In November of 1834, after the death of John Reed's son Conrad, John Reed, James Reed (Conrad's son) and other surviving family members, made an agreement on the operation of the gold mine.

John Reed was to always receive royalties on all gold found. All others, who were present and who worked on days when gold was found, would receive equal shares. George Barnhardt (husband of Patsey Reed, daughter of John Reed and Sarah Kiser) was named manager.

The plan was for all qualified miners to resume mining on Monday November 17, 1834.

The weather was bad on the 17th and delayed the work until Tuesday. The first wife of George Reed was Elizabeth Freeman. Elizabeth took sick on Monday and was sick through the night.

George decided to stay home and care for his wife and sent his son Arthur to work in his place at the mine on Tuesday. Even though Arthur was a teenager and not an experienced miner, he was given a job to do.

Before noon, Robert Motley (husband of Elizabeth Reed, who was daughter of John Reed and Sarah Kiser) found a gold nugget that weighed 13 pounds. George Reed got to the mine shortly after noon.

Motley stated that since George was not present when the nugget was found he was not entitled to receive a share. And stated that George's son Arthur was too young and not a qualified miner, which would not qualify George to partake in a share of the 13 pound nugget.

The position that Robert Motley took caused a rift in the family as well as in the future of the Reed mine.

The agreement that the family had made earlier was an oral agreement. Due to the circumstances at hand, John Reed decided that a written agreement was necessary. On November 25, 1834 John Reed and eight male family members met and drew up the following written agreement:

An article of agreement between we the undersigned who are privileged to work the part of the gold mine of John Reed Senior known by the north and east hill as a company and as partners in the art and business of gold mining also in defreying all Expenses which may be incurred in carrying on Said work and all the gold found in said Company shall be equally devided, share and share alike after the toal is paid to John Reed Senior. Any person declining from said Company before it desolves forfits his right as a copartner and will not be their after received as a partner. And if any of the Company shall act dishonestly in concealing any gold from the Company he shall be expeld from the Company as a partner. And the concern of the gold mine Company shall be under the control of the manager, and be subject to his orders in the way and manner of carrying on said work. Any person who shall willfully and obstinately refuse or neglect to do his duty as a hand shall be dismissed for that day by the manager and draw no share of the gold found that day in which he may refuse or neglect to do his duty. Any person of the Company loosing a day by sickness of himself or family shall pay to the Company the sum of one dollar to be kept as a fund to defreay Expenses. Any person loosing a day idely or otherwise shall pay two dollars and in all cases where the Law compell one, one dollar. No children nor Slave shall be received as a hand by the manager. Every one shall find a horse in turn to perform the necessary halling and in neglect shall pay for each day the sum of fifty cents and the manager shall be allowed to hire a horse in the room if one can be had for said sum if thought necessary. In witness we set our hands November 25th 1834.

X His Mark Moses Kisor,
signed George Barndhardt
James L. Reed
George Reed 
John Reed
Andrew Hartsell
Robert Motley
W. M. Craton END

John Reed Senior did not sign the above agreement. Work resumed at the mine and several nuggets were found in the following weeks. George Reed was very unhappy because he did not receive his share of the 13-pound nugget found on November 18, 1834. He brought suit in 1835 against George Barnhardt, Robert Motley, Andrew Hartsell and his brother John Reed.

George Reed also obtained a court injunction, which closed the mine. As a result of the injunction, no authorized mining took place at the Reed Mine for ten years.

George Reed and his family left Cabarrus County, North Carolina prior to 1837 and settled in Pope County, Arkansas.

In 1842 at age 82, John Reed took the Oath of Allegiance to the United States. It is not known why John Reed decided to become a citizen. In November of 1834 his family had orally agreed on the mining procedures of the Reed Mine. That oral agreement failed the very first active day of mining and subsequently a court injunction prevented any mining operations to take place. Perhaps John Reed felt that he was not able as an individual to settle the differences in his family and pending legal outcomes were out of his control and would rest with the judicial system.

Depositions taken from family members in regard to the suit filed by George Reed indicate that John Reed offered to reimburse family members if they would pay George Reed his share of the nugget; presumably the case would then have been dropped.

