The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-07-05
R OF SUBSCRIPTION.
RorH SIDES HEARD FROM.

We concluded after writing the ar
ticle in yesterdays Messenger on the
E1izabethtown fight % consult Wheeler.
He devotes seven of his large pages to
that important engagement. He says
the fight occurred in July 1871, Colonel
Thos. Brown in command The tories
were commanded by Colonies sings
by and Golden. He copies a n COM
m~vlnication that appeared in the VIII
mington Chronicle, n Is dated Bla-
den county. February q. 1874 There Is
no name signed. 1t Is a reply TO a let
fer sent to the writer by A. A. Brown
ESQ Colonel Thomas Brown command
al the writer says. He states he got
the narrative from two Of the respect
able combatants," but wrote 1t from
emo as they were dead. The Ra-
leigh Independent. date not given, pub
fishes an interesting anonymous paper
upon Revolutionary History. Inc
writer controverts some or the
things said by the other writer's,
a y that Colonel Brown was
in command and showed much
military sagacity and alertness, or
TO that effect. He gives the particu-
lars of the fight and how it was con-
Quoted from first to last. He states
that he heard thirty years before ne
writes General Brown himself re-
counting the particulars" on a packet
boat between Smithville and Whining
tom He described what occurred from
first to last. Still another communica-
ton appeared in the Raleigh Register,
no late or author given. The writer
gives ''Recolections Of the Revolution.
He got some of his accounts from IAN
aged and respectable lady of the olden
times, who vas raised on the cape
Fear" She says Captain Brown ,(af-
forwards General) commanded at Eliza
BEETHOVEN. Her reminescence is decided
" Entertaining. She knew many OF the
actors in this section. She paid a ten
der tribute to tpoor Slingsby," and said
she was a man of fine talents, and left
an amiable and helpless family He
of English birth and acted under
a conscientious sense of obligation to
his sovereign" Wheeler says that Cen
eral Brown fought the Regulators"
was "Wounded at the battle of Great
in Virginia, under General
Howe and the Elizabethtown affair
proves that the science of war was con-
genial to his fearless temper. All TINS
looks very favorable to the claim that
90 Eli1Q hothtnUn
But stop. In the Fayetteville Obser-
there is a communication dated
Red Springs. June %, 1901. 1t is signed
1tH. Mcmillan who is referred to by
Hale as Colonel Mcmillan.
That gentleman says that the soldier
by Robert E. Troy, Esq,
was James Cain. father of the late Rev
James Cain, of Fayetteville. The letter
of Mr.. Troy was written september L.
1916. as the original letter shows. CAIN
c~ontradicted Wheeler as to day OF the
fight. Cain says it was the 29th of Sep
TENDER 1871. He was in the fight.
Colonel Mcmillan writes:
Trainings Narrative obtained from
Nova Scotia by Colonel Wheeler in 1861,
establishes the fact that the battle oc-
Cured in September.
Gain mentioned that the Wings wait
ed till the moon went down about an
hour before day before makln the at
tack. A laborious calculation at
the office of the Nautical Almanac In
Washington City disclosed the fact that
the moon went down on the morning
of September 29th, 1871. at about the
hour mentioned by Cain. The officer
made the calculation
it was conclusive proof Of the truth
of the soldiers statement"
Wheeler had the statement Of Colonel
Tanning and yet he got the date wrong.
And now comes some very important
reading and if properly based will
throw things into doubt. He writes:
ga letter from Colonel Sampson, dat
ed Hall, September 10, 1lsl'
to his friend Gabriel Holmes. tells him
that a messenger had just arrived at
night announcing great victory by
Colonel Thomas Robson at
town on the. morning OF tnat oate;
Colonel Sampson evidently USED the Ola
ScVl0 WHICH was usual
and if we add ten day to the 18th
we have the date Of h 18th. AT the
of the battle Colonel Brown was
suffering from a wound received In a
fight with British Regulars at HOODS
Creek.
1--WE once had a written statemnt
James Cain dated in 1916 put
having loaned it to a friend in VIII
mington, it was lost. In this statement
Cain briefly detailed the incidents or
battles as given by him to Mr.. Troy In
1916,
eve have seen the receipts given by
the soldiers # Colonel Robeson's COM
mand when paid for their services by
Colonel Robson himself u o. MS own
means. The amount paid was ABOUT
is16,O0O or about $4,000
The Messenger has discharged a duty
and furnished entertainment 1t is nom
committal. It gives "both Sides Who
is right? Colonel Sampson and Mr..
Cain got it all wrong if Colonel Robe
son WAS not In command. Colonel Nc
xrf1i,- n;,oc this forfbor pfaUioouce