Sketches of Pitt County, North Carolina

 

Table of Contents

CHAPTER ONE.
Early Mention of the Tar and Pamlico River Country Lawson in Pitt The Tuscarora Indians Indian Localities King Blount 17

CHAPTER TWO.
Duvall Settles at Mount Calvert King Blount Helped "Black Beard," or Teach King Blount Given Land in Bertie Other Settlements Along Tar River George Moye and the Indian Edward Salter Edgecombe Tar Precincts Made Counties 23

CHAPTER THREE.
Edgecombe County Tobacco Inspection Military Census - John Hardy Hugh McAden, a Presbyterian Preacher His Trip Tells of his Meetings 29

CHAPTER FOUR.
Something About Early Settlers Entering Land Quit-rents - Building Regulations Overseers and Slaves Marking Stock - The Established Church Wild Animals Liquor Question - How People Lived - Court-houses 34

CHAPTER FIVE.
High Life Education Marriage Domestic Life Mail Amusements and Pleasure "High Betty Martin" The Children 38

CHAPTER SIX.
John Simpson Petition to Divide Beaufort County Pitt County Formed Boundaries Court-house Named for William Pitt Alexander Stewart Taxes Jurors Ministerial Jealousy Line Between Pitt and Dobbs Salter and Move Red Banks Ferry Masonic Lodge The Assembly 41

CHAPTER SEVEN.
Courts William-Moore Complained of Simpson Simpson Censured and Reprimanded Mail Route Regulators March to Alamance Pitt Company Under Captain Salter Sheriff's Arrears - Martinborough 47

CHAPTER EIGHT.
Official Corruption Blue Laws County Officers The "John and Elizabeth" Schooner Affair Few Taxes Paid Militia Officers Martinborough Revolutionary Proceedings Pitt Freeholders Issue a Declaration of Rights Standing Committee Appointed 51

CHAPTER NINE.
Help for Boston Donations Asked Committee Elected as Directed by the Continental Congress Members The Salt Question Provincial Congress at New Bern Court-house Vermin 56

CHAPTER TEN.
Committee of Safety Proceedings Deputies to Provincial Congress Elected Three Obstructionists Acts of Continental Congress Approved John Tison, Tory Help for Boston Provincial Congress and Assembly Second Declaration of Rights Rev. Mr. Blount Patrollers Atkinson and Sheppard 60

CHAPTER ELEVEN.
Negro Insurrection Measures to Prevent it White Man Instigator No Lives Lost, but Negroes Whipped Delegates to Hillsboro Raising Troops Military Districts and Officers Justices Qualify Trouble About Rev. Mr. Blount 65

CHAPTER TWELVE.
Committee Meets Hillsborough Resolves John Tison, Patriot Delegates to Provincial Congress Committee of Secrecy, Intelligence and Observation Pay for Provisions Ammunition Bought Salt Pay for Ammunition Allowances to Troops Preparations for War 69

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.
Pitt Members of District Committee Capt. James Armstrong Test and Pledge Supplies Bought Pitt at Battle of Moore's Creek More Patrollers Salt Delinquents Daniel Fore Bounty Money Arthur Moore Mr. Carson, Dancing Master Delegates to Halifax Instructions for Independence John Simpson 73

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.
Provincial Council Pitt Company at Wilmington Officers Returns of Men Independence John Hunter Delegates to Halifax More Troops Equipment of Soldiers James Salter Enlistments in Other States Justices of the Peace Royalists Plot Lack of Arms Two Vagabond Young Men Protest Against General Moore The Assembly 78

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.
No Senator Supplies Insolvents Pitt's Quota Sheriffs Fined Simpson Succeeds Robesun Falconer Succeeds Ascue More Troops Members of Assembly Robert Salter Robert Williams, Surgeon Field Officers Colonel Armstrong Wounded Day of Fasting Charleston - Money Continental Army 82

CHAPTER SIXTEEN.
Guilford Court-house Pitt Militia Joel Truss Old British Road- British Pass Through Pitt Cuttle and Provisions Captured Skirmishes Men and Guns at Martinborough Troubles South of Pitt Call for Troops Prisoners in Jail Buck's Barn Leniency 86

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.
Peace and Independence Part of Pitt Given to Beaufort .John Simpson Negro Burned for Murder Acts of the Assembly Armstrong and Salter, State Officers Justices Resign Part of Craven Given to Pitt Armstrong, Brigadier-General - Pitt Academy Greenville William Blount Greenville Ferry Simpson Paid 90

