Jeffrey and Lydia Beck left Pennsylvania in search of
a fresh start. They had settled in Orange County, North Carolina just twelve
years ago, but that seemed like a lifetime ago now. So much had happened since
then. Lydia died. Jeffrey remarried and participated in numerous land
transactions over the years which had followed.
2 “I am so weary of paying these fees and taxes every
time we buy or sell a piece of land!” Jeffrey told his neighbors Joseph Sitton
and William Moffett. “Fanning collects a fee every time he puts his pen to a
paper,” he complained. “And there simply isn’t any money to pay them all, and
he won’t take a cow or a bushel in payment,” Joseph agreed.
3 “Herman Husband has been giving them the what for
over all of this,” William added. “Yes, I hear that he is in contact with
Doctor Benjamin Franklin of Philadelphia,” said Jeffrey. “Herman has certainly
given voice to our concerns, but no one seems to be listening,” William
replied.
4 “That is why we all need to stick together and sign
the petition,” Joseph concluded. “Yes, perhaps the King’s Governor will
intervene and put an end to these abuses,” Jeffrey finished on a hopeful note.
5 Things were rapidly coming to a head. Money was
scarce in these parts, and conversations similar to the one Jeffrey and his
neighbors just had were taking place all over the county.
6 “I am going to support the advertisement,” Peter
Kivett announced to his neighbors. “I don’t know if the Governor will step on
these ‘hungry caterpillars’ who are eating us out of our homes and lands, but
we have to try,” Simon Hadley explained. “The people of these colonies are
tired of paying for other peoples’ wars and foolishness,” another man agreed.
“Yeah, like that palace the Governor is building” William Butler shouted. “When
the King is made aware of what has been going on in his name, he will put an
end to this business!” James Barnes exclaimed.
7 The document that Jeffrey and Peter both eventually
signed read in part: “We, the inhabitants of Orange County, pay larger fees for
the recording of our deeds than any of the counties surrounding us, and many
other fees that the law does not allow. We have asked our representatives to
intercede for us in this matter, but our previous applications for satisfaction
have been disregarded. This has resulted in growing discontent in these parts
and has threatened the public peace. We, therefore, beg you to take these
matters under serious consideration and redress those areas where we have been
wronged.” It was addressed to Governor William Tryon and his “Councill.”
8 In the meantime, however, the man who had been
responsible for collecting all of those fees and stirring up the citizenry of
Orange County had been busily working to make sure that the governor and his
council would be on his side. Edmund Fanning had already written a lengthy
letter of his own to Governor Tryon explaining his perspective on what was
happening in the county.
9 He said: “The people, in every part and corner of
this county, are actively meeting and conspiring to refuse the payment of their
taxes and to prevent the execution of law. They have also threatened death and
destruction to myself and the other leaders of this county.”
10 The Governor was outraged. “This is insurrection!”
he declared to his council. Nevertheless, the Governor was also a shrewd
politician. Things had obviously gotten out of hand in the backcountry.
11 To quiet the widespread discontent, he issued “A
Proclamation Against Charging Exorbitant Fees.” He also decided to make a
personal visit to Hillsborough (the county seat) and attempt to persuade the
agitators to disband and leave the governance and administration of the colony
to their betters.
12 As a further enticement to disband, Tryon even
permitted Fanning to be formally charged with taking illegal fees. Even so, the
indictment of Fanning and other county officials did not convince the aroused
citizenry that things had truly changed. They refused to promise to pay their
taxes or stay away from the court proceedings. The Governor appealed to the
shepherds of this unruly flock and called out the militia just in case things
got out of hand.
13 That Sunday, in the Presbyterian service, Jeffrey
Beck’s minister quoted from Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. He turned to the page
in his Bible and read: “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For
there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever
therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that
resist shall receive to themselves damnation.”
14 The message could not have been any clearer: God
and the Church were on the side of the government officials in this matter.
“Yes, but God doesn’t have to pay these fees and taxes!” the man seated next to
Jeffrey whispered in his ear.
15 Herman Husband, William Butler and two other men
were arrested and charged with inciting a mob to riot. Although Husband was
acquitted of the charges, the other men were convicted. However, in a gesture
of good will toward the Regulators (the name with which they and their
supporters had been tagged), Tryon released the men and suspended payment of
their fines.
16 During that same term of the court, Edmund Fanning
was found guilty of several counts of extortion; but he was only fined one
penny for each of them. Jeffrey and Peter were among the more than eight
hundred Regulators who had assembled just outside of Hillsborough to await the
court’s verdicts. Nevertheless, although they were not completely satisfied
with the outcome of the trials, the Regulators disbanded; and the Governor
dismissed the militia.
