The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-07-14

ing WAX, uSeu ny the COlOnol IN SoallnS
up his silver plate and valuables when
he went to the war-vaif precaution His
agent, left in charge, turned Tory, robbed
him of not only the contents of this closet.
but sold off his slaves and valuable tim
Der and then decamped.
"Soon after the fall of Roanoke Island,
the Federal soldiers took possession of
Plymouth. Then Buncombe Hall fell a
prey to them. as DR.. Edward Buncombe
Haughton, its owner, was fighting on the
Confederate side. He returned after abe
war, bankrupt in purse, as all good South
erners were, and the old hall was sold to
a Connecticut carpet Dagger 1t could
even then have been restored to its for
mer greatness, but he RACED it to the
ground and did not leave brick standing.
1t passed, again, out of his possession
The Southern Goelets, all descendants Of
Colonel Buncombe, were left too poor by
the war to rescue his home from annihi-
laton; and so passed away, and was
wantonly destroyed, Buncombe Hail.
There are now nine localities in the
United States called Buncombe, most Gf
not alb of which derive the name either
directly or indirectly from Colonel Bun
combe. They are: Buncombe county,
North Carolina; Buncombe, in Johnston
county, Illinois; Buncombe, in Dubuque
county, Iowa-and Buncombe township in
Sioux county in the same State; Bun
combe, in Union county, Mississippi;
Buncombe, in Lafayette county, Wiscon-
sin; Buncombe Ridge, in Lawrence coun-
ty, Arkansas; Buncombe, in Knott county,
Kentucky; and Buncombe, in Jackson
county, Oregon.
The word "buncombe" (which dictiona-
ries give as signifying a bombastic ut
terance, usually employed in windy har-
argues to gain popular favor-had it's
origin through the following circ1m-
stance: In the Congress of the United
States, between the years 1917 and 1928,
the mountain district of North Carolina
was represented by the Honorable Felix
Walker, many of whose constituents were
derizens of the now famous county OF
Buncombe. One day as Mr.. Walker sat
bordering over his past political career,
he remembered that during that session
he had made very few speeches-and this,
by the way, was almost as rare a fault
with Congressman in those days as it is
now. So he decided to speak; he did
speak; he spoke at considerable length
and he didn't have anything particular to
say, but he kept on talking, nevertheless.
And when, at last, patience had ceased
to be a virtue, and some of his long
suffering colleagues were beginning to
leave the hall, he told the more polite
members who remained that they might
go, too, if they wished for he intended
to have his remarks published and sent
to the home people, as the speech was not
intended for the House, but only for
Buncombe!
But to return to Colonel Edward Bun
eombe. He received his education in
Great Britain; and, while living in St.
Christopher, was united in marriage
(April 10, 1860. with Elizabeth Dawson
Taylor. who accompanied him to North
Carolina, but died just prior to the out
break of the Revolution. She and her
son Thomas are buried under st. Paul's
Church, at Edenton. The children Of
Colonel Buncombe by his marriage with
Miss Taylor were:
l. Elizabeth Taylor Buncombe, born on
the Island of st. Christopher. March IL.
17y7. who was brought when an infant
to North Carolina. Her education was
received in New York and New Jersey.
under the direction of Abraham Lott.
She married John Goeiet, of New York
afterwards of North Cardinal, and left
numerous descendants.
II. Thomas Buncombe, born in North
Carolina February g. 1863, who died
young
ILL., Hester Ann Buncombe, born April
%, It'll who married John Clark, of Ber
tie county, North Carolina, and had two
children: Thomas Clark. and Ann Booth
Pollock Clark (wife of John Cox Both
Thomas Clark and his sister Mrs. Cox
died without issue.
From the above it will be seen that the
only descendants now living of Colonel
Buncombe are through his eldest daugh-
tie" who married John Goelet, of New
York Mr.. Goelet was of Huguenot de-
scent, born in 1859, on the date of the
fall of Quebec, and himself saw service
in the Revolution After the war was
over and he had married Miss Buncombe.
he removed with his wife (about 1791)
to Buncombe Hall, and died there in the
ninety fifth year of his age, October, 1858.
In the sketch by Mrs. Rogers, hereto
fore quoted, she says: with the death
of Colonel Buncombe, the name died in
this country, though his patriotic spirit
survived, he having eight great-grand-
sons who volunteered in the Confederate
army, one of whom, John Buncombe Goe-
let, died on Malvern Hill in defence OF
Richmond, Virginia. He was color be2r-
e. of the Third Alabama Regiment, and
belonged to Company A, Mobile Cadets. ="
Prior to the Revolution Colonel Buzz
combe held a commission in the military
establishment of the colony. He COM
manded regiment of the provincial
troops of North Carolina, in the county
of Tyrrell Like nearly all of the better
element Of North Carolnians-such men
as Robert Howe, Richard Caswell, Francis
Nash, Thomas Polk, Alexander Ellington.
Griffith Rutherford, and others who af-
forwards won fame in the Revolution
he used every effort to aid Governor Try
on in suppressing the excuses and riots
of the Regulators. and received the off,
Continued on Tenth Page)