LENOIR COUNTY, NC - Biography - James Madison Hines, 1811-1887.
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Genealogy Vertical File, Lenoir Community College Learning Center, Box 188,
Kinston, N.C. 28501 - Hines 08662-5
We thank the staff at LCC for their permission to copy selected documents
from their file to place on the Internet. It is requested that researchers
give appropriate credit when using these documents. Permission to combine
said documents together in printed form is not given.
(all spelling and punctuation is by the original author)
HINES
written by
Waitman Thompson Hines
July, 15th, 1925
Synopsis of my Fathers life and talks he gave me in my young days and
in his old age days, given me at different times which occurred in several
years. My Father was married three times. He was first married to
Catherine Cobb, daughter of Enoch Cobb, of Wayne County. They had two
children, my Fathers wife Catherine and a son Ben who was a doctor and
first settled in the country, moved country to Wilmington and finally to
Hickory. By my Fathers first marriage to Catherine Cobb, there were seven
children born of which was one set of boy twins. Except the twins all the
children died young. His wife Catherine, died with taking cold just after
having measles. I heard my Father and Mother say his first wife Catherine,
was a good woman. His second marriage was to Nancy Thompson, my mother,
the daughter of Waitman and Edna Thompson of Wayne County. They had to
live to my recollection five daughters, Hettie, Evelyn, Nancy, my fathers
second wife, and my mother, Annie, and Emma and one son Waitman Thompson
Jr.. By his marriage to Nancy Thompson, my mother, there were nine
children born, William E., Lovit, Sarah E., Amelia Gertrude, Alice, died in
enfancy, Julia E., Waitman Thompson, myself, Hettie Magdeline and Susan
Oliveiar, died of typhoid fever aged about eight years. Sarah E. who
married Miller Byrd Creech, died about fifteen years ago supposed poisened
from the bite of an insect. Lovit, died about three years age of kidney
trouble and anemia. The rest are all living; William E. at Denning, New
Mexico. Julia A., who married Jesse Hill, at Glenville, Georgia; Hettie
Magdeline, who married Thomas Aldridge at the old Hines homestead near La
Grange and Amelia Gertrude who never married and lives also at the old
Hines homstead. Waitman Thompson, myself lives at Kinston.
His third marriage was to Bettie Jackson Howard, a widow of Lenior
County. This was not a happy marriage. She was a good and pure woman but
it was just a case of miss matched, raised in different surroundings. My
father James Madison Hines was born April 13th, 1811 and was the son of
Willis Hines and Sarah Caraway Hines. I have never known his grandfather
Hines name. His grandfather by his mother was Adam Caraway. At the time
of my fathers birth, 1811, it was Wayne County near the Duplin County line
and not a great ways from the section of Seven Springs now in Wayne County
right near White Hall on Neuse river as his name implies he was born during
President Madisons administration. From his youth up he was always an
early riser and a very obedient son to his father, having been selected
from about half a dozen boys, his brothers, to feed the stock early in the
morning, preparatory for the work on the farm. It was on a farm as most
all of the important people lived in the country on farms in those days.
His father, my grandfather, Willis Hines was drowned in the Neuse River
above White Hall at I think what was then known as Broadhurst Ferry. He
had been fording the river at that point but at the time of his drowning
there had been rain in the upper Country that had swollen the stream that
he did not know of and he was in deep water before he knew it so that he
was washed off his horse and drowned. In those days about all travel was
done on horse-back or by the stage. After his death all the sons except my
father moved to Alabama, as also some of his sisters; my father was
appointed to settle the estate and doing so had to make two trips to
Alabama. The first trip he made by horse-back taking with him as company
and protection his nephew Jesse Pipkin. On this trip he has told me
several times that if it had not been for his easy waking he was satisfied
they would have been murdered. They stopped for the night with a man who
assigned them to a room in the back of the house. (next line did not copy
and is missing, then continues) Satisfying himself that all was not right
he called out a little loud to his nephew to wake up and prepare quick for
defense, and immediately the noise stopped. There were several talking and
they had also been doing some sawing. I think my father left early the
next morning without breakfast but I know he stayed, they slept no more
that night.
