by Edward Ellis, Special Correspondent
Richard Dobbs Spaight was an important figure in the early history of Craven County, North Carolina, and the United States. He was born in New Bern in 1758 and became involved in politics at a young age.
He was fabulously wealthy and owned land from his mansion home, Clermont, on the south side of the Trent River all the way to Carteret County. Modern estimates hover around 150,000 acres.
During the Revolutionary War, he served as a captain in the Continental Army and saw action at the Battle of Camden. After the war, Spaight was elected to the North Carolina House of Commons and later to the Continental Congress. He was instrumental in the ratification of the United States Constitution and played a key role in the drafting of the Bill of Rights.
The nearby pictures are a bronze statue of Spaight in Signers’ Hall in Philadelphia and the detail of a famous painting by Howard Chandler Christy showing Spaight penning his name on the founding document of the land. The signing took place on September 17, 1787.
In 1792, Spaight became the eighth governor of North Carolina and served in that position until 1795. During his tenure, he focused on improving transportation and communication within the state and worked to strengthen ties between North Carolina and the federal government.
However, Spaight’s political career was cut short when he was involved in a duel with fellow North Carolina politician John Stanly in 1802. Wounded, Spaight hung on for hours but eventually died from a chest wound.
Despite his brief tenure in office, Richard Dobbs Spaight left a lasting legacy as one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and a champion of individual rights and liberties.