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This information is contributed by Carolyn Shank 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? |