Examination of John Clifton taken in the County Court of Bertie at the Court held on the 12th. day of August 1777, present the Worshipful Thomas Pugh, David Standley, and Jonathan Jacocks Esquires Justices of the said Court, and assigned, among others, to keep the peace of the said County.

The said John Clifton being called before the Court declared, that sometime about the middle of May last, being on his return to Anson County, which was the ordinary place of his Residence, from the County of Bertie, he had occasion to call on a certain William Tyler of Martin County, about private business, and accordingly did call at the house of the said William Tyler, but did not find him at home; that he then proceeded on his Journey, but as a little further distance stopped at the house of one John Staten, who was an old Acquaintance of his, and whom he had not seen for several years; that the said Staten accompanied him, a little way on the road, out of Compliment, and in order to shew him a path he was to take to carry him to the Main Road (they being then out of it) and which it was difficult to find; that before they quite reached this Part, they met the above mentioned William Tyler, with whom the Deponent ^said John Clifton^ spoke aside for some time about the private business above alluded to, and it being necessary to look at some Papers concerning it the said Tyler and the Deponent ^said John Clifton^ returned to the said Tyler's house, and the said Staten with them; that being come there, after their private business had been discoursed of, the said Tyler spoke to the Deponent ^said John Clifton^ (they too being private) concerning a Secret of which the said Deponent ^John Clifton^ was at that time entirely ignorant and said, that Staten would accompany him to one James Rawlins's, who could inform him of it; that the said Staten, upon their return to him, told him he would go with him to Rawlins's, it being late, and that then he would be in the main road; that nothing had then passed in the presence of the said Staten concerning the Secret, though the Deponent ^said John Clifton^ understood from Rawlins, that Staten was acquainted with it; that upon their arrival at Rawlins's, the said Staten told him, that Tyler had been speaking to the said John Clifton of the Secret known between them, and that he had as good acquaint him with it; that the said Rawlins then took the said Clifton out; carrying a book with him, and told him before he mentioned any thing of it, he must take an oath of Secrecy; that the said Clifton then told Rawlins, he did not like to swear before he knew what it was for; that the said Rawlins declared, it was only to employ a Reader, and he then took the Oath, the substance of which was "to keep secret all he had or was to communicate;" that the said Rawlins then made him acquainted with a Sign which had been agreed upon by the Parties in this business, and which was as follows: a Person possessed of the Secret was to have a stick with three notches; upon being asked what that was for, he was to answer "a sign:" upon its being further enquired "what sign," he was to reply "the sign of a Secret." The Enquiry being still continued in these Words, "Have you that Secret?" The Possessor of the Stick was to answer "I have": that the words "be true" were then to be lettered between them; that is was all which was at that time communicated in the said Clifton, and the said Rawlins told him he should know more from one Llewellin (who lived at a little distance) the next day; that accordingly the next day the said Rawlins, Staten, and Clifton, went to see Llewellin, it being settled by Rawlins before they set off; that Staten and Clifton were to wait at a School house ^about^ half a mile from [James] Rawlins's house, while Rawlins should go and bring Llewellin to them; that the said Staten and Clifton waited at the School house, and sometime after Rawlins returned, accompanied by the said Llewellin and his Son, all three having Guns (the said Rawlins having brought his Gun from home with him); that the said Llewellin brought two Papers with him, one of which contained an Oath which the said Clifton was to take, the other purporting an Agreement he employ a Reader, and for each Man who subscribed it to pay ten Shillings a year for that purpose, one half of which to be paid at Easter the other at Whitsuntide, and also to support King George; and he further understood, (but whether from the Paper or the information of the said Rawlins & Staten he does not recollect) that the Business of this Engagement was to oppose draughts, and to be ready, when they had an Opportunity, to join any of the King's Forces that might come to assist them: that he was also informed, each Man was to be provided with half a pound of Powder, and two Pounds of Lead; and the said Llewellin & Rawlins declared, they would shoot any Man who divulged the Secret: that the purport of the above Oath, to the best of his recollection was, to support the terms of the Engagement above specified; that the said Rawlins & Staten gave the above mentioned Paper to the said Clifton, and desired him to get what Subscriptions he could to it and to gain over all in his power; that the said Staten then asked them, how many they had engaged in that business, to which it was replied, there were not many yet, but it would grow fast; that the said Clifton soon after left them, and disapproving of their purpose, had a great desire to reveal it, but was afraid to do so on account of the Oath he had taken; that he never perused the Paper but once after, and burnt it the next day; that he never shewed it to any Person whatever, or attempted to influence any one to join in the association; that on the twenty third day of July following (to the best of his Recollection) he went to his Brother Mr. Peter Clifton in Bertie County, and gave him Information of the above Circumstances, and the next day, together with his Brother waited on Thomas Pugh Esquire one of the Justices of the said Court and made oath to the same before him.

The words "the said John Clifton" being interlined in five different places, and the word "about" being interlined.