The Revolution

THE INSTITUTION OF THE REVOLUTIONARY
GOVERNMENT.

On July 21, 1774, there was an important meeting of the in-
habitants of the Wilmington district held at Wilmington.

It being understood that the Governor had determined that
the Legislature should not meet, this meeting was called to take
steps for the election of delegates to a Revolutionary Conven-
tion.

William Hooper presided; and Col. James Moore, John
Ancrum, Fred Jones, Samuel Ashe, Robert Howe, Robert Hogg,
Francis Clayton, and Archibald Maclaine were appointed a
committee to prepare a circular letter to the several counties of

the province, requesting them to elect delegates to represent
them in the convention.

This was the first movement to provide for a Revolutionary
Government, and the delegates elected were the first elected by
the people in any province in right of the sovereignty of the
people. It was at this same meeting that the ery, “The Cause
of Boston is the Cause of All,” arose. Money and a shipload of
provisions were at once subscribed for the suffering people of
Boston, and Parker Quince offered his vessel to carry the pro-
visions and himself went to deliver them.

In response to the letter sent out by the committee, delegates
were chosen in every county except five. The convention met at

New Bern on August 25, 1774, and a Revolutionary Govern-
ment was instituted.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMITTEE OF SAFETY.

(Extracts from the Proceedings of the Committee of Safety of New Hanover County.)

Witmineton, November 23, 1774.

At a meeting of the Freeholders in the courthouse at Wil-
mington for the purpose of choosing a Committee of said town
to carry more effectually into execution the resolves of the late
Congress held at Philadelphia, the following names were pro-

posed and universally assented :
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The Revolution 111

Cornelius Harnett, John Quince, Francis Clayton, William
Hooper, Robert Hogg, Archibald Maclaine, John Robinson,

James Walker.
Wednesday, January 4, 1775.

The Committee met at the courthouse. Present, Cornelius
Harnett, Archibald Maclaine, John Ancrum, William Hooper,
and John Robinson.

At the same time the Freeholders of New Hanover County
assembled to choose a committee for the county to join and co-
operate with the committee of the town, which the members
present agreed to. Then the Freeholders present, having Cor-
nelius Harnett in the chair, unanimously chose George Moore,
John Ashe, Samuel Ashe, James Moore, Frederick Jones, Alex-
ander Lillington, Sampson Moseley, Samuel Swann, George

Merrick, Esquires, and Messrs. John Hollingsworth, Samuel

Collier, Samuel Marshall, William Jones, Thomas Bloodworth,
James Wright, John Larkins, Joel Parrish, John Devane, Tim-
othy Bloodworth, Thomas Devane, John Marshall, John Calvin,

Bishop Dudley, and William Robeson, Esquires, a committee to
join the committee of Wilmington.

Monday, March 6, 1775.

The Committee met according to adjournment.

The following Association was agreed on by the Committee
and annexed to the resolves of the General Congress, to be
handed to every person in this county and recommended to the
Committees of the adjacent counties, that those who acceded to
the said resolves, may subscribe their names thereto.

We, the subscribers, in testimony of our sincere approbation
of the proceedings of the late Continental Congress, to the an-
nexed have hereto set our hands, and we do most solemnly
engage by the most sacred ties of honor, virtue, and love of our
country, that we will ourselves strictly observe every part of the
Association recommended by the Continental Congress.

Mr. James Kenan, chairman of the Duplin Committee, pur-
suant to a letter from this committee at its last meeting attended.

Resolved, That all the members of the committee now present
go in a body and wait on all housekeepers in town with the
Association before mentioned and request their signing it, or
declare their reasons for refusing, that such enemies to their
country may be set forth to public view and treated with the
contempt they merit.