Captain Paddy Boggan |
|---|
(There were some handmade changes to this article, and I have enclosed them in *astericks *, as I do not know who made these changes. I proofread this article, and left the original abbreviations and misspellings intact.)
Affectionately Inscribed to F.A. Shepherd, by his old "Sis", K.S. Bennett (Mrs. R.T.) December 9, 1895
Anson County was formed about the year 1749 from Bladen Co., which had been formed in 1734 from New Hanover, and extended from New Hanover and Bladen on the East to the Mississippi River on the West. The Court House during Colonial times and until about 1799 was at a place called Mt. Pleasant near Pee Dee River on what is now the Benj. Ingram plantation, thought the Magistrate's Courts were held in different places sometimes in private houses. The Colonial history of Anson is interesting. In 1768 a petition signed by many persons was sent up to Gov. Tryon complaining of wrongs done by Officers of the Crown, and saying that "no people have a right to be taxed but by consent of themselves or their delegates." In 1774, a Provincial Congress was held at New Bern which was the first movement of the people as a State adverse to the Royal Government. The delegates from Anson were Samuel Spencer and Wm. Thomas. This Congress elected delegates to the Continental Congress in Phila. In Aug. 1775, the Provinical Congress of N.C. met at Hillsboro. Anson's delegates were Thos. Wade, Saml. Spencer, David Love, Wm. Thomas and Wm. Pickett. This body placed the State in complete military organization. Wm. Pickett was appointed Capt. on 1st Regiment commanded by James Moore. Thomas Wade of Anson was chosen Col. of the "Minute Men" of Salisbury Dist. For Field Officers for Anson Co. Saml. Spencer was appointed with Waightsill army of the Salisbury Dist., on the "Provisional Council of Safety" which was the real Executive of the Province of N.C. during the interregnum between the abdication of Gov. Martin, Royal Governor in 1775 and the accession of Richard Caswell, the first Gov. under the Constitution in 1776.
Saml. Spencer was a man of fine education and undoubted talents, and had migrated to N.C. with his brother Calvin from Conn. He had not the confidence of the people as to honesty. Along about 1768, he was Clerk of the Court, an office of much profit, and he was much complained of in the petition sent up to Gov. Tryon during that year. The Sheriff Medlock, was accused of collecting a county tax to defray expenses, well known to be Province expenses. Afterward the Clerk Mr. Spencer, who was also member of the assembly, presented these same claims to Assembly for collection. The petition goes on to say, "As to the Clerk Mr. Spencer, his extortions are burdensome to all that fall in his power, as he takes double and sometimes, treble his due. He was one of the Judges of the Superior Courts first elected under the Constitution (1777). He was in the Convention assembled at Hillsboro in July, 1788, to consider the Federal Constitution (1777); was its able & active opponent, and contributed
He had been very ill and was sitting in his yard in the sun-------
to its rejection by that body. He died in 1794 from a singular cause. /A large turkey-gobbler, part wild, but a pet, became alarmed at a red cap he had on and flew at him. The shock was so great that he could not recover from it and soon died. The History says he was struck by the gobbler and severly wounded, but my version is correct and was told me years ago by Mrs. Hemby whose mother was his daughter.
Col. Thos. Wade was one of the most prominent citizens of Anson Co. and Wadesboro, the county seat was named in his honor. It was originally a hamlet called "Newtown". There is an old deed of 150 acres of land in "Newtown" from *Captain* Patrick Boggan to Thomas Wade also large body of land on Gould's Fork. He represented the county as Senator in 1782-83. He married Jane a sister of Capt. Paddy and had sons and daughters. He was a merchant and possessed of good estate. His will is dated June 18th, 1792 Jan. 12th, 1786, his wife and his friends. *Captain* Patrick Boggan and Jas. Boggan being ap. Executors. The will of his son Thomas Wade is dated June 18th, 1792 and records that he had the "infection of smallpox and would at once proceed to Cheraw Hill, for treatment. This will was probated before Christmas. Small pox probably proving fatal. Col. Thos. Wade's daughter Judy married a Dr. Coleman and moved to Ala. She inherited the land now occupied by the Town of Wadesboro. It is said that she and her children at one time thought of suing for certain lots for which a proper title had not been given but abandoned the idea. The name of Capt. Patrick Boggan does not occur often in the old records except in an occasional deed but according to tradition he was a famous character in Anson during the Colonial period. He was Captain of Militia. His granddaughter Mrs. Fanny (Coppedge) McCormich says he received his commission from Genl. Greene, tho' he probably belonged to Col. Wade's "Minute Men". It is said that he fought the Tories furiously. Mrs. Love, wife of old Dan'l Love who kept house of entertainment between Rockingham and Fayetteville, told Mrs. Anne Holl (or Hall) that Capt. Paddy B. went all thro' that country destroying the settlers and that he or his men killed her father in cold blood. These settlers were probably mostly Tories and simple Scotch folk who had been taught to "Serve God and honor the King" and who knew very little about the war. He married a young orphan girl named Dabbs (or Dobbs) from about Raleigh. They had two sons Dick and Paddy and seven daughters. Jane married Pleasant May, Mary married Jno. May, Fanny married Jimmy Cash, Peggy married Ingo Dozier Cash, Nelly *Eleanor* married Wm. Hammond, Flora married Jos. Pickett, and Lydia the youngest, married Moses Coppedge. All of the daughters made runaway marriages except Mrs. Coppedge tho' Moses Coppedge was probably the least successful of Capt. P's sons-in-law. Capt. Paddy owned much land, no doubt "entered" much of it all along on Gould's Fork, Jones's Creek, all of New Town aftereard Wadesboro, the Walter Leak place, Flat Rock. He bestored during his life land and negroes on his children. Pleasant May, who married Jane, lived at what is now Little's Mill of Jones's Creek, Jno. May and his wife Mary lived out West of Wadesboro--had mill, Jimmy Cash and wife Fanny had mill at Cedar Rock, Ingo D. Cash and wife Peggy had mill at "Old Mill Hut" near Flat Rock. In those days it was considered a sign of prosperity for every well to do farmer to have a Water-Mill.
