By an act of Assembly, passed in the year 1802, the County Court have power to establish Rules and Regulations for the government of the Patrollers in their respective counties;

In pursuance of the power thus granted, the County Court of Rowan, at August session, 1825, made and established the following regulations for the government of Patrols, to wit:

1st. Patrols shall be appointed, at least four in each Captain’s district.

2d. It shall be their duty, for two of their number, at least, to patrol their respective districts once in every week; in failure thereof, they shall be subject to the penalties prescribed by law.

3d. They shall have power to inflict corporal punishment, if two be present agreeing thereto.

4th. One patroller shall have power to seize any negro slave who behaves insolently to a patroller, or otherwise unlawfully or suspiciously; and hold such slave in custody until he can bring together a requisite number of Patrollers to act in the business.

5th. Previous to entering on their duties, Patrols shall call on some acting magistrate, and take the following oath, to wit:

“I, A. B. appointed one of the Patrol by the County Court of Rowan, for Captain B’s company, do hereby swear, that I will faithfully execute the duties of a Patroller, to the best of my ability, according to law and the regulations of the County Court.

Signed, A. B.”    “Witness, C. D. J. P.”

Whereupon, the officiating magistrate shall make out and deliver to him, or them, the following certificate, to wit:

“I, C. D. one of the acting magistrates of Rowan County, do hereby certify, that A. B. came before me, on this the _______ day of ______ A. D. 182__ and was duly sworn faithfully to execute the duties of a Patroller for this County, in Captain B’s company, according to law and the regulations of the County Court in such case made and provided.

Signed,   ____________ C. D. J. P.”

And no Patroller, without this certificate, shall be allowed the privileges and compensation otherwise extended to them.

6th. If any Patroller, while in the discharge of his duty, shall get drunk, or behave in a riotous or disorderly manner, he shall forfeit and pay the sum of five dollars, to be recovered in the name of the chairman of the County Court. He is also, by law, subject to indictment.

7th. The Sheriff of the county shall have the acts of Assembly relating to Patrols, together with these regulations, printed; and, in future, furnish each set of Patrols with a copy of the same; and he shall be allowed for the cost of printing, in his settlement with the county Trustee.

— from Patrol Regulations for the County of Rowan; Printed by Order of the County Court, at August Term, Anno Domini 1825, http://docsouth.unc.edu/nc/rowan/rowan.html