hat was not in my intention to perform for the Terms they would admit me to hold Court on were that no Lawyer, the King's Attorney excepted, should be admitted into Court, and that they would stay and see justice impartially done.
It would be impertinent to trouble your Excy with many circumstances that occurred in this barbarous riot, Messrs. Thomas Hart, Alexander Martin, Michael Holt, John Litterell (Clerk of the Crown) and many others were severely whipped. Col. Gray, Major Lloyd, Mr Francis Nash, John Cooke, Tyree Harris and sundry other persons timorously made their escape or would have shared the same fate. In about four or five hours their rage seemed to subside a little and they permitted me to adjourn Court and conducted me with great parade to my lodgings. Colo Fanning whom they had made a prisoner of was in the evening permitted to return to his own House on his word of honour to surrender himself next day. At about ten o'clock that evening, I took an opportunity of making my escape by a back way, and left poor Col. Fanning and the little Borough in a wretched situation. . . .
The number of Insurgents that appeared when the Riot first began was, I think, about one hundred and fifty, tho' they constantly increased for two days and kept a number with fire arms at about a mile distance from Town ready to fall on whenever they were called for. This amount is contradicted by some and believed by others ; certain it is that a large number of men constantly lay near the Town, whether they had arms or not is not yet sufficiently determined.
As the burden of conducting Hillsborough Superior Court fell on my shoulders alone, the Task was extremely hard and critical. I made every effort in my power consistent with my Office and the Duty the Publick is entitled to claim to preserve peace and good order, but as all attempts of that kind were ineffectual, thought it more advisable to break up Court than sit and be made a mock Judge for the sport & entertainment of those abandoned wretches. . . .
P. S. My Express has this instant arrived from Hillsborough with the following accounts, Colonel Fanning is alive and well as could be expected. The Insurgents left the Town on Wednesday night having done very little mischief after spoiling Mr Fanning's House except breaking the windows of most of the Houses in Town, among which Mr Edward's did not escape. . . .
William L. Saunders, editor, The Colonial Records of North Carolina (Raleigh, 1890), VIII, 241-244 passim.
