The first great event of my life happened in the year 1822, when I was ushered into this troublesome world. Of 
course I went through many trials before I became aware of this world's ups and downs, and I have no few of them 
- the downs much in the majority. However, it is not my purpose to trouble your readers in regard to myself.

The second great event that strikes me most forcibly, was Gen LaFayette's visit to our town in 1825. I can't 
say that I saw him; I might possibly have done so. Yet, I very well recollect that it was rather a "soft day,"
drizzling rainy one, when he arrived. In those days we had a light artillery, heavy artillery, and horse company. 
I recollect seeing the horse company going to the Old Arsenal, to form for the escort. It was the usual place of 
meeting for the companies.

As a matter of course, there was a grand dinner and ball on the occasion, and Gen. LaFayette, after reviewing 
the tables, asked who cooked the dinner. He was told "French Mary." He exclaimed, none but a French cook could 
get up such a dinner. And who was "French Mary?" How few are now living to tell! She was of Moorish descent; 
was captured and carried to France; from France to some of the West Indies-Hayti or St. Domingo - from there to 
Charleston, SC, and finally reached Fayetteville, where she spent the remainder of her life. She was widely 
known as a great cook, and sought after to cook for weddings, etc. She lived with my father, at one time. I 
became a great pet of hers, and many "goodies" did she have for me. She was a small woman, quite dark in color, 
with straight hair, and always wore a head-handkerchief, in turban style. She had three children; Mathew Leary, 
Sr.'s wife (Julia) mother of Matthew, Jr., John S. Leary and Sheridan, (who was killed in the "John Brown" raid 
at Harper's Ferry). I believe there were three daughters of the Leary family, "French Mary" was the mother of 
three children-Leary's wife (Julia, John Ochiltree, and Louis Levy, who is yet living, some few miles out of town. 
If she had other children, I don't recollect it. Her language was a mixture of French and English.

The next grand event was the establishing of a Military School by Col. Ransom and Samuel Welch, both Connecticut 
men, and graduates of West Point. The Academy was a two story building, and basement underneath. It stood on the 
lot where Mrs. Jesse Kyle now lives, next to the Episcopal Church; was burned in the fire of 1831, when half the 
town was destroyed. At that time the school was in a flourishing condition, something over a hundred scholars, I 
believe, myself being one of them, but rather of the small order; in fact, generally brought up the tail end of 
the line at roll-call. I know of but one now living (Robert Belden, of Harnett,) who was a member of the school 
at the time it was destroyed by the Kyle fire of May 29, 1831.

Mr. James Kyle** then did business on the northwest corner of market square where the dispensary is now kept. He 
had just completed a building on the corner, where Cook's Drug Store is. My father's store was where the firemen's 
headquarters are now. Now, for the fire which occurred on Sunday May 29, 1831. There was a kitchen of one story, 
wood, just behind the stores, which was hemmed in by other wooden buildings. The weather had been very dry and warm; 
the cook, to hurry up his dinner, stepped to the shaving pile and got some blocks and shavings, which he put on the 
fire, the shavings being light, were drawn up the chimney and lodged on the roof; everything being very dry, in a 
few minutes the roof was afire, and being hemmed in, was not discovered until it had caught other buildings and soon 
spread so rapidly it could not be subdued until it burned a greater portion of the town, it burned up Hay Street, 
both sides, as far as the old wagon yard or where Goddard's hotel now stands, below the market house on Person street 
to the McIntyre building recently town down by Clarence Sedberry, down Cool Spring Alley, to the house no occupied by 
Mrs. A. T. Smith, thence up Bow street sweeping out everything down to the house now occupied by Frank Beasley, the 
Hooper house. The mill known as the Hooper Mill, was not destroyed until the Sherman raid. It had been converted into 
a factory for making yarns and cloth, but I see I am getting along too fast, and must take a step back.

The fire extended up Green street to the house where Mr. Emmett Kyle was burned out some years ago, both sides of 
the street, up Bow street and Maiden Lane to the house next to the C. F. & Y. V. R. R.* property, down Dick street 
to the house of Chas. Haigh, Esq., thence down Gillespie street to the State Bank which was burned during Sherman's 
raid. The entire centre of the town was burned out between the points given. The entire business portion, excepting 
the portions above the C. F. & Y. V. R. R.  At that time there were several substantial merchants doing business from 
the foot of the hill down to the brick building next to the Walton house.

As a matter of course, many people were homeless. My father owned the place where I was born, in Campbellton, 
whither we went until we could do better. There was a great scattering of the people. In those days many of 
our people had places in the country, where they usually went through the summer. Many had to live in tents, 
until they could do better, every available place was occupied, goods of all kinds, were scattered everywhere. 
Sugar came altogether in hogsheads in those days, and could not be moved. For several days after the fire, you 
might see parties with large lumps on their heads for home use, and much was carried off by the plunderers, until 
a guard could be formed to protect property. I have heard my father say, as he was one of the "committee" 
to watch for goods carried off, that they found, concealed by people who were considered respectable, bolts of 
broadcloth, whole pieces of silk, and in fact, goods of all descriptions, many perhaps, taking the goods rather 
than see them burn. It was not uncommon at that time for merchants to have large quantities of salt on hand, the 
fire could not burn salt, but burned the warehouses, and left the salt in huge piles, you might see the people from 
the country looking for the salt piles, helping themselves to all they wanted. Some of the "salt piles" were 
to be seen for a year or two. At that time all the goods for the upper country, and even into Tennessee and Virginia, 
came up the river, and it was not uncommon to see wagons from those states, bringing their products and carrying back, 
goods shipped here for the back country, and bordering counties of Virginia and Tennessee. In the spring and fall the 
streets were filled with wagons for all quarters; we had no railroads, all goods came through Wilmington and up the 
river by pole boats and the steamer Henrietta, which made her first trip in 1824; she was built by Jas. Sewell. 
[to be continued]

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