They finally decided, in order to save their own worthless skins, that the charges were not sustained, and set the prisoner at liberty, imploring him to ride with all speed in order to prevent us from entering Newbern.
He met us at Cross Creek, and we escorted him home; but this time it was decided that the Regulation go into camp at Maddock's Mill, and there remain ready for war until it was learned how far our enemy proposed to go in his effort to exterminate us, for that was what he had boldly said he would do. Now we will copy once more from the printed story of our struggle:
"The Assembly immediately voted two thousand dollars for the use of the governor. The alarmed chief magistrate fortified his palace, and placed the town in a state of defense. He also issued a proclamation, and orders to the colonels of the counties in the vicinity, to have the militia in readiness. These precautions were unnecessary, for the Regulators, after crossing the Haw, a few miles above Pittsborough, to the number of more than one thousand, met Husband on his way home, and retraced their steps.
"The governor soon issued another proclamation, prohibiting the sale of powder, shot, or lead, until further notice. This was to prevent the Regulators supplying themselves with munitions of war. This measure added fuel to the flame of excitement, and finally, the governor becoming again alarmed, he made a virtual declaration of war, through his council. That body authorized him to raise a sufficient force to march into the rebellious districts and establish law and order.
"The governor issued a circular to the colonels, ordering them to select fifty volunteers from their respective regiments and send them to Newbern. With about three hundred militiamen, a small train of artillery, some baggage wagons, and several personal friends, Tryon left Newbern on the 24th of April. On the 4th of May he encamped on the Eno, having been reinforced by detachments on the way. General Hugh Waddel was directed to collect the forces from the western counties, rendezvous at Salisbury, and join the governor in Orange County."
It goes without saying that while these preparations were being made, whereby Tryon counted on driving us from the face of the earth, our spies were scattered around the country plentifully, and, therefore, we knew exactly the size of his force, and how it was made up, when he went into camp.
Colonel Joseph Leech commanded the infantry, Captain Moore the artillery, and Captain Neale a company of rangers. On his way to the Eno Tryon was joined by a detachment from Hanover, under Colonel John Ashe; another from Carteret, under Colonel Craig; another from Johnston, under Colonel William Thompson; another from Beaufort, under Colonel Needham Bryan; another from Wake, under Colonel Johnson Hinton; and at his camp on the Eno he was joined by Fanning, with a corps of clerks, constables, sheriffs and others.
CHAPTER XIII.
WAR DECLARED.
At last the Regulation had forced Governor Tryon to acknowledge it as an adversary, and this afforded the members no slight amount of satisfaction.
Until he marched out of Newbern with the militia, it had been his good pleasure to treat us as a lot of malcontents who should be dealt with by constables or sheriffs, and in his proclamations, or statements made to the people of other colonies, he was careful to so word his communications as to make it appear that the people of the upper Carolinas, instead of being banded together for a specific purpose, were simply rioting and plundering.