Dear Carole
I did a little digging around in 1998 when we were in the Wash.DC
area. I got a copy of the letter to the Camp researcher, Margaret E.
Koostra of Macon MS and dated 18 Sep 1995. In the letter she is told
"John Camp was accused of treason in January 1783 by the Court of
Pleas and Quarter Sessions of Rutherford County, North Carolina. See
pages 145 + 6 of the Court Minute Abstracts by Hedy H. Newton." [ I
have copies of certain pages from the "Abstracts" by Hedy H. Newton.
The January 1783 Court is abstracted on pages 38-48. The pages
145-146 she mentions in the letter is a part of the book's index. On
p. 41 of the book, there is an entry (p 103 of the original Minutes
of the Court), which lists 31 men, including John and Thomas Camp,
plus others unnamed, Judgement by Default. [Usually default meant the
men did not come into the Inquisition or show cause why their land
should not be confiscated.]
Thomas Camp's was a patriot based on a land grant made to him in 1782
by North Carolina. Deed Abstracts of Tryon, Lincoln & Rutherford Co's
NC 1769-1786 Tryon County Wills & Estates by Brent Holcomb, see pages
141, 152 + 3. I do not have these pages.
From the book Rutherford County North Carolina, Abstracts of
Minutes, Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions 1779-1786, Compiled and
Edited by Hedy Hughes Newton, Copyright 1974. There are numerous
suits accusing many men of treason. The following is just a sampling
of entries for the Rutherford County Court.
Page 39 of Minutes of Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions: Ord. by
Court that the Sheriff summon ... persons supposed to be guilty of
treason against the State to appear at next Court and answer charges.
Page 41: Ord. by Court that the Captains in each Company in the
county ... make a return of all suspected persons in his Company
supposed to be guilty of treason the State and to the Clerk of Court
immediately. Also Ord. that the Clerk do issue summons to Sheriff for
all such persons as soon as return is made.
July 1782
P. 72. Ord. that all persons ..... in the Inquisition by the Grand
Jury for treason or forfeiture and against the State, may apply to
the Clerk of this Court ..... the attendance of witnesses, if any
.... and be prepared for tryal.
Page 73 Ord. the Comissioners of Confiscated property do advertise
all persons (returned?) in the Enquisition by the Grand Jury for
treason, forfeiture, confiscation against the State , to appear at
next Court to answer the Charges.
To advertise sixty days before next Court.
January 1783
Page 115-117. Whereas, Summonses having issued to the Sheriff to
notify the following persons to appear and answer an Inquisition of
treason, felony and forfeiture found against them by the Grand Jury.
To witt: [110 names are listed, including Crenshaw, John, John Jr and
James Camp but not Thomas Camp.]
Page 118. And now being Solemnly called Show cause why their property
should not be Confiscated, failed to appear or Show any Cause. It is
therefore considered by the Court that their property be ADJUDGED forfeited.
April 1783
Page 132. The Clerk read at the door of the Court House the Cert.
....from the Superior Court to the court to stop the proceedings of
the proceedings of Indictment or Inquisitions found by the Grand Jury
July term last.
October 1784
Page 236. A deed for 150 acres land at the High Shoals, the property
of John Camp, sold by virtue execution at the Suit of William
Gilbert, Esq. William Williams bought the same at the ....? thereof.
Ack. by Jno. Lewis, Sheriff.
January 1785
Page 258. A Writ of Error was moved for by John Goodbread and others
on the Suit of William Gilbert against John Goodbread, Joseph
Underwood, Thomas Townsend, John Camp, William Mills, Richard
Ledbetter and Thomas Camp, and on the affidavit of John Crawford in
open court. It is thereupon ord. that a Writ of Error be granted to
the sd John Goodbread, Joseph Underwood, Thomas Townsend, William
Mills and Thomas Camp - on the Judgement that the sd. William Gilbert
recovered against them and that the Clerk Certify the same to
Superior Court acco. to law. [John Camp and Richard Ledbetter are
left off the list for the Writ of Error. Is it just an omission by
the compiler ?]
My apologies for such a long email but it was a very turbulent time
and takes more than one sweeping statement to describe it. Lona