Camp Bonner History HISTORICAL BACKGROUND of the BONNER SCOUT RESERVATION The southern part of the Herbert C. Bonner Scout Reservation consists of almost 680 acres located on the southern bank of the Pamlico River on Blounts Bay. This section of land has a variety of terrain, from hardwood forest of oak, poplar and hickory to a thick stand of loblolly pine. Low lying cypress swamps are contrasted by high bluffs above the river, covered with mountain laurel and dogwood. The historical heritage of this property is as unique and varied as its terrain, for the bluffs above the Pamlico have witnessed many of the dramas that were part of the unfolding of the young colony and the state of North Carolina. THE INDIANS This area of the Pamlico river marked the southern and western extent of a loose confederation of tribes known as the Algonquins. Their towns were scattered along the Chowan, Roanoke, and Pamlico Rivers. It was these Indians who made contact with the early explorers and colonists from Europe who made the first attempt to settle the new world in what is now known as "the lost colony'. The largest of the Indian towns was Secotta, located across the river from camp near present day town of Bath. Secotta was visited and written about by the founders of the Lost Colony settlement, including White, Lane and Greenville. Other near by towns included Aquascogak, near Belhaven and Pananaioc, located near Blounts Creek. To the west and south of the Algonquians lived the powerful and warlike Tuscaroras, a part of the Iroqouis nation. Caught between the growing white settlements and their powerful Indian neighbors, the Algonquians dwindled in size. By the time of the founding of Bath, there were only three small native towns of Hatteras, Machapungo, Matamaskeet and a little village of Pampticoughs, on present Indian Island at the mouth of South River.  THE EARLY SETTLEMENT After the failure of the Lost Colony, the Pamlico area did not see any white settlers until they began to drift south from Virginia in the 1690's. In 1696 the county of Bath was established in what was known as the Pampticough precinct. The town of Bath, founded in 1706, became the first town in North Carolina. One of the early settlers to come to the region was Dr. Patrick Maule, a Scotsman and the first doctor on record in the Beaufort area. Dr. Maule practiced medicine in Bath in the early 1700's and served twice in the General Assembly. He built a large plantation on the south side of the Pamlico River at "Maule's Point", which is now the tip of the camp's property.  THE TUSCARORA WAR In 1710, following several years of displeasure with the ever growing white settlements, the Tuscaroras petitioned to be allowed to move to Pennsylvania and join their Iroquois brothers.This request was denied, thus setting the stage for the most terrible Indian war in North Carolina history. The relations between the Indians and the colonists had been deteriorating for quite some time. At sunrise on September 22, 1711 the inevitable occurred. The Tuscaroras attacked along the Neuse River and the south shore of the Pamlico with devastating surprise and swiftness. Within two hours 130 settlers had been killed. Dr. Maule and his wife had just enough warning to escape by paddling their canoe in a deadly chase, barely ahead of the Indians and reaching safety in Bath.The uprising was described by one of the colonists: "The people of this country are greatly impoverished; them at the Neuse and Pamlico having most of their houses and household goods burnt, their stock of cattle, hogs, and horses killed and carried away and their plantations ruined by the Indians." More than eighty infants were slaughtered, and men. women and children lay mutilated and dead in the hot sun. While the settlers were struggling to recover from their losses, troops from South Carolina, under Col. Barnwell fought several battles with the Indians near New Bern. In December of 1712, a decisive battle was fought on Contntnea Creek near Kinston and the Tuscaroras were defeated. However for the next few years, Rangers were needed to patrol and protect the Neuse and Pamlico areas from the last remnants of the Coree and Tuscarora Indians. By 1802, most of the Tuscaroras had moved north to join the Iroquois.  THE REVOLUTION After the Tuscarora uprising the town of Washington and the surrounding area began to grow and prosper, becoming an important trade and shipping center for the inward expanding colony. During the American Revolution, the area was a base for pirate activity, preying on British shipping and getting badly needed supplies for the colonies. There were many officers in the war from the area, including familiar names as Blount, Bonner, and Maule. Dr. Patrick Maule had left several plantations to his son John, who forty years later had bequeathed "the manor plantation whereon I now live" to his son Moses. Moses served as a major during the Revolution and his grave, along with the foundation of the plantation house can be found along one of the hiking trails at camp.  THE WAR BETWEEN THE STATES During the mid 1800's the Washington area continued to be an important center for shipping and trade. After the war started, federal forces, on March 20, 1862 occupied the town with two gunboats, the Picket and the Louisiana. On September 6, Confederate forces attacked, blowing up the Picket. The ship's wreckage still lies at the bottom of the river. Heavy fighting followed in town but Confederate forces were finally driven back. A siege of the town began under the command of General D.H. Hill. Southern gun batteries were set up along the south bank of the river, just north of camp, in order to do battle with federal gunboats that tried to supply Washington. The Confederate lines extended from Chocowinity to Blount's Creek in an effort to protect the fort from a rear attack from New Bern. 800 federal troops under General Spinola did attack and engaged Confederate General Pettigre's forces in April, at Ruff's Mill in Blount's Creek. Although the federal troops were defeated, the siege failed and the Confederate forces left to join Gen. Lee's army of Virginia for the invasion of Pennsylvania and the battle of Gettysburg.  THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SCOUT RESERVATION In the early 1960's, the East Carolina Council of the Boy Scouts of America, with O.B. Roberts as the Council Executive, was looking for a new council property to add to the existing Camp Charles. The Camp Development Committee, under chairman Turner Battle contacted congressman Herbert Bonner about the possibility of buying a section of his farm on the north side of the Pamlico River, off Broad Creek. Harry Billica, then council commissioner, suggested some land on the south side of the river that he and Dick Auger, council field director, had found while preparing for an Explorer Wilderness Adventure. The land belonged to the Weyerhauser Corp. and Dr. Billica began an intensive promotional campaign to obtain the land for the use as a Boy Scout camp. The successful effort culminated in 1966 with a capital fund drive which netted almost half a million dollars. Dr. Billica, who became the chairman of the camp development committee, designed the reservation and its layout, eventually contracting with J.T. Campbell of Washington to build it. Land purchases totaling almost 600 acres were made from Weyerhauser and the Swindell family of Washington. This included 15 acres of waterfront property donated by David Evans of Greenville and negotiated by Ed Rawl. In 1968, Congressman Bonner passed away and in his will left his entire 330 acre farm on Broad Creek. At this time it was decided to name the camp after the congressman in appreciation. Construction of the H.C. Bonner Scout Reservation on the south side of the Pamlico River was begun in the fall of 1968, and camp opened for it's first session in the summer of 1969. Researched and written by: Roger Billica (1978)