At a Court held this day for the Purpose of Enquiring into Sundry Suspissions agt. the persons below mentioned. John Brodgon was call'd & on his Oath doth Say—

William Brogdon call'd & Sworn...

John Skyles:

Wm. Skyles on oath doth Say that he heard Absom. Legett say that Hays Would not go if he was Drafted & further Questions refused to Answer. On a small Deliberation, sd. Wm. Skyles made ^gave^ the following Testimony (Viz) that Absolom Leggett informed him that a considerable number of persons, in Bertie, Edgecomb, and Martin Counties had agreed to oppose a Draught, and if any person draughted should consent to go, in the Army, they would shoot him on the Spot, and farther that Jas. Sherrard and Capt. Bell were concerned in the Scheme, that Legget had often urg’d him to join the sd. Party, and that he understood Jas. Sharrard had, as he is informed, in his keeping, certain Articles of Agreement enterd into by sd. Party, that sd. Leggett had administred an Oath to him, purport of which, is as follows, "that you shall, defend & protect all draughted, distressed, or oppressed persons ^or them that are called Tories^ as far as lies in yr. power, and that he swore him to keep the matter Secret, and likewise informed him that there was a Sign or Token observed amongst them, which was thus, a Friend to the party presents a small Stick with three Notches cut in it, on which, the person receiving, asks the other, why he gave him that Stick, the other answer for a Sign, says the other, a sign of what, answer, a Sign of the Word, have you the Word, I have, give it me, I will letter ^it^ with you, answer Begin, Be first says B, second E, first T, second R, first u and second e, sd. Wm. Skyles farther decl[areth] that sd. Legget informed him that the strongest party would sieze first on the several Magazines, and that Peleg Belo[te] informed him that on his expressing great Uneasiness at joining sd. Party, that there was no Danger; Legget, info[rmed] him that the Scheme tooks its Rise in Virginia, and thence was forwarded to Luellan, from whence it had extended t[o] South-Carolina, Haw-River, & in short to all the Souther[n] part of the Continent; that he understood Capt. Bogg, approve[d] the Scheme highly to Sherrard, but was rather fearful of it's Success; that the Scheme was handed to Luellan about the first of March; farther Leggett told him, it was allo[wed] on all hands that the King would conquer the Country, and if their party held together, when the Gentlemen were taken, their party & the Kings Soldiers Should share their Estates, and there were a number of ^several^ persons constantly & daily riding to increase their number, they have a farther Sign, (Viz) on falling in Company or meeting with any person, on pointing & rubbing the Fore-finger of the left Hand over your Right Arm, Nose or Chin, or any part of their Body, the other person being of their party wi[ll] ask him, what he points at, ans: a Secret, have you tha[t] Secret. I have, give it me, I did not get so, how shall I get it, I will letter and halve it with you; begin, first says I, the other N, the first R the other I; lastly he informed him, if the matter was discovered they would rise and kill the Gentlemen in the Night, that he could not do it [him] self, but that there were many that would. That sd. Legget told him, some time past, told him, that he understood Colo. Buncombe was about to remove out of the Country, and was going to sell off his Estate &c: and that he had a great Inclination to go down & take his Share of it, by taking some of his Horses &c: as he much wanted one.