Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XII.djvu/510

 496 NORTH CAROLINA tion from a colony of Presbyterians from the north of Ireland, who settled in the N. W. part of the state, a party of Moravians who settled between the Yadkin and Dan rivers, and a party of highlanders who located near Fayette- ville. In 1769 the assembly declared against the right of Britain to tax North Carolina while unrepresented in parliament, and was accordingly dissolved by Gov. Tryon. North Carolina sent representatives to the first con- tinental congress, September, 1774, and united in adopting the declaration of colonial rights. An association for the defence of those rights was formed in Mecklenburg co., which in May, 1775, formally renounced allegiance to the crown, and published a declaration of in- dependence; but this feeling was not general, and counter-combinations were formed to sus- tain the royal authority. Alarmed at the threatening state of affairs, Gov. Martin re- tired on board a man-of-war in Cape Fear river, July 17, 1775. A convention was held, Aug. 20, which authorized the raising of three regiments of troops, which were subsequently increased to five, and taken into pay by con- gress. A proclamation was issued by Gov. Martin from on board ship forbidding their meeting, which the convention denounced as scandalous and scurrilous, and ordered it to be burned by the hangman. The loyalists were quite strong, especially among the "regulators" and higfilanders. A body of 1,500 loyalists, under McDonald and McLeod, who had been commissioned by Martin, attempted to reach the coast and join Gen. Clinton, but were met by the patriots under Caswell and Moore, and routed with the loss of McLeod and 850 pris- oners, including McDonald. In April, 1776, the North Carolina convention authorized their delegates to unite with the other colonies in a declaration of independence. North Caro- lina ordered four more regiments to be raised, and the loyal highlanders and regulators to be disarmed. In December, 1776, the province adopted a state constitution, and elected Rich- ard Caswell as governor. The colony fur- nished her quota of men, but, beyond the par- tisan warfare between the patriots and loyal- ists, was not the scene of important military operations till 1780. The battle of Guilford Court House, fought March 15, 1781, between Gen. Greene and Cornwallis, was the chief event of the war within this state. The con- stitution of the United States, formed in 1787, was rejected by North Carolina in 1788, but finally adopted in 1789. The popular senti- ment in North Carolina at the beginning of 1861 was in favor of the Union, and at an election held Feb. 28 the people voted by a small majority not to call a convention for considering the question of secession. But after the attack on Fort Sumter, Gov. Ellis raised troops, seized Forts Caswell and John- son, which formed the defences of Wilming- ton, and Fort Macon in the harbor of Beaufort, and took possession of the mint at Charlotte and the arsenal at Fayetteville. A conven- tion having been called by the legislature, which had convened in extra session on May 1, an election of delegates was held on May 13, and on the 20th, the 86th anniversary of the Mecklenburg declaration of independence, the convention assembled in Raleigh. On the fol- lowing day the ordinance of secession was passed and the confederate constitution was ratified. These measures were not submitted to the people. Delegates were also chosen to the confederate congress. On Aug. 29, 1861, an expedition under Commodore S. H. String- ham and Gen. B. F. Butler, consisting of three 50-gun frigates with four smaller vessels and two steam transports, carrying 800 soldiers, captured Forts Hatteras and Clark, which commanded the entrance to Pamlico sound. On Feb. 8, 1862, an expedition under Commodore Golds- borough and Gen. Burnside, consisting of more than 100 vessels and 11,500 troops, captured Roanoke island, with 6 forts, 40 guns, and 2,000 prisoners; and thence operations were directed against other important points. Be- fore the close of the month, Elizabeth City, Edenton, and Winton were taken. New Berne was captured on March 14, and Morehead City and Beaufort were next occupied without re- sistance. Fort Macon, guarding Beaufort har- bor, surrendered on April 26 after a bombard- ment, and Washington, Plymouth, and other towns on the coast were occupied by the Union forces. Plymouth was recaptured by the con- federates in April, 1864, with 1,600 men and 25 guns, but was recovered by the Unionists on Oct. 31. Wilmington, a favorite resort of the blockade runners, was the next point of attack. In 15 months (October, 1863, to De- cember, 1864) 397 vessels ran the blockade at this port ; the amount of cotton exported from January, 1863, to October, 1864, was 137,937 bales ; and the export and import trade during the year ending June 30, 1864, was $65,185,- 000. Fort Fisher, the chief defence of the city, was bombarded by Admiral Porter, Dec. 24, 1864, but the land forces under Gen. But- ler being unable to cooperate, the attack failed. Another attempt by Porter and Gen. Terry, Jan. 15, 1865, resulted in the surrender of the fort and the other defences of Cape Fear river. Wilmington was taken by Gen. Schofield, Feb. 22, and Goldsboro on March 21, Kingston hav- ing been occupied on the 14th. At Goldsboro Schofield was soon joined by the army of Gen. Sherman, which had defeated the confederates under Hardee at Averysboro and those under J. E. Johnston at Bentonville. Raleigh was occupied on April 13, and on the 26th hos- tilities were ended by the surrender of Gen. Johnston's army. On May 29, 1865, Presi- dent Johnson appointed W. W. Holden provi- sional governor. Delegates to a convention were elected on Sept. 12, and having assem- bled in Raleigh, Oct. 2, adopted resolutions declaring the ordinance of secession null, abol- ishing slavery, and repudiating the state debt