FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION.
Asheville, Buncombe County, July 7, 1809.
The anniversary of our glorious Independence was pleasingly celebrated in this little village on Tuesday last. Here was no bombastic display of warlike ardour—no mock feats of chivalry—no firing of guns— no splendid feasting—no Bachanalian libations—and consequently no pestiferous, a baneful practice of assassinating characters with impunity, and fomenting party strife.
About 11 o'clock in the forenoon the Students of the Union Hill Academy (under the tuition of the Rev. George Newton) marched into town in handsome order, followed by their Teacher and the Trustees of this seminary, and had an exhibition at the house of Maj. Andrew Er-win, where a stage had been previously erected. The scene was beautiful; about 40 of the Students neatly clad in homespun garbs, exhibited various characters on the stage—while the expressive countenances of several hundreds of spectators bore testimony that their performances were such as did honour to themselves and their worthy Preceptor.
—Raleigh Star, July 29, 1809.
(Source: North Carolina Schools and Academies, 1790-1840, By Charles L. Coon 1914)