John Reed Sr may have felt that by becoming a citizen he would represent himself as an individual who would except the decision made by the court; possibly hoping that all of his family members would also except the decision and put to rest all of the bitter feelings that had split the family.

The following is the oath that John Reed took to become a citizen:

Oath of Allegiance Minutes of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions April term 1842 North Carolina Cabarrus County. This day personally appeared in open court, being the court of our said county, John Reed Sr., and made oath in due Process of Law that he was born in Hagelfeldt in Hessee-Cassel in Germany under the dominion of Prince Frederick in January 1758. That he landed on Long Island, State of New York in the year 1778 or 1779; that he settled afterwards in the County of Mecklenburg in that portion now called Cabarrus County, State of North Carolina, where he now resides and has resided ever since and that he will support the Constitution of the United States and renounce and abjure forever, entirely and absolutely all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty whatsoever and particularly to William 2nd Elector and Prince of Hesse-Cassel. Sworn to and subscribed: His X Mark John Reed Sr. in open court this 20th day of April 1842 Kioh P. Harris, Clerk North Carolina, Cabarrus County, 20th day of April 1842, John Reed Sr., a native of Hagelfeldt Hesse-Cassel Germany, born in January 1758 and now a Resident of Cabarrus County, where he has resided since the year 1778 or 1779, having applied to this court in proper person in open court to become a citizen of the United States: and it appearing to the satisfaction of the Court that immediately preceding his application to this Court to be naturalized as aforesaid, the said John Reed Sr., has resided two years at least within and under the Jurisdiction of the United States and one year at least within the State of North Carolina and the said John Reed Sr., having on this day by his corporal oath before this court duly administrated and taken, declared that he would support the Constitution of the United States and that he doth abjure and entirely renounce all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty whereof he was before a citizen or subject and particularly William the 2nd the Elector, Prince, Potentate and Sovereign of Hessen- Cassel. And it further more appearing to the satisfaction of the Court that during the said term of two years before this application the said John Reed Sr., alien as aforesaid has behaved as a man of good moral character attached to the Constitution of the United States and well disposed to the good order and happenings of the same; it is therefore ordered, adjudged and allowed by our said Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions for Cabarrus County, State of North Carolina that the said John Reed Sr. be admitted to become and that he do hereby become a citizen of the United States pursuant to the act of Congress in such case made and provided. END

On November 19, 1843 Sarah 'Sally' Kiser Reed died. No doubt, the discovery of gold brought things to Sarah's life that gave her comfort. But she must also have felt discomforts in her lifetime.

Her sister Elizabeth, wife of George Long, was murdered in 1828. The following account of her death appeared in an area newspaper:

SHOCKING MURDER! We learn that on Sunday the 27th Mr. Long, wife of Mr. George Long, of Cabarrus county, was killed by a negro fellow belonging to her father, Mr. George Kiser. The fellow bore a bad character, and had been forbidden, by Mrs. Long, to visit her house, which he had been in the habit of doing clandestinely, for the purpose of seeing a negro girl belonging to the family. He consequently determined upon revenge, and on Sunday, about 3 o'clock, while Mrs. L. was passing alone along the road to her father's, the negro rushed from an ambush where he had been lying all day, seized and strangled Mrs. L. with two handkerchiefs, tying one around her neck, and stuffing the other in her mouth. The fellow was apprehended the same day, and confessed the murder. The negro girl was also apprehended as an "accessory before the fact" she having furnished the fellow with food while he was lying in wait, and being privy to his designs on Mrs. L.'s life. They were both put in prison, and will be tried at the superior court which sits this week in Concord. END

It is sad to think of how the worries over her family probably made Sarah Reed feel. Not only the heart ache that she must have felt over the continuing legal battle of family member pitted against family member over the mine, but also of probable indiscretions of her husband or possibly a son. It has been noted in history that black female slaves were sometimes taken advantage of by their owners or by male family members of their owners. It is likely that such took place with at least one, if not more, of the female slaves owned by John Reed.

