Chronology

Baptists form the Sandy Creek Association

Baptist churches in the Sandy Creek country, then part of Orange County, joined in the Sandy Creek Association. During the Regulation the association expelled members who joined the movement.

Sandy Creek men challenge the register's deed fees in the Orange County court

Using a copy of the province's revised laws bought jointly by two men, one of them a county justice, two Sandy Creek men copied the lawful fees for registering deeds and objected in court to what they were charged. Threatened with arrest for contempt, they gave up, and the justice who half owned the book was soon put out of his commission.

Part of The Regulator crisis, 1766–1771 · 116 events

The governor's Council thanks Edmund Fanning and his men for their conduct against the Regulators

After Tryon read the Council his cold reply to the Regulators' petition, which forbade further meetings and told them to let the taxes be collected, Fanning was called into the room and formally thanked with his men for their behavior in the recent troubles.

People: Edmund Fanning · William Tryon

Regulators ask Orange County's late sheriff and a vestryman to bring the tax accounts

Meeting again, the Regulators asked the former sheriff and a vestryman to meet their committee with lists of taxables, insolvents and public spending, and asked the county's assemblymen to come and show the law for the fees charged on deeds. Two men were chosen to carry the request, but the seizure of a Regulator's mare days later overtook it.

Part of The Regulator crisis, 1766–1771 · 116 events

More than 400 Orange County inhabitants sign a petition to the governor and council

At the April 30 meeting the Regulators drew up a petition to the governor and council in the name of the inhabitants of Orange County, to be held back unless the officers failed to settle. Herman Husband, not yet a Regulator, was among more than 400 signers.

Part of The Regulator crisis, 1766–1771 · 116 events

People: Herman Husband

The governor's secretary posts Tryon's proclamation at Hillsborough

On the day the Regulators met to choose their delegates, Governor Tryon's secretary Edwards reached Hillsborough and put up the governor's proclamation against the disturbances. Fanning set out for Sandy Creek with an armed party the next day.

People: Edmund Fanning · Isaac Edwards

Orange militia is called out against the Regulators, and only 120 armed men appear

With Edmund Fanning away at the Halifax court, Lieutenant Colonel Gray reported the Hillsborough horse rescue and was ordered to raise seven militia companies. Only 120 men came with arms, and the officers judged that no more than 150 men in the county could be relied on, so they agreed to a truce and named three men to meet the Regulator leaders on April 20.

People: Edmund Fanning

Orange Regulators send their papers to the Regulators of Anson County

Asked by the Anson County Regulators how to organize, the Orange Regulators sent them a copy of their May 21 proceedings, to keep them from running into errors, and promised more papers. Bassett thinks this advice helped turn the Anson movement toward petitioning that August.

Part of The Regulator crisis, 1766–1771 · 116 events

Ralph McNair presses Herman Husband to adopt a petition written by the officers

After the May confrontation at Hillsborough, the county officers sent Husband, through Ralph McNair, a petition of their own drafting in which the Regulators would call their conduct illegal and withdraw their charges. McNair warned that Fanning would report the case to Tryon as treason if it was refused, and the Regulators instead named their own committee to lay their papers before the governor.

Part of The Regulator crisis, 1766–1771 · 116 events

People: Herman Husband · Edmund Fanning · Ralph McNair

Governor Tryon arrives at Hillsborough and stays into August

Tryon came to Hillsborough in early July 1768 and stayed until mid-August, hoping the county would submit, while the Regulators went on refusing their taxes. He left for Salisbury on August 17.

People: William Tryon

Regulators hear the governor's letter from the sheriff and resolve to petition the Assembly

At a Regulator meeting called to answer Tryon's reply, the Orange sheriff read a letter and proclamation telling them to submit to tax collection. The sheriff and his deputy swore the crowd refused and threatened them; Husband said the people only told the sheriff they would take the matter to the Assembly, and the meeting sent Tryon an answer saying so.