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.
Constitution Rejected Motions and Vote Thereon Location of Capital Constitution Adopted Amendments Recommended The University Foreign State New Court-house John Simpson Dead Bounties for Manufactures Pitt Iron Mines Pitt in the Revolution Governor Caswell's Opinion 95

CHAPTER NINETEEN.
Tory Pardons Vote on the Capital Bill William Blount First Census Washington's Tour Impressions in Pitt Old People James Armstrong Dead Second Census Peace and Progress Schools and Houses Mail Facilities Modes of Conveyance Good Old Times 99

CHAPTER TWENTY.
Third Census Yankee Hall Second War with England Two Pitt Companies at Beacon Island Their Pay-roll Retreat and Amusing Incident Fourth Census - Occupations Bridge at Greenville - Greenville Academies Fifth Census John Joyner 104

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE.
Steamboats Constitutional Convention of 1835 Delegates Important Votes Baptist State Convention Greenville Gazette Presidential Election Loss in Population Flat Boats Dr. Williams Dead Harris and Yellowly Duel Harris Killed Academy Incorporated 109

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO.
Plank Road Seventh Census Plank Road Stockholders Organized Cold Spring Court-house Burned Great Loss Common Schools and Progress County Superintendent Apportionment Journal of Education Very Old Man 113

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE.
Military Spirit Good Old Muster Days Eighth Census Elections Fort Sumter President Calls for Volunteers Governor Ellis Calls for Volunteers for State's Defense Secession Convention Pitt's Members G.B. Singeltary Raises First Company Tar River Boys Marlboro Guards Disbursing and Safety Committee War Funds Third Regiment 118

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR.
Major Grimes Wyatt Killed Disposition of Pitt Companies and Men Hatteras Captured Pitt County Boys Prisoners Surgeon Brown and Madison Yellowly's Call for Volunteers Officers of Twenty-seventh Regiment Chicamacomico Promotions 122

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE.
Enlistments Military Board Capture of Roanoke Island Companies and Officers Forty-fourth Regiment Seventeenth Grimes, Lieutenant-Colonel Fifty-fifth Tranter's Creek Skirmish Fight a Few Days Later Colonel Singeltary Killed Movements Seventy-fifth 126

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX.
Vance Elected Governor State Census Yellowly for Congress Fifty-fifth at Kinston General Clingman's Complaint Mary- land Campaign Captain Joyner Killed Heavy Losses- Singeltary's Reply Movement of Troops Haddock's Cross-roads Federals Capture Greenville Other Events 130

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN.
Emancipation Proclamation Movements of Troops Colonel Griffin in Pitt His Picket Lines Tithe Gatherers Colonel Hammond His Predicament Conversation - Escape Chaneellorsville Jackson Killed In Virginia 134

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT.
Gettysburg Farthest At Severe Losses Potter's Raid At Greenville Videttes Fired Upon Return from Tarboro Skirmish at Otter's Creek Bridge Lieutenant Sharps Escape of Raiders Their Route At Scuffleton Demoralization of Followers 138

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE.
The Eighth Major Yellowly Forty-fourth and Sixty-sixth Bristoe Station Losses Cas Laughinghouse Duel That Never Occurred War Prices Capture at Haddock's Cross-roads Red Banks Affair Other Events 142

CHAPTER THIRTY.
County Matters Sixty-seventh Movements of Other Regiments- Plymouth Captured Great Victory Heavy Losses Taxes The Wilderness Remarkable Fighting Spottsylvania General Daniel Wounded and Grimes in Command Drewry's Bluff Captains Jarvis and Ilines Wounded Thomas King Juniors Cold Harbor Captain Anderson Killed 145

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE.
Grimes, Brigadier-General Losses Around Petersburg A Great Capture by Fleming, James, Cherry and Coggins Regiment of Juniors Davis Farm Reams Station Hard Times in Richmond Short Rations Winchester Grimes in Command of Division Other Fighting Peace Party Pitt Officers of Juniors Fort Fisher 150

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO.
Deeds of Daring by Harris and Bland Losses and Promotions Around Petersburg Fall of Fort Fisher Wise's Fork Southwest Creek Bentonsville Juniors Struggling Against Odds 154

