Maurice N. Corbett

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Influential nineteenth century black politician from Caswell County, North Carolina.

Corbett, Maurice N. The Harp of Ethiopia. Nashville: National Baptist Publishing Board, 1914. 1st Edition. Bound in dark red cloth with gilt decoration and printing, the book is clean, straight & tight. Pages are browned and rather fragile, there are two or three pages with tiny edge tears. Light rubbing and wear at the corners and spine ends. On the front endpage, there is an inscription by the author's child, it is unknown whether it was a boy or girl as initials are used for the first name. The inscription reads "To Dr. & Mrs........ of Muskogee, Okla. Complements of .. Corbett, Works of My late Father Maurice H. Corbett of Washington, D.C. This is a very uncommon book, the only one published by this African-American author -- it is a 7,500 line poem on the black man in America. 8" x 5 1/2"; 276 pages.

"The county Republican convention was held in the courthouse on September 23, 1888. The Caswell News three days later reported that James W. Poe (a black) was made chairman, the Rev. A. L. Johnston, secretary, and the Hon. M. N. Corbett, assistant secretary. A caucus was held and votes taken to determine the strength of various candidates for office. On the floor of the convention Wilson Carey was nominated for the House of Representatives by a vote of 14 to 13 for Corbett. Felix Roan was nominated for Register of Deeds and George O. Wilson for county treasurer. An attempt was made to nominate J. T. Donoho for sheriff by acclamation, but failed and no nomination was made. B. S. Graves, the incumbent, was heavily favored, however. The newspaper reported that the convention adjourned in confusion."

Source: When the Past Refused to Die: A History of Caswell County North Carolina 1777-1977, William S. Powell (1977) at 261.

Revolutionary War Soldiers: Caswell County, North Carolina

Revolutionary War soldier references in When the Past Refused to Die: A history of Caswell County, North Carolina, 1777-1977, William S. Powell (1977), 70-82:

Men of Caswell had belonged to the Militia of Orange County prior to 1777 and many of them were already in active training when the new county was established. To separate these men from those who resided in the now compressed region of Orange County would be a time-consuming task, but in compiling a full roster of Caswell men who saw duty in the American Revolution this might be possible. Enough information exists on men identifiable by residence, however, to understand the role played by typical Revolutionary soldiers from Caswell County. Some time after the war, perhaps in connection with the settlement of land claims of veterans, a list was drawn up of officers and soldiers then residing in Caswell County. Included were:

David Barker, William Berry, Robert Blackwell, Robert Browning, Spill Coleman, Nathaniel Comer, Lewis Corbitt, William Culbertson, John Davis, Major Charles Dixon, Capt. Wynn Dixon, Major Thomas Donoho, Capt. John Graves, Daniel Gwyn, Nathaniel Hart, Berry Hunt, John Ingram, David Johnson, Doct. Lancelot Johnson, Capt. Samuel Johnson, Joshua Kerney, John Kimbrough, James Lea, Capt. Gabriel Lee, Rev. Richard Martin, Robert Martin, John McMullin, Capt. David Mitchell, William Mitchell, William Parker, Col. Robert Parkes, Holoway Pass, John Price, Isaac Rainey, Major John Reed, Capt. William Richmond, Archibald Samuel, George Samuel, Jeremiah Samuel, Col. James Saunders, Major Richard Saunders, William Sawyers, Nathaniel Slade, Thomas Slade, William Slade, Francis Smith, Peter Smith, Jonathan Starkey, Thomas Stephens, William Stephens, John Taylor, James Tuner, John Ware, William Ware, Thomas Wiley, Col. Henry Williams, Col. John Williams, Henry Willis, Jacob Wright