Beat her terribly and carried off her children.

by Lisa Y. Henderson

BROAD CREEK, on Neuse River, April 9.  On Saturday night, April the 4th, broke into the house of the subscriber at the head of Green’s Creek, where I had some small property under the care of Ann Driggus, a free negro woman, two men in disguise, who with masks on their faces, and clubs in their hands, beat and wounded her terribly and carried away four of her children, three girls and a boy, the biggest of said girls got off in the dark and made her escape, one of the girl’s name is Becca, and the other Charita, the boy is named Shadrack; she says the men were William Munday and Charles Towzer, a sailor lately from Newbern, these men were on board of a boat belonging to Kelly Cason, and was with him in the boat about the middle of the day.  Fifty dollars reward will be given to any person who will stop the children and apprehend the robbers so that they may be brought to justice.  JOHN CARUTHERS.

North Carolina Gazette, New Bern, 10 April 1778.