Wake County, NC - Mr. & Mrs. Bucknet Pace, 1811

Raleigh, NC - July 5

Dreadful Occurrence

A letter from a respectable gentleman of this county, mentions the
occurrence of an awful incident on the night of Sunday the 23d ult.

On that evening, he states, there was the most violent storm ever
witnessed by any of the inhabitants. During it continuance, the house
of a Mr. Bucknet Pace was struck with lightning, and almost entirely
consumed; most of the white people of the plantation being absent,
and only one black woman and a boy remaining at some distance in
their hut.

Out informant observes that he was called on the next morning by
John Davis, Esq. to go and examine the spot. They found the bodies
of Mr. and Mrs. Pace, with their dwelling house, reduced to ashes.
They were lying, one on each bed, with their heads across towards
the wall. It was supposed from this that they had sat down on the
beds at the commencement of the storm and perhaps afterwards lain
down.

The bodies were entirely consumed and at the end of the house where
the beds stook were found fractured pieces of wood, shingles, rafters,
&c supposed to have been torn off by the lightning. The site was most
afflicting that he, and hundres of others, had ever seen.

Mr. and Mrs. Pace were about 70 years of age, had been long respectable
inhabitants of Wake County and have left three children behind them.
Their remains were decently interred.

The storm took place after dark and the old black woman and boy had
fallen asleep while the rain continued. When they awoke finding the
dwelling house in flames, they attempted to alarm the neighbors but
no assistance was procured until morning.

Source: Poulson's American Daily Advertiser - July 12, 1811

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