William Highsmith was a resident of Martin County. According to John Collins, in 1777 James Sherrard went to Windsor in neighboring Bertie County and purchased gunpowder, some of it on behalf of William Highsmith. While all the members of the Gourd Patch Conspiracy were asked to gather gun powder should the movement turn violent and need it, there is no other evidence linking Highsmith to the plot. Consequently, while Highsmith may have been a member of the plot, it is also possible that Sherrard simply purchased some powder for Highsmith, who used it for something unrelated.