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: KORTn-AKLINA (GAZETTE-, ' . ; ' f j ' ' 1 1 stone building, of one story,, and isl still 6c- the?r fanatical Governor was at lertgth that it was deemed finwise to discharge 1 1 bance. was oontemplsted bv the blacks, ', -' ' , ;; rvm Johnson Memoir, i ( PVREVTAGK AND EATRLT'OFE OF GENERAL GHEENE. v of the commander in ciuer, h ch assijnied Gen. Nathanael Greene tothe V.ilnd of the Southern department, bears iAth f October. 1780; Sriod, his sttnding in the army was . of the FSorder in respectability ; he .ej.ioyed the 2? Mid had eer discbarred the duties of S'nand the soldier withfidehty and abi m But no opportunities had yet been af toied him of displaying those eminent ta lSS which then broke upon the American People, and exhibited a splendour of milita JyXracter excelled only by him whom none The subject of these memoirs was afctbat time in the thirty-ninth year of his age. : His stature about five feet ten or eleven inches i his frame vigorous and well proportioned ; ' his port erect and commanding ; T s his auEal appearance diminished by a slight ob struction in the motion of his right leg, con tracted in early life. The general character of his face was that of manly beauty. His far and florid complexion had not entire.) yielded to the exposure of five campaigns ; n0r was a slight blemfch in the nght eye ob served, but to excite regret that it did not i ,..Twlfnt exrtression amt Driin- Cy of the left. Suchis the portrait of the man whom Vc. are to follow through these pares. " His manners were uniformly conso nant to the gravity of his character and dig nity of his station. Yet he could be cheer ful even to playfulness, and his intercourse vith the world was marked with that unaf fected urbanity of manners which flows from the politeness of the heart. AVh ether grave or ray, he could accommodate himself to so ciety, with a grace and facility which maybe : acquired from long and general intercourse with polite circles, but which in him is to be attributed to rapid observation, a quick perception of propriety, and a mind well stored with sound and useful information. Advantages in, early life, he had none ; born and raised in obscurity, without educa tion and without society, he exhibited a striking instance of what good examples, .sound principles native genius, and above all, industrious habits and a careful improve ment of time, can accomplish His first appearance on the arena of the revolution, was at the siege of Boston. He then commanded the Rhode-rsland contingent of troops, jaised under the recommendation cfthe Congress of 1774. Until that time, he had scarcely emerged, from the narrow li mits of his native state. , Yet, although in the , contingents of the states, there were many men of polite and liberal education, he ap peared inferior to no one. He conversed with ease and elegance ; though not forward in eliciting conversation, he shrunk hot un der a consciousness of deficiencv ; and in soundness of judgment; knowledge of his profession, and neatness of diction in his correspondence, he was inferior to very few. Vet all knew that his connections were of the religious sect .of Quakers, and that his early days had been sedulously devoted to the most laborious occupations.. But until then, they did not! know, that his vigorous mind had risen superior to early prejudice that from his sleep or his meals he had stolen time to acquire a considerable share of polite learning ; and by denying himself the most . ordinary indulgences, he had acquired a respectable library, and w ith its contents had stored' an herculean memory, which never was known to relinquish its acquirements. , IJis stern integrity and devotedness to re 1'rjioiSi and political liberty he had acquired in a country planted by jhe victims or the eiiles of persecution ; or had inherited from an- ancestry proverbially devoted to the as sertion of equal rights, who had also cruelly . felt and traditionally commemorated, the evils of oppression. ' v The protosire of our Hero (who, in the family, is emphatically styled the General,) w-as John Greene, one of the followers of the persecuted Gorton, who, in the year 1640, fled from the fanatics of Boston, and sought ah asylum on the west side of the Narragansct (then called Nanhyganset) Bay. The land, originally purchased by him of the Indians, js still in the family ; for it is conse crated by 'the' tombs of the fathers And the original conveyance from the headmen of the Narraganset Nation is still shown, as the indisputable evidence of the fairness of the acquirement. It is situated