Part of The Regulator crisis, 1766–1771 · 116 events

People: Herman Husband

Sheriff John Lea brings the Regulators Tryon's demand for a 1,000 pound bond

On the day set for settling accounts, the former sheriff stayed away and the new sheriff, John Lea, brought a severe letter from Tryon, endorsed by three councillors at Hillsborough. It demanded that twelve leading Regulators meet him at Salisbury by August 25 and give a 1,000 pound bond that no one would try to rescue Butler and Husband at the September court; Tryon left for Salisbury the same day.

People: William Tryon · William Butler (Regulator) · Herman Husband

Regulators refuse to give Tryon the bond he demanded

Two days after Lea delivered the demand, the Regulators answered that their peaceable leaders could restrain the rest only if they stayed free of such a bond, and that they had never meant to rescue the prisoners, only to ask the governor to dissolve the Assembly.

Presbyterian ministers, among them Henry Pattillo of Orange, write against the Regulation

While Tryon toured Rowan and Mecklenburg to raise troops, Presbyterian ministers Hugh McAden, James Creswell, Henry Pattillo and David Caldwell sent him a letter of loyalty condemning the Regulators, and the pastors also wrote to the colony's Presbyterians telling them to keep out of the movement. The letter was read to the Rowan militia and helped raise volunteers for the march on Hillsborough.

People: Henry Pattillo · David Caldwell · William Tryon · Hugh McAden

Tryon musters about 400 militia at Hillsborough and swears them to allegiance

When the town was thought to be in danger, Tryon called out the militia but could gather only about 400 men, to whom he gave an oath of allegiance to the King and the provincial government before sending them home.

People: William Tryon

Tryon's army gathers at Hillsborough to guard the superior court

Tryon reached Hillsborough on September 19 with 195 Rowan and 310 Mecklenburg volunteers, and two days later 699 Orange and 120 Granville militia joined them. With gentlemen volunteers, artillery and officers the force came to 1,461 men, a quarter of the Assembly among its officers.

People: William Tryon · Edmund Fanning · Thomas Lloyd (died 1792) · Thomas Hart

Tryon sends troops out to arrest the Regulator leaders

The day after the Regulators dispersed, Tryon sent a body of troops to seize the men he most wanted. Some gave themselves up and others resisted, but all who were taken were soon let go because no true bill could be found against them.

People: William Tryon

The last of Tryon's militia leave Hillsborough

The troops stayed in town through the court term, began to be discharged on September 28, and the last detachment marched away on October 2. The expedition cost the province 4,844 pounds.

People: William Tryon

Dennis Bradley is acquitted at Hillsborough of burning the Granville jail

At the September 1768 superior court at Hillsborough, which also tried the Regulator cases, Dennis Bradley was tried for burning the Granville County jail and acquitted.

Subject: Orange County jail, Hillsborough

Edmund Fanning resigns as register of Orange County after his conviction

Found guilty at the September court on five counts of taking excess fees for registering deeds, and fined a penny on each, Fanning at once gave up the office of register.

People: Edmund Fanning

Henry Pattillo preaches to Tryon's troops at Hillsborough

While the militia were quartered in Hillsborough, the Presbyterian minister Henry Pattillo preached to them and was publicly thanked. The German minister Suther was ordered to preach to the German troops as well.

Part of The Regulator crisis, 1766–1771 · 116 events

Tyree Harris reports the Regulators ready to pay their taxes

Writing to Tryon, Tyree Harris said that on recent visits to the Regulators in their homes he had found them willing to pay their taxes.

People: William Tryon · Tyree Harris

The Assembly issues 20,000 pounds in paper money to pay the troops raised at Hillsborough

The Assembly that met in November 1768 first proposed 30,000 pounds in paper to pay the militia gathered at Hillsborough and other debts; after the governor and upper house objected it passed a 20,000 pound issue that was not legal tender. Tryon said he signed it because the militia would not turn out again unpaid.

People: William Tryon

The Assembly lets reform bills sought from Orange die

A bill for trying debts under 5 pounds before one justice, asked for in an Orange petition and brought in by Fanning, failed when the two houses split over a rider on riot trials. Bills to form new counties out of Orange and Johnston and out of Orange and Rowan were also rejected, though many people had to travel as far as 60 miles to court.

