Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 191?-19??, 1914-12-03

little better than an asylum for gug-,
itives-such are the unpleasant Incl
dents which occupy the story of an
inc~onsiderable settlement that grad
ually filled with people as the law
afforded protection to the vagabond, |
as everyone lived without control and
all enjoyed in security what a trivial
labor had gained" On the other hand
the impartial historian, Bancroft,
writes of them: "They were men who
had been led to the choice of their
residence from a hatred of restraint
and a lost themselves among the
woods in search of independence. Are
there any who doubt mans capacity
for self-government, let them study
the history Of North Carolina, it's in
habitants were restless and turbulent
in their imperfect submission to a gov
eminent imposed on them from
abroad. The administration of the
Colony was firm, humane and tran
gull, when they were left to take care
of themselves. Any government, but
of their own institution, was oppres-
sive. North Carolina was settled by
the freest of the free, by men to whom
the restraints of other colonies were
too severe; but the settlers were gen
| tie in their tempers, of serene minds,
enemies to violence and bloodshed.
Freedom, entire freedom, was enjoy
5 ed without anxiety as without guaran-
tees: the charities of life were scat
l tered at their feet like the flowers in
their madows, and the spirit of hui
manlty maintained it's influence in the
Arcadia, as Royalist writer's will have
!, it, of 'Rogues and Rebels in the Para
t disc of the Quakers."
t 1t must be remembered that the
county was born in the throes of the
Revolutionary War. Before it's for
S nation and while it was a part of the
r County of Dobbs, a company of eighty
of its citizen soldiers under the lead.
t ership of Ezekiel Slocumb marched
from his home, at the call of Col
Caswell, to join the Continental forces
e in their attack upon the Tories an6
$ British at Moore's Creek, and, accord.
ing to our historians, were a part O
the division that made the final charge
S across the Creek, and through thu
sWamps, that completed the rout O
the enemy and gained the first victor,
for American Arms in that great con
test.
1t was at this time that one of tn,
most interesting incidents connected
. with our Revolutionary struggle tool
d place, when Mary Slocumb, the wifi
o of Capt. Ezekiel Slocumb, being 1ef
at home with an infant child, fearful
of the fate of her husband and hi
o comrades, was unable to sleep an,
rising in the night, saddled a fine mar
e and rode from near the present sit
IS of Goldsboro, through the forest in tn
d direction of Moore's Creek, about 10
miles, until she came within hearin;
+ of h cannon announcing the begin
ing of the battle, when quickening he
Ie pace h soon arrived at a clump O
4, woods nea the Greek and found Their
ID the wounded of her husbands com
mand. She was greatly distressed a
IS the sight of an apparently lifeles
y body covered with her husband
J. cloak, but, upon removing the CLOAK
n discovered that, instead of her hus
band, the wounded man was Fran.
IS Cogdell. Her husband soon ppear
and demonstrated with her for he
daring conduct. She remained a sho1
time nursing the wounded, and the
81 return : to her home. At one time
/ British colonel had CHARTERED hi
u troops on her plantation and remark
ed in her presence that it would max
u a n est tie after the war for SON
"a British officer; to which she reptile
Le that all he would ever get of her plan
2 tation would measure only tw
by six feet. Captain Slocumb wa
lie present as a Continental officer g
the surrender of Yorktown by tn
British. He and his wife, who was
sister of Charles Hooks, the Repre-
W sentative in Congress from the Wi
- mington District, lived far into tn
10th century, honored and respected
= the husband serving in the House {
3 Commons from Wayne in the year
1912, 1914, 1915, 1915 and 1918. The
10 owned a large tract of land south {
the Neuse River and West of the 1
Of c. L. Railroad, and lie buried in tn
lie family burying ground between Colds
boro and the town of Dudley.
But even before the Battle {
ID Moore's Creek, the inhabitants {
Dobbs were called upon to furnis
soldiers to the Royal Governor Tryo
for the subjugation Of the Regulator
~ There is no evidence, however, thu
they responded to the call, or that an
le citizen of this section took part in tn
ID battle of Alamance. It seems that the
he reso1utely refused. I am unable t
N ascertain whether they refrained, be
is cause they did not understand tn
I'd quarrel, or because they were unwil
ing to take part against the persecute
in and rebellious Regulators.
Of | find in the Colonial Records
n COPY of a letter written at the time tn
lie inhabitants of Dobbs were ordered t
h muster for service in that campaign
IT in which it is stated that only seve
lie men in all the county responded.
S. find also that after the battle two {
Sc the Regulators escaped to Dobbs, an
l. upon resisting arrest, one was kille
by the Sheriff and the other captured
is [ am sure the failure of our people t
ir aid the Royal governor against thei
e fellow citizens was not due to thei
l. reluctance to fight. They furnishe
their full quota to the Contineta
Army, a number of them were woun
al ed, and after the close of the wal som
of these were %pensfoned by Con
gress.
Organization of the County.
In the midst of the stirring scene
of the Revolutionary War the Count
i of Wayne was organized, and cou1
n was held, as the records show, on tn
second Monday of January, 1880, a
'r Josiah Sasser's, pursuant to the Ac