104 Chronicles of the Cape Fear River

scendants of Sir John Yeamans, the late Hon. George Davis
and the late Hon. A. M. Waddell, and which was known as Rus-
sellborough, was bought from William Moore, son and successor
of “King” Roger, by Capt. John Russell, commander of His
Britannic Majesty’s sloop of war Scorpion, who gave the tract of
about fifty-five acres his own name. It subsequently passed into
the possession of his widow, who made a deed of trust, and the
property ultimately again became a part of Orton Plantation.
It was sold March 31, 1758, by the executors of the estate of
William Moore to the British governor and commander-in-chief,
Arthur Dobbs, who occupied it and who sold it or gave it to his
son, Edward Bryce Dobbs, captain of His Majesty’s Seventh
Regiment of Foot or Royal Fusileers, who conveyed it by deed,
dated February 12, 1767, to His Excellency, William Tryon,
governor, etc. It appears, however, that Governor Tryon occu-
pied this residence prior to the date of this deed, as is shown by
the following official correspondence in 1766 with reference to

the uprising of the Cape Fear people in opposition to the Stamp
Act:

BruNSwWIcK, 19 February, 1766,

Eleven at Night.
Sir:—Between the hours of six and seven o’clock this evening, Mr.
Geo, Moore and Mr. Cornelius Harnett waited on me at my house, and
delivered me a letter signed by three gentlemen. The inclosed is a copy

of the original. I told Mr. Moore and Mr. Harnett that I had no fears
or apprehensions for my person or property, I wanted no guard, there-

fore desired the gentlemen might not come to give their protection
where it was not necessary or required, and that I would send the gen-
tlemen an answer in writing tomorrow morning. Mr. Moore and Mr.
Harnett might stay about five or six minutes in my house. Instantly
after their leaving me, I found my house surrounded with armed men

to the number, I estimate, at one hundred and fifty. I had some alter-
cation with some of the gentlemen, who informed me their business was
to see Captain Lobb, whom they were informed was at my house; Cap-
tain Paine then desired me to give my word and honor whether Captain
Lobb was in my house or not. I positively refused to make any such
declaration, but as they had force in their hands I said they might
break open my locks and force my doors. This, they declared, they had
no intention of doing; just after this and other discourse, they got in-

Resistance Before the Revolution 105

sloops can give the commanding officer there, should any insult be
offered to His Majesty’s fort or stores, in which case it is my duty to
request of you to repel force with force, and take on board His Majesty’s
sloops so much of His Majesty’s ordnance stores and ammunition out

of the said fort as you shall think necessary for the benefit of the
service.

I am, your most humble servant, Won. Tryon.

To the Commanding Officer, either of the Viper or Diligence sloops
of war.

The writer, who has made his home at Orton, had often in-
quired for the precise location of the ruins of Governor Tryon’s
Russellborough residence without success ; but about fifteen years
ago, acting upon Colonel Waddell’s reference to its site on the
north of Old Brunswick, the service of an aged negro who had
lived continuously on the plantation for over seventy years was
engaged. He, being questioned, could not remember ever having
heard the name Russellborough, nor of Governor Dobbs, nor of
Governor Tryon, nor of an avenue of trees in the locality de-
scribed. He said he remembered, however, hearing when he was
a boy about a man named “Governor Palace,” who lived in a
great house between Orton and Old Brunswick.

We proceeded at once to the spot, which is approached through
an old field, still known as “Old Palace Field,” on the other side

of which, on a bluff facing the east and affording a fine view of
the river, we found hidden in a dense undergrowth of timber
the foundation walls of Tryon’s residence. The aged guide
showed us the well-worn carriage road of the Governor, and also
his private path through the old garden to the river landing, a
short distance below, on the south of which is a beautiful cove
of white and shining sand, known, he said, in olden times, as
the Governor’s Cove. The stone foundation walls of the house
are about two feet above the surface of the ground. Some sixty
years ago the walls stood from twelve to fifteen feet high, but
the material was unfortunately used by one of the proprietors
for building purposes.

The old servant pointed out a large pine tree near by, upon
which he said had been carved in colonial times the names of

 

telligence that Captain Lobb was not in my house. The majority of the
men in arms then went to the town of Brunswick, and left a number of
men to watch the avenues of my house, therefore think it doubtful if T
can get this letter safely conveyed. I esteem it my duty, sir, to inform
you, as Fort Johnston has but one officer and five men in garrison, the
fort will stand in need of all the assistance the Viper and Diligence

 

two distinguished persons buried beneath it, and which in his
youthful days was regarded with much curiosity by visitors.
The rude inscription has unhappily become almost obliterated
by several growths of bark, and the strange mysterious record
is forever hidden by the hand of time.