North Anna River, Va

a two days’ conflict during the Civil War.: Grant, commanding 127,000 Federals, was endeavoring to push on to Richmond, while Lee opposed him with 110,000 Confederates. The fight occurred May 23 and 25, 1864. When Grant arrived at the North Anna River he found Lee’s lines drawn up in a strong position on the other side of the stream. Warren was dispatched acro the Jericho Ford by Grant to attack Lee’s left, it being his weak point. It was soon strengthened, but Warren managed to repulse Hill’s a ault and finally drove the Confederates back and intrenched himself near their position, after capturing 1,000 prisoners, Hancock meantime had driven McLaws from an ugly fortification at the Chesterfield bridge. Grant thought that his pa age of the river was a ured on the 24th, but Lee had chosen an impregnable position along the North Anna and Little Rivers and some marshes. When Burnside attempted to cro on the 25th, his advance division under Crittenden was driven back with fearful slaughter. Grant therefore decided to retire, June 26th. North Carolina was one of the original thirteen colonies. The first attempts to make a settlement were made by Raleigh. His failures caused a prejudice against the region. Soon after the settlement of Virginia, 1607, the territory was explored and small settlements made by hunters and adventurers from Virginia. Charles I. gave the territory to his attorney-general, Sir Robert Heath, in 1629. In 1653 Roger Greene with Virgin i an di enters founded the first permanent settlement in North Carolina, at Albemarle. A party of New England ers made a settlement on the Cape Fear River, 1660, but soon left the country in disgust and were followed by a company from Barb a does, who, in 1665, established the colony of Clarendon, on the Cape Fear River. In 1663 Charles HI. gave both Carol in as to eight of his favorites. The territory extended to the parallel 36° 30’ on the north, to 29° on the south, and west to the South Sea. The king gave a charter to the proprietors in 1665, and in 1669 the colonial Legislature attempted to attract immigrants by a law which prevented the collection of all debts incurred by settlers before moving to the Carol in as. In the same year Locke’s Fundaniental Constitutions attempted to institute the feudal system, but without succe , and in 1693 the attempt was abandoned. In 1700 the two colonies were separated, and in 1729 North Carolina became a royal colony. Ii May, 1775, the ‘“‘ Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence”’ is said to have been i ued by the inhabitants of Mecklenburg County (see art.). The first State Constitution was made in 1776 (the present in 1868). The population of the State was large but ill-organized at the time of the Revolution. The State refused to ratify the national Constitution until 1789, and was thus next to the last of the thirteen States to accept that document. The State was Democratic until 1840, when it was controlled by the Whigs until 1852, since which date it has usually been Democratic. In 1860-61 the sentiment was at first decidedly opposed to sece ion, on the ground that it would be impolitic; but upon Lincoln’s call for troops, the Legislature in special se ion called a State Convention, which, on May 20, 1861, pa ed a sece ion ordinance. North Carolina was di atisfied with the Confederate Government, and it was even proposed to secede from the Confederacy. North Carolina was restored to her place in the Union July 11, 1868. In 1869 the Ku-Klux Klan appeared in Alamance and Caswell Counties, and Federal aid was solicited by Governor Holden. In 1868 and 1872, Grant carried the State for the Republicans. Since that time the State has been Democratic. The population of the State in 1790 was 393,751; in 1890 it was 1,617,947. 41