The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-02-07
STRIKING EVENTS OF HISTORY.
Matter of Which the Youth of Carolina
Should be Informed.

To the Editor: Mr.. Whitaker's letter
about Raleigh and the Lovejoy Academy
Il see has awakened a response away up in
the State of Washington. | was under the
impression that Mr.. w. was an old time
citizen of Raleigh and a man of leisure.
Spending his last days thinking and dream
ing OF the past but / learn from his last
production that like Gen. Pope of Federal
fame he has his headquarters in the
saddle" and that he is proclaiming gospel
truths and making a crusade against sin
and the Devil. l trust he may succeed
and that he may still find time to awaken
the voices Of the past; that our old mother
may rejoice to hear they can yet speak
and tell of her past history But few
people know that the battlefield of Look
out mountain was consecrated to the God
| of Moses by N. C. heroes long before
Gen. Bragg made it historic in 1853 Col.
John Swain in 1882 fought the Chcl,a.
manga Indians and gained complete
victory over them on Lookout mountain.
and Gen. Joseph Martin with Col Robert
Love and Col. Kennedy and Col. Dogherty
in 17SS gained another victory and brought
about the treaty of Halston and gave
us all our Western domain. Col Robert
Love was tLeu ClllZeu OF washington
county, Tennessee My father John B. Love
Was born near Jonesborough the county
site in 1871. North Carolina added her
Western territory to the United States in
1884 by an act of her legislature, and
then it was that Gen. Sever cllled a
convention, organized the State of Frank
IN and become its governor North Car
DINA repealed the act of eession restored
tpY inn diptin to5 ~
and incarcerated him in jail at Morgan
ton, North Carolina. He gave bail, re-
turned home, was elected member to
the House of Representatives, was par
Toned by an act of legislature took his
seat and thus ended the State of Frank
| lin.
| At the centennial services of 1889 in
the Presbyterian church Lincolnton, n c.,
the pastor said IAN effort to form the
State of Franklin out of the Western
domain of North Carolina was the most
conspicuous event of that time. An ex-
ample to us, that revolutions take no
backward" step. The leader Col Sewer
of Kings Mountain fame and his two sons
were captured and brought to Morganton
in chains and the General Assembly of
| 1888 healed the sores and pardoned all
except Gen. Sewer. But so beloved ana
honored at home was he that he was
sent to the General Assembly of 1889
and it rardoned him and he took his
seat in that historic legislature, which
adopted the Federal Constitution Nov
21st 1889 at Fayetteville, fixed the seat
| Of government at Raleigh, chartered the
University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill, and sent ex-governor Samuel John
ston and Benjamin Hawkins to the United
States Senate; who officially conveyed
from North Carolina the rich Western
domain April End 1890, when the State
! of Tennessee was born Gen. John
Sewer became its first governor, and b,lt
| recently his remains was removed to
| Knoxville and a monument erected to
him, constructed from the beautiful mar
| bic of his native hills, whose towering
peaks nurtured the Eaglet that became tha
emblem of American freedom. Statesman
ship, valor and patriotism at last has
found recognition among his people: and
the noble shaft points heavenward to the
gazing youth, calling them to emulate
his example and guard well the constitu-
tional liberty so richly bequeathed to
them. The act of cession delayed the
Halston treaty, which probably would
have avoided the battle with the Chero-
KEGS in 1888 and the Hon. Hugh William
son in a letter to Gov. Martin laments
| the fact, and said that Congress or sew
eral of the State were in such haste TO
adjourn on the 3rd of June last, that we
could not obtain a vote for appointing
commissioners to treat of peace with the
| Southern Indians, though the plan Of
| treaty had for some weeks been prepared
| by a committee, should an Indian war
break out by such neglect the Western
| inhabitants of our State would be among
the chief sufferers. When l consider the
| political and military virtues of those
brave citizens, who live over the noun
| tains, and recollect that we are in a
| great measure indebted to them for one OF
| the greatest actions that has been achlev-
ed during the late war. / am not hit
| tie hurt by want of attention to their
safety" This extract from the letter d
| the Hon. Hugh Williamson gives us an
idea of the appreciation of the services
| of these great men After the cession OF
Tennessee by North Carolina Col. Robert
Love moved to Buncombe county and
settled, where now is the county site of
Haywood county. The town OF Waynes-
vile was located on his land. and great
many OF his defendants are still there,
and 1 konw of none who have deserted
the creed of their ancestor. save the dis
tinguished consul of Panama and when
the roll is called of North Carolina s re-
preventative men both national and State
the hneal defendants of Col. Robert Love
a man who read his New Testament
through one hundred and seventy-slX
times, will answer present.
Very truly,
! DL.LOVE.
sylvia, N. c., Feb 2. 1904