VOL? XLVill
"Alamance Day"
WILL BE CELEBRATED IN
Burlington, Thur., Aug. 17th
IN MEMORY OF
The REGULATORS who shed the first blood for American Inde
pendence in the Battle o£ the Alamance, May 13, 1771.
A HISTORY OF THE BATTLE-MONUMENT UNVEILED
ON BATTLE GROUND MAY 29, 1880.
Grand Pageant and Reenactment o£ the Battle on August 17th by 2,000 persons
properly costumed.
THE BATTLE OF THE AMANCE
Written by James H. M'Neilly,
I). D., Nashville, Tenn., and
published in .the "Cfonfederate
Veteran" of October, 1921.
» No State iu the Union 'has a
brighter record for patriotism, for
genuine devotion to liberty, and
for high courage in defense of her
rights than has North Carolina,
"The Old North State." Her
boastisnot vain. "Firstat Bethel,
farthest at Gettysburg, last at Ap
pomattox," aud in the great
World War she was not lacking
In the series of events that pre
pared the way for the Revolution
and the independence of the col
onies her citizens took leading
part, as she. did in the war that
followed, fighting aud suffering
for a righteous cause. Among tht
preliminaries of tiie final revolt of
tho colonu-s was the battle of Ala
mance, fought tor the same gen
eral priuciples that moved the
other colonies to resist unjust
taxation and to resist on tho right
to determine their own laws and
government.
Yet In history scaut justice is
done to the character or the mo
tives of the peopie who resisted
unto blood the tyranny of an un
just, corrupt, and oppressive gov
ernment. Their efforts are either
ignored or misrepresented as an
episode, a riot instigated by law
less and rebellious men. The
' Boston Massacre, really an insig
nificant riot, is glorified as an im
portant preparation of public sen
timent for the coming Revolution.
This is part and parcel of the
propaganda by which New Eng
land would claim the glory of hav
ing wrought everything distinc
tive and of value in American in
stitutions.
Evou the older North Carolina
historians, natives of the State,
seem to have been influenced by
devotion to an established order,
even when it was unjust and op
pressive; and so they were often
unfair iu_li;eir criticisms of what
WHS largely a popular movement.
I have for several years wished
♦ to .see some vindication of that
early revolt against the tyranny
of autocratic government; and
while 1 have heard of some care
fully prepared articles that seek
to discover and set fori'U the truth,
I have not been able to see them.
In writing this article 1 mov
ed by two consideratiehs: one,
devotion to the principles., tradi
tions, and achievements of my
section;the other, devotion to the
memory of my'ancestors, who
were active in that movement and
were afterwards intense patriots
iii the Revolution, suffering heavy
losses at the hands of the British
and Tories. I have recently read
thejife of the Rev. Dr. David Cald
well, pastor of the Presbyteriau
Churches of Alamance and liui
falo, a prominent patriot, very
obnoxious to the British for his
efforts in behalf of liberty, lie
was a great preacher, a noted
teacher, and an eminent physi
cian. He lived to within a few
mouths of a hundred years.
> ••
v •
AT.AIVT A TTC!Tn JDEDITIO3ST
THE ALAMANCE GLEANER.
His biography was written by his
successor iu tlio pastorate, Rev.
E. W. "Carothers, and published
in 1846.
This writer sought with pains
taking care and impartial judg
ment to find and state the actual
facts that culminated iu the bat
tle. lie searched all the histories
that had boon written to that time,
either local or general. He had
in addition the personal state
ments given to hi in by men thor
oughly trustworthy, who had been
identified with the organization,
and who had taken part iu the
battle. While he does not hesitate
to condemn many of the lawless,
deeds ot the Regulators, at the
same time he sympathized with
their sufferings, approved of their
principles, and justified in a
measure their activities, wlych'
were also approved by some of
the best men in the province.
The organization was known as
the Regulation and its members
as Regulators. It was a revolt
against the systematic injustice
and oppression of the constituted
authorities, who were upheld by
the British authorities.
The province originally consist
ed of all the territory south of the
State of Virginia aud included in
the royal grant to that colony.
These lands were set apart to cer
tain leading men or corporations
as proprietors, each of whom ruled
his portion by appointing a gover
nor to administer affairs in con
junction with councils; this was
called proprietary government.
