Rowan County Regiment

Last updated
Rowan County Regiment
Active1775–1783
DisbandedSeptember 3, 1783
Allegiance North Carolina
BranchNorth Carolina militia
Type Militia
Part of Salisbury District Brigade
Garrison/HQ Salisbury, North Carolina
Commanders
Notable
commanders
  1. Colonel Griffith Rutherford
  2. Col. Matthew Locke
  3. Col. Francis Locke, Sr.
  4. Colonel Hugh Montgomery

The Rowan County Regiment was originally established in about August 1, 1775 as a local militia in Rowan County in the Province of North Carolina. When the North Carolina Provincial Congress authorized thirty-five existing county militias to be organized on September 9, 1775, the Rowan County Regiment was included and all officers were appointed with commissions from the Provincial Congress. The members of the Rowan County Regiment were mostly from what was Rowan County at the time. Prior to establishment of the Rowan County Regiment, many of its officers were active in the Rowan County Committee of Safety. The regiment included 160 known companies and one or more of these companies were engaged in 36 known battles or skirmishes during the American Revolution. After the establishment of the Rowan County Regiment, several other counties were created from Rowan County, including Burke County in 1777, Iredell County in 1788, Davidson County in 1822 and Davie County in 1836. [1]

Contents

History

Prior to the American Revolution, Rowan County had a militia regiment, like all colonial NC counties, as part of the Province of North Carolina. The Rowan County militia was used to defend the settlers during the Anglo-Cherokee War of 1758 to 1761 when the Cherokee Indians were devastating the outlying settlements. When Governor Arthur Dobbs sent a 50-man company of North Carolina Provincial Soldiers to the NC frontier in the summer of 1755, its commander, Captain Hugh Waddell, was placed in overall command of the Rowan and Anson County Regiments.. [2] When the construction of Fort Dobbs (North Carolina) was ordered by Governor Dobbs, he also ordered the Anson and Rowan County Militia Regiments to each create a 50-man militia company, which could be called on in there was an alarm. Both were to rendezvous at Fort Dobbs to support the Provincials there.

From mid-May to mid-June 1767, Waddell commanded Rowan and Mecklenburg militia detachments accompanying Governor Tryon to establish a boundary between North Carolina and the Cherokee. [3] In 1768, the regiment was commanded by Colonel Alexander Osborne. Colonel Osborne marched with the Rowan County regiment to assist Governor William Tryon in suppressing the Regulator Movement at Hillsborough in 1768 on the Yadkin River above Salisbury. (The Rowan County Scots-Irish did not join the Regulator Movement.) Colonel Osborn (17061776) was the father of Adlai Osborne, who would later command the 2nd Rowan County Regiment during the American Revolution. [4] [5] [6]

The DAR marker commemorating the Battle of Torrence's Tavern, located on Langtree Road near the intersection with N.C. Highway 115 in Mount Mourne. Torrences Tavern DAR Marker.jpg
The DAR marker commemorating the Battle of Torrence's Tavern, located on Langtree Road near the intersection with N.C. Highway 115 in Mount Mourne.

As a lead up to the American Revolution, the Rowan County Regiment was established on about August 1, 1775 under patriot command. Most of the regimental leadership were participants in the Rowan County Committee of Safety. The North Carolina Provincial Congress authorized the Rowan County Regiment to be organized as one of the 35 existing county militias on September 9, 1775. Colonel Griffith Rutherford became its first commander. Shortly after being authorized, the regiment was split on October 22, 1775, into two separate and distinct regiments—the 1st Rowan County Regiment and the 2nd Rowan County Regiment. The 1st Rowan County Regiment retained most of the original members of the original Rowan County Regiment. When the Salisbury District Brigade was created on May 4, 1776, the Rowan County Regiment was included in this brigade and Col Rutherford assumed command of the brigade. On May 9, 1777, the 2nd Rowan County Regiment was renamed as the Burke County Regiment, and the 1st Rowan County Regiment reverted to its original name—the Rowan County Regiment. On May 1, 1782, this regiment was once again split into two separate and distinct regiments—the 1st Rowan County Regiment and the 2nd Rowan County Regiment. These two separate regiments continued until the end of the war (September 3, 1783). [1]

Officers

The following listings show the known commanders, officers, staff, and soldiers of the Rowan County Regiment. [7] [1] Col Rutherford left the Rowan County Regiment when he was promoted to brigadier general in charge of the 1st Salisbury District Minutemen and later the Salisbury District Brigade. [8]

Commandants and colonels: [1]

Known lieutenant colonels:Known majors:Known adjutants:
  • 1st Maj. John Dobbins (original officer) [8]
  • 2nd Maj. James Brandon (original officer) [8]
  • Maj. James Barr
  • Maj. George Henry Barrier
  • Maj. Lewis Bayard
  • Maj. James Brandon
  • Maj. William Lee Davidson
  • Maj. William Davis
  • Maj. Robert Gillespie
  • Maj. James Hall
  • Maj. Benjamin Harris
  • Maj. James Irvin
  • Maj. John Johnston
  • Maj. John Lopp
  • Maj. Madison
  • Maj. Martin
  • Maj. Thomas McGuire
  • Maj. Richmond Pearson
  • Maj. Ezekiel Polk
  • Maj. John Rowan
  • Maj. Philip Rutherford
  • Maj. Walter Sharp
  • Maj. James Smith
  • Maj. William Stewart
Other staff
  • David Ramsey – Commissary
  • John Scott – Commissary
  • Jacob Utzman – Commissary (also Ensign)
  • James Hall – Chaplain
  • William White – Paymaster
  • Joseph Marbury – Quartermaster General

