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General New River was a Native American leader of the Catawba tribe. [1] The General took the name New River after he killed a great Shawnee chief in battle in 1732 on the New River in North Carolina. He was chief of the Catawba from 1780 to 1801 after King Prow was "deposed" at the beginning of the American Revolutionary War. He was the son-in-law of King Haigler/Hagler/Heigler or Nopkehee. General New River was probably born circa 1725.
He married Sally Scott-Toole, daughter of King Hagler's daughter and the white Indian Trader, Matthew Toole.
Elkanah Watson in 1786 called him New River, alias Scott. Of course, Watson did not take in account the fact that Sally's maiden name was Scott-Toole, her biological father was Matthew Toole, and her stepfather William Scott.
He served in the Revolutionary War, allied with the Colonies. He was recorded on the Muster Roll List of Captain Thomas Drennan. He served in the Snow Campaign of 1775, under Col. Richard Richardson, whose forces near Fort 96, South Carolina, recaptured gunpowder that was intended for the Cherokee. He led a Catawba force of 35 warriors under Maj. William Richardson Davie at the Battle of Hanging Rock, South Carolina in 1780. He was additionally involved in the Battle of Guilford Court House, North Carolina in 1781.
The General, according to R. A. Springs, was "more than ordinary", and held his power through his wife and the respect the Catawba had for her.
In 1786, he presented a petition on behalf of his people to save their hunting rights. "We your Petitioners, therefore Humbly pray that your Honers out of your great goodness would put a stop to such a glaring breach of Humanity and gratitude, and grant us such privileges of hunting in this state, as in your wisdom you shall think fitt[ sic ], and we your petitioners as in duty bound shall every pray." While Governor Moultrie was sympathetic, the petition was referred to a committee and the Catawba hunting rights were affirmed by a resolution of the House, the situation probably never changed much.
The story was told of the General sucking snake venom from James Spratt, son of Kanawha Spratt, that saved James' life. The General gave the Spratts the land on the reservation. (This is just one version of who gave the land on the reservation to the Spratts.) General New River even borrowed Thomas Spratt’s horse at one time. The General rode the horse hard and Spratt beat him for this infraction. The irony was, that later Spratt killed the same horse, doing exactly what he had beaten General New River for doing.
The General was described by Elkhana Watson in fairly admirable fashion, "his face showed powerful traits of mind and character" while Watson's other description of the Indians was not that generous. Reverend Thomas Coke, the Methodist preacher, described him as: "a tall, grave old man, (who) walked with a mighty staff in his hand: Round his neck he wore a narrow piece (I Think) of leather, which hung down before and was adorned with a great variety of bits of silver. He also had a silver gorget. Almost all the men and women wore silver nose-rings hanging from the middle gristle of the nose, and some of them had little hearts hanging from the rings."
The General died in 1804 at Kings Bottom.
Out of the Mist to Kings Mountain by Shawn C. Roberts is a novel about the Revolutionary War in the South. Some of New River's war time experiences are depicted in this historical novel.
York County is a county on the north central border in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 282,090, making it the seventh-most populous county in the state. Its county seat is the city of York, and its most populous community is Rock Hill. One Interstate Highway serves the county, Interstate 77. York County is part of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC Metropolitan Statistical Area.
William Washington was a cavalry officer of the Virginia militia and Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, who also served on General George Washington's staff during the naval war with France in 1798 and held a final rank of brigadier general. Primarily known as a commander of light dragoons, he led mounted troops in a number of notable battles in the Carolinas during the campaigns of 1780 and 1781. Following the conflict, this William Washington moved to South Carolina, where he married and served in the state legislature as well as led the Seventh Brigade of the South Carolina militia. Cavalry Commander William Washington of Stafford County and South Carolina has often been confused with his distant cousin William Augustine Washington, also a Revolutionary War patriot and planter, who served as a delegate representing Westmoreland County, Virginia.
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The Catawba, also known as Issa, Essa or Iswä but most commonly Iswa, are a federally recognized tribe of Native Americans, known as the Catawba Indian Nation. Their current lands are in South Carolina, on the Catawba River, near the city of Rock Hill. Their territory once extended into North Carolina, as well, and they still have legal claim to some parcels of land in that state. They were once considered one of the most powerful Southeastern tribes in the Carolina Piedmont, as well as one of the most powerful tribes in the South as a whole, with other, smaller tribes merging into the Catawba as their post-contact numbers dwindled due to the effects of colonization on the region.
