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as allies, led a small detachment of militia to the
banks of
Neuse River.
There, in the upper part of
Craven county, the Indians were intrenched in a rude
fort. With the aid of a few soldiers of
North Carolina, the fort was besieged; but the province was rent by intestine divisions.
Even imminent danger had not roused its inhabitants to harmonious action; they retained their hatred for the rule of the proprietaries; and, surrounded by difficulties,
Barnwell could only negotiate with the Indians a treaty of peace.
The troops of
South Carolina, on their return, themselves violated the treaty, enslaving inhabitants of vil-
lages which should have been safe under its guaranties; and the massacres on
Neuse River were renewed.
The province was impoverished, the people dissatisfied with their government; in autumn, the yellow fever raged under its most malignant form; and the
country south of
Pamlico Sound seemed destined to become once more a wilderness.
But
Spotswood succeeded in dividing the Tuscaroras.
Large reenforcements of Indians from
South Carolina arrived, with a
few white men, under
James Moore; the enemy were pursued to their fort (within the limits of the present
Greene county) on the
Neuse; and, on its surrender, eight hundred became captives.
The legislature of North Carolina, assembling in May, under a new governor, issued its first bills of credit, to the amount of eight thousand pounds; ‘the very refractory’ among the people grew zealous to supply the forces with provisions; the enemy was chased across the lakes and swamps of
Hyde county; the woods were patrolled by red allies, who hunted for prisoners to be sold as slaves, or took scalps for a reward.
At last, the hos-
tile part of the Tuscaroras abandoned their old huntinggrounds,