History of Hertford County North Carolina United States of America

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Richard Jordan Gatling, inventor, was born in Hertford county, N.C., Sept. 12, 1818; son of Jordan and Mary (Barnes) Gatling, and grandson of William Gatling, who was a descendant of English parents, who settled in the state of North Carolina in colonial times. His father invented a machine for planting cotton-seed and one for thinning the plants to a stand. In these inventions the boy assisted in constructing the machines and himself invented and patented a machine for planting rice. He removed to St. Louis in 1844 where he adapted his machine to sowing wheat in drills and extensively engaged in manufacturing them at Springfield and Urbana, Ohio, and at Indianapolis. Ind. He studied medicine at La Porte, Ind., 1847-48, and at the Ohio medical college, Cincinnati, 1848-49, receivinghis M.D. degree in 1850. He invented a machine for breaking hemp in 1850 and a steam plow in 1857. In 1862 he invented and constructed at Indianapolis his first revolving battery gun or mitrailleuse, popularly known as the Gatling gun. In 1863 he made his guns at Cincinnati, Ohio, and proved them capable of firing three hundred shots per minute. He made a battery of six guns, when his factory was burned and his guns destroyed. He then manufactured a battery of thirteen guns through the assistance of a capitalist of Cincinnati, and went with them to Washington, in order that General Ripley, chief of ordnance, might test the efficiency of the new arm. This the general refused to do, and Dr. Gatling's agent and financial backer started back for the west, when he met General Butler in Baltimore, who was on his way to the army of the James. Butler looked with favor on the engine of destruction, and at once purchased twelve guns, paying $12,000 for the guns with their carriages and 12,000 rounds of ammunition. They were first tried in actual battle before Petersburg, where General Butler personally directed their use. The consternation and slaughter produced, secured a world-wide reputation for the gun which was soon adopted by the leading governments of the world. It was effectively used in the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-71, and it was effective against the Indians in the west. It was also effectively used by the U.S. forces against the Spaniards in front of Santiago, Cuba, in July, 1898. It was adopted as an arm of the service by the war department, Washington, in 1866. Dr. Gatling protected his invention and improvements by five patents. While the first gun fired 300 shots per minute, the improved one discharged 1000 shots per minute, and by the aid of an electric motor to revolve the gun, the capability of rapid firing reached a maximum of 500 shots in fourteen and a half seconds with a range of over a mile, using a Springfield rifle cartridge. He had guns made at Colt's armory, Hartford, Conn., at Birmingham, England, and also in Vienna, Austria. He was president, of the American association of inventors and manufacturers, 1891-97, and received honors from various scientific bodies and from foreign governments. He invented a gun-metal composed of steel and aluminum, a screw for the propulsion of water-craft, coincident with a similar invention by John Ericsson; and discovered a method of transmitting power through the medium of compressed air. In 1898 he invented and manufactured at Cleveland, Ohio, an eight-inch gun for the U.S. government, which exploded many theories of ordnance construction, and greatly added to his reputation as an inventor. In 1899 he patented a plough, built on the principle of the automobile, which he claimed to be capable of doing the work of eight men and twelve horses. He died in New York, Feb. 26, 1903.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Hardy Murfree, soldier, was born in Hertford county, N.C., June 5, 1752; son of William and Mary (Moore) Murfree. His father was a delegate from Hertford county to the convention at Hillsboro, Aug. 21, 1775, and to the congress at Halifax, Nov. 12, 1776, which framed the constitution of the state of North Carolina in force, 1776-1835. He was appointed captain in the 2d North Carolina regiment, Continental line, Col. Robert Howe, Sept. 1, 1775, and served throughout the Revolution, during the early part of the war in the army of General Washington. He was promoted major, Feb. 1, 1777, commanded a North Carolina battalion of picked men at the capture of Stony Point, N.Y., in July, 1779, his "good conduct and intrepidity" being mentioned in General Wayne's letter to President of Congress John Jay, Aug. 10, 1778, and was sent with his command to the South in 1780, to reinforce General Lincoln. He was promoted lieutenant-colonel, and in 1782 was transferred to the 1st North Carolina regiment, Continental line. He retired to his plantation on the Meherrin river near Murfreesboro, N.C., after the war and in 1807 removed to Tennessee and settled on Murfree's fork of West Harpeth river in Williamson county, which land was granted to him for military services during the Revolution. The towns of Murfreesboro, N.C., and Murfreesboro, Tenn. were named in his honor. He was married, Feb. 17, 1780, to Sally, daughter of Matthias Brickell (by his first marriage) of Hertford county, N.C., who was a lieutenant-colonel of North Carolina militia during the Revolution and a member of the provincial congresses at Hillsboro, Aug. 21, 1775, and Halifax, April 4, 1776. Colonel Murfree died in Williamson county, Tenn., April 6, 1809. On the following July 9 a public funeral with Masonic rites, military honors and a memorial oration, was held at his grave in the garden of his late residence in the presence of a great concourse of people. The Nashville Clarion of July 21, 1809, says: "The surrounding hills were covered with vast numbers of people and the awful silence which pervaded such an immense crowd evinced the feelings of the spectators for the memory and virtues of the deceased."

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Hertford County North Carolina

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