There are several sources that document black slaves and mulattos using the Reed name. And much inference is made that males of the John Reed family were probably fathers of several mulattos. Several black Reeds are buried in a cemetery near Midland, not far from the Reed Gold Mine. Of course there are no records of paternity for any of the mulattos using the Reed name; entered here is an article which leans toward a probable child fathered by a Reed, appearing in Cabarrus County Court Minutes April 1830:

Sally Reed, a girl of color bound to Daniel Linker till age 18. He agrees to teach her sober and industrious habits; to give her freedom, a bed and bed clothing, and spinning wheel and cards and a good freedom suit. END

Granting a slave freedom at age 18 was not a common occurrence in 1830. If this child's mother was a slave or house servant of the John Reed family and if one of the Reed males was the father, it is possible that Mrs. Reed did not want the child around as a constant reminder; but wanted her freed when age 18. Daniel Lincker's father was a Hessian deserter. Daniel had close ties with the Reed family; perhaps he stepped in and helped out an old friend. For certain the Reed family, and others associated with the Reed family, owned an uncommonly high number of slaves during the early 1800's.

Slave labor was used in the mining company, and Mrs. Reed had house servants, but most of the slaves owned by John Reed were used to work the fields.

Nearly two dozen land deals involving John Reed, for the most part in Cabarrus County and others in Montgomery County, are recorded.

At one time he was owner of over 2,000 acres of land. Some of his land deals and transactions were in the interest of mining, but most of the land owned by John Reed was farmland.

At the time of his death, the deed for the Reed Gold Mine designated 745 acres.

In November of 1844 Thomas Ruffin, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina, upheld the decision that had previously been made in the lower court of Cabarrus County, North Carolina. The deposition of John H. Wheeler declared the nugget found November 18, 1934 at the Reed Mine was valued at $2,493.75. The court ruled that the plaintiff, George Reed, would receive from each of the defendants, George Barnhardt, Robert Motley, Andrew Hartsell, and John Reed Jr., $133.47. With principal and interest folded in, George Reed received a total of $533.88. His father, John Reed, received $277.08, his 1/9th share of the nugget.

The court injunction against the Reed Gold Mine was lifted, and operation of the mine resumed.

The Reed Mine had been closed ten years, the profit that could have been reaped had sat stagnant through that time; all individuals associated with the mine had lost out on what could have been theirs and would never recoup the loss.

The mine had been reopened only six months when John Reed died May 28, 1845.

As per his will, the mine and mining property were to be sold at auction as soon as a buyer could be found after his death. The executors of John Reed's estate were his son-in-law George Barnhardt and his son John Reed.

The executors placed an add in the Carolina Watchman in Salisbury, North

Carolina August 30, 1845:
      
             A VALUABLE GOLD-MINE
                    For Sale
The undersigned having qualified as the executors
of the last Will and Testament of John Reid, senr.
dec'd., will sell upon the premises, in Cabarrus
county, in the State of North Carolina, on Thursday 
the 5th day of February next, the valuable Gold-Mine,
so well known amongst Miners in this region of Country
as "The Reid Mine."  The Gold-Mine has the reputation
of being one of the richest mines ever opened in this
section of the country, and this character is as old
as the history of Mining in North Carolina; it being
among the first Mines opening in this State.  Although
this is one of the oldest mines in the Country, it has
yet been but partially explored, the late proprietor 
never would permit any persons out of his own family 
to work the Mine, and they never were permitted to enter
the lands he cultivated.  There are about seven hundred
and fifty acres in the tract and but a small part of the
tract has yet been tested; but the part worked has yielded
more Gold to the labor than any mine ever opened in this
Country.  Some of the rarest specimens of pure gold have
been found at this Mine that have ever been found in the
United States; and with one or two exceptions, the largest
mass of pure gold was found here that we have any history 
of: it weighed twenty-eight pounds, avoirdupois weight: a 
number of other large pieces have been found, weighing 
sixteen, thirteen, eleven, and eight pounds, and so on, 
to the smallest particles.  These large pieces were found
in an alluvial deposite near the surface.  This deposit 
has been found very rich as far as it has been tested, but
he largest portion of it has been in cultivation by the 
late proprietor, and has never been worked; but it is 
believed to be equally as rich as the part that has been
worked.  There are a number of VEINS runing through this
tract of land which have been but partially tried, but as 
far as they have been tested are equal, if not superior, 
in value to any veins that have ever been opened in this 
Country.  This valuable property has been thrown into the
public market by the testator in order that an equal 
distribution might be made among his children.  Payments 
will be divided into three equal instalments, and one two
and three years time will be given, interest at the rate of
six per cent, per annum will be charged upon the whole after
the first year, the purchaser entering into bonds with 
approved securities; or a discount of six percent, will be
made for cash payments.  The notes of, or checks on, any 
specie paying Banks in North Carolina, Philadelphia, New 
York, or Charleston, will be received.  Further particulars
will be made known on the day of sale.  This Mine is situated
fifteen miles south-east of Concord, in the State of North 
Carolina. George Barnhardt    
          John Reed   Ex'rs END

