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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Deposition of Ransom Sutherland concerning the resolutions of the Regulators
Sutherland, Ransom
August 03, 1768
Volume 07, Page 799

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North Carolina
Orange County } No. 16.

This Day came Ransom Sutherland before me James Thackston one of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the said County who being sworn on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God Deposeth & saith That on Monday the first day of August 1768 he set out from Hillsborough in Company with Mr Tyree Harris the late Sheriff of the said County of Orange to a meeting of those people who stile themselves Regulators which he had heard was to be at the plantation of George Adam Sally's in the said County on the next day and that accordingly on Tuesday about 12 o'clock he this Deponent with the said Harris got to the said Sally's where on their arrival they found as near as this Deponent could tell about two hundred men assembled many of whom were armed, That soon after he saw the said Harris deliver a letter which he said he received from His Excellency the Governor to one of the Company viz. James Hunter, the said Hunter immediately read the same publickly in which it was recommended to them to pay their Levies due for the year 1767 to the said Harris and that they should not molest or disturb him or his deputies in the legal execution of their Office in collecting the same, after Hunter had finished reading the said letter the People seemed unanimously to deny paying their Taxes. This Deponent further sayeth that he heard the people say to the said Harris that if he should distrain on them for their Levies that they would abuse him and kill any Person that should distrain for their levies, further this Deponent sayeth that he does sincerely believe that those people would have murdered the said Harris or any other Officer that should have distrained for the Publick Taxes further this Deponent sayeth not—

RANSOM SUTHERLAND.
(Signed)
James Thackston.

The 3rd day of August 1768.