THE LOST STATE OF FRANKLIN
APPENDIX B
PETITION OF THE INHABITANTS OF THE WESTERN COUNTRY
The Honourable, The General Assembly Of
North Carolina Now Sitting:
The Inhabitants of the
Western Country humbly sheweth:
That it is with sincere
concern we lament the unhappy disputes that have long subsisted between us and
our Brethren on the Eastern side of the Mountains, respecting the erecting a new
Government. We beg leave to represent to your Honourable body, that from Acts
passed in June, 1784, ceding to Congress your Western territory, with
reservations and conditions therein contained; also from a clause in your wise
and mild Constitution, setting forth that there might be a State, or States,
erected in the West whenever your Legislature should give consent for same; and
from our local situation, there are numberless advantages, bountifully given to
us by nature, to propagate and promote a Government with us. Being influenced by
your Acts and Constitution, and at the same time considering that it is our
undeniable right to obtain for ourselves and posterity a proportionable and
adequate share of the blessings, rights, privileges, and immunities alloted with
the rest of mankind, have thought that the erecting a new Government would
greatly contribute to our welfare and convenience, and that the same could not
militate against your interest and future welfare as a Government. Hoping that
mutual and reciprocal advantages would attend each party, and that cordiality
and unanimity would permanently subsist between us ever after, we earnestly
request that an impartial view of our remoteness be taken into consideration;
that great inconveniency attending your seat of Government, and also the great
difficulty in ruling well and giving protection to so remote a people, to say
nothing of the almost impassable mountains Nature has placed between, which
renders it impracticable for us to furnish ourselves with a bare load of the
necessaries of life, except we in the first instance travel from one to two
hundred and more miles through another State ere we can reach your Government.
Every tax paid you from
this country would render us that sum the poorer, as it is impossible, from the
nature of our situation, that any part could return into circulation, having
nothing that could bear the carriage, or encourage purchasers to come so great a
distance; for which reasons were we to continue under your Government a few
years, the people here must pay a greater sum than the whole of the medium now
in circulation for the exigencies and support of your Government, which would be
a sum impossible for us to secure, would we be willing to give you our all; and
of course we must be beholden to other States for any part we could raise; and
by these means our property would gradually diminish, and we at last be reduced
to mere poverty and want by not being able equally to participate with the
benefits and advantages of your Government. We hope that having settled West of
the Appalachian Mountains ought not to deprive us of the natural advantages
designed by the bountiful Providence for the convenience and comfort of all
those who have spirit and sagacity enough to seek after them. When we reflect on
our past and indefatigable struggles, both with savages and our enemies during
our late war, and the great difficulty we had to obtain and with-hold this
Country from those enemies at the expense of the lives and fortunes of many of
our dearest friends and relation; and the happy conclusion of peace having
arrived, North Carolina has derived great advantages from alertness in taking
and securing a Country, from which she has been able to draw her treasury,
immense sums of money, and thereby become enabled to pay off, if not wholly, yet
a great part, and sink her national debt. We therefore humbly conceive you will
liberally think that it will be nothing more than paying a debt in full to us
for only to grant what God, Nature, and our locality entitles us to receive.
Trusting that your magnanimity will not consider it a crime in any people to
pray their rights and privileges, we call the world to testify our conduct and
exertion in behalf of American Independence; and the same to judge whether we
ask more than free people ought to claim, agreeable to Republican principles,
the great foundation whereupon our American fabric now stands. Impressed with
the hope of your great goodness and benevolent disposition that you will utterly
abhor and disclaim all ideas of involving into innumerable, disagreeable and
irksome contentions, a people who have so faithfully aided and supported in the
time of imminent and perilous dangers; that you will be graciously pleased to
consent to a separation; that from your paternal tenderness and greatness of
mind, you will let your stipulations and conditions be consistent with honour,
equity and reason, all of which will be cheerfully submitted to; and we, your
petitioners, shall always feel an interest in whatsoever may concern your honour
and prosperity. Lastly, we hope to be enabled by the concurrence of your State
to participate in the fruits of the Revolution; and to enjoy the essential
benefits of Civil Society under a form of Government which ourselves alone can
only calculate for such a purpose. It will be a subject of regret that so much
blood and treasure have been lavished away for no purpose to us; that so many
sufferings have been encountered without compensation, and that so many
sacrifices have been made in vain. Many other considerations might be here
adduced, but we hope what hath been mentioned will be sufficient for our
purpose, adding only that Congress hath, from time to time, explained their
ideas so fully and with so much dignity and energy that if their arguments and
requisitions will not produce conviction, we know of nothing that will have
greater influence, especially when we recollect that the system referred to is
the result of the collected wisdom of the United States, and, should it not be
considered as perfect, must be esteemed as the least objectionable.