in the tract of country now known by the epithet of War wick Neck, originally called Shaw-omit. It is in the township of Warwick, and near tfcc town of that name. ; But the place of the General's nativity, issome miles distant from it, and on the opposite side of an arm of the Narraganset Bay, In- all the biographical notices of Gen. Greene, the town of Warwick 13 sa'dto have ben the place of his nativity, Tliis is correct in the language of the East? rn States,' in which ' town" means a dis district, or municipal division of country, sy ponimous with - township.".. The place of is nativity is, m fact, included .within thel township of Warwick, because the western- nc crosses the basin of East-Greenwich, and comprises the opposite fauces of the bav or . harbor. But the town of Warwick, properly so called, is some' miles distant to the north 9f the Potowome Mills. To the west of this bay, and a beautiful little basin, stands the town of East -Greenwich, This basin-is formed by two small streams, the principal of which still retains e Indian name of Potowome, or Potow-o-2t"; the former being probably an abbre vut:on of the latter. On this stream, and near t? cmPt5es telf into the basin, at tje distance of about1 two miles south-east Patowome- fiiUj and this is the place of the nativity of The house is a comfortable i stone building, of One story, , and is-still oc cupied by Kis respectable andwhospitable brothers. And the forge; at which for many ayear he cheerfully toiled as an anchor-smith, together with the mill, which, with a book in his hand, he attended as a respite! from labor, although exhibiting strong symptoms of remote antiquity, are still In active ope -ration.- Here the curious traveller will be shown the humble spot where labor strung the nerves and the mind of a Cincinnatus ; I and here, too, he will behold the rude foree at which, when a mere" boy, he consumed 1 the hours in j which industry may rest, in making an axe, or repairing1 some imple ment of husbandry, to acquire a pittance for purchasing some book that he had heard 'of, and sighed to possess. ' . ' 1 J y He who -iews these objects without a deep , sense of humiliation, 'must be Well assured, that he has not enjoyed superior opportuni L ties, or has not abused them. Among, the J most instructive and useful lessons in life, is that of a superior mind, guided by sound . principles, struggling against the united dis- ladvantages of poverty, obscurity and preju dice, rising superior to every difficulty, and ; emerging to fame and to utility. . (There are some incidents respecting the earlv Jiistorv of the settlement of this fiimilv in Uhode-Ts'and. which merit attention, not only from -.their singularity, but from , their probable effect in giving a bent to the geni us, and origin to the sentiments and. 'princi ples which governed the conduct of our He ro. It is true, the hereditary transmission of talents or principles is exploded everv where, except when necessary to console family pride, pr perpetuate political delu sion ; but, place a family in a situation re mote from active intercourse with the world. and the examples and opinions of an ancestor may be transmitted through many genera tions, and give a tone and character to his posterity. .. . 'Such was the situation to which this fa mily w as consigned, and to this day there remains, at least among the elder bran ches, something of primeval simplicity in principles and manners which is seldom to be met with. The Stte of Rhode-Island , was origin ally seMjpd bv religious sectarians, who sought in the wilderness, for that freedom of conscience,! or of speculation, which was denied them in thclnarent tolony of IMassachusetts. Although the settlers of the latter colony had fled froip the perse cutions which disgraced England in the commencement of the seventeeth century, yet scarcely had they effected a settle ment in their place of refuge, before they exhibited an additional proof that fana ticism, whether in a city or a wilderness, :s still cruel, selfish, and tyrannical ; or that the corrupting influence of power ma.taint even the purity of the Christian religion. j . . R"ger Williams was the first who fled, and led off with him a colonv to found the city o Providence. Next Mrs. Hutchin son and her followers acquired and set tled the Island of Aquetnet, or Rhode-Ts-land proper, and built .the town of New pbrt. And lastly, Samuel Gorton, and his eleven followers, descending the Nar raganset Bav on the west side, settled on iWarwick Neck. . This flourishing Tittle -bode of heresy i and toleration soon inflamed the religious j or