Ingo Cash and Peggy also had land on the Lilesville road and they kept the old "Buck Tavern".
Capt. P. built the one story part of the house where Julius Little now lives and Wm. Hammond and his wife Nelly *Eleanor* lived there. He built for his daughter, Mrs. Pickett, Flora, the house known as "Old Pickett House." Moses Coppedge & wife Lydia lived somewhere out on Gould's Fork afterward termed Flat Rock. Capt. P's son, Paddy, married Martha Davidson, a sterling good woman and own aunt by the way, of Senator Harris of Tenn. (the Mrs. Patsy Boggan whom we knew.) She was early left a widow with three children, George, Adaline the 2nd Mrs. Absolm Myers, and Anne married to Rev. A.B. Smith.
Dick, Capt. P's other son was lived When our parents first came to this county about 1921, they at first rented land west of town from Mrs. Patsy B. who lived near and proved a most excellent neighbor to our Mother and a life-long, friend. Dick, the other son -----------had a plantation out on Salisbury road, married, I don't know whom, ---------- I have heard our Mother say that she and Mrs. Patsy B. and Mrs. B's children were returning home in advance of a storm; to shorten the distance they cut thro' Dick Boggan's yard. The servants were whispering and cautioned them to make no noise as Dick and his wife were in a drunken sleep. So they crept silently along much alarmed. Dick Boggan died early and fortunately left no children.
Capt. Paddy's wife had been possessed of 40 negroes but her guardian had sold them and appropriated the money. They accidentally got possession of two of these negroes who told them where the others were. This was after most of their children had married. Mrs. Boggan had a habit of going just anywhere with her husband, riding horseback. So they mounted their horses and rode off seeking her former slaves. They got to Wake Co. and stopped at a man's house to spend the night. Mrs. Boggan was suffering with a bone-felon. The lady directed her to the cabin of an old negro-woman who could doctor her finger. Mrs. B. in talking with the old woman found that she had been her nurse in infancy. From her, she learned the whereabouts of the others and they recovered them all, whether or not by lawful proceedings, her G-daughter Mrs. McCormick did not tell me.
Capt. B. was kind, amiable man and very generous. Mrs. McCormick says that he told his brother-in-law Col. Wade to help himself to his land, and that he DID help himself, that he took all of "Newtown", sold lots and named it Wadesboro. The recorded deed does not say it was a deed of gift. At the time of his death he lived with his daughter Mrs. Nelly *Eleanor* Hammond where Julius Little now lives. He is said to have been a very robust and stout man, also athletic, that he could jump over a high-top wagon. This was a high jump and it seems to me a tall story. It is said that one day, his daughter Polly May went home crying. "What's the matter Polly?" said Capt. P. Jno. May had been treating her badly. "Well, go in the house and sit down with your Mother and I'll go over and thrash Jno. May." Polly stopped crying and said snappishly, "Would you thrash Col. Pickett? Col. P. had proven a prosperous man and was probably the great man of the family.
Capt. Paddy died at great age. he had gone out into the wood near the cemetery to feed his hogs and was found dead with basket of corn on his arm.
Most of the above information, I received from Capt. Paddy's grand daughter Mrs. Fanny (Coppedge) McCormick. Mrs. Glass tells me that to the day of his death, he had the most intense hatred for the Tories. Old Johnny Lindsay, who lived 5 miles out on what is now the Lilesville road, where his descendants now live, had been a Tory. Mrs. Glass has heard that he would capture horses and hide them in the swamps of Jones's Creek until he could trade them off to the Tory forces. After the peace, he was the object of Capt. Paddy's persecution. On public days when many were in town and liquor no doubt flowed freely, if he caught Old Johnny Lindsay in town, he would chase him out side after him out, ride after him perhaps armed, and old Johnny would go tearing home.
