22 Chapter Three
his son was concerned, started to beat the boy, but another of the
captured party interfered.
The Whigs had scored a shining victory. They had utterly routed a superior force
under professional officers, and had taken 850 prisoners and a great harvest of supplies
and arms. The cap- tured wagons undoubtedly included those lent by Connor Dowd. A
particular trophy of war was "Scotch clothes," which the Whigs seized and
wore.19
Most of the officers from presentday Moore County had been captured. Only the
veteran Alexander MacLeod of Glendale slipped through the hosts of pursuing Whigs. He
reached the British lines at Wilmington and fought on. James Muse and Wil- liam Garner
were scooped in, but managed to elude their guards and head home again. Those taken to
Halifax and put in jail included Dr. Morrison, his son-in-law Donald Shaw, John Martin,
John MacDonald, James McBryde, and Lachlin McKinnon. The comon soldiersere paroled and
allowedto trudge to their homes.
"We remainedat heart as stiff Tories as ever;' Hugh McDonald remembered in
later years.
To remain a stiff Tory under such circumstances took resolu- tion. 'fhe whole
spirit of political opinion seemed changed, in public at least. The melancholy parolees,
coming back home among the longieaf pines, were treated with sneering contempt by their
neighbors who had held by the cause of American liberty. Sometimes they were plundered by
Whig raiders.
Several of the captured officers were set free after they swore
allegiance to the new State of North Carolina and its cause of freedom. Others still
suffered trouble. Captain John Martin,
1 Lieutenant James McBryde and Lieutenant Donald Shaw were .released under parole,
but Martin and McBryde refused to take
r the oath of allegiance and left their families to seek refuge in :w Florida. Later
they continued as officers in the British service.2O 0 The Moore's Creek victory
heartened all patriotiC Americans, t t and was likened to the defeat of the British at
Concord in the N North. Two stalwarts for the Whig cause, Philip Alston and l t Thomas
Matthews, were commissioned colonels in the State
li militia and enlisted their neighbors in armed units to scout the
Deep River country for those who still dared side with King George
Around the first of June, Alston called for a muster at Henry
1
,
23 Rise and Fall 0/ the Tories
Eagles: on Bear Creek. Mounted details went out looking for recruIts, and Tory
sympathizers faded away as they approached.
a shining victory, They had utterly McDonald, the farmer who had served in John
Martin's company ler professional officers, and had taken ~t Mo,o~e's Cre~k, l:ft
his plow in the furrow and scuttled away tarvest of supplies and arms. The cap- Into
hidIng, tellIng hIS son Hugh to unhitch the horse and follow. included those lent by
Connor Dowd. Boylike, Hugh dallied. He had never guided a plow before, and was
"Scotch Clothes," which the Whigs he tri~d his hand at it for a few moments.
Suddenly five horsemen
rode In and surrounded him. Daniel Buie, apparently in com- n presentday Moore
County had been m~~d: knew Hug~: "What are y?U doing here?" he asked.
an Alexander Macleod of Glendale It IS my home, Hugh told hIm.
of pursuing Whigs. He reached t~e "Come," said Buie, "you must go
with us to pilot us through the .1 and fought on. James Muse ~nd W 11- s~ttle.ment; for we
have a boy here who has come far enough. He is in but managed to elude theIr guards SIX
mIles from home and is tired enough."
.1os'e taken to Halifax and put in jail "I dare not go," argued Hugh,
"for if I did, my father would kill ,son-in-law Donald Shaw, John Martin, me."
II1cBryde, and Lachlin McKinnon. The Buie behaved as peremptorily as had John
Martin, four months
!roled and allowed to trudge to their earlier. He hoisted Hugh up behind another
rider named Gaster : heart as stiff Tories as ever," Hugh and told the other boy,
Thomas Graham, that he could go. Hugh n later years, guided the recruiting party because
he must, to several homes- Ilnder such circumstances took resolu- teads. At last Buie
dismissed Hugh. But the boy was still fearful of political opinion seemed changed, in his
father, and went on with Buie's detail to the muster at Eagle's. ancholy parolees,
coming back home Colonel Alston appeared the next day, heard Hugh's story, and were
treated with sneering contempt by ordered Daniel McQueen, "a noted bard," to
escort Hugh home. held by the cause of American liberty. Hugh reiterated his fear of his
father, and Alston took him to his lfidered by Whig raiders. h~use in th~ Horseshoe. Mrs.
Alston offered to let Hugh study 1 officers were set free after they swore wIth her
chIldren, apparently under a tutor, while she interceded ate of North Carolina and its
cause of with the elder McDonald. Nothing came of this effort at Iffered trouble. Captain
John Martin, peacemaking between father and son. Hugh followed the Whig ,de and Lieutenant
Donald Shaw were ~olun~eers to. a larger rendezvous at Cross Creek, where he en- ut Martin
and McBryde refused to t~e lIsted In a regIment of the North Carolina Continental Line.22
He nd left their families to seek refuge In was to become a good soldier, a veteran of
many battles. His nued as officers in the British service.2O reminiscen~es of war service
make fascinating reading today.
lctory heartened all patriotic Ame~icans, ~eanwhIle, North Carolina's Council of
Safety adopted the defeat of the British at Concord In the Halifax R~solves that echoed
the Declaration of Independence or the Whig cause, Philip Alston and and proclaImed the
new State "absolved from all Allegiance to the re commissioned colonels in the State
British Crown." The Provincial Congress met later in 1776. In r neighbors in armed
uni~s to s~out ~he Dece.mber it adopted a State constitution and a Bill of Rights. ,r
those who still dared sIde wIth King Offi~Ial~ were named for all counties and
communities. Among
th~ J,ustIces of the peace appointed for Cumberland County were me, Alston called
for a muster at Henry PhIlIp Alston and Thomas Matthews.23
156 Notes
21. Alston was a colonel by]une, says Hugh McDonald in Clark,op. cit., 11,p.
22. f~ 830. Matthews is mentioned as a militia colonel in ibid., 18, p. 198, and
Moon ! Car~thers, op. c;t., p. 382. Courtj Q 22. Hugh McDonald in Saunder~, op. cit., 11,
pp. 828-30. Daniel Buie is listed for th~ S4 in Moore County's 1790 census; see
Wicker, op. cit., p. 305. Gasters were in the (herell it region by 1771, says listing of a
deed in ibid., p. 66. Cle~k I
!