The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-01-12
NEW pNaLANDERs ON CAPE FEAR
Cattle Rancho on Old Town Creek-A
Bad investment - Danger of the
RansheroS Resentment of the In
dians Abandonment of the settle
~meAt-CRases.
(Studfes II North Carolina History by
w. Q. Allen. for The Messenger

(Studfes n North Carolina History by
w. Q. Allen. for The Messenger
While settlements were being made in
the neighborhood of Albemarle. along
the Roanoke and Chowan rivers, BY ad-
v~enturous yeoman from Virginia, de-
velopments were taking place on the
banks Of the Cape Fear which led 10
q distinct colonization in that quar-
ter. This was the occupation OF the
lower Cape Fear and territory adjoin-
ing by edventurers from New England,
who established a stock farm en- Old
Town Greek I'm what is now Brunswick
county.
From the very first, the settlers in
New Engiand seemed TO have that row
ing nature which especially distin-
cuisines those of that section today. AS
q consequence, men from the New Eng
land colonies began 60 make voyages
aloae the southern coasts as early as
1880 for the purpose of trade and ex-
ploratloa. We read of their sailing up
b Delaware bay and river. into the
Chesapeake. along the shores of the
Albemarie and Pamlico sounds, and
likewise all the rivers. bays and sounds
on the Atlantic seaboard. No spot, no
advantage could escape their eagle
eyes. They were the prospectors of
that age. the flying squadron that ex-
plored. came. saw. made notes. ponder
ed owe them and kept their thoughts
20 themselves.
Accordingly, early in 1860, a compa-
ny Of these adventurers sailed up the
Cape Fear river, then called Charles
river. above where Wilmington now
stands. and. as they claim, bought all
the land along the river from the In
dian chiefs In the neighborhood. After
examining ali the land in that par of
the country. they selected that portion
on Old Town Creek about ten miles
south Of the present city of Whining
ton for a settlement. There they put
up temporary shelter to protect them
selves from the weather.
Their object seems to have been. not
TO make a settlement. but
to clear up a stock farm from which
10 supply the markets of London and
New England. They came without au-
thority. having no grant from king or
proprietor. Their right to the soil then
was doubtful. even if they did buy il
from the Indians with a few beads and
bawbies. Nevertheless they began to
clear the land and to place cattle upon
the meadows.
At first. the company was composed
entirely OF New ~Englanders. Later
with Characteristic s~hrewdness they
| uISpdtSd6u certain ones OF tnelr num-
Der to England to work up an interest
in London and to sell shares. These
ambassadors were eminently success
full. for certain individuals In Britain's
capital city were induced Ito share in
the adventure. and to cast in, at first,
a small sum for an assistance or sup
ply to the said undertaking." This was
not the fret nor last time that men
have sold things that belonged to 9TH
aTS.
Having organized a stock company
with members in both England and
America these enterprising Yankee,
through their representatives in Eng
land, petitioned the king for a grant OF
all the territory along the Cape Fear
river. But the wary Charles put them
of from time to time, promising to con-
slider their applications by-and-by. THAI
time never same, and the London mem.
bers Of the company saw themselves
he victims Of deception and fraud.
But the New Englanders on the Cape
Fear did not cease operations, even il
the enterprise did seem doubtful. Cat.
tie from New England and Virginif
were imported, and soon the pasture
lands Of h lower Cape Fear were
stocked. At first, the enterprise seemed
TO succeed. The cattle were thriving
the natives were friendly. and forum,
seemed to be favoring them; for they
were brave. Later, however, disaster
began to overtake them. 1t became
apparent that pasture lands We're no
50 extensive as at first supposed, cat
tie began TO sicken, and other misfor
tunes befell them.
Then 1T was that greed for gold be
ban to tempt these pious Puritans t
acts OF perf1dy. Disaster in their cattl
raising venture seemed certain. Look
ing n-starred fortune in the face, thes
energetic settlers, with true New Eng
land ingenuity, determined to plucl
success from the very wing of failure
Accordingly thew persuaded the Indian
in the neighborhood to allow them t
take some of their children north TO
the purpose, as they claimed, of edu
eating them. This was don for som
time, the Indians Offering no opposi
ton to this apparently benevolen
project. Thus many of the dusky son
n daughters of the lower Cape Fea
were sent forth to seek knowledge il
the great world beyond.
Time Is a great discloser; and so
passed as it has a habit Of doing, unit
these Indian parents began to thin,
1T was time for school to close, and 70
! their children TO come back to pen
5 a vacation at home, chasing the foxe
: and the deer on the banks Of the beau
tifuI Cape Fear. But expectation pass
[ ed into anxiety and anxiety into des
pair. Ship after ship came from tn
north. but not one of the kidnappe
children came back to greet their PAL
ents and companions on the old hun
ing grounds.
Time continued to pass, and the dc
spair of fathers and mothers budde
: into Indignation of the tribe, and til
Indignation ripened into rage. In tn
, meantime. what had become Of til
children? Lawson, who wrote abol
fifty years after that time, a y thu
the Indians suspicioned that they ha
been sold into slavery. Williamson, al
Us1er historian of Carolina, seems
!. think that they were carried 20 III
: West In5ies and sold to the Spaniard
: 1t is almost certain that both are COZ
= rect. This was not the only time Thu
:, New Englanders have trafficked
T, human beings, nor the only fraud CON
. mitted in the name of education.
Meanwhile, the natives began TO for
plots for taking vengeance upon II
. settlers for their perfidy. The chiefs i
> =,-aS r. 4aTI o-l rhn hyo-1c -a:1e