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Texas Troubles

37 Washington County

Report from Chapel Hill

“On the 3 rd day of July our town of Chapel Hill was thrown in quite a commotion by the report that there were Abolitionists among us. A public meeting was called by the citizens, and largely attended. The suspicious persons—old man Clock, his son, and Perkins, his son-in-law—were arrested and brought before the meeting, and a committee of twelve of our most respectable citizens were appointed to inquire into the complaint, made against Clock his son and son-in-law, Perkins. The accused had a fair and impartial trial. It was proven by three or four gentlemen that the accused had repeatedly said that they were abolitionists: that there were three thousand abolitionist in the State: and that in three years the Black Republicans would rule this State, and that they sympathized with the negroes. The committee, after having considered the case, ordered old man Clock, his son and Perkins to leave the State as soon as they could arrange their business. All three left this morning. Old man Clock is about forty years old and hump-backed. Young clock is about twenty-one, and Perkins about twenty-five. Old man Clock had been seen to take negroes in his room and, with closed doors, to converse with them.

  1. You read Pryor’s letter to learn of more developments.