People: Edmund Fanning

The Assembly pays for printing Micklejohn's sermon to the troops

The Assembly voted to repay the Orange parish minister George Micklejohn for printing the sermon he had preached to the troops at Hillsborough. Bassett, citing Foote's Sketches, reports that the sermon said at least twenty Regulators ought to have been hanged.

People: George Micklejohn

An unsigned address urges Orange County voters to change their assemblymen

When Tryon dissolved the Assembly and called a new election in 1769, an address appeared in Orange, perhaps by Husband, that set out the people's wrongs and told voters the remedy was in their own hands. Orange went on to replace its whole delegation, electing Husband and John Pryor.

Part of The Regulator crisis, 1766–1771 · 116 events

People: Herman Husband

Orange and Rowan Regulators petition the Assembly for reforms

Regulators of Orange and Rowan joined in a petition asking that lawyers and court clerks be barred from the Assembly, that officers be paid salaries, that taxes rest on property, that small debts be tried before one magistrate and a jury of six, and that the county be divided. It also asked that ministers of every denomination be allowed to marry couples and that Assembly votes be recorded.

The March 1769 superior court at Hillsborough hears the Regulators' cases against the officers

With no troops in town, many Regulators came to the March 1769 court to prosecute the officers, with little success. Herman Husband was tried and acquitted, James Hunter's case was continued, and Fanning was tried again on the old fee charge and formally convicted.

People: Herman Husband · James Hunter · Edmund Fanning

Orange County reelects Herman Husband and John Pryor to the Assembly

In the new election called after Tryon dissolved the Assembly in November 1769, Orange again returned the Regulator candidates Husband and Pryor. Fanning, who had lost, came back through the new borough of Hillsborough.

Part of The Regulator crisis, 1766–1771 · 116 events

People: Edmund Fanning · John Pryor

Outlawed Regulator leaders petition Governor Martin for pardon

From hiding, some in South Carolina, Jeremiah Field, Ninian Bell Hamilton, Matthew Hamilton, James Hunter, Thomas Welborn, William Butler and John Fruit asked the new governor, Josiah Martin, for pardon. The Assembly asked mercy for all but Husband, Butler and Howell, but Martin waited because Tryon had left the matter to the Crown.

Part of The Regulator crisis, 1766–1771 · 116 events

People: Josiah Martin · James Hunter · William Butler (Regulator)

Four Orange County militia companies march with Tryon against the Regulators

When Tryon's eastern column gathered on the march from New Bern, Orange and Dobbs each supplied four companies, the largest contingents in a force of 917 rank and file and 151 officers. Two Orange companies were later left to guard Hillsborough when the army moved on to Alamance.

Part of The Regulator crisis, 1766–1771 · 116 events

People: William Tryon

Tryon's army halts at Colonel Mebane's for Sunday worship on the march to Alamance

Leaving Hillsborough on May 11, Tryon stopped on Sunday at Colonel Mebane's for divine service, then marched to the Haw River, where 23 mounted men under Captain Bullock joined as his only cavalry. He ordered his troops not to take property and reached Alamance Creek on May 14.

Part of The Regulator crisis, 1766–1771 · 116 events

People: William Tryon

Regulators seize Colonel John Ashe and Captain Walker and whip them

On the morning before the battle, some of the Regulators caught Colonel John Ashe and Captain Walker while they were out scouting, whipped them severely and held them prisoner. Many Regulators condemned the act, and some threatened to leave the cause if it happened again.

Part of The Regulator crisis, 1766–1771 · 116 events

People: John Ashe

Tryon's army camps a week at Sandy Creek after Alamance

Five days after the battle the army marched to Sandy Creek, the home district of Husband and many Regulators, and stayed a week, taking supplies from the people and giving them the oath of allegiance. It moved west on May 29.

Part of The Regulator crisis, 1766–1771 · 116 events

People: William Tryon

The upper house rejects a general amnesty for the Regulators

Although the British government advised a general amnesty act to close the Regulator prosecutions, the provincial upper house turned the bill down in 1773 because it did not except enough people.