After many years, great abuse'
having arisen aud the people be
ing thoroughly dissatsilied, thei
proprietors in 1743 surrendered,
their rights to govern, and it pass
ed to the home government. A
governor was appointed by the
king to rule the whole territory.
This was afterwards divided Into
North and South Carolina.
The proprietors sought settlers
for their lands and offered certain
privileges and advantages, which
attracted various classes, first
from Virginia, then from other
American colonies, and from lands
beyond the sea There were ad
venturer.-! who probably sought to
escape the restraints ot law, then
there were others devoted to the
prevailing order of government.
The majority of the settlers were
dissenters from the doctrine and
order of the Church of England.
These consisted of Quakers, Scotch
Irian Presbyterians, French
Huguenots, aud German Luth
erans who sought liberty to wor-
according to their own
convictions, free from State con
trol, who formed a body of intel
ligent, conscientious, and liberty
loving patriots.
The troubles in the province
were largely due to the efforts of
the proprietors and the royal gov
ernors to force Upon the people
the Church of England as the State
religion. To this end the territory
was divided into parishes, in each
Of which vestrymen were to be
chosen by the people. Taxes
were laid for the building of
churches and for the support of
the clergy; dissenting ministers
'V /
GRAHAM, N. 0., THURSDAY. AUGUST 10, 1922
were forbidden to exercise their
ministry, marriages solemnixtd
by them being declared void; f hoy
were subject to military duty an
to various pains and penalties in
ease of disobedience. All offices
of trust were in the hands of ad
herents of the State religion. As
it was difficult to procure minis
ters of the Established Church,
the colony was for a long time
without the stated ordinances of
religion except as occasionally
exercised in secret. Taxes and
fees were set by law, yet the of
ficers of the law exacted exorbi
tant fees and collected taxes great
ly beyond the legal requirement.
As an example, one Colonel Can
ning, a lawyer, colonel of the mili
tia and clerk of the superior court,
is said to have exacted on one oc
casion fifteen dollars for a mar
riage license, and t hat ho often
exacted fees iu like proportion.
Once when he was tried forextor
tiouoaud embezzlement of' taxes
and was convicted by a jury, lie
was fined one cent and costs, the
coats, of course, being uotniual,
as ho was clerk of the court, lie
was a prime favorite with the
governors. As a consequence of
this extortion and corruption the
people felt that tin y could not re
sort to the courts for justice.
Numbers who could not pay mar
riage fees stood before their neigh
bors and friends aud assumed the
marriage obligations, pledging
themselves to live together faith
fully as husband aud wife. The
protests and remonstrances of the
PJople had little effect except to
obtain some mitigation ol cecle.-i
astical pains and penalties, bui
110 relief from tax* s and extor
tions. Finally the people deter
mined to organize for resistance.
About the same time, by royal
appointment, William Tryon be
came Governor, ile hau been
trained to military !if", wan de
voted adherent ot the Established
Church, dictatorial in his temper,
autocratic in the exercise of his
authority, vain, and fond of show.
This appointment, was iu •1704,
and for several years the com
plaints of the people were met
with fair promises, never fulfilled,
or by proclamations denouncing
them aud threatening force.
It is one of the ironies of his
tory that the bitterest persecu
tions and the fiercest wars have
'been in'the name and for the sake
of Christianity, the religion of
love, and that toe Church has
been the most intolerant of relig
ious liberty* in thought or form.
This country was originally set
tled by two distiuct classes,
Cavalier and Puritan, ou*^eek.n£
larger political liberty, the other
seeking religioi- freedom. Vet
both Cavalier in Virginia and
Puritan in N'ok England were
equally iutolentnt of religious
opinions or practices differing
from their own established order.
When went from Vir
ginia into North Carolina te escape
this oppression, they were de
nounced as "runaways, rogues,
and rebels," and.the province oi
North Carolina was called
"ltogues' Harbor," a reproach that
lias boon again and again blotted
■nit in iho blood "of lier sous and
refuted by the splendid record of
iter statesmen and orators, "men
of light and leading."
So when the new ' Regulation"
was organized it won tho sym
pathy and confidence of numbers
of tho best man, who also engaged
in the activities of tho Regulators,
{t was no secrot body; the mem
bers hold their meetings openly
and announced their plans and
purposes to secure justice and en
force righteousness.
