More About Pender County

Early History

ON Monday, October 12th, 1663, according to historical records, a boat named The Adventure came to anchor a second time in what was called The Cape Fear Roads. The explorers proceeded to examine lands along the rivers. Their main river was our North-East Cape Fear. Along this river they named Turkey Quarter, Rocky Point and Stag Park  — names that have been perpetuated to this day.

According to historical records a Spaniard by the name of Verroyzani landed on what is now Pender County soil.

When Hilton was sent out by Sir John Yeamans to explore the shores of this North American Continent, he discovered the mouth of the Cape Fear River and entered it. On ascending the river as far as the junction of its two main branches, now known as the North-East and North-West branches, he too selected the North-East branch as the most inviting for more extended explorations.

Indians

The eastern and western portion of Pender County was inhabited by Indians. Dr. Bricknell who wrote the Natural History of North Carolina in 1731 said, "The Saponas lived on the west branch of the Cape Fear River."

The Burghaw Indians occupied Hungry Neck, now known as the Oaks Plantation between the Bay and North-East River Swamp and owned by the Miller family, of whom W. W. Miller of Rocky Point was a member. Also Mulberry Plantation which joins the Oaks and belonged to the Scarborough family.

All kinds of Indian spears and skeletons of Indians who were very large in stature were unearthed when the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company trestle was being excavated near the ten-mile post on the North-East River.

A number of Indian mounds have been found in Pender and in Duplin Counties. On the old Johnson estate near Island Creek was an Indian graveyard and also just above Bannerman's Bridge is to be found one of considerable size, and all through this section many farmers have ploughed up spears of different sizes.

Pirates  — Blackbeard

From 1690 to 1720 the entire coast from Maine to Cuba was infested with bold and bloody buccaneers. They roamed the seas as Lords of the Deep and committed their depredations with impunity; for there was no force adequate to the task of coping with them.

In the early history of the Colony, more than fifty years prior to the Revolution, the lonely sound along the coast of the present boundaries of Pender County was the rendezvous of many pirates. Piracy at that time being a popular game with the desperate criminal element as "hijacking" is today among our bootleggers.

Topsail Sound and the entrance of the Cape Fear River according to tradition were the main headquarters along this coast for this reckless and exciting business. Piracy against the ships of the Spaniards, then our close neighbors in Florida, Mexico, Cuba and Central America was rampant. Quite a few able but disappointed men engaged in this life of dangerous outlawry. The most noted pirate of this period was Blackbeard, a cruel bloodthirsty villain, according to historical accounts. He did not confine himself in his dastardly crimes to attacks upon Spanish vessels or merchantmen, but every vessel of whatever flag was his prey, and he inflicted terrible damage up and down the coast for a great distance. When he made a capture he would kill the men and enslave the women and would pick out the most beautiful among them for his own pleasure. If a woman displeased him in any way, off would go her head. Tradition has it that thirteen rebellious and unaccommodating ladies lost their charming heads at Blackbead's guillotine. Much pirate treasures are supposed to have been hidden away in the neighborhood of Topsail Inlet, somewhere along the lonely beaches, hammocks or sandhills and all along the Atlantic Coast where the pirates operated. Blackbeard was finally captured and hanged by the Colonial Government of Virginia and the cruel crime of piracy came to an end.

During the years 1936 and 1937 some geologists in making tests along the coast of Pender, thought they had located either a pirate ship or other buried treasures, Gold being indicated by the instrument. So sure were they of their findings, a fund was started by some northern capitalists and around $50,000 was expended in excavating but which did not result in any findings other than sand, shells, etc.

The Welsh Tract

A few years prior to 1725 New Hanover County (which is now Pender) remained in a dormant state because the Lord's Proprietors forbade any settlement on the Cape Fear River. During that year (1725) a tract of land was laid out for the Welsh settlers which comprised the lands lying between Rockfish Creek on the north, to the northeast Cape Fear River, on the east down where the road crosses the river going into New Hanover, that section of land east of the Railroad. According to Foote's Sketches of North Carolina, this settlement along the North-East River was composed first of Welch emigrants, but after a short time other families were located on the tract and there were associated families enough to form a congregation sufficiently large to invite the services of a minister.

Early Settlers

The territory which comprises Pender County was the scene of some of the earliest settlements in this section of North Carolina and the primary cause of this early settlement was not religious freedom, as most North Carolinians will tell you, but for the search of "good bottom lands."

Immigrants

Many immigrants came from Virginia about the time of the Revolution and immediately afterwards, most of them settling in the western part of the County. There was also quite a sprinkling of immigrants from Ireland and Scotland after the independence of the State had been established. It was an army of these newly arrived Scotch Loyalists, making an effort to assist the Royal Governor Martin at Wilmington, that was defeated by the Patriots at Moore's Creek Bridge in 1776.

This victory practically eliminated the Tory element as a factor in the war, so far as the southeastern part of the State was concerned.

General Pender

The County of Pender was named for General William Dorsey Pender of the Confederate States Army, who was made a Brigadier General in the Civil War in 1864.

General Pender received the last order ever given by "Stonewall" Jackson. "You must hold your ground," he cried as he was being carried off after having been seriously wounded by North Carolina troops whom he had posted to guard a road with strict orders to fire on any person who appeared on that road. Stonewall Jackson was soon killed by his own men who mistook him for a Yankee.

General Pender was notified on the field of Battle by President Davis of his promotion to Major General for most distinguished gallantry.

When the Act of the Legislature ratifying the formation of the new County was completed, the Committee fostering the ratification gave Dr. Elisha Porter of Rocky Point the privilege of naming the County. As Dr. Porter had been in the regiment of North Carolina soldiers commanded by General Pender, he gave the new County the name of Pender. On this same date there was born to Dr. and Mrs. Porter a son and he was named Pender Porter.

In commemoration of General Pender the United Daughters of the Confederacy of Burgaw jointly with the County, erected a monument  — a Confederate Soldier — a replica of the General  — which stands at the intersection of Wright and Fremont Streets.

The plaque on the lower pedestal of the monument was given by the son of General Pender who had it made in Italy.



Source: History of Pender County, North Carolina
By Mattie Bloodworth