official zeal of Governor Winthrop. j And a Captain Cook, with an armed par ty of treble C5ortons number, was dis patched with strict orders 'A to bring the hereticks to Boston, dead pr alive." At the head of this crusade in miniature,' marched a holy man, with strict injunc tions to keep his soldiers regularly to their prayers, and to explain to Gorton and his deluded followers, the whole enormity of their errors- before they were put to death. What those errors were it is im-' material tg relate. Suffice it to say, they had reference to the most abstruse and speculative doctrines, and were wholly immaterial to Christian piety or a good life. ' , v - - r. Gorton persisted sturdily in the argu ment againsl the nuncio of Winthrop ; and thinking he had the best of it, refused to acknowledge himself convinced. Cook accordingly gave the word for the onset, and that Greene, the" protosire of our He ro,; was not then a Quaker, is proved by their having-made a brave resistance a gainstthe Massachusetts men, until re sistance was hopeless. They were made prisoners and conveyed to Boston. The women and children were dispersed in the woods, and as it was at a time when the ground was covered with snow, seve ral of them actually perishedthe rest of these helpless fugitives, after sustaining incredible hardships, were protected, clo thed and hospitably entertained Sa vacres. But the effect of these kinci offi ces of the Aborigines, of the country is seen at this day. The. Narraganset tribe of Indians, still nbout five huivd red strong,; is the only nation, which, from - Maine to Georgia, can bost of a national existence, and the least advancement to civilization I hey" owe their preservation to Gorton and his followers ; &rthere is good reason to believe; more particularly to Greene. Gorton was actually condemned to die ; and - his followers, after many ineffectual attempts to make them renounce -their errors, .were ultimately, er mero moth, pardoned ou condition that they should never l, again settle on the Narraganset Bay;c::;5-v.'-.. i';Vov ; " But, much to the credit of the people of .Boston, popular -sentiment appears . to ' have been excited in favor of Gorton, and I their fanatical Governor was at lertgth obliged to release his victim. .: CTo be continued.) V V AN ACCOUNT Of the late intended Tnmrrecf an among a fiortion of. the Blacks oj UmrtealGn South-Carolina. , . U 1 On Thursday the 30th of May.l ast, about 3 o'clock in the afternoon, the Intendant of Charleston ''was informed bv a gentle man, of great . respectability, (who, V that morning, had returned from the country) that a favorite , and confidential slave of his had communicated to hirr;on his ar rival in .town, a conversation which had taken place at the market on the , Satur dav preceding, between himself and a black mart ; which afforded strongs rea sons for believing that a revolt and irisur rcction were in contemplation among a proportion at least of our black popula tion. The Corporation was forthwith summoned to . Wet at 5 oclock, for the purpose of hearing the 'narrative pf.thc slave who had given this information to his master, to which meetitig the attendance of His Excellencv the Governor was soli-i cited ; with which invitation he promptly complied. Between, however, .the hours of 3 and 5 o'clock, the gen'leman who had conveyed the information to the In-? tendant, having again examined his slave, was induced to believe, that the negro fel low, vrhn had communicated the intelli gence.of the intended revolt to the slave in question, belonged to Messrs. J. & D. Paul, Broad Street, and resided in their,1 premises. Accordingly, with a prompti tude worthy of all praise, without waiting for the interposition of the civil authority, he applied to the. Messrs. Paul's and had the whole of their male servants commit ted to the Guard-House, until the indivi dual who had accosted the slave of this gentleman,' on the occasion previously mentioned, could be identified from among them. . ., ' , On the assembling of the Corporation at five, the slave of this gentleman was hrot before them, having previously identified Mr. Paul's William as the man who had accosted him in the marker, lie then rela ted the following circumstances i .'J 41 On Saturday afternoon last, (my. mas- ter being out of town) I wnnt to market ; aner nmsning-my ousiness i stroueu uown the wharf-below the fish market,' from which : I observed a small, vessel in the stream with a singular flag; whilst look ing at this object, a black man, (Mr. Paul's William) came up to mejjnd remarking the subject which engaged my attention, said, I