The regiment consisted of 160 known companies headed by captains. Company officers included lieutenants, ensigns, sergeants, corporals, and privates/drummers/fifers. The following are the known notable captains and subordinates: [7] [1]

Engagements

The Rowan County Regiment was involved in 31 known engagements during the American Revolution from 1775 to 1782. They fought in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. The battle of Torrence's Tavern was the only battle fought in what became Iredell County, North Carolina in 1788, where many of the regiment's soldiers resided after the war. Companies were headed by captains. Not every company took part in every engagement. The regiment was also responsible for manning a shoe factory near what is now Statesville, North Carolina. The known engagements included: [1] [7] [4]

Map of the route taken by the Rowan County Regiment in the Cherokee Expedition, known today as the Rutherford Trace Rutherford trace map.jpg
Map of the route taken by the Rowan County Regiment in the Cherokee Expedition, known today as the Rutherford Trace
Battle of Guiliford Courthouse 1781 )(reenactment) Battle of Guiliford Courthouse 1781 reenactment 13.jpg
Battle of Guiliford Courthouse 1781 )(reenactment)
OrderDate RangeBattles/SkirmishesState
111/19-11/21/1775 Siege of Savage's Old Fields 1775SC
212/22/1775 Battle of Great Cane Brake SC
312/23-12/30/1775 Snow Campaign SC
48/1-11/1/1776 Cherokee Expedition 1776NC
53/3/1779 Battle of Briar Creek GA
66/20/1779 Battle of Stono Ferry SC
73/28-5/12/1780 Siege of Charleston 1780SC
84/14/1780 Battle of Monck's Corner #1SC
96/20/1780 Battle of Ramseur's Mill NC
107/15/1780Earle's FordSC
117/21/1780 Battle of Colson's Mill NC
128/11/1780Little Lynches CreekSC
138/16/1780 Battle of Camden SC
148/18/1780 Battle of Fishing Creek SC
159/10/1780Mask's FerryNC
1610/7/1780 Battle of King's Mountain SC
1710/14/1780 Battle of Shallow Ford NC
181/17/1781 Battle of Cowpens SC
192/1/1781 Battle of Cowan's Ford NC
202/1/1781 Battle of Torrence/Tarrant's Tavern NC
212/3-2/4/1781Trading FordNC
222/4/1781Grant's CreekNC
232/17/1781Hart's MillNC
242/25/1781 Battle of Haw River NC
253/6/1781 Battle of Whetzell's Mill NC
263/15/1781 Battle of Guilford Court House NC
274/25/1781 Battle of Hobkirk's Hill SC
285/21-6/19/1781 Siege of Ninety-Six 1781SC
299/8/1781 Battle of Eutaw Springs SC
309/13/1781 Battle of Lindley's Mill NC
316/1-10/31/1782 Cherokee Expedition 1782NC

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Sharpe (North Carolina politician)</span> American politician

William Sharpe was a lawyer, politician, American Revolution patriot, and a delegate to the Continental Congress from Rowan County, North Carolina, which became Iredell County in 1788.

The Hillsborough District Brigade of militia was an administrative division of the North Carolina militia established on May 4, 1776. Brigadier General Thomas Person was the first commander. Companies from the eight regiments of the brigade were engaged in 55 known battles and skirmishes in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia during the American Revolutionary War. It was active until the end of the war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Lee Davidson</span> American revolution militia general (1746–1781)

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Griffith Rutherford</span> Revolutionary War officer (c. 1721 – 1805)

Griffith Rutherford was an American military officer in the Revolutionary War and the Cherokee-American Wars, a political leader in North Carolina, and an important figure in the early history of the Southwest Territory and the state of Tennessee.

James Johnston was an officer in the Tryon County Regiment and Lincoln County Regiments of the North Carolina militia in the American Revolution, a delegate to the North Carolina Provincial Congress in 1776, and a state senator in 1780–1782.

The Salisbury District of North Carolina, was originally one of six colonial judicial districts established in 1766 by the Governor William Tryon of the Province of North Carolina. Immediately preceding the onset of the American War of Independence in 1775, these six regions were renamed "military districts" by the North Carolina Provincial Congress and used for organizing the North Carolina militia. The other military districts were Edenton, Halifax, Hillsborough, New Bern, and Wilmington districts. The military district designation was discontinued in 1835 during the North Carolina Constitution Convention.

Adlai Osborne was a lawyer, public official, plantation owner, and educational leader from Rowan County, North Carolina. During the American Revolution, he served on the Rowan County Committee of Safety and commanded the 2nd Rowan County Regiment of the North Carolina militia. He was elected as a delegate to the Continental Congress, but did not serve. In 1789, he was a delegate to the convention in Fayetteville that ratified the United States Constitution.