17 An uneasy peace settled over the backcountry of
North Carolina over the months that followed these events. In September of
1769, Governor Tryon even issued a general pardon to most of the Regulators.
County officials, however, continued to attempt to collect the numerous fees
and taxes that had been the real cause of the unrest in the first place.
18 Then, in the spring of 1770, Hillsborough elected
Edmund Fanning to the North Carolina Assembly. Orange County elected Herman
Husband to the same body.
19 The Regulators met that summer and composed yet
another petition for a redress of their grievances. This time the document was
addressed to the Superior Court in Hillsborough. “They will listen to us or
face the consequences!” Jeffrey proclaimed. “Nothing has changed – we must be
heard,” Peter agreed.
20 That fall, the Regulators descended on Hillsborough
once again. This time, however, they went directly to the courthouse. Judge
Richard Henderson had refused to rule on the petition the previous week, and
the crowd was angry. Unfortunately, Edmund Fanning happened to be in the
courthouse when the Regulators arrived.
21 “There’s the scoundrel!” Peter shouted. “Get him!”
Jeffrey pointed. The Regulators surged forward and knocked Fanning to the
ground. Jeffrey picked up one leg and Peter grabbed the other, and they drug
him toward the steps. His head hit every step on the way down to the first
floor. When they got him to the door and stood him up, another man kicked him
out of the door and onto the ground. The crowd roared in laughter.
22 Fanning, taking advantage of the distraction,
quickly got back to his feet and ran toward a friend’s house. The man pulled
him inside and locked the door behind him.
23 The next day, the mob went to Fanning’s house and
went inside. They proceeded to smash every piece of furniture in the house and
tossed all of his dishes and clothing into the street. By the time their anger
was spent, the house was in ruins.
24 In the meantime, the Assembly expelled and arrested
Herman Husband because of his previous association with the Regulators. They
also passed a “Riot Act” in January of the new year to deal with the Regulators
once and for all.
25 Husband, however, was released by the Superior
Court the following month and hurried home to meet with his fellow Regulators.
They shortly denounced the “Riot Act” and announced that they would not permit
any more fees to be collected in Orange County.
26 The Assembly responded by authorizing the Governor
to once again call out the militia. Tryon was able to put together a small army
of about one thousand men to face the Regulators and immediately marched them
off to Hillsborough. They then proceeded to set up camp along the western bank
of Alamance Creek and prepare to attack the rebels.
27 Jeff and Peter, along with about two thousand other
Regulators, had set up their own camp a few miles away. The tension in the air
was palpable, but the spirit of defiance and determination was strong among
them.
28 Thus, when the militia marched out to meet them,
every man stood his ground. The Sheriff approached them first and began to read
a proclamation from the Governor. He said: “You, who are assembled here as
Regulators, are ordered to lay down your arms, surrender your leaders to
justice and submit to the laws of your country. He further declares that you
are, at this time, in a state of war against your king and his laws…”
29 “Go home!” someone from the Regulator side
interrupted before he could finish. “You should be ashamed of yourself!”
Jeffrey shouted. Then the entire crowd erupted in jeers and shouts, and the
Sheriff was unable to finish his speech. “Fire on us, and be damned for all
eternity,” someone shouted as he retreated back to the militia.
30 As soon as the Sheriff had returned, the Governor
ordered the cannons to fire the signal for the battle to begin. The cannons
remained silent at first. “Fire the signal!” he shouted again. The cannons
fired that time, and the battle began.
31 The soldiers opened fire on the Regulators, and
everyone on the other side began running for cover and ducking behind trees.
Some of the Regulators returned fire, but others fled the field as quickly as
possible. It wasn’t long, however, until the militia was alone on the field
with the wounded and dying.
32 The King’s representatives in North Carolina had
triumphed, but it was clear that many of that colony’s citizens were growing
weary of paying taxes to a government which they felt failed to serve and
protect their interests. Moreover, it was clear that this sentiment was not
confined to North Carolina. People all over America were beginning to feel the
same way, but the government in London was determined to make these upstarts
pay for all of the benefits they had derived from their sponsor. Neither side
realized it at the time, but they were both moving inexorably toward
confrontation and separation.
33 Now these are the generations of Peter Kivett:
34 Peter and Anna Kivett were the parents of a
daughter named Charity.
35 Charity Kivett married Jacob Foust, and they too
had a daughter named Charity.
36 Charity Foust married John McMasters, and they had
children together.
37 Now these are the generations of Jeffrey Beck:
38 Jeffrey and Lydia Beck were the parents of a
daughter named Sarah.
39 Sarah Beck married Charles Hobson, and they had a
daughter named Hannah.
40 Hannah Hobson married Jonathan McMasters, and they
had children together.
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