The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-05-01


Gil and a copy of his commission is
published on pages A and Is. He be-
came q Lieutenant General in the
British army. In 1878 he left the
State and, along with the other To-
ries lost all of his property. In 1888
he pettioned the King for indemnity.
A copy of this petition, setting forth
his services and losses, and attested
by certificates of Gov. Tryon and of
Gov. Martin, appears on pages 1918.
His brother Moses John DeRoSSet NJ
D.. was Mayor of Wilmington and fig
ured prominently in many capacities
in the early history of the Cape Fear
His son Almond John DeRosset, also
a physician, was man of exalted
character and of prominence in his
profession. One of the most interest
ing documents in the Monograph is a
sketch written by him of the DeRos-
set family. He was trained for col
lege partly by his step-father, the
Revolutionary patriot, Rev. Adam
Boyd and at the age of II entered
Princeton University, then College of
New Jersey. He was Graduated in
1885, having studied during vacations.
He afterwards entered the University
of Pennsylvania, and while in Phila-
delphia gained the friendship of Ben
jamin Rush, one of the most eminent
men of his day. He was in active
practice at Wilmington for sixty-nine
years. His last case was that of a
woman 81 years of age, who became
the mother of a child. DR.. Battle in
his notes pays a high tribute to his
worth and character.
1t would be impossible in a short
review to give an accurate idea of
the interest and value of the various
letters and documents of the DeRosset
family published in the Monograph.
IF a T. N ia CT
ing, newsy, gossipy, throwing much
light on many interesting characters
and events of that early period. An
extremely pathetic letter is one from
Lewis Henry DeRosset, the Tory, to
James Walker. While in London. after
being exiled from North Carolina, he
had heard from James Walker, his
brother-in-law of the death of his
wife, whom he had not seen since he
left Carolina eight years before. In
acknowledging the receipt of Mr..
Walkers letter Mr.. DeRosset pays a
beautiful and tender tribute to his
wife and so plainly shows the bitter
anguish he felt at his loss that one
even now can but lament the hard
circumstances which made such cruel
separation necessary. Other docu-
ments of interest are letters from Mrs.
Elizabeth Catharine DeRosset, wife of
DR.. Almond DeRosset to John Bur-
gwin; from Rev. Adam Boyd; the cor
reSpondence between DR.. Almond
John DeRosset and DR.. Rush, and DR..
Moses John DeRosset and DR.. Valen-
tine Mott.
The last extract from the DeRosset
papers is the following beautiful par
aphrase of the Lords Prayer, by DR..
Almond John DeRosset, the younger,
written in 1889 in his S3rd year:
Father in Heaven, to Thee we pray
That Thy great Name may hallow-
| ed be,
Thy Kingdom come-Oh! haste the
When all the world shall bow to
| Thee,
When Thy blest will shall have full
sway,
And Earth, like Heaven, from sin
/ be free.
Sustain, Oh Lord! our bodies frail,
! Preserve our souls with bread of
| life,
| Forgive our sins, let us not fail
Our foes to bless, and keep from
| strife.
/ W-hene'er the tempter's wiles assail
| Do Thou be near, and keep us pure.
/ May Thy good Spirit never fail r..
To be our guide for evermOre.
| Glory-PoWer to Thee belong,
In Thy dread presence we appear,
| Only in the Name of Christ Thy son,
Who taught us to make our prayer
OF the author of this, DR.. Battle
writes "Dr. DeRosset, in all public
and private relations, was approached
in excellence by few and excelled by
none.''
The character of community.
whether large or small, is dependent
upon the character of its citizens. Few
families in North Carolina have made
as large or as good a contribution to
the State as the DeRosset family.
Following the DeRosset papers
come 81 pages devoted to the Early
Years of lmington-Extracts from
the Old Town-Book and Letters of a
Royalist," with an Historical Note by
Hon. Samuel A. Ashe. Capt. Ashe
in his account of the founding of Will
mington, goes more into the details
of that interesting story than any
other writer l know. He draws his
information from the old Town
Book, from which he copies large
number of valuable extracts bearing
on the early history of Wilmington.
These extracts cover the period from
1743 to 1878, from which much i'm
portant information is gathered. AS
L now have before me the book from
/ which these extracts were made L
can vouch for the fidelity of Capt
Ashe iii making his copies and admire
/ the care and historical discrimina-
ton with which he has made his Sc
! lections.
/ The Journal of Joshua Potts gives
an interesting account of the location
of Smithvlle, now Southport; while
that of Gen. Joshua G. Swift, covers
/ the period extending from 1904 to
1928, and in it we catch many valua-
bic glimpses of the men and women of
those days on the Cape Fear OF this
diary Dr. Battle writes as follows:
| His memoirs, or rather his diary
is valuable and exceedingly interest
ing, and his descriptions of social life
on the Lower Cape Fear in the long
ago are simply charming. There is a
quiet dignity in his style that is very
attractive, and his statements regard
ing individuals and events are calmly
and forcibly expressed, and bear upon
their face the stamps of undoubted
truthfulness." l regret that it is out
or the question to make extract here
from this diary that would help give
an idea of its interest and Importance.
IL would not do to make this rapid re-
view too long