PETITION CONCERNING SLAVES-14 Dec. 1830

Petition of Sundry Inhabitants of New Hanover, Sampson, Bladen & Duplin
14 Dec. 1830
Presented, to motion of Mr. WEAVER? Ordered to be referred to the Select Committee 
on the subject of slaves & the situation of free persons of colour.
By Order: S. T. PATTERSON

To the Honorable the General Assembly of the State of North Carolina now in Session.

The Petition of Sundry inhabitants of the Counties of Sampson, Bladen, New Hanover 
and Duplin humbly Sheweth, that our own Slaves are become almost uncontroulable they 
go and come when and where they pleas, and if an attempt is made to correct them they 
Immediately fly to the woods and there Continue for months and years commiting grievous 
depredations on Our cattle hogs and sheep and many other things and as patrols are of 
no use on account of the danger they subject themselves to and their property. Not long 
since three patrols two fo which for executing their duty had their dweling house and 
other houses burnt down and the other his fodder starks burnt.
Your Petitioners prays that an act of the General Assembly may be passed during the 
present Session of your honourable body compelling each Captain in the aforenamed 
Counties to divide their companies into four Equal divisions which shall be numbered 
1,2,3, & 4 and one man shall be chosen out of each Company as a Captain or  Commander 
of that Company the Rest to be Submissive to his orders under penalty of fifty cent and 
the Captain or Commander on neglect or refusal to comply with the duties named in said 
law shall pay the sum of Ten dollars and the first company shall be compelled so soon as 
appointed to search their respective districts for Runaway Slaves in all the suspected 
places houses or thicks where they may suppose any runaway or runaways are concealed 
with the priviledge of shooting and destroying all runaway slaves who may refuse to 
Submit to said Authority and said company shall continue to make such search at all 
times when necessary for the space of three months and shall during the time perform 
all the duties required by law for patrols to perform and at the expiration of three 
months the Company no. 2 shall take place and perform in like manner as the first and 
so continue until the whole have served, and for compensation to said Companies the 
Rewards already offered by Owners of Slaves for Apprehending Runaway and on all others 
those that have been Runaway under Six months fifteen dollars and from six months to 
one year; twenty five dollars and for more than one year fifty dollars which shall be 
paid by the Owner of said runaway slave to the use of said Company before they give him 
up and all property they ay find in the possession of Runaways where the Owner of said 
property cannot be found.
Whereas many Negro slaves are allowed by their owners to raise and keep dogs and follow 
them at large that do great injury to our Stocks an if we kill there dogs they will then 
kill our dog our horse or our cow.
For Remedy whereof your Petitioners humbly prays that an act be passed compelling all 
persons owning slaves at the time of giving in their list of Taxable property to give 
in on oath all the dogs their Negroes are allowed to raise, keep, or follow them on the 
first day of April preceding the time of giving in their lists or any time since and pay 
a tax of five dollars on each dog so given in and your petitioners as in duty bound shall 
every pray.

Stephen HERRING
Hiram BIRDSONG?
James A. McGEE
Gabriel HERRING
Needham BRIAN
A. WARD
Michel JOHNSON
Taylor JOHNSON
Martin FOSTER?
Daniel ALDERMAN
Enoch ALDERMAN
Amos NEWTON
Isaac N. BLAND?
Daniel BLAND
Reuben ROGERS
Brannon SUTTON
Bailey SUTTON
Hardy HERRING
John HERRING
John SMITH
Fredric MORGAN
Isaac C. WRIGHT
 David S. MATHIS
Bright JOHNSON
Jas. ROBINSON
Robert WARD
Archd. MURPHY
Owen HERRING
G. W. HERRING
Daniel HERRING
Richd. ROYAL
Howard PARKER
Joseph HERRING

Your Petitions further request your Honorable Body if the method Above proposed?, does 
not meet your approbation, that you will take our case into consideration, and pass 
such a law or grant as such relief as you in your wisdom shall think best.

(The identical petition was again circulated and signed by the following people)

P. CROMARTIE
Hinson W. HERRING
Silas HERRING
R. W. CROMARTIE
John CROMARTIE
A. CROMARTIE
Jas. CROMARTIE
E. HERRING
Rogers LEE
J. H. SPEARMAN
William SPEARMAN
G. W. KINNERY?
John WRIGHT, Senr.
Allen D.? EVERSON
Starkey? ANSLEY?
James CARR?
Amos HERRING
George DYER
Richard ROGERS
Wriley HERRING
Phillip HERRINGTON
Wiley HALL
Love?/Dave MCDANIEL
John BEDSOE?
Eli LEACHMAN?
John CASHWILL
Owen JONES
S. CAIN
H. YOUNG
M. MONROE
James O. AMOUS?
G. DOWNING
D. MELVIN, Senr.
T. PATTERSON
John MONROE
Daniel MELVIN, Jr.
David CAIN
Wm. SMITH, Sr.
Fran HORN?
G. MELVIN?
J. SMITH
Richard MCGEE
Robert FURMEDGE?
J. Melvin, Jr.
Caleb? LAIN?
George W. HUFFMAN
Jno. TREADWELL
Owen FENNELL
Wm. K.? DEVANE
Richard PARISH
Wilson VALSTRAM?
Daniel HERRING
Nathan HERRING
Stephen HERRING, Jr.
Enoch ANDERS
Raiford CARROLL
James NEWTON
Geo. FENNELL
Lewis HIGHSMITH
Isaac NEWTON
Reuben ROGERS
James MARSHBORN
Charles PAGE
John HENNESEY
Amariah BLAND
Alse HAWES
David WALLS
James MCCALEBB
James ROGERS
Wm. J. COGELL
James MEREDITH
Joseph STRINGFIELD
Amos JOHNSON
James COOP?
William W. VIRRAH?
J. D. BEATTY.
MURIS?





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