On February 18, 1846 Timothy Reed (son of John Reed Jr.) and Andrew Hartsell (husband of Catherine, daughter of John Reed and Sarah Kiser) purchased the mine for $18,070.00. Trustee was Thomas J. Shinn.

The partnership of Timothy Reed and Andrew Hartsell failed and Thomas Shinn foreclosed and advertised the sale of the mine in July of 1852.

George Barnhardt and Caleb N. White paid $3,005.00 for the mine.

In 1853 they sold the mine for $10,000.00 to Emmer Graham and James W. Osborne.

Graham was a coiner at the Charlotte, North Carolina Mint and Osborne was superintendent of the Charlotte Mint, under appointment of President Millard Fillmore.

Graham and Osborne sold the mine and property on the same day to Phillip W. Groot of Albany, New York.

George Allen Reed, son of the above John Reed of Reed Gold Mine, was born 1792 Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.

His first child, by his first wife, was Claiborne Freeman Reed, born October 13, 1811 Cabarrus County, North Carolina. Claiborne Reed married Eliza Carlock Shinn December 1, 1831 Coldwater, Cabarrus County, North Carolina. Eliza was daughter of Silas Benjamin Shinn and Elizabeth Little...Grandmother of Sarah Guthrie Edgmon.

During the time of the ten year injunction against the Reed Mine, George Allen Reed and family and his son Claiborne, wife and children that they had at that time, joined a wagon train with several other Reed families.

Members of the Brook, Fowler, Harkey, Linker, McAnulty, Plesse, Shandy, and Shinn families had also joined the wagon train.

The caravan of wagons from North Carolina crossed the Mississippi River at Memphis on a steamboat and made their way into Arkansas and settled in Pope County.

The third child of the nine children born to Claiborne and Eliza was Mary Melinda Reed, born March 7, 1837 Pope County, Arkansas. Mary was mother of Sarah (Sally) Guthrie.

Mary Melinda Reed was a widow when she married Edmond Guthrie. Her first marriage was to William Jackson Harkey; married by N.D. Shinn on January 30th 1859 Pope County, Arkansas. William Harkey died July 17, 1864 in a military hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas of injuries he suffered in the Civil War.

William Harkey and Mary Reed had two daughters: Geneva born December 15, 1859 and Mary Isabelle born August 2, 1862. Have seen reference to other children born to their marriage, cannot confirm.

A couple of years after the death of William Harkey, Mary married Edmond Guthrie.

L.C. Shinn performed the marriage July 6, 1866 in Pope County, Arkansas. Records show two children born to this marriage. The first child was George N. Guthrie, born October 13, 1867.

On an early census, George N. was listed as a male, but was a female, she was known as Netter Guthrie. She never married, is buried Mossville Cemetery Newton County, Arkansas.

The second child born to Edmond and Mary was Sarah Ellen Theodothia Guthrie. She was born February 1, 1869 northwest of Russellville in Pope County. Sarah Ellen was named after one of her mother's sisters, but was called Sally when she a very young baby and carried the name throughout her life.