When in Alabama, he stated that he saw some of the most fertile land
he ever saw. That at one of his brothers, Charles, that he saw oaks cut
down lying on the ground that were so large that to stand by the side of it
he could not see the ground by the side of the tree on the other side of it
and he was about my height, five ft.,. nine inches. He also stated further
of its fertility that of a calm morning you could hear for a mile off
cattle going through the cane brakes it was so dense and tall. While
visiting another one of his brothers, Lovit, who owned more than one
plantation; that on one of his plantations there was an artesian well with
such an overflow that the water from it ran a cotton mill and my father was
told that there was sufficient power besides that would run a cotton gin
which he expected to attach to it. My father said he did not go right to
the mill but in riding the road it was pointed out to him, the buildings,
which he did see at a distance. After my father died and I had understood
this to be just as stated, it seemed so unreasonable that for fear that I
had misunderstood him that I never told it until a year or two ago while I
was around at Mr. N.J. Rouses, he asked me if I had ever heard it. I told
Mr. Rouse that my father had told me of it more than once in my young days
but, for fear I had misunderstood him I had never repeated it an the
account of what was no doubt that it was so that he heard his father, the
late Noah J. Rouse, tell it several times and that it was generally talked
of at the time the mill was running. Brother Lovit, married Margarette
Kenon, and I was told by cousin Sally Edmondson Gurley, that from that
family of Kenons, the Hotel Kenon, in Goldsboro, was named after the family
of Mr. E. B. Borden, of Goldsboro, got to be one of the largest stock
holders in it. Before that time and while Mr. Lot Humphrey, Senator
Simmons Father-in-law owned it., it was known as the Gregory Hotel or
House. His brother Lovit and wife Margarette had several children but lost
them all young but he had one sister and two brothers who died and they all
left thirteen orphan children which his brother Lovit, raised, educated and
started in life. At his death the owned three plantations, one he left to
his widow and these children; one to the other relatives in Alabama and
the third one to relatives in North Carolina, of which my father was one of
the heirs; the Roberts, family of Mount Olive, and Willis Pipkin of
Goldsboro. This has been in my recollection as I know his nephew Willis
Pipkin, bought my fathers interest in it. Will state here that in the
Roberts family, my fathers sister, Ann there were two Doctors; Dr. Gideon
Roberts, a physician very much loved in the whole community and he had a
son Dr. Jas Roberts, who was the first superintendent of the Eastern
Hospital at Goldsboro, a state colored hospital. His brothers, Frederick
and Bryant, he spoke of them as being settled well and of buying here for
his brother, Bryant, some men slaves, single. His brother, John, was never
married, after gathering his crop of cotton one year he took it down to New
Orleans to sell and was never heard of again.
The United States at that time was in war with Mexico and his brother
John had talked of joining the United States Army to go in the war and was
generally understood that he did it and was killed in the war.
His next trip he took again with him his nephew, Jesse Pipkin and this
time they went by stage coach. On one of the trips this one by stage I
think just before going through Georgia there had been an uprising of the
Indians and they attacked the stage and killed (.....last line on page
did not copy.....) uprising that they saw the old papers and letters
scattered over the woods. He stated the Indians mode of attack was to come
out of the thick and attack but as soon as opposition was offered to go to
the thick and swamps and run fighting over their shoulders as they ran. On
his return by stage the driver got drunk and let the horse run away turning
the stage over so that his right hand had most all the flesh torn out of
the palm of his hand. His hand after that was always drawn together on
the inside. He was delayed some little time for his hand to heal but his
nephew, Jesse Pipkin, remained with him and helped him home safely. His
nephew, Jesse Pipkin, was killed young at a saw mill by the boiler
exploding.
After his marriage to Catherine Cobb, he settled on the opposite side
of Neuse River from where he was raised on a plantation which his father-
in-law Mr. Cobb gave my fathers wife Catherine Cobb Hines and here he
commenced to raise hogs as a money crop. His hogs he used to drive to sell
in lower part of Duplin county, Pender County and upper portion of New
Hanover County. His mode was to take a drove of hogs and drive to these
sections taking along a wagon to carry any that would give out and when
these sections were reached they would separate quanity any party would
want and have them butchered and weighed until the whole drove was disposed
of in this way. Along the road on these drives there were places called
taverns that they would put up for the night and get his men fed and lodged
and stock fed. Some of these talks were rather humorous about some things.
He told me of an acquaintance that stopped at one of these taverns for a
meal and the lady charged him a ridiculous price for it and no complaint
induced her to reduce the charge. This acquaintance made up his mind that
he would get even with her at some future time.
There was in the neighborhood a man by the name of Broadhurst that had the
reputation of being a tremendous eater. It was said of him that where he
worked it was known of him that he would eat a big breakfast and as he
worked some distance from the house, that his employer would have him ample
dinner fixed to take with him for dinner. In leaving for his work he would
always stop at the gate, eat his dinner and set his pail on top of the
gatepost until he returned at night,. When this acquaintance made next
trip by this tavern of the high priced lady, he employed the Mr.
Broadhurst, who was the big eater to drive his wagon so that the
acquaintance went ahead and ate his dinner or meal and told the lady that
he had a boy behind with his wagon and that he would stop there and to let
him have dinner and for which he paid the lady. It so happened that
Broadhurst did reach the tavern very early for dinner before regular time.
