The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-07-11

attend your armies coming. The
Indians lately have killed one man al
Readings Fort. and to the umoer OF
about 200 of them assaulted it-out
were beaten off with the loss Of about
five of their men and did little damage
only burned d Sloop that lay DN the
fcrt- Likewise some of them nave
burnt the houses upon four plantations
towards the mouth or PamIIc0 river,
and attacked Captain Jones house.
but were beat off, none killed OF our
people
From the perilous necessities Of the
times, Fort BarnWell, located near
New Bern, and named for Colonel
Barnwell of south Carolina. must nave
been created soon after Forts Hyde and
Reading. as in a petition to the Nlr-
ginia Council Colonial Records, Vol.
/. p. $780, are these words: The IN
habitants of NeuSe river in North Car
DINA representing the deplOrable state
to which they are reduced by the IN
dian enemy, their houses and planta-
tons burnt: their stocks destroyed ana
they forced to betake themselves to
garrisons for their defense. AS a
further evidence that there was a tort
on Muse river. as early as FEBRUARY,
l111-12, occurs the following mention
in reference to De Gaffenreid's col
ony (Col. Rec. Vol |, p. S34): The
Indians daily gather strength and have
already besieged the inhabitants in a
small fort they had built tor their
protection.' Old Fort Ba-nwell still
endures in name ano location.
AS the Province Of North Carolina
grew richie and more powerful
thought was taken Of more extensive
Qualifications and at the assembly OF
1145, over which Governor Gabriel
Johnston presided, held at New Bern
the goth day of April, authority was
given to erect a fort on the lower part
of Cape Fear River on account Of the
present war with France and Spain
his fort was to be called Johnstons
fort and was to be large enough to
contain at least t~wenty-four cannon,
with barracks and other c~OnVenienceS
for soldiers.
The following commissioners were
appointed for erecting it: Governor
Gabriel Johnston, Nathaniel Rice,
Robert Halton. Eiezar Allen. Matthew
Rowan, Edward MOseley, Roger Moore
William Forbes, Col. James Innes, Will
liam Faris, Major John Swami and
George Moore. For defraying the ex-
penses of building this fort or battery
it was enacted by the assembly that
the powder money already paid to the
naval officer Of Port Brunswick, or to
the commissioners Of navigation of the
saidportlsince the sixth day Of March.
1873 and all powder money which
shall hereafter arise. by vessels COM
ing into the said port OF Brunswick.
shall be applied by the commissioners
aforesaid = = g to the charge of build
ing and erecting the said fortiica-
ton" Claws Of the State of North
Carolina, Iredtlls Revisal, PIP. 103-105.)
The assembly held at New Bern, in
1149, passed an act emitting "Twenty-
one Thousand Three Hundred and Fiji
ty Pounds, Public Bills of Credit to be
applied towards building Qualifications
in this Province, payment Of pubic
debts, etc" It was enacted further
that a fort should be erected at Ocra-
coke Inlet to be called Fort Granville,
and to cost two thousand pounds; the
commissioners for same being the
Governor, Mr. Benjamin PeytOn, Sam
uel Sinclaire, Francis Stringer, James
Macklewean, John Haywood, and Peter
Payne.
A sum Of fifteen thousand pounds
was appropriated for a fort at, or near,
old Topsail Inlet; commissioners for
same being the Governor, Mr.. Thomas
Lovick. MI. Arthur MADISON, Mr.. John
Clitherall, and Mr.. Joseph Bell.
A further sum Of five hundred
pounds was appropriated for a fort at
Bear Inlet; commissioners for same be
ng the governor, Mr.. Samuel Johnston,
Edward Ward, Jr, Stephen Lee and
John Starkey.
The reasons set forth for these ap-
preparations were that whereas, dur
ing the present war with France and
Spain this Province hath received
great damage by the enemies. privat-
teers coming into the ports and har-
bors of the same, which are entirely
defenceless and without any fortifica-
TONS, AND taking and carrying away
the vessels thereout. and landing and
plundering the inhabitants" 1t was
impossible from the great scarcity OF
currency TO raise so large a sum by an
immediate tax on the people and the
ape money was therefore resorted
to in the emergency.
The article claims that the early forts
We're created as follows: Fort Hyde,
at Core TOWne, and Fort Reading, on
PamlicO river. May 9, 1712; Fort
BarnW6l. on Neuse river within the
next year or two; Fort Johnson, on
Cape Fear river. April 20. 1745-46;
Fort Granville. at Ocracoke Inlet, the
fort at Old Topsail Inlet. and the fort
at Rear lnlat Anril & LIZ