The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1902-07-03
XBOUT HALIFAX.

North Carolina Baptist, on his return
from his trip to Scotland Neck two
weeks ago, spent an hour in Halifax
ard wrote the following interesting
notes about the old town:
The name OF Halifax is OF a pecu-
liar origin. It is a Saxon Wcrd
and means 'Holy Hair from the
sacred hair of virgin, who was be-
headed by clerk because she refused
dishonor. This old town and county
OF Halifax hiss history of Loyalty and
dsyouon to liberty that is thrilling.
On Dec. q, 1874, the Committee OF
Safety met in Halifax and by the
records ii Is represented that one An
drew Miller refused to sign his name
to the Association u Patriots. He
was sent for and brought into the
meeting, and still refusing, on the
ground that he owed English mer-
chants, the committee unanimously
resolved, That this committee will
| not purchase any goods or wares from
Miller, Or any person connected with
him, and we recommend the same
course to tie people Of this county
and to ali who wish we'll to their
| country"
Halifax has the honor of being the
birthplace of our Constitution. 1t
was adopted there in December, 1776.
This old town witnessed the splendid
oratory and tar seeing craftsmanship
Of such men as Willie Jones, William
r. Davie, John Branch, Willis Aston,
John B. Ashe, and others who we're
sons Of Halifax county.
1t was at Halifax that Mrs. Willie
Jones gave the famous reply to Col.
rarletoh concerning Col. Washington
If the Continental Army. Wheeler
tells rs OF the incident:
When the army, under Lord Corn
wallis, marched from Wilmington to
Virginia, in 1881, they remained for
some days on the banks of The Roam
oke, and the English officers quartered
.mong the families In the town
Tradition attributes to Mrs. Jones
passage OF wit between her and Col.
far'etoD, who was wounded at the
Gowpens, in tie hand by a sabre cut
~ the sword of Col. William Wash
ington. Gel. Tar!eton in her presence
speaklng OF Washington in approbri-
sus terms, as an ill!terate, ignorant
ellow, hardly able to write his name,
10 rep',ei, s'oa Colonel, you ought
0 know better, ior you bear Or your
:,erscn proof that be knows very we'll
now to make his e ark"
On another occasion her sister, Mrs
sshe, at whose house Leslie and other
Ulcers ''ere quartered, Colonel Tarle-
ton in the same sarcastic tone, stating
hat he would be happy to see Colonel
Washington, for had understood he
sas cim'nu.ive ard ungainly IN person,
Mrs. Ashe replied, "If you had looked
behind you, Colonel Tartieton, at the
rattle OF the Cowpens, you would have
snjoyed that pleasure"
This was too much to the already
.;hafed: officer his hand Involuntary
grasped the hilt of his sword. At this
moment General Leslie entered the
loom, and observing his colonel very
sngry, and The lady agitated, he in
auired Of her the cause Of her emotion.
She explained the cause, to which the
;ailant General said, with a smile:
Say what you please. Mrs. Ashe,
Colonel Tarletcn knows better than to
insult a lady il my presence"
There stands now at Halifax little
single story brick building that was
ae clerks office when the Provincial
= congress met there more than a hun
'!fed years ego. Near BY Is the old
.:hnroh, now deserted, but first used as
Union church ana afterwards By the
.Iethcdlsts. The building Is more
iaan 3 hundred years old. I wandered
through the cid burying ground and
fcad the inscriptions OF the fiat slabs
..tid on the graves OF the settlers OF
lang ago. In these tombs lie the men
ana women onca loved and feared
N the State for their powers. In
neglected grave lies John Sltgreaves,
Congressman and United States Judge
Only a few stops away lies Sarah Davie,
;:i!e Of the brave General William r.
Davie. These died more than a hun
slred years ago. There are mum ter OF
these old slabs, with the lettering al
:aost ob iterated by age. The State O,
North Carolina owes it to these pion-
GERS OF liberty TO care for the spo,
where they lie. =,