The Civil War in North Carolina



Reminiscences and Memoirs of North Carolina and Eminent North Carolinians

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Carolina by the lords proprietors. The Baron, after many trials and sufferings, nearly losing his life, became involved in pecuniary difficulties with Judge Gale, Governor Pollock and others. I found a letter from the Palatines, among the records of the roll office, London, which is as follows:

        "July 23d, 1747, letter received from the Palatines in North Carolina, to his majesty the King, that six hundred of them had been sent out under care of Christopher de Graaffenriedt; that in 1711, an Indian war broke out; Graaffenriedt was taken a prisoner by them; that Thomas Pollock, acting as governor, sent Captain Brice, and took everything they had, and in 1747, the heir of said Pollock came and turned them off their lands, in order to settle the rebel Scots."


        May 17th, 1748, letter from Governor Johnston that the statement of the Palatines is true, that many of their relations were murdered by the Indians, and they had been dispossessed as stated.

        "They are very sober and industrious.

        "Governor Johnston suggests that other lands be given them. Baron DeGraaffenriedt had returned home."

"March 16th, 1748.

        "ORDER OF KING IN COUNCIL:

        "Governor Johnston shall make a grant of land to the Palatines as shall be equivalent to that that they have been dispossessed of by one, Colonel Pollock, and his heirs."*

        * N. C., No. 11, B. 88.



        DeGraaffenriedt's son, and Lewis Michel, of Berne, came with him to America. Some of the family are still in this country.

        Inquiry has produced a letter to Mrs. Mary Bayard Clark, dated Columbus, Georgia, January 18th, 1871, which shows the whereabouts of the American branch of the family:

        "Christopher de Graaffenriedt (son of Baron Christopher de Graaffenriedt and Regina Tscharner, his wife,) married at Charleston, South Carolina, on February 22d, 1714. They removed to Philadelphia, afterwards to Maryland, and finally to Williamsburg, Virginia, where, on November 28th, 1722, Tscharner, their son, was born, being the first of the name born in America, and from whom all the family in this country are descended.

        "This Tscharner was twice married, and had seven sons and four daughters. His oldest, Francis, the father of Dr. Edwin L. de Graaffenriedt, is now the sole survivor. He had several uncles who served in the revolutionary war; two of them killed in battle. His father was a captain in the revolution on the American side. His brother, William, of Lunenburg, Virginia, was in the war of 1812. Matthew Fountaine, son of another uncle, was aid to General Jackson in the battle of New Orleans.

        "In the late civil war there were many of the name in the southern army.

        "Two of the daughters of Tscharner married brothers of John C. Calhoun, who were wealthy planters, and lived on Broad river, South Carolina.

        'Christopher died in 1742, in Lunenburg, Virginia."


        These people were keenly alive to their rights, and opposed to every form of oppression. It was in New Berne that the first provincial congress was held, in open opposition to the authority of England, (August 25, 1774,) which appointed deputies to the Continental Congress at Philadelphia, (Caswell, Hewes and Hooper,) and sympathising with their oppressed and plundered countrymen at Boston, sent relief in the way of provisions and necessaries, declaring "the cause of Boston is the cause of all." What an illustrious example to many who would still further distract and divide the people of our county! The committee of safety for New Berne, were Dr. Alexander Gaston, Richard Cogdell, John Easton, Major Croom, Roger Ormond, Edward Salter, George Burrow, James Glasgow, and others. The town of New Berne was incorporated in 1723, by the legislature then sitting at Edenton.

        Francois Xavier Martin, born 1762, died 1846, author of a history of North Carolina, and some legal works, was long a resident of New Berne.

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