The farmer and mechanic., 1915-06-15

got over the river and went six miles
farther. We slept that night under
two, or three, pieces of bark at the
foot Of large oak. There fell
abundance Of snow and rain with
much thunder and lightning. He re-
marks upon the character Of the
vegetation and the long gray moss,
and of it's likeness to growths near
Charleston. Next day it cleared up,
and it being about twelve miles to the |
English, about half way we passed |
| over a deep creek, and came safe to |
Mr.. Richard Smiths, of Pampticough |
| river, in North Carolina where be- |
| ing we'll received by the inhabitants |
and we'll pleased with the goodness |
! of the country, we all resolved to |
continue Iawsons History Of North |
| Carolina, p. 1859.
There is. today, an old field grown !
up in pine trees, not far from the
present town of Bath, which from
| time immemorial has been called
Smiths Old Field" in all probability, |
this was the site of the plantation and
house of Mr.. Richard Smith, where
! Lawson and his party were the reci-
pients Of early North Carolina hos
pitality. The records of old Bath
| Town, show deed from John Buntin
| to Capt. Richard Smith, dated August
10, 1900, of $40 acres Of land on We
old Town creek, at its mouth on ye
north side of Pampticoe river. The
point of land On which Bath Town is
situated at the junction Of Old Town
creek and Back Creek, the waters of
these creeks unite at this spot to
form a bay that empties into Pam
lico river and the general descrip-
tion appears In some respects to CORE
spond with "Smiths Field as locat-
ed by tradition.
John Lawson was very active in the
early development of the settlements
: in North Carolina, especially of those
on Pamlico and Neuse rivers AS a
; surveyor, his work has been pro-
nounced excellent-in this day, he
would be regarded as a promoter of
, large and intelligent views. Under
' the auspices of John Lawson and a
few others. ye old Bath Town was
e laid off in lots and Incorporated, in
J, 17O5, the first settlement to receive
municipal honors in the colony of
e North Carolina. The commissioners
= Nicholas Daw-later, after the Indian
e war and things had to be readjusted
t Lawson and SO many having lost their
: lives, John Porter, Thomas Harding
r and Capt. John Drinkwater were
9 added. The land was part of a tract
6 owned by David Perkins. The site
e was originally the Indian village of
"Pampticoe" which had been desert
n ed by the savages on account of an
e epidemic OF disease. supposed to have
Q been smallpox, that had scourged the
e natives a short time prior to the COM
h ing Of the white settlers. Lawson made
n the first map Of Bath Town, in 1901.
st copy is still in existence, endorsed
d as follows: by J. Lawson, Surveyor,
n per Edward Mosely, Surveyor Gen
y eral. copied from Draft dated 1866
= John Forbes D. Sur, by James R
If Hoyle, August %, 1907" This plat
n Of the town, calls for Jas acres outside
8 20 is reserved for the public school
10 house; the lot on which historic st
Thomas church still stands is SET
" apart for the church, and the lot ad
le joining was set aside for the court
ID house. The names given to the
y streets were King, Craven, Carteret
i Water and Front. The globe land.
n were mentioned for the use of thu
Of established Church of England
1e In his history, Lawson writes there
y. is a free exercise of all persuasion!
n. amongst Christians Gin Carolina): the
OF Lords Proprietors to encourage min
Or listers of the Church of England have
ld given land towards the maintenance,
Of of church and especially for th'
1g parish of ST. Thomas in Pampticough
I'd over again the town is already lait
s. out for a glebe two hundred and TWEEN
ey ty acres of rich, we'll situated land
O. that parsonage house may be bull
a upon" In 1905 and for some year
to thereafter, Bath Town, in the pre-
y cinct Of Pampticoe, county of Bath
IN was a prosperous settlement. Tn
Ill, town had library of one hundred
tn or more, books, sent over by the SO
he ciety of the Propagation of the Cos
vn pei, marked for est. Thomas Parish
lily Bath at least that is what
er marked on possibly the only one O
le- these old books now to be found
on | this was on exhibit at the Jamestou
,r- Exposition, loaned by Rev. Rohe,
ic- Drane, of Edenton, n. c. Manv per
re- sons prominent in the early histor
to cf the State bought lots in Bath Tow
he and the future appeared bright wit
ok promise, but unhappily, great pOl