Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 191?-19??, 1915-06-03

eral started up the Neuse river for
general exploration, where they were
taken prisoners at Corethna and where
later the Surveyor General was mur-
dered And here again DeGraffenreid
puts all blame upon Lawson.
He says that he bitterly reproach-
ed Lawson as the cause of their mis-
fortune, and with great zeal set about
making his peace with God"
AT the time OF their capture they
had completed two days of their voy-
age UP Neuse river, having started
out upon a fifteen days trip. They
went in a canoe, but for some reason,
known alone to DeGraffenreid, he sent
either a negro or an Indian ahead on
a horse to wait for them at the Indian
town of Contentnea. It is a little re-
markab1e that DeGraffenreid, starting
out on an lexp1oring expedition of
Neuse river with his Indian guides
along, should send another Indian
ahead on horse to wait for the party
at an Indian village.
way they met numbers Of Indians,
many of them armed, and that he did
not like the looks of things and sug-
gested going back but that the Sur
veyor-Genera1 laughed at him.
Another remarkable circumstance
in this connection was the great fear
of DeGraffenreid Of some harm from
the Indians, when these colonists hal
never had any trouble with the In
dian inhabitants. He further says
that they had hardly turned their
backs when a large number of In
dams came out from the bushes and
! overlook them.
1t will be noted here that these
Indians lived a whole nights journey
from the point at which they captured
the party and it is certain that they
were waiting on the river banks for
this very canoe and they had received
news from somebody that this eXplor-
ing party was proceeding up the
i Neuse.
DeGraffenreid says further that dur
ing the trial the Indians complained
Of their treatment by the inhabitants
and especially complained Of the Sur
) veyor-General for taking their lands
It will be noted here that thfs is the
: Lawson ever took any lands from the
/, Indians or anyone else.
/ DeGraffenreid's own description o.
t their capture, trial and escape fur
: nishes evidence of his treachery and
S Of Lawson's bravery.
t He says that when the grewsomt
ceremonies for the execution were
4 drawing to an end, and the indians
: seemed ready to proceed with thei
: butchery, 81 gained the ear of on
e Of the savages who understood Eng
e Iish and gave him to understand tha
the great and powerful Queen of Ems
Ii land, by whose orders I brought tn
b Swiss co1onists to America, would b
d sure to avenge my blood. l furthe
n more made promises Of advantages t
n the Indians, should I. be liberated.
IS Another account says he represente
S. himself as King, after which he tell
IS US that it was decided that his iii
n and also the life of his negro shoul
% be spared. It will thus be seen the
" he gained his freedom through falls
l. pretense and fraud; and in his state
i'd ment I do not think the Baron doe
re himself credit. If he had been ma
and friend of Lawson's, he woul
lg have made the same plea for Lawso
ID and his negro as he did for h1msel
ir and his failure to make this pie
in convinces me that he desired Law
Sc sons execution hoping thereby to G
II. cape exposure by Lawson for his lar
ir stealing, and secure his dawson
s; commissions from the Lords Propr1
nd tors to better enable him to carry o
he his fraudulent land schemes.
od After securing his freedom he le
nd the Co1onists, mortgaged their Ian
ON and embezze1ed their money. as a
it pears from the petition of the Pal
,r- tines in 1714 addressed to the King
ls- England, which recites among 9th
things the following:
of "That In the year 1909 your pc
est TONERS arrived in America and in t
IN year It'll Indians broke out again
us and in the enterprise our Trust
is OeGraffenreid) was taken by the
an dams whilst he was yet amongst the
on We expected him killed. Then cal
on, one Thomas Pollock who ruled be
rds Governor and Country and acted
uc- behalf as General and sent to
Captain VIM. Brice to take all
nv Dutch that were able to bear ar
u1- and meet him at an Indian villa
rit- which was about six leagues from {
II, Inhabitants, accordingly we did
my he never met but left us to sit
rch days and one night with the India
and Soon after DeGraffenreid was brou
ons in, but did not stay ding with us ;
If carried off from our settlement