Francis Locke Sr. (1722–1796) was a plantation owner, businessman, politician, and a participant in the American War of Independence, where he led the American Patriots to the decisive victory at Ramseur's Mill, which turned the tide of the American War for Independence in the south.

The Salisbury District Brigade was an administrative division of the North Carolina militia during the American Revolutionary War (1776–1783). This unit was established by the Fourth North Carolina Provincial Congress on May 4, 1776, and disbanded at the end of the war.

The 2nd Rowan County Regiment was first established in October 22, 1775 as a local militia in Rowan County in the Province of North-Carolina. This regiment was created from the existing Rowan County Regiment of militia. Its original officers were Col Adlai Osborne, Lt Col Christopher Beekman, and Major Charles McDowell. Adlai Osborne was a leader in Rowan County and member of the Rowan County Committee of Safety. On May 9, 1777, the regiment was renamed the Burke County Regiment, which was active until the end of the Revolutionary War in 1783.

The Guilford County Regiment was authorized on September 9, 1775 by the Third North Carolina Provincial Congress. It was subordinate to the Salisbury District Brigade of militia. The regiment was engaged in battles and skirmishes against the British and Cherokee during the American Revolution in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia between 1776 and 1781. It was active until the end of the war.

The Surry County Regiment was established on August 26, 1775 by the North Carolina Provincial Congress. The regiment was engaged in battles and skirmishes against the British and Cherokee during the American Revolution in North Carolina, South Carolina Tennessee, and Georgia between 1776 and 1782. It was active until the end of the war.

The Rutherford County Regiment was authorized on October 30, 1779, by the Province of North Carolina Congress. It was created at the same time that Rutherford County, North Carolina was created out of the western part of Tryon County, North Carolina when Tryon County and its regiment of militia were abolished. Officers were appointed and commissioned by the Governor. The regiment was engaged in battles and skirmishes against the British during the American Revolution in North Carolina, Georgia, and South Carolina between 1779 and 1782. It was active until the end of the war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington District Regiment</span> American colonial military unit

The Washington District Regiment was authorized on December 23, 1776 by the Province of North Carolina Congress. It was subordinate to the Salisbury District Brigade of militia. The regiment was renamed the Washington County Regiment. The regiment was engaged in battles and skirmishes against the British and Cherokee during the American Revolution in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia between 1776 and 1782. It was active until the end of the war.

The Mecklenburg County Regiment was authorized on May 31, 1775 by the Province of North Carolina Congress. From November 7, 1779 until the 3rd Quarter of 1780, it was called the 1st Mecklenburg County Regiment when a 2nd Mecklenburg County Regiment existed. The 1st Mecklenburg County regiment was engaged in 39 known battles and skirmishes against the British during the American Revolution in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia between 1776 and 1781. It was active until the end of the war.

The Edenton District Brigade was an administrative division of the North Carolina militia during the American Revolutionary War (1776–1783). This unit was established by the North Carolina Provincial Congress on May 4, 1776, and disbanded at the end of the war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halifax District Brigade</span> Military unit

The Halifax District Brigade was an administrative division of the North Carolina militia during the American Revolutionary War (1776–1783). This unit was established by the North Carolina Provincial Congress on May 4, 1776, and disbanded at the end of the war.

North Carolina state troops in the American Revolution were the initial military units created in a transition from the Province of North Carolina under British rule to independence from British rule. Most units did not last long as such and were either transferred to the Continental Army or state militia instead.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Lewis, J.D. "Rowan County Regiment". carolana.com. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
  2. Ramsey, Robert (1964). Carolina Cradle: Settlement of the Northwest Carolina Frontier, 1747–1762. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press. ISBN   978-0-8078-4189-1.
  3. Cashion, Jerry C. (1996). "Hugh Waddell". NCPedia.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hunter, Cyrus Lee (1877). Sketches of Western North Carolina, Historical and Biographical: Illustrating Principally the Revolutionary Period of Mecklenburg, Rowan, Lincoln, and Adjoining Counties, Accompanied with Miscellaneous Information, Much of it Never Before Published. Raleigh News Steam Job Print. pp.  166–183. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  5. Ervin, Samuel Jr (1917). A Colonial History of Rowan County, North Carolina. University of North Carolina, Edwards & Broughton Printing Company, Raleigh, North Carolina. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  6. Keever, Homer M. (November 1976). Iredell Piedmont County, with illustrations by Louise Gilbert and maps by Mildred Jenkins Miller. Iredell County Bicentennial Commission by Brady Printing Company from type set by the Statesville Record and Landmark. p. 44.
  7. 1 2 3 Graves, William. "Southern Campaigns Revolutionary War Pension Statements & Rosters" . Retrieved February 16, 2019., various pension applications and rosters
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "Minutes of the Provincial Congress of North Carolina, North Carolina. Provincial Congress, August 20, 1775 – September 10, 1775, Volume 10, Pages 164–220". DocSouth. Retrieved February 16, 2019.

Further reading