~The time may come in HIP life
of a coin inanity when the power
of criminal classes or tho corrup
tion of oflicials makes it necessary
for tho people to take tho law in
their own hands. Such wore the
days of the Vigilance Committees
in the West and of tlie Ku-Klux
K-lfiii in tlie South. Such a con
dition seems to have existed in
certain portions of North Caro
lina in the time of the Regulators;
their methods can be justified only
when force is the only remedy.
There seem to have been three
classes identified with the Regula
tors: 1. Men of prudence and
foresight, who realized the
strength and resources of the gov
ernment, and who deprecated any
resort to violence, advising resist
ance until the last extremity. 2.
Hen of impulsive temperaments,
whose spirits were fired with such
a sense of their wrongs and such
devotion io liberty that they were
tor immediate war against their
[oppressors, and war to the knife.
There was a third class always
ito be found in" such movements,
adventurers who cared for no
principle and were indifferent as
ito which side triumphed; they
wished generally either to loot
and profit by violence or to gratify
a pe'ty spirit of hatred against
established order. Now, while
thei weroutrages committed by
the Regulators, it was generally
under a burning sense of tmirie
diate wrong, U>ut largely by this
third class, who were ready to
fake advantage of any movement
that promised profit or pleasure
for themselves. These outrages
wore deplored and condemned by
tin; body and the best element of
the Regulators.
The conflict between imperious
authority, forbidding the assem
bling of the people, and a people
with a deep sense of wrong, moved
by the spirit of liberty, continued
from 1701 to 1771. It was largely
confined to the portion of the
province settled by dissenters.
Their jetiti6ns for relief and re
dress were put off with promises
or dismissed with contempt. It i»
iruo that there went good and |
honorable men upholding the gov-'
ernment who yet realized the evils
of which the Regulators complain
ed, but who were restrained by
subservience to authority or by
a fear of the consequences of
violence.
It was in 17'0-'7! that the coo*
flict cuhniiiat *i in actuailtaltle.
in the fall of 1771, while con
servative men, hke l>r: Caldwell,
were striving to uilect-a p aCeful
settlement, the Governor secumd
the passage of a legislative enact
ment authorizing him to use mili
tary force against the insurgeuts
for the collection of the uujust
taxes and the exorbitant fees de
manded by the officials of the ad
ministration. In the following
spring the Governor called out
the militia and started his cam
paign into the disaffected dis
tricts. He got together a force of
1,000 or. 1,200 men, well armed
and supported by artillery. On
the other hand, the Regulators
gathered probably a larger force
to meet the militia, but so litle
did they expect actual fighting
that a great many of thein left
their guns at homo.
It seems as if their leader,
Horace Husband, had intended
only to make a show of force to
Impress and intimidate the' Go
vernor. When he ;• iw that, a ftg'-t
was Inevitable, he rode away and
was seen n» more in North Caro
lina. lie was of Quaker blood and
may Have had conscientious scru
ples against war.
On the 14th of May, 1771, the
Governor's forces camped on the
banks of the Alamance; on the
15th the Regulators camped a lit
tie distance away, asking only a
redress of thoir grievances as the
way to peace. To this message
an answer was returned on the
16th, an hour before the battle
began, saying that the Governor
had nothing to offer, but demand
ing absolute aud uucouditional
submission.
Most of the men of Dr. Cald
well's congregation had gone with
the Regulators, aud they asked
him to go with them to exercise
his good offices for peace. He
went to Governor Tryon and re
ceived a promise that the engage
ment should not be opened until
he had time to try what could be
done by negotiation. When the
two forces had come within a very
short distance of each other, the
Governor sent a magistrate to
read his proclamation, command
ing the insurgents to disperse at
once, else he would fire upon
them. Then the fiercer spirits
of the Regulators became fu
rious, defying the Governor and
demanding to be led instantly
against their enemies. Dr Cald
well is said to have ridden in front
of tho insurgent force, urging
them to disperse and promising to
try to secure justice by peacable
j means.
It. is doubtful which side fired
the first shot, and the historians
seem generally to have been the
Governor's apologists. Th*signal
for opening the engagement was
to be three shots from the cau
non, but the militia were loath to
fire upon their neighbors and
friends. It was then that Tryon,
rising in his stirrups, called out:
"Fire on them, or fire on me."
The engagement then became gen
eral. It was short, but decisive.
The Regulators fought with
courage, but they were no match
for trained and well-equipped
troops. The losses as represent
ed by both sides differ materially.
