24 The Winning of the West 



decisions did not go so "far as to affect the life of the 

 criminal. If the misdeed of the accused was such as 

 to be dangerous to the State, or one "for which the 

 benefit of clergy was taken away by law," he was 

 to be bound and sent under guard to some place 

 where he could be legally dealt with. The Court 

 levied fines, payable in money or provisions, entered 

 up judgments and awarded executions, and granted 

 letters of administration upon estates of deceased 

 persons, and took bonds "payable to the chairman of 

 the Committee." The expenses were to be paid pro 

 portionately by the various settlers. It was pro 

 vided, in view of the Indian incursions, that the mi 

 litia officers elected at the various stations should 

 have power to call out the militia when they deemed 

 it necessary to repel or pursue the enemy. They 

 were also given power to fine such men as disobeyed 

 them, and to impress horses if need be; if damaged, 

 the horses were to be paid for by the people of the 

 station in the proportion the Court might direct. It 

 was expressly declared that the compact was de 

 signed as a "temporary method of restraining the 

 licentious" ; that the settlement did not desire to be 

 exempt from the ratable share of the expense for 

 the Revolutionary War, and earnestly asked that 

 North Carolina would immediately make it part of 

 the State, erecting it into a county. Robertson was 

 elected chairman of the Court, and colonel of the 

 militia, being thus made both civil and military com 

 mandant of the settlement. In common with the 

 other Triers he undertook the solemnization of mar- 