have often seen a flag with the number 76 on it. but never with 96 before. .'VTter some trilling conversation on mis point, he remarked'Hvith considerable ear nestness to me. Do you know that some thing serious is about to take place ? To which I replied no. i Well, said he, there is, and many of us are determined to rit;ht ourselves! I asked him to explain him self when he remnrked, why. we are determined to shake off our bondage,' nd for this purpose we stand on a good foun dation, many have joined, and if you will go "with tntI will show you the man who h;is the list of namesj who will take yours down. I was so mur.I) -astnnished and horror struck at this information, that it was a! moment or two before I could collect myself sufficiently to tell him I would have nothing to do with this busi ness, that I was satisfied with my contli ti6n, that I 'was grateful. to jny master for his kindness, and wished no change. I I left him instantly; lest, if this fellow af terwards got into trouble, 'and' I had been seen conversing with him -in so public a placeMmiglit.be suspected and thrown into difficulty . I did not, however, remain easy under tUe burden of ficii a secret, andtconsequently determined to consult a free man of color namedj and to risk bis advice. Oj conferring, with this friend, he urged tine with great earnest ness to communicate what had passed be tween Mr. Paul V man and myself to my master, and not to ' lose a moment in so doing. I took his advice,'' and not? wait ing, even far the return of my master to town, I mentioned it to; my mistress and young master. On the arrival of my master lie examined me as to wlvt had passed, and I stated to him whatj liave mentioned to yourselves," On this witness being dismissed , from the presence of Council, the prisoner (William) was examined. The mode re sorted to in his examination was to afford him no intimation of tlie subject ofhe in formation which had been lodged against him, as it was extremely desirable in the first place, to have the testimony of the other witness corroborated as to time and place, that, from the confessions of the prisoner himself, it mieht appear, that he was at the fish market at the period statr ed, and that a singular flag, flying on board of a schooner, had formed the subject of his observation. After a vast deal jof e qui vocation; he admitted all these liactsj but when the rest of his conversation was put home to him,: he flatly denied it, but with so many obvious indications ot guilt, It would be a libel on the liberality and gratitude of this community to suppose that this main can be overlooked among those who are to be rewarded for their fidelity and prin ciple; - ' . '.."''" , , ' that it was deemed unwise to discharge him. -He was remanded, for the night, to tne iTuara-noose, u naving oeen aeciaea to subject him to solitary confinement in tne oiacc- note ot tne w ort-nouse, wnere, on the succeeding morning, -he was to be conveyeo. f . ; ; 1 1 v . Oa the morning of the 31st he was again i examined by the attending Warden at -the Ajuarornouse t,navmg,. qurmg ine.- nig.nc made some disclosures to Capt. Dove) on which occasion he admitted all the con versation which be had held at the fish -market, with the witness before' mention ed, and stated that he had received his in formation from Mingo Harth, who was in possession of the muster-roll of the insurf geius. : -f.,' : ''S . With the hope of still .further disclo sures William was conveyed to the Work House and placed in solitary confinement. The individuals (Mingo Harthapd Peter Poyas) against' whom he gave informa tion, as those who had, communicated to hin the intelligence of the' plot for raising an insurrection, were forthwith taken up by the Wardens and their trunks exam ined. , These fellows behaved with .so much composure and coolnessi and treat ed the charge alleged against them, wjjh so much levity (no writings i hemg found in their chests, containing the smallest suspicion, excepting an 'enigmatical letr ter, which was then, too obscure for ex planation, and to which subsequent eveajs only affonleif a clue) that the Wardens (Messrs Wesner & Cohdy) were coni pletely deceived, and had these men dis: charged. One of these (Peter; Poyas) )iM)Ved afterwards as will appear in the sequel, to be one of the principal l-inglead,-ers in the conspiracy, ort .whose courage and sagacity great reliance was placed.;. Council being still under conviction that William Paul was in possession of more information than he had thought proper to discjose, a Committee was appointed to examine him rom time to time, with the hope