The British report nine killed and
seventy wounded and claim that
the Regulators lost over twenty
killed and a large number wound
ed; but the account given by the
Regulators just reverses these
figures. It was evidently a b'>odv
battle. The resul 4 were thai the
Regulators retui ied to then*
homes, and the Governor's forces,
marching through the disaffected
territory, forced the people to
take the oath that they would not
again take up arms agaiutt the
king. Several of the leaders,
tried by drumhead court-martial,
were executed with brutal baste.
111 the next year Governor
Tryon was transferred to New
York, and his successor, Gover
nor Martin, a just and kiudly
man, set himself to rectify the
abuses that had brought on the
war. His efforts were hampered
and hindered by the partisans of
t!:e former government.
The influence of thia battle of
the Alamance io to be estimated
by ita renuita aa afTeciiug the
principles and liven of iUs main
adorn iu the great war
of Hie colouiea for indepeudence,
in which North Carotin* took a
prominent part. It haa been aaid
that thia battl* made more Tories
than anything elne, but there were
two kinds of Tories. One kind,
known a« pood Toriea, felt that
their oath bouud them not to take
up* arms against the king; and
while they took uo part in the
war, they were kind to the pa
triots, often protecting and de
fending them. So in the War
between the S'ates. many stron§
Union men were kind to the Con
federates.
The other data of Tories wore
they who felt that the fight against
the British government wan hope
less and who sympathized with
that government and so took sides
against the patriots. Probabl)
the meanest class of Tories were
those whu had nothing to lose and
joined the Regulators only for loot
and personal gain. These were
the burners of homes, iusulters of
women, authors of outrages on
helpless families.
Tim bone and sinew of the Regu
lators became devoted, self-saeri
lictug adhorauts of the cause of
tin* coUmits. All tlirf members of
Dr. Caldwell's congregations, Nvith
him at their head, sympathized
with the Regulators aud entered
with ardeu l enthusiasm into the
war tor independence.
The oltec' of iln; battle of the
Alainaneo on" this last class was
positive aud distinct. Not to
[judge too harshly the Governor
and his followers and condemning
the outrageß of the Regulators,
there was involved hi this contest
the same principle for which the
colopics contended in their revolt
against the mother country.
Defeat, as is so often the case,
confirmed them in their principles
aud strengthened their purpose
to stand for civil aud religious
liberties as something worth dying
for; their cause was cousecrated
by the blood that was shed for it.
Then again this battle gave them
confidence to defeat and overcome
their enemies if adequately equip
ped. It also showed them the
value of organization and dis
cipline. So when the war became
a reality in 1775-7G these men
were the first to advocate separa
tion from Great I3ritaiu, aud in
the Mecklenburg Declaration
pledged themselves to the cause
of independence.
From that 'day forward to the
present time whenever men were
needed to stand for righteousness,
truth, aud liberty the "Old North
State" has always sent her qmta
to the front; while in the halls of
Congress her leading men have
been among the foremost defend
ers of the rights of the people
against monopoly, graft, and op
pression.
Program of Order and Time of Start
ing to Alamance Battle Field to
Unveil Monument. *
From the Alamance Gleaner of Mty
28, 1880.
At 6:30 o'clock on Satunlay morn
ing, His Excell- ncy, Governor Jarvis,
Judge Fowle, Hon. John .Manning
and other distinguished visitors will
H tart for the Battlefield of Alamance-. 1
Tho Chief Marshal and as many]
Sub-marshals as possible, will be|
clothed in regalia, mounted on horse
back, and ready to form the proces
sion just west of the court house at
half past six o'clock sharp. The
Chief Marshal will select a standard
bearer to carry the flag which the
ladies will present to the monu
mental association that day. AH t.ie
procession moves forward, of course,
others may and will f ill in at every
X lioa'U until wo get within one
half mi!« of the tnouument. Here
we will halt a few niinuttfS and await
the direction of the Chii*f. Th j
Hub-marshals who live in other (I nee-1
tions, and who lo not go out with |
tho Governor froiu GruUaiu, willj
direct l!iO',e who reach the buttle
field F R 'HI other points, to com.' out
and meet the (iovernor, open rank*
and fall in 'lie Imp of tnareh at such
place a* the marshals may desig
nate. 'Then (at 10 o'clock sharp)
headed by the band, and following
the banner bearing the motto: "The
Birthplace of American I.ilierty,"
we will march within H few steps of
the monument, across the held,
"Where tyrant* eonijuered,
And heroes fell,"
to the speaker's stand in the beauti
ful grove.
