278. From Hillsborough Town the First of May

277-280. Regulator Songs

 


278
From Hillsborough Town the First of May

In April 1768 the sheriff of Orange county seized a mare, a saddle,
and a bridle for taxes and carried them to Hillsboro ; whereupon
sixty or seventy Regulators went to Hillsboro, bound the sheriff,
rescued the mare, and shot up the roof of Fanning's house. On
April 30 Harmon Husband and William Butler were arrested, as

"*0/'. cit., pp. 115-16.

" On July 13, 1767, Fanning ordered from a merchant in Halifax
"some good double Gold lace for a Hat, and some narrow double Gold
Do for a Jacket" (Colonial Records of North Carolina, vii, 506-7).

 

650 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE

recognized leaders of the Regulators, and on the next day taken to
Hillsboro and put in jail. On May 3 seven hundred or more armed
Regulators came to town to compel release of the prisoners. ^'^

Harmon (or Hermon) Husband was born in Cecil county, Mary-
land, in 1724. Though a member of an Episcopal family, he became
a Quaker and acquired some repute as a speaker. ^^ Moving to
North Carolina, "He lived on Sandy Creek, in what is now Randolph
county, and was in good circumstances. . . . The tradition of his
old neighborhood says that he was some relation of Dr. Franklin ;
and that the two maintained at this time a kind of verbal correspond-
ence."-- He drew up many of the petitions and other documents
of the Regulators, was often spokesman for them, took part in some
of their boldest actions, was imprisoned in their cause, was present
at the battle of Alamance but rode away without fighting, was
among those outlawed after the battle, escaped to Pennsylvania,
and later was arrested and imprisoned on the charge that he had
taken a prominent part in the Whiskey Rebellion. He was appar-
ently not well educated but was a man of superior mind and
character.23

"Old Hamilton," named in the following song as leader of the
rescue party, was a citizen of Orange county, Ninian Bell Hamilton,
described by Caruthers as "an old Scotchman, 60 or 70 years of
age."24

The second Regulator song is from Julian P. Boyd, as cited in
his note on 'When Fanning First to Orange Came,' with the fol-
lowing additional note: "On May i, 1768, a party of men went
out from Hillsboro to secure Husbands, and they accordingly
brought him into town, but the whole country rose to rescue him
under the command of Ninningbele Hamilton. When they ap-
proached the town. Husbands was liberated, and Fanning came
across the Eno and entreated Hamilton not to bring his men into
town, and I [Macpherson] believe they accordingly dispersed.
These matters are ... in the following song in which two or three
rounds immediately after the first are wanting."

Caruthers explains that when the Regulators reached the Eno
River, the southern boundary of Hillsboro, they were informed
that Husband had been liberated. There "they were joined by
Husband . . . ; and Isaac Edwards [secretary to Governor Tryon]
. , . read the governor's proclamation, informing them that ... he
would redress their grievances and protect them from extortion and

^^ Colonial Records, vii, xxi-xxii.

^^ Bassett, op. cit., p. 155.

^-Caruthers, op. cit., p. iiQ-

-^ Husband was the great-great-grandfather of Rear Admiral Husband
E. Kimmel, Commander of the Pacific fleet at the time of the Japanese
attack on Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941. Greensboro Daily News, Jan. 27,
1946, sec. 2, pp. I and 8.

-' Op. cit., p. 122.

 

NORTH CAROLINA BALLADS 65I

oppression of any officer, provided they would disperse and go
home." Caruthers' account continues with these picturesque de-
tails : "When the Regulators first arrived on the banks of the Eno,
it is said that Fanning went down, with a bottle of rum in one
hand, and a bottle of wine in the other, entreating Hamilton not to
bring his men into the town, but send a horse to take him across,
that they might talk about matters in good humour. The old
Scotchman, however, told him that he was none too good to wade;
and that if he had any business with them, he might bring himself
over the best way he could. Fanning waded the stream ; but when
he got there Hamilton would not permit the men to taste either his
rum or his wine." To the clause "he was none too good to wade"
Caruthers appends a footnote : "On this occasion some one made a
song of eight verses, two of which are here given merely as a
specimen. "2^ (These are identical with stanzas 5-6 of the version
to be quoted below.)

The following is Boyd's version :

I From Hillsborough Town the first clay of May
Marched those murdering traitors.
They went to oppose the honest men
That were called the Regulators.

2, 3

4 Old Hamilton surrounded the Town,
He guarded every quarter ;

The Regulators still marching on,
Full fifteen hundred after.

5 At length their head men they sent out
To save their town from fire.

To see Ned Fanning wade Eno,
Brave boys, you'll all admire.

6 With hat in hand, at our command,
To salute us every one. Sir ;

And after that, kept off his hat
To salute old Hamilton, Sir.

7 But old Hamilton, like an angry man
He still craved satisfaction.

For taking of Husbands away to the town
It was a most villainous action.

"Regulator," in Raleigh Register and North-Carolina Gazette, June
2, 1826, relating the story of the rescue of Husband and Hunter,
adds: "These matters are set forth in the following song, in which

-•' Caruthers, op. cit., pp. 122-3.

 

652 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE

one or two stanzas are unfortunately wanting — a circumstance
which fills the breast of the writer of this article with unsupportable
grief and sorrow." (His version is practically identical with the
"Clerk's" copy.)