The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-12-26
ACTIVE
IN A HISTORY
Various Historical Activities In North
Carolina During 1911 Make
Fine Record.

I1ne fhcCOfu.
Read by r. D. W. CONNOR. Secre-
tary Of the North Carolina Hlstorl-
cal Commission before the State Lit
erary and Historical ASSOCIATION
November rs, 1911.
Under the general term historical
activities are included such actlVltleS
as the erection Of memorial tabIetS,
monuments, statues, bustS, the coliec-
ton Of portraits, manuscripts, print
ed documents, and newspapers, the
general activities Of patriotic ana
historical societies, and acts and resO-
lutions Of the General Assembly re-
lating to historical matters. Ihese
activities, as will ppea from the
following report, were not ccnflned
to any one or. W. periods OF our
history, but reveal, on h contrary,
a widespread interest in preserving
the history of the State from colonial
to the very present.
Fort Johnston Tablet.
The earliest event thus commence
rated was the erection Of Fort John
ston at the mouth of Cape Fear river.
This old fortress which in colonial
days guarded the ports Of Bruins
wick and Wilmington, was begun in
1746. completed in 1854, and de-
stroyed in 1875. 1t was the scene of
many interesting and important events
at the outbreak of the Revolution,
and in erecting a handsome marker
on it's site (May %, 1911) the North
Carolina Society, Colonial Danes Of
America, which has lone SO much for
the preservation of u history, has
placed the State under still further
obligations to it. The following in
scription on the tablet preserves the
history of the fort:
This tablet was erected May, 1911,
by the North Carolina Society of
C%olonial Danes Of America, to mark
the site Of Fort johnston, the first
fort in the province Of North Caro-
lima, built under act Of Assembly OF
1746, and completed in 1864, and
named in honor Of Governor Gabriel
Johnston.
The patriots Of the Cape Fear, re-
sisting the execution Of the Stamp
Act in 1866, forced the spiking Of it's
t~wenty-fOur mo the gift Of King
George II.
"The fort vas the refuge Of Gov
ernor Josiah Martin after his flight
from New Bern, May "a, ITS, un-
til he was compelled by the patriots
to abandon it, July 10, 1878, on which
day it was destroyed and Royal Gov
eminent in North Carolina ceased"
The Scottish Society OF America.
The history of Fort Johnston is
precisely coincident with the immi-
grafton into North Carolina Of the
Scotch H~ighlanders who's coming
hither has so powerfully affected the
history Of this State. During the
years LAG to 1775 many thousands
OF these sturdy, self-reliant immi-
grants sailed into the Cape Fear and
received their first welcome to the
province in the salutes of the guns Of
Fort Johnston. In order that their
influence on our history may not be
forgotten and their memories may
not perish, certain patriotic descend
ants OF those gallant old Highlanders,
on December IA, 1910, incorporated
THE Scottish Society Of America"
with it's principal office at Fayetteville.
The objects of the society as de
scribed by its charter are: % To
rescue from oblivion Scottish history
in North Carolina; CD To promote a
closer union in the State among those
of Scottish descent; and (S) To en-
courage Scotch immigration to the
State. The society has before it q
fertile field for cultivation if it's work
is properly pushed.
Liberty Point Monument Association
The center of the Scotch Highland
tfS SettlementS IN North Carolina
was at Cross Creek, now Fayetteville
When the disputes between the
Mother Country and her colonies
reached an acute stage, the High
l&nders. it is We'll known. espouseC
the cause OF the former. However
there were patriot> few in number
but determined in spirit. even in tn
Very stronghold of Toryisn, and these
PATRIOTS, on June 20, 1875, met a
Liberty Point. in the immediate
vicinity of CT oss Creek. and signed
a test bindiJ themselves to main
tain the cauhe Of the colonies with
their lives and fortunes. To com
memorate his bold deed The Liberty
Point Association was in.
corporated by the last General AS
senbly Of North Carolina (Chaptel
45o, Private Laws of 1911). TIL,
act %recites the fact hat ION tn,
twentieth day of June. one thousane