As happened, Broadhurst reached the place a little ahead of dinner and told
the lady he was in a hurry and would be pleased to eat then. She fixed the
table and put on all that was to be for dinner and had him to dinner
before the others arrived. She had a roast turkey and after she thought
Broadhurst had had time to about finish she went in the dinning room and
found him turning the turkey over and asked him to not mess it all up as
she had others to eat. His reply to her, madam he would bring both ends
together. It was said that when Broadhurst left the table there was but
little left except the frame of the turkey and other things about in
proportion. All old people of that section have heard of Broadhurst, the
big eater. I have heard him spoken of by several not many years ago. The
Broadhurst family was very patriotic and numerous in that time.
He told of another interesting case about one family of Broadhursts. That
one was right poor and there was born to him boy twins. In the
neighborhood was a widow of right much means and just after the birth of
the twins she met the father and he was complaining of his hard luck with a
family and poor and the birth of the twins. The widow who owned a grist
mill told him to go down to her mill and tell the miller to grind him a
barrel of corn and he could use it to help raise the babies. They were
named Jack and Joe. The widow visited them quite often and helped the
family in other ways right much. She became very fond of one of them and
called him her baby and when the boy was grown he married the widow. The
twins were so much alike that in later years the other brother came to
visit his brother and his wife but before going in the presence of the wife
they exchanged clothes so that when they went before the wife she spoke and
embraced the husband for the brother and did not discover her mistake until
told of it. Of course her age had something to do with the error as she
was quite old. He also told me of another humorous instance and I think
was also of a Broadhurst; anyway, we will call his name Broadhurst. Mr.
Broadhurst got up one morning and found his wife in a bad humor so went out
and told one of his men to catch a horse and go after the doctor that his
wife was ill. The doctor came in due time to the house and found the wife
up and about her work and well. The doctor went out where the man was and
told him that his man had been for him and said his wife was right sick but
he had found her up and apparently well. Mr. Broadhuirst told the doctor
how it was and laughed it of as a joke but paid the doctor for his visits.
In those days, which must have been between 1830 and 1840, from what
my father told me, people were much more superstitious. He told me of a
murder committed in that section. There was a young lady, Nancy Bayett by
name, and a cousin of my father, who went to spend Saturday night with
another lady friend in the neighborhood. Sunday morning after breakfast
she left to go home to attend religious service. She did not reach home in
the course of time, when search was made for her and she was found near the
road leading to her home, murdered. Brother of the girl with whom she
spent the night before was suspicioned of the crime. He was known to have
been in a pond or swampy place that morning near the road which she passed
and sometime after she should have passed; to have returned home wet and
muddy and to have changed his clothes. He claimed to have been in this
place shooting black birds. In those days it was claimed that when murder
was committed and the guilty party should put his hand on the face of the
one murdered that the murdered one would bleed fresh blood. She was dug up
and he was tried three different times and my father said he saw the last
trial and she was so near decaying that the flesh stuck to the palm of his
hand. He was never tried for there was never sufficient proof. He
afterwards left the neighborhood and was never heard of again. In those
times the hatred between Tories and patriotic citizens was so great that
the Tories carried a riding saddle to their backs to keep from being shot
from behind. It was a law that in those days all able bodied men should be
mustered out once a year to practice drill. That day was the second
Thursday in August and father stated that men on that day sowed their
turnip patch early in the morning and then went to muster the balance of
the day.
All postage on letters sent by mail then was paid for at the receiving
post office by the person receiving the letters and postage was much more
than now. About all clothes were made on the plantation, the cotton and
wool was all carded, spun and woven by hand on the plantation. It was very
seldom that a man felt able to buy store clothes and ladies that could wear
laces and silks were considered quite rich. On the plantation the hides
were taken good care of, home tanned and a shoemaker would come once or
twice a year as needs demanded and make up shoes for about all on the
plantation. The farmers most all had last that would fit each one on the
place, white and black.
The common plates, spoons, and such that could be made from pewter,
were made of pewter and some men had moulds for remoulding the old pewter
and would go round from plantation to plantation and remould old pewter
articles over as the gave out. I have a piece of this old pewter that my
father used for a quart pot. Before cotton gins were invented the lint
cotton was picked from the seed by hand. Every night after supper all
black and white filled their shoe with seed cotton and when they were
through picking the seed from it they went to bed. That was a task for all
to pick a shoe full of seed cotton before bedtime. After Mr. Cobb gave my
fathers wife Catherine the plantation he sold his own land and bought
adjoining his wifes. Mr. Cobb, also gave his daughter ten slaves and as
soon as he could sell his land and buy more he moved all his own slaves
over so that they would all be under one management. His wifes plantation
was a good deal river low lands and over flowed at times so that a good
portion of the crops were lost. The land she bought was up lands and not
overflow.
