The Deposition of William Pickett, present Sheriff of the County of Anson, in the province aforesaid, who, being sworn upon the Holy Evenglists, deposeth and saith that he, this Deponent, was appointed Sheriff of Anson for the year of our Lord, 1769, by a commission from His Excellency, the Governor, and that from the time, by Law appointed for Collecting the taxes from the inhabitants of the said County by this Deponent for the year aforesaid, there have been Sundry Dangerous insurrections and outrages committed in the said County of Anson by great numbers of the inhabitants thereof who style themselves Regulators, and that the said Insurgents have combined and confederated together by Oaths and Engagements in writing under their hands to oppose and resist the Sheriff and civil Officers of the said County and that he, the Deponent as Sheriff aforesaid, was thereby greatly abused in the Execution of his said office, and has been and is still hindered in colecting the Taxes for the year aforesaid, and that the goods Distrained by this Deponent and his Deputies raising and levying the said Taxes have been frequently taken away by the said Insurgents by force and violence, and that the Life of this Deponent and those of his Deputies have been greatly endangered and threatened by Lawless violence if they should proceed in collecting of the Taxes whereby this Deponent has been and is still hindered and Deterred from collecting any part of the Taxes for the year aforesaid from the inhabitants of the said County who style themselves Regulators and further this Deponent saith not.