|
John Corson |
Mary Webster (?) |
Thomas Millikan |
|
James English |
George Kirkpatrick |
Thomas Dicson |
|
William Hannah |
Thomas Jones |
Redman McDaniel |
|
Peter McNamee |
William Jones |
Nathaniel Witt |
|
James Shanks |
Reuben Simmon |
Rich’d Dunn |
|
David Robinson |
Archibel Alexander |
Wm.
Dunn |
|
Robert Allison |
Moses Kelsay |
Thomas Call |
|
Isaac Davis |
Robert McCall |
H.
Call |
|
James Mitchell |
Joseph Alexander |
Joseph N. Newport |
|
David Gewel |
Wm.
Cocke |
Wm.
W. Newport |
|
Thomas Bell |
Archibald Roan |
John Greer |
|
Thomas Rodgers |
Elias Witt |
Absolem Greer |
|
Anthony Kelly |
Thomas Witt |
Thomas Springer |
|
Thos. McMackin |
Alex. Lowry |
Levy Springer |
|
George Davies |
Jno.
McClelland |
Thomas Wolfe |
|
Nathaniel Davies |
Solomon Reed |
Conrod Wolfe |
|
Samuel Davies |
Uriah McClellennon |
Phillip Suibb |
|
John Lowe |
James Stinson |
Henry Easter |
|
Joseph Wilson |
Alexander Street |
William Eatster |
|
David Brown |
James McPherson |
Simeon Craine |
|
William Brown |
John Prim |
Harmon Nowel |
|
Jas. Henry |
Jacob Smelser |
James Patton |
|
Alexr. Potter |
Joshua Kidwell |
Robert Patton |
|
William Reynolds |
Samuel Jameson |
John Fout |
|
David Reynolds |
John Brumley |
Peter Fout |
|
Aaron Been |
William Davidson |
Harman Kennedy |
|
William Wilson |
Wm.
Boyd |
Moses Long |
|
Thos. Thomson |
Benja. Gist |
Coonnas Miller |
|
David Rankin |
Thos. Bromley |
Thomas McKee |
|
John Lee |
Hugh Beard |
And. Wray |
|
Sam’l Vance |
Samuel Beard |
Wm.
Wood |
|
Rd.
Kerr |
James Millikin |
Gordon Potter |
|
Samuel McPherson |
Robert Orr |
Wm.
Peck |
|
Matthew Rue |
Searling Bowman |
Thomas Mosely |
|
Joseph Lusk |
Rich’d Woods |
Henry Mosely |
|
Andrew Jackson |
Robert McCall |
Phillip Rudolph |
|
Jos. Gest |
John Galbreath |
Wm.
Stubblefield |
|
Jos. Newberry |
(Illegible) |
Thomas Baits |
|
Joseph Blair |
James Watson |
John Keller |
|
Thomas Williams |
(Illegible) |
Moses Keller |
|
Henry Styers |
William Goings |
William Fergosen |
|
Thomas Tadlock (his x mark) |
James Hays |
Adam Fergosen |
|
William McPick |
David Carr |
Ralph Hogan |
|
Botholmu Odeneal |
Joseph Garrison |
William Hogan |
|
Shadrack Hale, Jr. (his x mark) |
William Gillehan |
Richard Webb |
|
Daniel Denny, Jr. |
Stephen Strong |
Josiah Epperson |
|
John Wear |
Michael Rawlings |
Humph’y Montgomery |
|
Ashael Rawlings |
Donnell Cremor |
Carmack George |
|
Henry Earnest |
Nath. McMeno. |
Charles Willson |
|
James Patterson |
William La’’’ (?) |
John Johnston |
|
Francis Hughes |
(Illegible) |
Samuel Gilbertson |
|
Robert Hood |
Wm.
