STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

COUNTY OF COLUMBUS
                                                     POWER OF ATTORNEY

                    KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each of the undersigned
directors and executive officers of UNITED CAROLINA BANCSHARES  CORPORATION (the
"Corporation")  has made,  constituted  and  appointed  and, by these  presents,
hereby makes,  constitutes and appoints HOWARD V. HUDSON, JR., RONALD C. MONGER,
WILLIAM R.  LATHAN,  JR. and  RAYMOND W.  HINES,  and each of them,  jointly and
severally, his true and lawful agents and attorneys-in-fact,  with full power of
substitution and  resubstitution,  and with full power and authority for him and
in his name,  place and stead,  to sign for the undersigned and in his name as a
director or officer of the Corporation a Registration  Statement on Form S-8, as
well as any Amendments to such Registration Statement, and to file the same with
the  Securities  and Exchange  Commission  under the  Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, relating to the shares of common stock of the Corporation which will be
offered and sold upon the exercise of options to purchase  previously  issued by
Seaboard  Savings Bank,  Inc., SSB (the "Savings Bank") under the Savings Bank's
1993  Nonstatutory  Stock Option Plan for  Directors  and 1993  Incentive  Stock
Option Plan,  and which  options were assumed by the  Corporation  and converted
into  options to  purchase  shares of the  Corporation's  common  stock upon the
merger  of the  Savings  Bank  into  and  with  the  Corporation's  wholly-owned
subsidiary  bank and the  conversion  of the  outstanding  shares of the Savings
Bank's common stock into shares of the Corporation's common stock.

                    Further,  each  of the  undersigned  hereby  grants  to said
agents and  attorneys-in-fact,  and each of them, full power and authority to do
and perform each and every act and thing  requisite  and necessary to be done in
and about the  premises as fully and to all intents and  purposes as he might or
could do in person,  hereby  ratifying and  confirming  all that said agents and
attorneys-in-fact  or  either  of them,  or their  or his or her  substitute  or
substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue thereof.

                    IN WITNESS  WHEREOF,  the  undersigned  have hereunto signed
their names on the dates indicated.

     Signature                     Title                Date


S/ E. Rhone Sasser       President and Chief    February  29 , 1996
- ----------------------   Executive Officer                               
E. Rhone Sasser          (principal executive
                         officer)

S/ Ronald C. Monger      Executive Vice         February  29 , 1996
- ----------------------   President and Chief                                
Ronald C. Monger         Financial Officer
                         (principal financial
                         officer)

S/ John F. Watson        Controller (principal  February  29 , 1996
- ----------------------   accounting officer)
John F. Watson           







                    IN WITNESS WHEREOF,  the undersigned has hereunto signed his
name to the foregoing Power of Attorney as of the date indicated.


     Signature                     Title                Date




S/ J. W. Adams                    Director      February  29 , 1996
- --------------------------                              
J. W. Adams

                                                         2





                    IN WITNESS WHEREOF,  the undersigned has hereunto signed his
name to the foregoing Power of Attorney as of the date indicated.


     Signature                     Title                Date




S/ John V. Andrews                Director      February  29 , 1996
- --------------------------                               
John V. Andrews

                                                         3





                    IN WITNESS WHEREOF,  the undersigned has hereunto signed his
name to the foregoing Power of Attorney as of the date indicated.


     Signature                     Title                Date




S/ Russell M. Carter              Director      February  29 , 1996
- --------------------------                               
Russell M. Carter

                                                         4






                    IN WITNESS WHEREOF,  the undersigned has hereunto signed his
name to the foregoing Power of Attorney as of the date indicated.


     Signature                     Title                Date




S/ W. E. Carter                   Director      February  29 , 1996
- --------------------------                             
W. E. Carter

                                                         5






                    IN WITNESS WHEREOF,  the undersigned has hereunto signed his
name to the foregoing Power of Attorney as of the date indicated.


     Signature                     Title                Date




S/ Alfred E. Cleveland            Director      February  29 , 1996
- --------------------------                             
Alfred E. Cleveland

                                                         6






                    IN WITNESS WHEREOF,  the undersigned has hereunto signed his
name to the foregoing Power of Attorney as of the date indicated.


     Signature                     Title                Date




S/ James L. Cresimore             Director      February  29 , 1996
- --------------------------                           
James L. Cresimore

                                                         7





                    IN WITNESS WHEREOF,  the undersigned has hereunto signed his
name to the foregoing Power of Attorney as of the date indicated.


     Signature                     Title                Date




S/ Thomas P. Dillon               Director      February  29 , 1996
- --------------------------                             
Thomas P. Dillon

                                                         8




                    IN WITNESS WHEREOF,  the undersigned has hereunto signed his
name to the foregoing Power of Attorney as of the date indicated.


     Signature                     Title                Date




S/ C. Frank Griffin               Director      February  29 , 1996
- --------------------------                           
C. Frank Griffin

                                                         9






                    IN WITNESS WHEREOF,  the undersigned has hereunto signed his
name to the foregoing Power of Attorney as of the date indicated.


     Signature                     Title                Date




S/ James C. High                  Director      February  29 , 1996
- --------------------------                              
James C. High

                                                        10




                    IN WITNESS WHEREOF,  the undersigned has hereunto signed his
name to the foregoing Power of Attorney as of the date indicated.


     Signature                     Title                Date




S/ Jack E. Shaw                   Director      February  29 , 1996
- --------------------------                             
Jack E. Shaw

                                                        11






                    IN WITNESS WHEREOF,  the undersigned has hereunto signed his
name to the foregoing Power of Attorney as of the date indicated.


     Signature                     Title                Date




S/ Harold B. Wells                Director      February  29 , 1996
- --------------------------                              
Harold B. Wells

                                                        12






                    IN WITNESS WHEREOF,  the undersigned has hereunto signed his
name to the foregoing Power of Attorney as of the date indicated.


     Signature                     Title                Date




S/ Charles M. Winston             Director      February  29 , 1996
- --------------------------                              
Charles M. Winston