PASQUOTANK IN COLONIAL WARS--"THE WAR OF JENKINS' EAR"
After the war with the Tuscaroras was over, and most of that powerful
tribe had left the State, going to New York and becoming the sixth of
the tribes there called "The Six Nations," for many years there were no
pitched battles between the red men and the settlers in North Carolina.
But the troubles with the Indians did not end with the Tuscarora War;
for though a treaty was made in 1713 with Tom Blount, king of the
Tuscaroras, who remained in the State, whereby the Indians bound
themselves to keep the peace, yet, as late as 1718 the colonists were
still putting troops in the field to "catch or kill the enemy Indians."
Indeed the settlers in Albemarle suffered as much from the Indians after
the Tuscaroras left the State as they did during the days of the Indian
massacre of 1711, and of the open warfare that followed.
In 1714 another Indian outbreak occurred, and the alarm was so great
that many of the settlers in the Albemarle region determined to flee to
Virginia, where the government seemed better able to protect its
citizens than were the officials of North Carolina.
To prevent such an immigration from the colony, Governor Eden, who had
succeeded Edward Hyde, issued a proclamation forbidding the people to
leave the colony; and Governor Spotswood, of Virginia, gave orders to
arrest any Carolinians who should flee into his colony without a
passport from duly authorized officials in Carolina.
But as the years passed on, the Indian troubles gradually ceased, and
the red men mostly disappeared from the eastern portion of the State,
though as late as 1731 Dr. Brickwell speaks of finding there "a nation
called the Pasquotanks, who kept cattle and made butter, but at present
have not cattle."
With the dangers from the Indians over, and with the transfer of
Carolina from the hands of the neglectful Lords Proprietors into the
possession of King George II, brighter and more prosperous days began to
dawn for North Carolina. The population rapidly increased; and, whereas,
in 1717 there were only 2,000 persons in the colony, by 1735 this number
had increased to 4,000. Lively wranglings there were often between the
Royal Governors and the sturdy and independent members of the Grand
Assembly, who resolutely carried out their purpose to preserve the
constitutional rights of the people of the province. But no war cloud
darkened the skies for many years after the Indian troubles were over.
Not until 1740 was there again a call to arms heard in North Carolina;
then trouble arose between Spain and England, and the colonists in
America were called upon to aid their Sovereign, King George II, in his
war against the haughty Don.
The real cause of this war was the constant violation on the part of the
English of the commercial laws which Spain had made to exclude foreign
nations from the trade of her American colonies. But the event which
precipitated matters and gave to the conflict which followed the name of
"The War of Jenkins' Ear," was as follows:
The Spanish captured an English merchant vessel, whose master they
accused of violating the trade laws of Spain. In order to wring a
confession from the master, Captain Jenkins, his captors hung him up to
the yard arms of his ship until he was nearly dead, and then let him
down, thinking he would confess. But on his stoutly denying that he had
been engaged in any nefarious dealings, and since no proof could be
found against him, the captain of the Spanish ship cut off one of the
English captain's ears, and insolently told him to show it to his
countrymen as a warning of what Englishmen might expect who were caught
trading with Spain's colonies in America.
Captain Jenkins put the ear in his pocket, sailed home as fast as wind
and wave would carry him, and was taken straight to the House of
Parliament with his story. Such was the indignation of both Lords and
Commons at this insult to one of their nation, and so loud was the
clamor for vengeance, that even Walpole, who for years had managed to
hold the English dogs of war in leash, was now compelled to yield to the
will of the people, and Parliament declared war with Spain.
Immediately upon this declaration, King George called upon his "trusty
and well beloved subjects in Carolina" and the other twelve colonies, to
raise troops to help the mother country in her struggle with arrogant
Spain. Carolina responded nobly to the call for troops, as the following
extract from a letter from Governor Gabriel Johnston to the Duke of
Newcastle will testify: "I can now assure your grace that we have raised
400 men in this province who are just going to put to sea. In those
Northern Parts of the Colony adjoining to Virginia, we have got 100 men
each, though some few deserted since they began to send them on board
the transports at Cape Fear. I have good reason to believe we could have
raised 200 more if it had been possible to negotiate the Bills of
Exchange in this part of the Continent; but as that was impossible we
were obliged to rest satisfied with four companies. I must in justice to
the assembly of the Province inform Your Grace that they were very
zealous and unanimous in promoting this service. They have raised a
subsidy of 1200 pounds as it is reckoned hereby on which the men have
subsisted ever since August, and all the Transports are victualed."
While no mention is made of Pasquotank in this war, nor of men from any
other county save New Hanover, we may reasonably infer that among the
three hundred troops from the northern counties adjoining Virginia, men
from our own county were included. No record has been kept of the names
of the privates who enlisted from Carolina in this war. Nor do we know
how many of those who at the king's call left home and country to fight
a foreign land ever returned to their native shores; but we do know that
these Carolina troops took part in the disastrous engagements of
Cartagena and Boca-Chica; and that King George's troops saw fulfilled
Walpole's prophecy made at the time of the rejoicing over the news that
Parliament had declared war with Spain: "You are ringing the joy bells
now," said the great Prime Minister, "but before this war is over you
will all be wringing your hands!"
After the two crushing defeats of Cartagena and Boca-Chica, the troops
from the colonies who still survived embarked upon their ships to return
home; but while homeward bound a malignant fever broke out among the
soldiers which destroyed nine out of every ten men on the ships. But few
of those from Carolina lived to see their native home again. That they
bore themselves bravely on the field of battle, none who know the war
record of North Carolina will dare deny; though as regards her private
soldiers in this war, history is silent.
One of the officers from Carolina, Captain Innes, of Wilmington, made
such a record for gallantry during the two engagements mentioned, that
in the French and Indian War, in which fourteen years later, not only
the Thirteen Colonies, but most of the countries of Europe as well, were
embroiled, he was made commander-in-chief of all the American forces,
George Washington himself gladly serving under this distinguished
Carolinian.