Page 11 - Robeson Living Spring 2019

The Wilmington Morning Star provided lots of coverage recall’ the fishermen could use dynamite, nets and dead-
of Robeson County, and it printed on April 27, 1876, that a heads. He talks to the river and it responds. They speak
report had been received from The Robesonian that, “Fish- with voices which we cannot hear, but which they under-
ing season is now in all its glory and the fishermen are stand. Captain Bill is the most colorful figure this town
out early and late with the pole and line. The red breast, has ever known. It will never see his like again. He has
goggle-eye, blue brim and raccoon perch understand their little of this world’s goods. And yet, he is richer by far than
business and lay hold of the hook with the most accommo- the richest man who has ever trod our streets. Captain Bill
dating avidity. The tables of Robeson’s citizens are sup- knew John Charles McNeill, the John Charles McNeill,
plied with the most delicious of fresh water fish.” the image of the Lumbee. He knew those ‘sunburt boys
(now grown old) of whom the poet sang.’ Over the years
In January 1, 1878, the Morning Star recounted the story have emerged a thousand stories about the Captain. He
of Dr. Richard Montgomery Norment, well known Robe- knows the great and near great, the rich and influential,
son County politician. The doctor was fishing on the Lum- and knows them well, but the friendship of the humblest
ber River when he lost a valuable gold ring overboard. He citizen means more the Captain Bill. If you find Captain
knew that with the deep water and soft, muddy bottom, Bill guilty you must sentence him. That sentence may be
there was no chance of retrieving the ring. Nine weeks lat- a fine, or imprisonment and the revocation of his fishing
er he was fishing in the same spot and caught a large trout. license. “Revocation of his license? It would be better to
Later at home, he was preparing the fish to cook when in send him to the roads.” How can Captain Bill live without
the stomach he found his ring that was lost for two months. fishing? --- Fishing is his life. His life is fishing. The Al-
mighty gave us the river and its fish. He gave them to Cap-
The April 2, 1881, Morning Star told of an attempt to pro- tain Bill. He never placed restrictions upon the manner in
tect the fish of the Lumber River in Robeson and Colum- which the descendants of Adam could take a fish. I do not
bus counties. It became a misdemeanor to take fish from know what Captain Bill’s religion is. Sometimes I believe
the river between March 1st and November 1st by any that he, in his own way, is more devout than any of us.
means other than hook and line. He has learned well the commandment, “Love thy neigh-
bor.” The river has been good to Captain Bill. He has not
Lumberton Postmaster Gordan Cashwell for many years mistreated the river. How could he defile that companion
wrote an article called “Then and Now” which covered not of his? Your Honor, if you or I or anyone of us were sick
only current affairs but recounted his memories of Lum- and needed a succulent red-breast or bass to tickle a jaded
berton through the years. One of his stories talks about one palate, Captain Bill would get in his boat, come hell or
occasion of fishing that led to an appearance in court of high water, and bring us the fish. Where or how he may
one of Lumberton’s favorite citizens. In November 1946, have acquired it, we would not know, and we would not
Captain Bill Bullard, who spent most of his life fishing the ask. Often at daybreak or sunset, Captain Bill has paddled
Lumber River, was caught by a game warden breaking the me upstream in that flat bottom boat. Whether we caught
gaming law by catching fish in a trap. He appeared before us a string or returned empty-handed was of little concern
District Recorder Robert E. Floyd for trial. He was rep- to us. We do not know what the future holds for us, nor
resented by Malcolm Seawell, a promising young lawyer for Captain Bill, but I can hope that in the hereafter, the
who later became North Carolina Attorney General. He Styx may be the Lumbee, and Captain Bill it’s Charon- - -
was a fishing buddy of Captain Bullard. Seawell knew the waiting in his flat bottom boat at daybreak to take me to
Captain was guilty and that the law was irrevocable. He the river’s bend.”
instructed his client to plead “Not Guilty,” and to trust that
he would provide an emotional speech that would end in a In a footnote to the copy of Seawell’s record of his speech,
pronouncement of “Not Guilty.” he wrote the following:
“The verdict was “Not Guilty.” Captain Bill was a bit on
These are some excerpts from the Seawell’s speech: the deaf side and did not hear the verdict. I took him by
the arm and led him from the courtroom to the conference
“Your Honor: Captain Bill Bullard has fished the Lum- room. Captain Bill said, “Boy, what did he say? I said, he
ber River for sixty-odd years. Thirty years before Your said you were not guilty.” Captain Bill said, “Well, I will
Honor and I were born he was taking fish from the dark be damned.” Captain Bill Bullard died June 1, 1953.
waters. He is the last of a procession of fishermen whose
ghosts were haunting the cypress boles and the eddies Swimming Places
from McNeill’s Bridge to Winyah Bay. When Captain Bill Cashwell wrote on August 4, 1971 about swimming during
started fishing there were no laws to say when, where and his childhood.
how a man might take a fish. In these ‘dead days beyond Page 11