There were other Boggans, Capt. P. had a brother James who was father of Maj. James Boggan whom we knew. Mr. Norfleet Boggan who married Jane Hammond was a son of Johnathon B. who was probably a nephew of Capt. Paddy. They were of Irish decent. Capt. P and his brother were probably born in Ireland. Of his descendants, the Mays and some of the Cash family migrated to Ala. long before you were born. The Cash brothers came from S.C. The name INGO was probably a corruption of Inigo. Dozier was a respectable surname in S.C. Boggan Cash the duelist, was a grandson of Ingo Dozier and Peggy Cash, his father being named Boggan, his mother was a Miss Ellerbe of S.C. Thomas Cash was son of Ingo Dozier, was killed in a fight at Morven by a man named Tom Curtis over 50 years ago. Curtis escaped to Texas and remained there 15 years when a relative of the man he had killed discovered him and brought him here for trial. He was convicted of murder in the second degree.
Col. Jos. Pickett and wife Flora at one time kept Hotel. The lawyers came mostly from other towns to attend Court and often stayed at his house. He talked much with them and was inspired to study law tho' no longer young. His wife encouraged him to do so and he became a successful lawyer,-------------. This couple raised 6 daughters and one son. Martha married Alex King, afterward a Mr. Morgan, Mary married Benj. Rutland, Frances married *Dr.* Thos. Bowze afterward Dr. Walter G. Jones, Ellen at 15 married John Bates a young lawyer of promise but very dissipated. She afterward married Atlas Jones Dargan, a prominent lawyer and most peculiar person. Glovinia, a Mr. Buchanan a worthy man. Evalina, the youngest daughter married Dr. Walter G. Jones a most excellent man. She died in a year at the birth of her son Jos. Pickett Jones. He afterward married Mrs. Howse, Frances, and they raised 6 children. There were two Howze children, Flora, who married Dr. Ed. F*ontaine* Ashe and Dr. Henry Y. who married Cornelia Marshall, both dead. None of Col. Pickett's descendants now left in this county except Flora's daughter Nelly Ashe, Mrs. Harris and Dr. Ed. S. Ashe, her son. Martin, Col. P's youngest child and only son married Ann Eliza, sister of Mr. Thos. S. Ashe. He had sold his plantation and was on the eve of moving to Ala. when he had a quarrel with a man named Boyd. He used very provoking language and Boyd shot him and he died in a few days. This terrible affair occured about the year 1851.
Col. Jos. Pickett accumulated a good estate and they lived in good style. His will is dated April 26th, 1828 (1838). (He was just leaving for the "Sweet Springs", Va. and I think died soon after.) It is a most reasonable and sensible document. Besides money and negroes, he left to his son Martin his large River plantation down at Mt. Pleasant. He was very considerate of his wife and daughters. Before his death there had been a double tragedy and two of his daughters became widows. Mr. King and Mr. Bates had quarreled when drunk and Mr. Bates shot and killed Mr. King and then out of remorse had taken landanum and killed himself at the age of 26.
Col. Pickett had a brother named Martin whose first wife was named Raiford. His daughter was the first of Absalom Myers. They had 4 children, Martin Myers and Mrs. Eliza Hicks long since dead and Mrs. Anne Sturdivant and Wm. R. Myers now living in Charlotte. Wm. Martin Pickett -----------------------*son* by a later marriage still lives in this county.
Col. P. also had two sisters, Mrs. Mumford De Jarnette and Mrs. Tod Robeson, the latter quite wealthy. The De Jarnettes were well-to-do people and very overbearing *prominent*. Mumford De J. kept store in what was afterward Myers's store. He had a dispute with Richmond Davidson, who kept Hotel right where the present Court House now stands, got in a terrible passion and struck Davidson over the head with the handle of his gun and nearly killed him. The gun being loaded went off, and De Jarnette was shot dead right in his own store. All this many, many years ago.
The Tod Robesons had a daughter, Hannah who married a man named Caldwell of Mocksville. The late Tod R. Caldwell once -----Gov. of N.C. was her son. Cornelius, Tod Robesons's son was said to have been very handsome and charming. He was supposed to be a great catch and "there by hangs a tale." His aunt, Mrs. De J. and aunt-in-law Mrs. Pickett put their wise heads to-gether to keep him in the family, or at least prevent his being captured by a poor girl with a pretty face. They wished him to wait a few years and marry his little cousin Owan De Jarnette who was then at school at Salem and about 10 years old. He went to live in Ala. on a plantation belonging to his father. Before leaving he became engaged to a worthy young lady named Harriet Davidson and corresponded with her. His aunts however, by some means managed to intercept his letters and she never received but one, and that one soon after she had married her cousin -----*George* Moore. She had waited a long time and had at last despaired of his love. The years rolled along and Cornelius R. during a visit home fell in love with Sarah Pegues. There were three of these Pegues girls, Sarah, Mary, afterward Mrs. George Dismukes and Elizabeth Marcia, Mrs. Hemby. They were orphans, all pretty and smart and lived with their aunt, Mrs. Richmond Davidson. The same meddling ladies interfered again and broke up this second engagement of the son and heir of wealthy Tod Robeson to a poor girl. Sarah Pegues heartbroken, moved to Ala. with her sister Mrs. Dismukes; don't remember whether or not she was married. In the mean time, Owen De Jarnette was kept at the Salem Academy. When about 16 years old she really married her cousin Cornelius Robeson. The above story I heard in my early days from my mother and Aunt H. Strong also from Mrs. Hemby.