Retraction, Extraction, Incision, Revisions

It seems in my searching around Johnson counties sites that my curiosity has killed the cat . I am obviously not an archeologist or scientist or historian of my own life. I am a fan of all of the above.

My pony did not come from Clinton, he came from Clayton. Now it comes to me. And besides, a ride in a pick-up truck from Clinton to Cary would take too long for the poor confined dear pony.  That is my Retraction.  I see Clayton was built on a road blazed by the Royal Governor and troops led by Richard Caswell to defeat the Regulators in Hillsborough. That must be my Tryon Road in Cary too. (?)

But I did find a report from Richard Caswell that he led Wake and Johnson county troops at the Battle of Moore's Creek.  He ended up as North Carolina's first Governor. He was revolutionary war general. He died in poverty, having sacrificed everything to achieve independence.  

And apparently, we do not know where he is really buried. Archeologists are studying this. The report I found is from East Carolina University in Pitt County.  They note he was a representative of Johnson county. They investigated a grave and found coffins. That was almost an extraction.  But evidence leads them to decide that grave was not Richard Caswell.

(Side note: We also have a wonderful department at Wake Forest University. The archeologists there are helping the OVTA.  Side note 2: In Wilkes county, the owner of the former home of Col. Benjamin Cleveland still retains a document detailing his claim to the Roundabout with the signature of Richard Caswell. Someday it belongs in a museum. She did allow a printer to copy it recently and I saw that. He was not aware of who Richard Caswell was.  I think this document is of some importance.)

Richard Caswell was a federalist which I guess surprises me.

There is a site you can visit that explains a little more about him in Kinston.

This digital library out of Greenville has a huge amount of information. I used it in these post previously.  Here is more info about Pitt county, but it is categorized as History fiction written in the mid 1800s. So, it is second-hand info I imagine, but what a lot of STORIES. This is movie material.

I have to  escort my first patient to surgery tomorrow, so I will likely not write for several days. That is my incision comment.

And for the sake of a rhyme and catchy title, revision. It is important that folks in the counties of Johnson, Wake, Pitt, etc. continue to research sites, natural areas, people or events that have historical significance if you have any hope of revising the map for the National Heritage Area in NC.  I think the Tory war needs more attention and the political events.  More detail about the life of Richard Caswell might be a great start and would be greatly assisted by help from a National Heritage Area.  Visit the National Park Service Planning Department today!