bf obtaining further intelligence Although Peter and'Mihgoihad been dis charged, yet it was deemed advisable to have them watched,, consequently spies were 'employe d of their own color for this purpose, in such a manner as to give ad- l vices ot all their nioyements. v i Things reniained in this state for six or seven days, until about thev8th of Juiie, when William, who had been a week in solitary confinement, .beginning to fear that he would soon be led forth to the scaffold, .for summary execution, in an in ter vie w with,, Mr. Napier, (one of the Committee appointed to examine hra) confessed, that' he had - tor some time known of the plot; that it wa? very exten sive, embracing an indiscriminate massa- cre- of the whites, and that the blacks wt-re to be headed by an individual, who carried about him a charm whidh'render ed him invulnerable; He stated that the period fixed for the rising, was on the se cond Sunday in June. Tliis information was without delay conveyed to his Excel 1 ... , .u.. " i. o. ir L-2:i r i : i bvuie uovernor otvouucii ioruiwua convened. Whatever faith we might have j been disposed to place inNthe unsupported ! and equivocal J testimony of William, it was not conceived to be at case in which our doubts should influence bur efforts for nrepai3.tion and defence. Measures were c6cqueritiyv promptly taken, to place the City Guard in a state of the utmost effi- icieneyT' sixteen hundred rounas 01 oall - s j. : - . - " ' C cartridges were provided, and thc senti nels and patrols ordered, on duty with loaded arms. Such had been our fancied security,' that the guard had previously trone on dutv without muskets, with sheathed bayonets and bludgeons, Th ret or four days now elapsed, and notwithstanding all our efforts," . we could obtain no confirmation of the disclosures of William, on the contrary, they seemed to have sustained some invalidation from the! circumstance, of one of the individuals (Ned Bennett) whom he named as a per son who Had information in relation to the insurrection, coming Voluntarily: to the intenaant, ana .soliciting an cAaiui4uyii, if he was an obiect 01 susoicion. in mis At a ire of the business, it" was i not deemed advisable prematurely to press these ex aminations, as it might have a tendency to arrest anv further developements. ' , On the night, however; of Friday the 14th, the information bf William wasam- ply confirmed, and details infinitely more abundaht arid interesting afforded. At 8 o'clock 6n this'evening, the Inte'ridarit re- ceitsd a visit from a gentleman; who is advantageously, known in this community for his worth and spectability. ;i v This gentleman, with aaanxiety, which the occasion was well calculated to beget stated to the Intendant, that, having toe most unbounded confidence in a faithful slave belonging to . his family,, who was distinguished alike for his, uncommon tellig'ence! and' integrity, he was induced to inform'hiin, that rumours were abroad of an intended insurrection of the blacks, and It was said that this movement had been traced to some of the cofored menr bers of Dr. Palmer's Church, ih which he was known to be a class' leader. Oti be ing strongly - enjoined to conceal nothing, he, the next day Fridaytthevh, came to his'master, and informed him,' that the fact was really so," that a public distur- V,- 'the purport of this letter will be seen by reference to the trial of Abraham Foyas. ' 1 bance. was oontemphted by the blacks, and,: nott-a,moment should be lost in in forming the constituted authorities,' as the succeeding Sundayi.the 16h,Aat 12 o'clock A v tvi, uint,- wj. J....C. penou i iuteuior neTis-.' ing, which, if .not prevented,; would irievi V tabljr occur ; at that houriThis; slave,it ' 'appears, was in ho degree connected with. - the.prot,; but he had ah tntimate, friend , A-, (one of his class) who had been trust- ed by the conspirators wiUithe.seciet, and . ' had been solicited by ithem -to; jblii their , '. ; association ;' to thts3 A-r first appeare td consent,; but, at no period absolutely sen t v ' & in his adhesion. According to' tire stated , ment ;'whtci he afrwards made himself , to the Court, it Vbutd seemthat if Was a r - subject; of great regret and contrition with. ; him, that he shad ever appeareid tp lend ; t', his approbation to a scheme so wicked and , I atrociousi and that he bought occasion to make atonement, by- divulging the plot, winch" oh the lithJhe did, to the slave of the t gentleman in question, his class leader 1 I 1 ; ;This gentleman; therefore, . mentioned-, ' that this servant had informed him, that ' A t. had stati ;d; that-About 5 robnths i ago, RoHa, belonging7 tp fJovernor Behr f hett, hall cpnimu ijcated tq him ttie-inteP-? ligence ;of the in ended insurrection, and h had asked hitntp joui-v That he remark ed, in the event of theit rising, thev would f:. Jiot be without help, as the people frohi pan; jouiingo ana ' Ainca would rassistS iheniin obtaining their; libertylfthey -only made themotion first thenneives. That if A -wished to, know more; fie' V had better 'attend their meetings, where allivould be Bisclosed.1! After, .this.; at ' another interview," Rolla informed Ar i ' . that the plan fwas matured, and that , on Sunday-night,' the . 