Near Snow Hill in Greene County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
James Glasgow
ca. 1735-1819
Erected 2003 by North Carolina Office of Archives and History. (Marker Number F-66.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Law Enforcement • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the North Carolina Division of Archives and History series list.
Location. 35° 30.121′ N, 77° 44.359′ W. Marker is near Snow Hill, North Carolina, in Greene County. Marker is at the intersection of North Carolina Route 58 and Sheppard Ferry Road (County Highway 1222), on the right when traveling north on State Route 58. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 22 Sheppard Ferry Rd, Snow Hill NC 28580, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 11 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Nooherooka (approx. 1.9 miles away); Snow Hill (approx. 5 miles away); Tuscarora War (approx. 5 miles away); Grimsley Baptist Church (approx. 5.8 miles away); Hull Road (approx. 5.8 miles away); Peacock's Bridge (approx. 7.1 miles away); Nuclear Mishap (approx. 8.2 miles away); Chasing Gen. Potter (approx. 10.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Snow Hill.
Regarding James Glasgow. The naming of a county can provide a lesson in North Carolina history. What is now Greene County was once part of Johnston but in 1758 it became Dobbs County for royal governor Arthur Dobbs. In 1791 that name was “expunged from our map,” as historian Kemp Battle phrased it, and a new county was named for the Secretary of State, James Glasgow. When Glasgow met an ignominious end, in 1799 the name was changed to Greene to honor Nathanael Greene, the hero of Guilford Courthouse.
James Glasgow (ca. 1735-1819), born in Maryland, in 1765 acquired a plantation on Contentnea Creek known as “Fairfield” as a gift from his father-in-law. Glasgow, active in the colonial militia, took part in the Battle of Moores Creek Bridge but soon forsook the military for politics. As assistant secretary of the Provincial Congresses, 1775-1776, and clerk of the Council of State, 1776-1779, Glasgow earned the respect of the state’s Revolutionary patriots. His reward was election by the legislature in 1777 as North Carolina’s first Secretary of State. A principal duty of that position was the oversight of the military land grant program, the issuance of property in what became Tennessee to veterans of the Revolution.
In 1797, on receipt of a letter from Andrew Jackson setting forth charges of impropriety in the issuance of the grants, Gov. Samuel Ashe and the legislature set in motion events leading to Glasgow’s resignation and eventual conviction on land fraud charges. Notwithstanding the fact that others were involved in the scandal, Glasgow suffered the consequences. The committee of inquiry determined that the Secretary of State should be charged with a misdemeanor, dereliction of duty as a public officer. A tribunal found him guilty on two counts and fined him 1,000 pounds on each. Glasgow left the state and settled near Nashville, Tennessee, where he died in 1819. “Behold the reward of dishonesty and official corruption!” wrote Kemp Battle in 1903.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 10, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 12, 2013, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 667 times since then and 8 times this year. Last updated on May 7, 2023, by Michael Buckner of Durham, North Carolina. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 12, 2013, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.