Morrow |
Samuel McMinn |
|
Wm.
Francis (his x mark) |
Charles Ramsey |
Auborn’’’ (?) |
|
Patrick Kirkpatrick (his x mark) |
(Illegible) |
Anson Rit |
|
John Tadlock |
John R.’’’ (?) |
Nuness Potter |
|
James Davis |
Peter Nowels |
John Noman (?) |
|
Benn Brumley |
James Millikan |
Peter Nuless |
|
James W. Begses (?) |
Daniel Leming |
James Stump |
|
Dalton Ridgs |
John Williams |
Leonard Hopkins |
|
James Jack |
Robert Miller (his x mark) |
Martha Gahee |
|
John Adkins |
(Illegible) |
Patrick Gahee |
|
Adword Adword |
William Hust. (his x mark) |
Jeremiah Smith |
|
Henry Brumley |
Wm.
Magill |
Robert Sample |
|
Simon Ridgs |
Oton Clark |
Anthony Moore |
|
Joseph Donn |
John Gibson |
James McCammis |
|
Allen Bellew |
Reuben Gibson |
Thomas McCammis |
|
Rows Potter |
William Adkins |
William McCammis |
|
John Norton |
Thomas Fryar |
Adam McCammis |
|
Aaron Norton |
John Lyon |
Henry H. Hammer |
|
Aaron Rider |
Rich’d Wood |
Franses Castel |
|
John Jameson |
James Pickins |
Jacob Meek |
|
Dan’l Rawlings |
Robert Bettey |
Thomas Miller |
|
William Jinkins |
George Black |
Robert Pain |
|
Robert Smith |
Reuben Riggs |
Joseph Hamilton |
|
Wm.
Howard |
George Hayes |
Robert Kerr |
|
Joshua Tadlock |
William Hill |
John Sellars |
|
Robert Hayes |
Henry Richardson |
Benj. Wray |
|
Thomas Johnson |
Shiffell Goodlop |
Wm.
Moore |
|
Francis Johnson |
John Shane |
Joseph Ray |
|
Js.
Huston (his x mark) |
Miller Doget |
Thomas Baley (his x mark) |
|
John Huston (his x mark) |
Christy Miers |
Moses Moore |
|
Lanry Armstrong |
John Miers |
Joseph Lachlen, Sen. |
|
William Hennidge |
William Owins |
Joseph Lachlen, Jur. |
|
John Armstrong |
Thomas Owins |
Edward Crunt (?) |
|
Andrew English |
John Jarrett |
James Crunt |
|
Nathaniel Hayes |
Thomas Pickny |
|
|
The following names are
taken from the back of the petition: |
||
|
Nicholas Hayes |
Jno. Chester |
Joseph Huson |
|
Sam’l Hayes |
Patrick Morrison |
Mikill Borders |
|
Jno. Mitchell |
Stephen Easley |
Alx. Pethrow |
|
James Hammer |
Jackal Light |
Oystan Hewtower |
|
Henry Hokimer |
Robert Easley |
Wm.
Davies |
|
Geo. Martin |
Henry Sullivan |
John Noris |
|
David Moore |
John Light |
Robert Hayes |
|
Henry Winterberger |
Moses Robinson |
John Hayes |
|
Jos. Winterberger |
William Light |
William Sippard |
|
Sam’l Winterberger |
William Light, Sen. |
Alexander Cavitt |
|
Joseph Lusk |
Thomas Easley |
Moses Cavitt |
|
Thos. Wood |
William Goad |
Jacob Jobe |
|
Joseph Gest |
Jesey Holland |
Nathan Jobe |
|
William Gest |
James Walb’’’ (?) |
Joseph Birdwell |
|
Joshua Kidwell |
William Wilson |
Geo. Birdwell |
|
Thomas Davie |
Moses Kennedy |
James Smith |
|
John Kidwell |
Hermon King |
Moses Russel |
|
Charles Kidwell |
Joseph Screat |
Conrad Shepley |
|
Whaley Newby |
Lewis Tadlock |
John Comin |
|
Craven Dunear |
Thomas Tadlock |
Walker Barren |
|
Alexr. Lowrey |
Joshuaway Padfield |
John Bell |
|
James Stinson |
Thomas Bennet (his x mark) |
William Carson |
|
Adam Guthrey |
Moses Kelsay |
Robert Christian |
|
Wm.