We often think that a spring is cold or the coldest of record. Father
told me that one spring while he lived there was cold and that snow came
that covered the ground good as late as May. He said that spring the
catapillars were so numerous in the low grounds of the river that they were
eating all foliage from the trees as they went and had eaten out the low
grounds and taking to the hills when this snow came and killed all the
catapillars as well as the corn and he thought it an act of providence that
it came or the catapillars would have it an act of providence that it came
or the catapillars would have destroyed every growing crop and all the
foliage before them.
In those days there was very little money in circulation and most of
the business was done by exchange. It was also before railroads were built
and people would send by wagon their produce to a seaport town and exchange
it for what was needed. New Bern, was his nearest seaport town so he most
always landed it there, though sometimes to Wilmington and I think
Fayetteville. In going to New Bern, they would leave home very early in
the morning so as to get hey and the Dover pocasin, which was between his
home and New Bern, by night and camp for the night. The next morning they
would drive to new Bern, which was eight or ten miles. In returning they
would leave in the afternoon and camp in the same place and go home the
next day. Dover pocasin, they was noted for much robbery and they never
wanted to be caught in the pocasin during the night. The neighbors going
to market would arrange to go along together for protection. I think he
said there was always some from other sections that camped in the same
camp. On one of these trips his wagon driver who was one of his slaves
told him that the night he was in camp that some other negroes come out of
the woods and while talking with this driver whistled and some negroe
girls, grown, came out of the woods to them and these men told the driver
these girls had never seen a white mans face. They had been born and
reared in the woods. Dover pocasin, was noted for a great many runaway
slaves. At one time they got right numerous and built huts in some of the
thickest of it and so protected themselves that you could not get in to
them without giving them some warning. They became so troublesome stealing
and their signals being discovered they were raided and finally broken up.
There was very little wheat raised though all the farmers raised some.
Up to past his middle life the only means to threshing was over a pole by
hand or put it around in a circle and ride horses around on it until they
walked it out and then it had to be washed and dried. Then came the little
ground thresher operated by horse power. The small grain was run through
the thresher with the straw, chaff and wheat all falling on the ground
together with the straw being thrown out and the grain and chaff taken up
and run through a dutch fan which separated the chaff from the grain. By
holding the two together in a vessel up a little high and letting it fall
in a vessel below when the wind would separate two after sufficient
operations, this was done before the invention of the dutch fan. Then came
along the separator run by steam which separated straw, chaff and grain all
in one operation. After cotton gins were invented they were first run by
horse power and the cotton was first packed by hand with a stick in large
sacks and then the cotton screw was used for packing cotton and made the
same shaped bales we have now. It was a great deal larger than the cotton
press and covered right much space. There is one of these old screws still
standing on the old Jerry Sutton farm in Buckleberry. The first cotton
gins in my recollections, two to three bales were all that could be ginned
in them per day. There was not near as much cotton raised in those days in
this state. People had not got using fertilizer much and the improved
farming implements.
The crimes that were committed were much more trouble to capture the
criminals than our present day with phones. He told me of a criminal by
the name of Murrel, that stole slaves and carried them in other sections
and sold them. He carried this stealing and often murder went on for
several years before he was caught. He was a very shrewd criminal and
evaded the law by having men under him that he could shift the crime to but
he was finally judged an outlaw and when captured and convicted, was sent
to the penitentiary for life and as he was a blacksmith by trade was given
tin the prison two forges attend as punishment for his crime.
There was supposed to have been another right noted criminal by name
of Johnikin but he was never convicted as he always had some one else that
he could put the crime to. He lived near old Waynesboro and there
disappeared from the community a man who was a horse trader. He left
Waynseboro, one evening and his route was by Johnikins and he was never
heard of afterwards but Johinikins, was suspicioned. He was a man of much
means and influence, my father said he was at court at Waynseboro, once
when there was a case against Johnikins and he heard the Judge asked about
it and it seemed that he was not found to have the papers served and the
Judge told the sheriff that if Johnikins, was not at next court that the
sheriff would be fined so much. The sheriff had him there but he was not
convicted. Johinkins, kept a very strong fence all around his yard and two
very fierce dogs. He had a very trusty slave that died before he did and
at his death requested to be buried beside this trusty slave. He lost a
wife also and the neighbors thought he should be buried besides his wife
instead of the slave and in digging the grave besides his wife they dug up
saddle stirrups and other parts of saddle, horse bones and I think a mans
bones also and when these were found it was generally supposed that this
was the missing horse trader that he had murdered and burried there.
(hand written at the bottom of this manuscript is the following notation)
James Madison Hines was born in Wayne County Apr. 13, 1811 d. Lenoir Co. 6-
1-1887 lived near Institute and was County Treas. 14 years.