Carolina coast, entered Hatteras,
sailed on up the AIbemarie, landed al
Mackeys creek, and purchased large
tracts of land in the boundaries of the
county of Tyrrel. Near the still water.
OF nackeys he erected his famous resi-
delce, "Buncombe Hall" Over the gate
at Ihe entrance to the grounds of the
ni71siop was written this couplet:
Buncombe Hail.
Welcome ALL
Which was true to the letter. The poor
AMI unfortunate never went away empty,
anh his friends were always sumptu-
OuBly entertained. Al the breaking out
ofthe revolution he raised a regiment,
qubrtered il at "Buncomhe Hail.
equipped it at his individual expense,
. AMI when ready for serving he, al its
\
'sAotonies until wounded at the battle Vi
Biandy He was captured by the
British in that battle and carried to
Philadelphia wncre he died prisoner ol
war in 1873 at the early age of 81.
Among Col. Bunconbes saves was .
man named Charon, far above the aver
age in intellect. appearance, and relia-
bility. In fact, mixture OF EuropcaL,
Spanish, and African bloods coursed
through his veins. He wa great IA
vorite OF tho coloncls, and after the Ter
mination OF the war was set free b. the
Buncombe family. Still. regarded u Il
. negro with few or the rights and priv.
leges ui the white man, he Was wha
thsy termed in lnose days II free pei
So of color"-master of his own tim
tocome anu go when 1t suited hi.u. ~
In many respects no better han a . ave.
Charon mingled with the lower ~
OF whites, and being naturally lnLu7tn.
Gus and caretaking, was regarded vci
r favorably by the white trash, d az
slaves called those who permitted n. III -
visit their houses. Ihe In.rrcourse spa.
developed into case OF natural HdIIn -
tion and love between hlm and n co.iioiy
untutore,! white girl. Her parents w"l
very poor and degraded, and real! 4.
NO OF. .ccIIon 20 the union but the .aN
.interposed, and said there should be Ii,
marriage between the whites and "fre,
persons OF color" When there wu.
suspicion that either party were whit
was necessary to prove or truthful
swear that the said party had mike
blood In them.
It seems that the lovers were not to b,
thwarted, for Charon gashed his al nj
and while the blood was flowing III,
sweetheart placed her mouth upon thu
.,ound and drank freely Of the purpl'
fluid. She then took the necessary oath
and they were married. They welt
blessed with numerous progeny, anu
from them are directly descended "thG
yellow bellies Of Buncombe."
In those days land was very cheap in
,Carolina-selIing in some instances "a
low as 20 cents per acre. Charon had
saved 500 in the years since obtaining
his freedom, and with it he purchased d
tract of 400 acres, unbrOken wilderness,
situated some miles from any other in
habitants. 1t was there he moved his
family and there his descendants dwell
10 this day. The country in the mean-
, time filled up and land became more
valuable, SO they are not so isolated
now. Indeed, they form an interesting
community in close proximity to Il pros
porous aud wealthy agricultural section.
For a century they have dwelt on this
land, and multiplied until they nunber
many dozen families. Regarded as he.
groes by the white people, yet in all then
history not one has ever been known 10
marry ull-blooded negro. They mated
only with mulattoeS, quadroons aud &C.
toroons, SO have perpetuated then inUl-
viduahty in complexion, etc. PrOuu ana
independent, they claim to be the arls-
tocracy of the negroes; and till this
day look with contempt upon those whC
were freed by the late war, and speak OF
them as the "new issue" On the olnoI
kand, the old slaves regard them lightly.
But the y.l ow bellies oi Buncomb" a.r
much'mo.e popular than their G"sNiel
cousins. AT festivals, ricn!c", tc.,
where the two are frequently brought to-
gether, rhe attention shown the yellow
girls is noticeable in very marked nC-
gree-often to the entire neglect OF the
blacks And that they are pretty no ad.
mirer o. female loveliness will drnJ
They are iaIl ana straight, with Mell.
rounded and sp!, ndidiy developed forms
and TO see them tripping uy two and
threes along The secluuCd pathways oi
their community they app ar al u,tlv,
and su yple as The wild faMns OF the I"lGn.
boring .ofests. Their small, yellow iccl
and anKi-s show plainly beneath bright
print gowns; an Immense bunuaiIna
Tam = cluutcr ash.un, encascs lhell
coils OF SHINING black hair, though ~"l""
time- i IL allowed 20 TALL down tho uEcl
in long timex plaits. Their eyes ale nne
nose strai2nI, cheeks dilnpied and t",H!
perfect. ali use snuff aud lONe cGnGy
ana RED rlUbon. IL two men are couItnn
The saline belle, the clap thai carries M
the most snuff, candy and ribbon geI"I
ally WIN The prlze. They marry !ouur
and max" ;oud mothers.
Durin5 c'JLun picking they can be eel
by dozcu- vending Their LAY 10 the az
iaceut f.anlatIuns, whcl" ihcy remain
all day IN ;he iipld- l,dticrius, The SNOWY
staple amid continual suG- and laugh
ter The m0cAIns htlds singing IL in'
apple trees are 40 happier han ;ll"y
nor tn will lowers irerr win lE.ir per
fume.
They I'll belong % n" r..uich, AMI ar'
regular Il Il II .aIIi- ey"rl i. nGln. ~ ,cI
the crops are lid b., a. uni ,h' il %
August. they hoid theft "D.S meeting,
which lasts sometimes two weeks, nigh
aud day, and attracts delegations non
adjoining counties. Such another c"llec
Ton OF ..ulHttoes would be hand 10 tlnt
In the entire south. - Pittsburg Dis
patch.