Sketches of Western North Carolina, Historical and Biographical: Illustrating Principally the Revolutionary Period of Mecklenburg, Rowan, Lincoln and Adjoining Counties, Accompanied with Miscellaneous Information, Much of It Never before PublishedHunter, C. L.
History
Sketches of Western North Carolina, Historical and Biographical: Illustrating Principally the Revolutionary Period of Mecklenburg, Rowan, Lincoln and Adjoining Counties, Accompanied with Miscellaneous Information, Much of It Never before Published
Hunter, C. L.
Burke County (N.C.) -- History; Cabarrus County (N.C.) -- History; Cleveland County (N.C.) -- History; Gaston County (N.C.) -- History; Iredell County (N.C.) -- History; Lincoln County (N.C.) -- History; Mecklenburg County (N.C.) -- History; North Carolina -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783; Rowan
He also states, in the same manuscript, that in the autumn of the year
1776, he was one of the number who composed the College of Queen's
Museum, and lived with his brother, Dr. Ephraim Brevard, and that in
ransacking a number of his brother's papers thrown aside as useless,
he came across the fragments of a Declaration of Independence by the
people of Mecklenburg. Upon inquiry, his brother informed him they
were the rudiments out of which a short time before, he had framed the
instrument despatched to Congress. The same authority states that he
was in Philadelphia in the latter part of the year 1778, and until May
of the year 1779. During that time, William Sharp. Esq., of Rowan
county, arrived in Philadelphia, as a Delegate to Congress from North
Carolina. Amidst a variety of topics introduced for discussion was
that of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence. Hon. John Penn,
of North Carolina, said in presence of several members of Congress,
that he was "highly pleased with the bold and distinguished spirit
with which so enlightened a county of the State he had the honor to
represent had _exhibited to the world_, and, furthermore, that the
bearer of the instrument to Congress had conducted himself very
judiciously on the occasion by previously opening his business to the
Delegates of his own State, who assured him that the other States
would soon act in the same patriotic manner as Mecklenburg had done."
This important and additional testimony, here slightly condensed, but
facts not changed, is extracted from a communication in the _Southern
Home_, by Dr. J.M. Davidson, of Florida, a gentleman of great moral
worth and christian integrity, and grandson of Adam Brevard, a brother
of Dr. Ephraim Brevard, the reputed author of the Mecklenburg
Declaration of Independence.
A brief extract from Governor Martin's dispatch to the British
Secretary of State, dated 30th of June, 1775, as found in Wheeler's
"Historical Sketches," will now be given, which cannot be viewed in
any other light than that of disinterested evidence. The Governor
proceeds by saying, "the situation in which I find myself at present
is indeed, my Lord, most despicable and mortifying. ... I live, alas!
ingloriously, only to deplore it. ... The resolves of the Committee of
Mecklenburg, which your Lordship will find in the enclosed newspaper,
surpass all the horrid and treasonable publications that the
inflammatory spirits of the continent have yet produced; and your
Lordship may depend, its authors and abettors will not escape, when my
hands are sufficiently strengthened to attempt the recovery of the
lost authority of the Government. A copy of these resolves was sent
off, I am informed, by express, to the Congress at Philadelphia, as
soon as they were passed in the committee."
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