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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Minutes of the Rowan County Committee of Safety
Rowan County (N.C.). Committee of Safety
September 23, 1774
Volume 09, Pages 1072-1075

[From MS. Records in Office of Secretary of State.]
Proceedings of the Committee of Safety for Rowan County.

September 23rd 1774.

At a meeting of the Committee at Salisbury on the 23rd Day of September 1774

William Kennon Esqr in the Chair.

Adlai Osborne Esqr Clerk.

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The Resolves of the Provincial Congress met at New Bern on the 25th Day of August last, were read and unanimously agreed to—

Resolved, That 25 Persons be appointed a Committee to correspond with the Provincial Congress and to see that the Resolutions of the Continental and Provincial Congress be carried into Execution by the Inhabitants of this county.

Resolved, That in case of the death of any of the said Committee, or refusing to act, the Survivors or Residue have power to elect others to maintain the Number of twenty-five.

Resolved, That the following Persons constitute the said Committee, Viz. James McCay, Andrew Neal, George Cathy, Alexander Dobbin, Francis McKon, Matthew Locke, Maxwell Chambers, Henry Harmon, Abraham Denton, William Davison, Samuel Young, John Brevard, William Kennon, George Henry Barger, Robert Bell, John Bickerstaff, John Couden, John Lewis Beard, John Nisbet, Charles McDowell, Robert Blackburn, Christopher Beckman, William Sharp, John Johnson, Morgan Bryan.

Resolved, That this Committee meet at Salisbury on the Second Day of each County Court, or on the Second Day of the week on which the County Court used to be held.

Resolved, That thirteen of the members of said Committee be a Board to transact Business.

Resolved, William Kennon Esqr. be Chairman of said Committee, and in his absence Maxwell Chambers, and that the Chairman for the time being have Power to convene the Said Committee occasionally.

Resolved, That the Clerk of the Meeting transmit a copy of the Resolves to each Member of Sd Committee.

Resolved, That the People of this county will break off all Trade, Commerce and Dealing, and will not maintain the least Trade, dealing, or Intercourse with any person or persons resident in this county who shall refuse, decline or neglect to carry into Execution the Resolves made at a general Meeting of Deputies of this Province at New Bern the 25th of August last, and that those who offend herein shall be deemed Enemies to their country, and treated accordingly.

Resolved, That the Thanks of the county be given to the Deputies of said County and the Town of Salisbury for their faithful attendance on the Provincial Congress.

Resolved, That each Company of the Rowan Militia raise £20 proc. to be paid into the hands of Mr. Maxwell Chambers. The

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sum of £20 of which Collection is to be transmitted to Col. Richard Caswell, and the Remainder to remain in the hands of Mr Max. Chambers, for defraying future Contingencies—to be disposed of by this Committee.

Resolved, That the Chairman of this Committee as soon as convenient, write to the provincial Committee of Correspondence, informing them that there is a Committee elected for the County, ready to correspond with said Committee, and also a letter to Richard Caswell, Esqr, requesting an account of the proceedings at the Continental Congress.

Resolved, That Will Davison, John Bickerstaff and Robert Bell wait on the Messrs Jno and Will Kelly to desire their attendance on this Committee in order to answer a charge of having infringed the Provincial Resolves by selling powder at a higher rate than it had been sold at for three months past.

Messrs John and Will Kelly attended accordingly, and being examined with regard to powder which they acknowledged to have sold for ten shillings per ℔,

Resolved, That 5s. is a sufficient price for powder at this time.

Resolved, That any person who shall sell or buy powder for more than 5s. shall be deemed an Enemy to his Country, and treated accordingly. Be it remembered that Will Kelly acknowledged that 10s per ℔ was too great a price for powder, and that his intention was to sell 6d cheaper per ℔ than any other Merchant in the County. But that John Kelly, to whom the Powder belonged, would not permit him, and the said John Kelly declared that he would not sell his powder for 5s proc.

An advertisement signed by John Dunn and Benjamin Booth Boote being read in this Committee,

Resolved, That the said advertisement contains sundry allegations altogether false, scandalous, wicked and impertinent, and that the authors thereof justly merit the Censure and detestation of their Country.

A Paper being read in the Committee known to be a copy of a Paper called a Protest referred to in the above advertisement composed by the said John Dunn and Benjamin Booth Boote,

Resolved, That the said Paper is in the highest Degree false and contemptible and even bordering upon Blasphemy, and that the authors thereof ought to be treated with the Contempt which the

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authors of so infamous a Performance deserve, and as Enemies to their Country.

Resolved, That a copy of the above Resolves respecting the advertisement and paper called a Protest, composed by John Dunn and Ben. B. Boote, be put up against the two posts of the Gallows and the whipping post to demonstrate the contempt in which the Committee hold the authors of so infamous a performance.

Then this Committee adjourned.

WILL KENNON, Chairman.
Adlai Osborne, Clk.