The Lighthorsemen
Bands of pro-government men began roaming the countryside, looking for the suspected leaders of the Regulators. Known as lighthorsemen, these men were armed and dangerous. Civilians were beaten by the lighthorsemen if they did not cooperate by turning over suspects. The actions of the lighthorsemen outraged the country people and convinced them that the government was oppressive.
On December 2, 1786, a group of lighthorsemen made up mostly of merchants and professionals from
Lighthorsemen made the regulators fear the tyranny of the government even more. And growing numbers of Regulators began to compare the behavior of the
The Regulators
The Riot and Militia acts and the legislature’s suspension of habeas corpus aroused the wrath of yeomen who felt these measures were repressive and tyrannical. The actions of the legislature had pushed the regulators one step closer to armed rebellion.
As the year of 1786 came to a close, and the state of
