Here is a copy of pages 170 - 171 from a reprint (which I have on CD) of the book: CHAPTER XIX THE FIRST YEARS OF PEACE On the nineteenth of October, 1781, Lord Cornwallis surrendered to General Washington, at Yorktown, in Virginia. It was in the middle of the night, a day or two after, that the news of this closing scene in the mighty drama reached Philadelphia. A watchman in the street called out. “Twelve o’clock, and a cloudy morning Cornwallis taken.” In a short time the whole city was aroused, and the wildest manifestations of joy were displayed. The same news ran rapidly over all the States, and the people in every village and hamlet were filled with gladness. In England, all hope of subjugating the States was abandoned, and Lord North retired from the Ministry and the Whigs took charge of the government. Negotiations for peace were entered into, and five commissioners from the United States met a like number from England in Paris, and a provisional treaty of peace was signed September 3, 1782. A final treaty was signed at the same place, on the third of September, 1783, and each of the original Thirteen Colonies was acknowledged by Great Britain to be an Independent and Sovereign State. But though peace with England was declared, there were many bitter heart burnings in the breasts of the people among themselves. The army was unpaid, and efforts were made to array it against Congress, and thus turn over the public civil government into a military despotism. Nothing but the courage and patriotism of General Washington averted that sad calamity. Besides this there were many Loyalists in every part of the country, some of whom had taken up arms in behalf of Great Britain, and many others had remained neutral in the struggle. When peace came the Whigs could scarcely feel that their Tory neighbors ought to enjoy equal rights and privileges with themselves, and no doubt were easily provoked to taunt them with insulting epithets. These were days of violence, and he who had the brawniest arm, or was most active of limb, came out conqueror. Many of the Loyalists voluntarily removed to distant parts of the country, while others received legal notice to depart. Besides this, suits were brought against many for the confiscation of their property for disloyalty, according to Act of the Assembly of North Carolina. This Act was adopted at the first meeting of the General Assembly under the Constitution, at Newbern, April 8, 1777, and declared it to be treason 141 HISTORY OF ROWAN COUNTY and punishable with death and confiscation of goods, to take commission in the army of Great Britain in North Carolina, or to aid or assist in any way the enemies of the State. The law was terribly severe, and was never fully executed. Still, in 1782, twenty-two persons were summoned to appear before the Rowan Inferior Court charged with disloyalty. Some were found guilty and some were acquitted. But the sale of the property of those found guilty was postponed. At the Inferior Court of Rowan for February, 1783, no less than one hundred and sixty persons were cited to appear and show cause why their estates should not be confiscated. Though the citation was signed with the names of Griffith Rutherford, James Macay, William Sharpe, and Robert Mackie, magistrates, holding the Court, it is recorded that the entire lot made default, and thereby ignored or defied the Court. The curious reader will find a list of their names on Minute Docket of Rowan Inferior Court for February, 1783, volume 1778-86. It has been supposed that a considerable part of the German population of Rowan were neutral or averse to the war. But if such was the case not many of them committed any overt act bringing them within purview of the law providing against disloyalty. Out of one hundred and eighty-two names but a small part-about one-fifth-are German names; the rest are common English names. The revolution of one hundred years have softened the asperities and rounded off the sharp prejudices engendered by the great conflict, and we are now able to see that it could be possible for a man to be conscientiously convinced that it was his duty to maintain his loyalty to the king to whom he had given his oath of allegiance. But it was more than could be reasonably expected of the suffering patriots of that day to see it in that light. Still-slowly, imperceptibly-better days came on, and the husbandman could again devote his whole time to the improvement of his farm, and the good housewives to their domestic affairs. In those days the farmer’s life was far more independent and self-sustaining than at present. With the exception of a few articles, such as iron, salt, a little sugar and coffee or chocolate, pepper and spice, the farm, the flecks and herds yielded all that was consumed at the homes of our people. The table was loaded with home productions.