16th June, a force. . would Cross fron James Island and land r on South-Bay march up ano seize the Ar- U senalan Guard-House, that anothef bo- . 4 dy at the same time, would seize the Ar-V. senal on the Neck, and a third would re.n- tiezvouz' in the vicinittof his tttaster'a . f mills. - They ' 'would then sweep the town. 4 with fire and sword; hot permitting a sin- ! ; gie wnue sour to.escape.'',. 'A('f y. As this account. was remarkably coin- j ' w.uw.w vwvr yt. gifbu UJ(;,V.V UlUHfll : (MrVPp8.;slAivej-1ai ibettnesMrcbuld' f ' ; liaVe' had' ho possiblecbmmunicattoh: br i ! the story have been the result of precon cert apd cbmbinationV the sum of.'this jd-' j telligenbe was laid before the Governor ; manding officers of thlregiments ofUhe 1 t city militia; convened lis Excellency's order, at the residence the Intendant. i On this and the'succeeu afternooh ht i another meeting o the same individuals, such measures were determined on by hist Excellency, as were deemed best adapted ; to the approaching exigency of Siiaday ' night..,-' v ,':y"v' Vr '.v . ,vi v On Sunday the :16th at 10 o'clock at. i -night, the folio wing 'corps' were Ordered .! J to rendezvous for guard j t .'. ';'.' Capt. Catters corps of Hussars, . Capti- . Miller's :Light Infantry, Capt. Martin-' " , dale's Neck Rangers, Charleston Rifle men, and City Guard. . - -' . The whole were organized as a detach- ment, and placed under the command of ' Col. R. Y. Hayne. i. Although' there was necessarily great excitement, and among; the female part of our Community much! alarm, yet the night fiassed off without any thihg like commotion or-disturbance ; . . and jt is peculiarly hbnbrlble to the corps ", on service, th at 1 n a populous town, the 1 ; - streets filled until a late hour with per K , sons, uncertain whether it was safe to. go ; to; rest 01 ' not; not a single case of false alarm was excited. ( , A steadiness altoge. v thej: -praise wbrthy. ia troops unaccustom 1 ed to guard duty;? at lease on ah' occasion, . ' involvinguchdepihte'f distress ing anxiety. ; i ?s.i.f::! ? -A' ; ' . f The conspirators f finding ; thewhole ' town encompassed at ao :'cIock, bjr the V most vigilant patrols,, did. not dare to shoyr themselves; wHatevermght have heenx4 : their plans. In the progress of the subse V quent investigation; it .wa distinctly, la proof, that but. for these military demon strations, the effort iould unquestionably have, been made ';' that a meeting toofc place oh Sunday afternoon, the 16th at A o'clock, bf several of the ringleaders; at Denmark Vesey's, for " the purpose qf '' making their prdiraihaiyarrabgements, ! and that early in the morning of Sunday, Denmark despatched 'a courier o order down. some country; negroes from ;Goose Creekt ;'.whiohcouHer !had endeavored ia rain to get out of tbwhir - ; No dfcvelopement of the , plot having:, been made on Sunday . night and the pe- riod having passed which was flxect oa for its explosion, it now became the duty k of the civil authority to! take immediate steps'. for the apprehension commitment; ;. and trial of those; against Whom they were, in possession of information. gCouncil was1 , accordingly convened and as' a prelimi' nary measure, it was deemed expedient,' that a Court of the highest respectability,, t for the talents and integrity, of its' mem-, ' bers, shouldbe assembledLaad that, whilst the requisitiuns of the act of Assembly, of 1740, suould be strjeuy complfed witb,in ; ' ii 4-' '.-' ',;'.','!4 . :J;X : Most of the black; religj' ct)inmunitica , injthis place are divided into 'classes, over ' t.' I w ..J.! .,? L. iK. I! dence 01 tne jfastorot toe jmircn,r i This witness gave the information under - a pledge, that hjs xiame should hetx fec diyui v, .- - K , Hi .1 I-:- J- v , -'' "it-! f 1 ''J 4 u 1 n 5 11 . ' f 1 ,. in 1 y r O: u .1 .-f
The Weekly Raleigh Register (Raleigh, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Sept. 5, 1822, edition 1
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