Craige |
John Anderson |
Abraham Tittsworth |
|
Benjamin Henslee |
James Richardson |
Benjamin Walb’’’(?) |
|
Abel Morgan |
David Taylor |
Green Chote |
|
Thomas Vincent |
Benja. Gist |
John Goad, Jun. |
|
George Vincent |
William Bucknell |
John Pryor |
|
Henry Heckey |
Haley Bucknell |
Moses Looney |
|
Owen Atkin |
Preley Bucknell |
Macajah Adams |
|
Nicholas Mercer |
Shadrick Haile |
James McLern |
|
Richard Mercer, Sen. |
Forrester Mercer |
Alexander Caright |
|
Arch’d McHaughan |
Bryce Russell, Sen. |
Benj. Burdwell |
|
Edward Mercer |
Bryce Russell, Jr. |
John Dean |
|
John Black |
James Pickens |
William Holland |
|
John Hunt, Jr. |
Phil. Grafford Pierce |
William Morroson |
|
Basset Hunt |
William Gewil |
John Morroson |
|
Reuben Hunt |
Charles Parker |
James Morroson |
|
Thomas Tipton |
Anthony Agee |
Samuel Bofman |
|
Jonathan Hunt |
John Sawyer |
David Merryon |
|
James Cooper |
Joseph Moore |
Richard Morell |
|
Isaiah Waldrew |
John Yancy |
Dudley Rutherford |
|
Lewis Hunt |
Richard Shipley |
John Bradford |
|
James Smart |
W. Cage |
Peter Fin |
|
James Smith |
Timothy Huff |
John Hunt |
|
Joseph Smith |
George Christian |
William Bailey |
|
John Duncan |
Deness Murfee |
George Smith |
|
Wm.
Berry |
Isaac Thomas |
Jacob Joab |
|
Isaac White |
William Massengill |
William Cooper |
|
Samuel Cox |
John Tulley |
Wm.
Jackson |
|
James Wheeler |
Thos. Easterlin |
Ephraim Joab |
|
John Cottrell |
William Copeland |
William Mehallm |
|
Hugh Gentry |
Rich’d Gamon |
Charles Bacon |
|
Valentine Rose |
John Spurgin |
John French |
|
Eli
Shipley |
Thos. King |
John Bilensy |
|
Thomas Shipley |
Roger Gibson |
William Combs |
|
William Childress |
James Adam |
William Combs, Jr. |
|
Joshway Hampton |
Geo. Gabriel (black) |
Henry Combs |
|
Christurphur Cross |
John Yokley |
William Stacey |
|
Benjamin Aze |
John Woolsey |
Adam Coumb |
|
Reuben Hunt |
James Arbutton (?) |
Daniel Agee |
|
Ellecander Moore |
Martin Roller, Jr. |
John Comay |
|
Martin Roller |
Joseph Blair |
James Peterson |
|
John A. Caft |
David Arwin |
Jeremiah Taylor |
|
D.
Wright |
William’’’(?) |
Joseph Taylor |
|
Adam Stake |
Thos. Taylor |
Stephen Taylor |
|
William Shewmaker |
Adam Stoaks |
Isaac Taylor |
|
Gabriel Goad |
Joseph Waldrep |
John Chisholm |
|
Peter Easley |
Mattw. Caruthers |
Edward Tule |
|
Jacob Cox |
Gilbert Christian |
Nathaniel Tule |
Endorsement:
Petition of the Inhabitants of
the Western Country, December, 1787.
In Senate, December, 1787. Read
and referred to Court on Public Bills. (N.C. St. Rec., XXII, 705-714.)