YVe trust that those who go in
wagons will take a-t many chairs as
possible. The people who live near
the battlefield are as kind as they
can be, but ou sucti short notice, it
will be impossible for them to provide
t Heats for the tho-ixauds who will be
there if the day he pleasant I here
will be no "dead beats" at the table
prepared by the committer! >n re
freshments. Hememi>er thai .hey
only charge twenty five cents for
NO. 27
dinner. Two tables each one hun
dred feet long will be close at band.
It i 3 from this source, that we ex
pect to obtain most of the tnrney
with which to pay for the monument.
We want everybody to donate some
thing to the table. A piece of bread,
a cake, a t chicken, a few pickles,
anything will be thankfnlly received.
We not only ask for something to
eat, but we request every lady, every
little girl, to cull at least one flower
to place at the foot of the monumeut,
which marks th& resting place of the
I first men who shed their blood for
this their native land. No
liues or donominational distinctions
in this labor of love. Come with
your brightest smiles and choicest
flowers, and "deck with garlands
I the gateway" through which those
noble heroes "marched to glory."
I A few days over oae hundred and
! nine years have passod away since
the booming of Tryon's cannon went
rovorbrating over the kills of Ala
mance, and the groans of the dying
i went out on the ovenin - air. The
''Wolf of N'orth Carolina" neither
allowed panegyrics to b« pronounced
I uor funeral dirges to be sung!
On the corning 20h, you will} ear
I their praises from th* '"silver tongued
oratori?' of the Old North State, and
look upon a granite shaft which will
mark the Battlefield of Ala. iance
until the "Muse of hist >ry writes
! finis with a pen of fire."
When we leave the monument
after the celebration, we desire to
say: This shows that North Caro
| lina will never forget that her first
I martyred heroes died while fighting
j the advocates of despotic newer. TON
1 day, we havo had a grand success.
Tonight, for the first time, the Regu
, lators will sleep beneath a pyramid
i of roses.
J. L. SCOTT, Pres't.
I D. A. LONG, SJ:.
The Monumental Committee have
' received the following letters from
| distinguished gentlemen who were
invited to attend the celebration :
. ' •
Greensboro, N. C,,
May 18th, 1880.
J. L. Scott, Esq.,
Dear Sir: —I herewith send my
mite towards the monumeut which
our fellow-citizens are erecting upon
the Alamance battleground. I have
an inheritance in that ancient field,
(Continued on Eighth Page)
066 is a peescription for Colds,
Fever and LaQrippe. It's the
most speedy remedy we kuow.
PROFESSIONAL CARDS
LOVICK H. KERNODLL,
Attorney-at-Law,
GRAHAM. N. C.
A»»oclated with John J. Henderson.
Office over National Mauk of Alamauu
THOMAS D. COOPER,
Attorney and Counscllor-at-Law,
BURLINGTON, N. C,
Associated with V. S. Coulter,
No*. 7 and 8 First National Bank Bldg.
S. C. SPOON, Jr., mTS
Graham, N. C.
Office over FerrelhDrug Co.
Hours: 2 to 3 and 7 toy p. in., and
by appoint munt.
Phone 97
GXAHAM HARDEN, M.D.
ZJurlinnton, C.
■ Miici- Hoars: oto la. m.
aud by :ippolntn 'nt
OlHce 'Jvcr Acme i'rug Co.
rcleplionei: Offl-e I l(>Kr»ldenre •*«!
; JOHN J. HENDERSON
Attorney-at-Law I
GRAHAM. N. C.
O.lie* aver National Baak >1 AUMM
IT, 3. O Oo£",
Attorney-at-La ar
; KAHAM, .... K. C
Office I'Htteraon Building
Second Floor. . , ,
nil. WiiJA iiMi, Ji[
. . OEWTIST : e c
.... Nertk Carolina
.KVIPK IN PARIS RHTLDING
J. KMIKIi LONG LOUIII C. AUBSI
Durham, N.C. Graham, N.C.
LONG & ALLEN,
| fV l Uitimjra und CoonMlon at
GRAHAM, H. O.