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE.
Lee's Lines Broken at Petersburg Retreat Incident: Johnston and Sherman Appomattox Last Charge Surrender Johnston Surrenders to Sherman Pitt's Parole at Appomattox Men Furnished Officers 157

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR.
"Wheelers" Dupree Kills Federal Amnesty Holden Provisional Governor Delegates to Convention Acts Worth Elected Governor School Matters War-time School Books Curious Lessons 161

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE.
War-time School Books Geographical Reader for Dixie Children - Description of the State Its People Patriotic South Carolina Review Questions and Answers Confederate Prowess Taught 165

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Carpetbaggers Legislature of 1866 Pensions Thirteenth Amendment Reconstruction Military Government Cotton Planter Education Willis Briley Murdered Two of the Murderers Hanged Negro Militia Latlin and Rich Misguided Missionaries 169

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN.
Riddick Carney Attempt to Capture Federal Lieutenant Killed Second Attempt to Capture Major Lyman and Negro Militia Two Negroes Killed Both Carneys Die Horrible Tragedy Ku Klux Negro Officers Specimens 174

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT.
Ninth Census Things Improving Convention of 1875 Delegates - Vance and Jarvis Elected Jarvis Becomes Governor Newspapers Jarvis Elected Governor - Latham Elected to Congress General Grimes Assassinated A Lynching 179

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE.
Tenth Census County Towns Education Evolutions of the Old Male Academy Prominent Teachers Latham Defeated Yellowly Dead Jarvis Minister to Brazil Fine Babies Earthquake Latham Elected Railroad 183

CHAPTER FORTY.
Eleventh Census Growth in Country and Towns More Towns Education County Superintendents Tobacco Market Opened Farmer Governor Daily Reflector King's Weekly Jarvis Appointed U. S. Senator Harry Skinner Elected to Congress Great Fire Telephones Skinner Re-elected Latham Dead - Records for Postmasters 188

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE.
Spanish-American War Greenville Guards Officers Mustered in at Raleigh Go to Tybee Storm Mustered Out Skinner Defeated Greenville Fair Second Great Fire Tingle Succeeded by Ragsdale Bryan Grimes Elected Secretary of State Railroad Telephone Matters Amendment - Twelfth Census Towns Dr. O'llagan Dead 193

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO.
First Four-weeks Teachers' Institute in State Rural Free Delivery Harry Skinner Appointed United States District Attorney Special Taxes for Schools Teachers Organize County Board of Education Full-time Superintendent Houses Medals Grimes Re-elected Skinner Re-appointed Railroads Public Building Steel Bridges Grimes Elected Third Time Training School Pitt Dry 198

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE.
Laughinghouse Superintendent of Penitentiary Post-office Site Training School Opened Its History Senator Fleming Dead Big Fire Court-house Burned Records Saved Greenville Post-office Advanced to Second Class 203

ADDENDA 206
CONCLUSION 207

 

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These Sketches are the result of years of inquiry, research and compilation. They arc intended to give such traditions and facts as could be had from reliable sources and records. An earnest endeavor has been made to get the truth and put it in form to place before the public, that the heritage of a glorious past, and the achievements of the present may be the pride of posterity.

Efforts have been made to be as correct as possible, but with matter, written and unwritten, traditions and reminiscences, errors arc unavoidable. From diversity of statement and difference of opinion, accuracy has been sought Criticism is legitimate, but it should not minimize the true. The criticism that may eliminate errors in the future will be duly appreciated.

Acknowledgments are made to the late Dr. W. M. B. Brown, the late Dr. C. J. O'Hagan, Hon. A. L. Blow, Hon. W. K. Williams, Hon. J. Bryan Grimes, and to many others, who have at various times rendered valuable aid in the collection and preservation of historical matter: and to thorn is duo much credit for the production of these Sketches.

These Sketches are not intended as a biography, genealogy or advertisement, but the demand for sketches of many of Pitt's prominent men, both of the past and the present, has made necessary the addition of a second part, where many such sketches may be found. And from a financial standpoint, it has been found well to allow advertisements or a directory of some of the County and Towns. But all are parts, separate and distinct, and not confusing.

With a consciousness that much matter of historical value is here preserved, that should be a source of patriotic pride to the people of the County, and simply asking credit for whatever merit may be found in them, these Sketches of Pitt County are respectfully submitted.