Bob, to clarify what I said earlier, NC has three distinct regions. The coastal plain, the Piedmont, and the mountains. Each seemed to have its own gun culture. Imported smoothbores where it was economical to get English guns on the coast. The widespread gunmaking culture and schools of the Piedmont, and the more varied and sporadic mountain gun making in the Appalachians.
When you said someone arrived at the coast, and followed the Cape Fear up to the Cross Creek area, that was a coastal plain trip. Cross Creek (Fayetteville) is in the sandhill bordering the Piedmont and was settled by Highland Scots. I don't know of a great gunmaking culture in the early days in that area, so I always figured it was economical to move imported guns from Wilmington and Brunswick town up to Cross Creek. Someone please correct me if I am wrong on this. The Cape Fear was navigable for some of that distance for sure. I am guessing some folks brought their guns with them from Scotland.
WESTbury, in your painting, keep in mind that there were wealthier Highland Scots settled in NC, but the Scots in the mountains were generally the dirt poor, industrious, and fiercely independent Scots-Irish. I don't think these Scots-Irish had any problem at all with shooting an arrogant wealthy Scot who said really nasty things about what he was going to do to them.
God Bless, Marc
