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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter from John Frohock and Alexander Martin to William Tryon
Frohock, John, d. 1772; Martin, Alexander, 1740-1807
March 18, 1771
Volume 08, Pages 533-536

[B. P. R. O. Am. & W. Ind. No. Carolina. Vol. 218.]
Letter from John Frohock and Alexander Martin to Governor Tryon.

Salisbury 18th March 1771.

May it please Your Excellency

As you have been ever attentive to the true Interest of the Province during your Administration and have exerted every prudent method to maintain its Public Peace by endeavouring to quell a most dangerous and lawless Insurrection that has of late disturbed this part

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of your Government permit us Sir to discharge our Duty on this Occasion by informing you to what issue Regulation (as it is called) is brought and upon what Footing it stands at present in the District of Salisbury.

The Regulators upon their return from their Expedition to rescue Herman Husband, formed a design to visit Salisbury Superior Court which hearing one of us went down into their Settlements to know the reality of their Intentions and found them assembled for that purpose, though peaceably disposed beyond expectation. On the sixth of this Instant they accordingly appeared to the amount of four or five hundred incamped in the Woods on this side of the Adkin River. We went to them found some of them Armed and others unarmed desired to know their Designs and what they wanted. They answered they came with no Intention to disturb the Court or to injure the Person or property of any one, only to petition the Court for a redress of Grievances against Officers taking exorbitant Fees, and that their Arms were not for Offence, but to defend themselves if assaulted. These were the general Answers of their Chiefs, though there were several Threats and Menaces of whipping flung out by the lower Characters among them against some particular persons but not by the general voice. We told them there was not any Court, that from this late Behavior the Judges did not think it prudent to hold one at Salisbury under the direction of Whips and Clubs. They seemed somewhat concerned and said there would have been no danger for the Chief Justice to have held a Court, but as to the Associates they were silent. We further told them if any of us were the persons against whom they had complaints justly founded We were always ready and willing to give them satisfaction without their disturbing the public Peace. They intimated we were some of the persons against whom they were to complain and to shew their disposition for peace and that all disputes between them and us should subside hereafter they formed a Committee to wait on us, and to propose a plan of accommodating matters, who were Jeremiah Fields, Joshua Teague, Samuel Jones, John Vickery, Samuel Waggoner, James Graham, John Enyart, James Hunter, Peter Julian, John Corry, Henry Wade, William Wilborn Junr, Samuel Law, Thomas Flack, Daniel Galaspie and James Wilson, who proposed in behalf of the people (as they said) to leave every complaint and dispute subsisting between us to men by each of us to be indifferently chosen, to which we readily agreed as equitable.

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Accordingly on their part they nominated Herman Husband, James Graham, James Hunter and Thomas Person, We in turn chose Matthew Locke, John ——, Samuel Young and James Smith, that they or a majority of them should Arbitrate and finally settle every difference between us whatsoever. And also fixed the Time for the meeting of the Arbitrators and every person concerned on the third Tuesday in May next at John Kimborough's on Huwaree. By this Agreement no Officer is included but those of this County and those who voluntarily join the same. Upon which the main Body after being informed what had been done, went through the Town, gave three Cheers and returned to their homes without using Violence to any Person whatsoever to our knowledge.

This may it please your Excellency is a short detail of what passed between the Regulators and us the sixth and seventh of this instant and had they been insolent and daring enough to have committed any Outrages, there were in consequence of Orders given previous to their coming three Companies of the Militia armed headed by their respective Officers, Major Dobbins, Captain Rutherford and Captain Berger ready in Town to oppose them and to protect the Court if there had been any: And on the seventh Day Colo Alexander and Captain Polk appeared from Mecklenburg with Seventy or Eighty men for the same purpose, to whom the Thanks of this County are justly due. From such appearances of Opposition this deluded people begin to grow sick of Regulation and want peace upon any tolerable Terms. As the Spirit of sedition has been propagated with much industry among the lower class of Inhabitants here, who are loud in their clamors against the officers, We flatter ourselves the Measures we have taken will be approved of and acceptable to your Excellency, having a tendency to still the minds of many misinformed misguided, though well meaning persons who have been inadvertantly drawn into join the Faction. For we are conscious of our Innocence and that their complaints are chiefly groundless and are willing and desirous that any set of reasonable men may inspect and judge our conduct. This when the populace is once satisfied if they will drop their prejudices and their haughty Leaders will become Objects of their, as well as the Government Resentment. This procedure we expect will have more effect on their Minds than all the Formalities of Law whatsoever, as they would still suggest they had injustice done them. They want they say to converse with the Officers who have taken

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their Money to satisfy them for what (this is surely reasonable) and they will all be quiet again, This we have undertaken to do and Time must produce the Effect. If our hopes and wishes be not too sanguine, perhaps this may be the foundation of putting an End to all future Tumult and disorder, and would hope that our conduct by no means reflects any dishonor on the Government or lessen the dignity of the Administration to punish those Offenders heretofore guilty of outrages, adequate to their Crimes, but shows the desire and readiness of us to remove every complaint they may have against us, without involving the Government in a considerable and unnecessary Expence. But should these Terms not have their desired effect the aggravation of their guilt will surely be much the greater. Upon the whole we submit these proceedings to your Excellencys wiser Judgment and flatter Ourselves with the Approbation. We assure you Sir we shall always be fond of whatever Instruction you shall please to honor us with relative to our future conduct, in which the peace and welfare of the Government is so much concerned.

We are with our utmost Respect &c
JOHN FROHOCK.
ALEXr MARTIN.