Hardy Murfree was a lieutenant colonel from North Carolina during the American Revolutionary War.
The Battle of Fishing Creek, also called the Battle of Catawba Ford, was an American Revolutionary War battle fought on August 18, 1780, between American and British forces including the 71st Foot. It was fought near the junction of Fishing Creek and the Catawba River in South Carolina. British forces under Banastre Tarleton surprised the militia company of Thomas Sumter, killing a significant number, taking about 300 captives, and very nearly capturing Sumter, who some say was asleep at the time of the attack.
The Battle of Mobley's Meeting House was an engagement that occurred during the American Revolutionary War in the Mobley Settlement, Fairfield County, South Carolina during the southern campaign of Lord Cornwallis.
William Lee Davidson (1746–1781) was an officer in the North Carolina militia and Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He was born in Pennsylvania and moved with his family to Rowan County, North Carolina in 1750. He was killed at the Battle of Cowan's Ford.
The Battle of Cowan's Ford took place in the Southern Theater of Cornwallis's 1780–1782 Campaign during the American Revolutionary War. It was fought on February 1, 1781, at Cowan's Ford on the Catawba River in northwestern Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, between a force of about 2,400 British and about 800 Whig (Patriot) militia who were attempting to slow the British advance across the river. The American general William Lee Davidson was killed in this battle.
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John Alexander Lillington, also known as Alexander John Lillington, was an American planter, politician and Patriot officer from North Carolina in the American Revolutionary War. He fought in the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge in 1776 as Colonel of the Wilmington District Minutemen. He was afterwards commissioned as colonel of the 6th North Carolina Regiment of the Continental Army, but resigned after a month to instead serve as brigadier general of the Wilmington District Brigade of the North Carolina militia. At the Battle of Camden his troops were among the militia who fled the field. His son John Lillington also served in the North Carolina militia.
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The Battle of Hanging Rock took place during the American Revolutionary War between the American Patriots and the British. It was part of a campaign by militia General Thomas Sumter to harass or destroy British outposts in the South Carolina back-country that had been established after the fall of Charleston in May 1780.
Snow's Island is an area of swampy lowlands along the Pee Dee River in Florence County, South Carolina. The area is historically significant as the headquarters during the American Revolutionary War for forces led by Francis Marion (1732-1795), a South Carolina militia officer who is celebrated as the "Swamp Fox." Employing guerrilla war tactics, Marion significantly contributed to the American war effort by conducting numerous raids on British outposts." The site was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1974.
Huck's Defeat or the Battle of Williamson's Plantation was an engagement of the American Revolutionary War that occurred in present York County, South Carolina on July 12, 1780, and was one of the first battles of the southern campaign to be won by Patriot militia.
The Battle of Wahab's Plantation was a surprise attack on a Loyalist camp, which included elements of the British Legion commanded by Banastre Tarleton, by Patriot militia under the command of William R. Davie on September 21, 1780. The owner of the plantation was militia Captain James A. Walkup who served as a guide for Davie prior to the attack. Confusion has arisen over the spelling of the name Wahab as there are many spellings of the surname including, Walkup/Wahab/Wauchope/Waughup. The Loyalists were camped on the west side of the Catawba River while General Charles Cornwallis' army had camped on the east side. Davie opportunistically decided to attack the Loyalist camp, and succeeded in driving them back in complete surprise and with heavy casualties. He retreated before the British regulars arrived. The latter, as was customary, burned down Captain Walkup's plantation.
King Hagler or Nopkehee was a chief of the Catawba Native American tribe from 1754 to 1763. Hagler is known as the "Patron Saint of Camden, South Carolina." He was the first Native American to be inducted into the South Carolina Hall of Fame. He is known for opposing the sale of alcohol to Catawbas and other Native Americans, and encouraged the Catawba people to abstain from alcohol. He worked to negotiate fair land rights and treaties for the Catawba people.
King Yanabe Yalangway was the eractasswa (chief) of the Catawba Indian Nation, sometime around the 1740s. Not much is known about him other than the fact that he preceded King Hagler as chief. His training was evidently under "king" Whitmannetaughehee's leadership.
Thomas Polk was a planter, military officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War from 1775 to 1781, and a politician who served in the North Carolina House of Commons, North Carolina Provincial Congress, and Council of State. Polk commanded the 4th North Carolina Regiment in the Battle of Brandywine. In 1786, Polk was elected by the North Carolina General Assembly to the Congress of the Confederation, but did not attend any of its sessions. Polk was a great-uncle of the 11th President of the United States, James K. Polk.