Then he left the building, walking swiftly through the yard as if expecting to be roughly treated, and once he was out of sight our party set about giving Fanning a lesson.
He was taken across the river to our encampment, being dragged by the heels a portion of the way, and there we held a little court of our own, the decisions of which I dare venture to say were more in accordance with strict justice than any Judge Richardson would have delivered.
It was decided that Fanning should be beaten with rods in the presence of the Regulation, and Masters Husband and James Hunter were the gentlemen selected to inflict the punishment, therefore it can well be fancied that it was done in proper fashion.
We kept the attorney with us during the night, and next morning all our company rode over to Hillsborough, only to find that the brave judge had run away during the night, after declaring that the court was adjourned until one year from that day. He could not pronounce the sentences which Tryon demanded, therefore had no idea of being forced to act honestly for once in his life.
Well, some of the hotter heads, taking advantage of the general confusion, utterly destroyed Fanning's house, beating him again before setting the scoundrel at liberty.
This done we went home once more, agreeing to meet each month as before.
I can best tell the remainder of my story, up to the time when Governor Tryon decided to wage war upon us, by quoting from a history of the Carolinas which I have lately seen; and while it is written from the standpoint of the royalists, it is correct as to the acts and movements of our enemy: [2] "Judge Henderson, who was driven from the bench, called upon Tryon to restore order in his district. The governor perceived that a temporizing policy would no longer be expedient, and resolved to employ the military force to subdue the rebellious spirit of the Regulators. He deferred operations, however, until the meeting of the Legislature, in December.
"Herman Husband was a member of the Lower House, from Orange, and there were others in that body who sympathized with the oppressed people. Various measures were proposed to weaken the strength of the Regulators; and among others, four new counties were formed of portions of Orange, Cumberland, and Johnson. These counties were named Guilford, Chatham, Wake and Surrey. Finally, when the Legislature was about to adjourn without authorizing a military expedition, information came that the Regulators had assembled at Cross Creek, with the intention of marching upon Newbern, having heard that Husband had been imprisoned."
Now at this point I must interrupt the historian in order to explain that we of the Regulation did indeed make this march. We knew full well that Tryon both hated and feared Herman Husband, and, therefore, kept one or more of our people in Newbern all the time the Legislature was assembled in order that the news, if there was any of importance, might be sent without loss of time to our leaders.
It is a fact that Tryon even went so far as to prefer charges against Master Husband, and that the council caused his arrest and imprisonment. Word to this effect was brought to us at once, and we set out for Cross Creek; but Governor Tryon had his spies out, and when it was known that the Regulators, a thousand strong, were riding to aid one of their number who was illegally deprived of his liberty, the council made haste to examine the charges against Master Husband.