The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-07-09

were duly held. and when Governor
martin heard of it he was furiouS TO
mink mat he had been so outwitted.
he Immediately issued a proclamation
conoemnlng the elections just held
ana warning all officers of the king,
uotn civil and military, to do all in
enelr power to prevent the assem-
oldseS or the people and especially to
prevent the deputies from meeting at
New Bern on the 25th instant.
In spite Of this. the first Provincial
Congress in North Carolina met in
New Bern. August IS, 1874, and elect
co John Harvey as president. Richard
CasWell. Joseph Hewes. and William
hooper were chosen as delegates TO
the Continental Congress. Protesting
thear loyalty to the crown. but ex-
pressing a full determination to de-
TEND their rights as free men, the
members entered into an agreement
that unless their grievances we're re-
dressed. they would discontinue all
trade with English merchants. This
Congress was the first step taken in
the revolution which was to deliver
craven county as well as all the other
counties from the dominion of the dis
tant king and Parliament.
At h meeting OF the first Provin-
clal Congress. it was evident that
there would be a rupture TIVE the
colonies and great Britain. and it vas
also evident that if North Carolina
wished to keep abreast Of her sister
colonies in the movement to secure
their rights. she must ratify and ap-
prove the action recently taken by
the Continental Congress and elect
to 1t for a new term. There
fore. on February IL, 1175. after the
king had ordered an election to be
held for a new Legislature to meet
in New Bern on April Sd. Colonel
HARVEY issued handbills as before, for
the election Of another Congress to
be held in New Bern at the same time
and place Of the Assembly,; and all
the members Of the Legislature, with
the exception Of three. were also
elected members Of the Provincial
Congress.
The elections being held. both
bodies met at the appointed time, and
each chose John Harvey as president.
After being in session only a few
days. Governor Martin. who did not
know that the members of the As
sembly were also members Of the Con-
gress. tried to get the Assembly to
take action against them. and On fail
ing to do so he issued a proclamation
dissolving it on April 9Th. The Con
gress. however. could neither be dis
solved nor dispersed. It only pro-
ceeded with it's work. sending the sam
delegation back to Philadelphia and
also articles of association pIedgine
the members to abstain from all com
merce with British merchants. These
articles were signed by all the mem.
bers except Thomas Knight. Of Cur
rltuck county
This Congress was the last n evel
held in raven county and was thu
most important n ever held in Nortf
Carolina with the exception OF tn
one held at Halifax. which declared
North Cardinals independence OF
April 4, 1776. The time was now ap
preaching when North Carolina mus
fight with her sister c~olonists. so tina
she as we'll as the others would no
lose the respect Of England. thei
{ mother country.
Thus North Carolina began to pre-
pare for the war which was hnaif
to deliver them from the o
the distant king and Parliament
l About this time, in May, 1775, GOV
ernor Martin fed from New Bern t
Wilmington. Here he took charge Q
. an army Of Scotchmen. who by hi
4 orders were assembling at eros
E Creek, so as to get ready to fore
= their way across the country. an
then toin the British army which wa
g expected to arrive at W~ilmfngto'
within a few days. Cofohei moor
r at once met them with a band Q
Wings at Rockfish Creek. where n
s fortified his camp and awaited an at
n tack. But since he soon found tn
t would not occur. he sent Colonel La
n Iington and Captain Ashe with tw
n hundred and fifty men to occupy
bridge over Moore's Creek. where h
r supposed the Tories. under com
e mand OF General Mcdonald. woul
e pass.
wings in arms now began to as
e semble from different directions, an
i General Mcdonald soon saw u at uH
e loo. thev nassed Colonel Moore the
would be surrounded and capturet
therefore he moved across the Cap
e Fear river to meet Colonel Caswel
OIL Who was comm up from New Der
81 in command of eight hundre mel
n who had been raised IN tnat sectiol
!, C.rwell made haste to join Lilline
- ~ IN Moore's Creek, and he wa