5th North Carolina Regiment

Last updated
5th North Carolina Regiment
Active1776-1781
Allegiance Continental Congress of the United States
Branch Continental Army
Type Infantry
Part ofSouthern/Northern Department, North Carolina Brigade
Engagements Battle of Brandywine,
Battle of Germantown,
Battle of Monmouth,
Siege of Savannah,
Siege of Charleston
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Col. Edward Buncombe, Col. Thomas Clark

The 5th North Carolina Regiment was assigned on March 26, 1776, to the Continental Army in the Southern Department. It was organized in the spring of 1776 at Wilmington, North Carolina, as eight companies of volunteers from the districts of New Bern, Edenton and Hillsborough District of North Carolina. On February 5, 1777, the regiment was assigned to the main Continental Army and assigned to the North Carolina Brigade on July 8, 1777. The regiment was reduced to a cadre on June 1, 1778, at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania and was assigned to the Southern Department. The regiment was re-organized to nine companies during the fall of 1778 at Halifax and assigned on January 11, 1779, to Sumner's Brigade. On 3 June 1779, this brigade was redesignated as Armstrong's Brigade. The regiment was captured by the British Army on 12 May 1780 at Charlestown, South Carolina and was officially disbanded on January 1, 1781.

Contents

History

The 5th North Carolina Regiment was organized in March 1776 as part of the Southern Department, where it remained till February 5, 1777. The companies from the regiment were first organized in Wilmington, North Carolina and included men from New Bern, Edenton, and other parts of the Hillsborough District. Soldiers served for tours of nine months at a time. Later that year on July 8, 1777, the regiment was assigned to the Northern Department of the Continental Army. [1] [2] [3]

The 5th North Carolina Regiment was folded into the 3rd North Carolina Regiment, commanded by Col Jethro Sumner sometime after May 29, 1778. The soldiers that remained with the army remained with the 3rd until January 1779 when the 5th North Carolina Regiment was reestablished under the Southern Command with Col Thomas Clark as commander. The command did not last longer than early 1780. It was officially disbanded on January 1, 1781. Most of the remaining men were absorbed into the 3rd North Carolina Regiment. [1]

Officers

Reading Blount, 1756/58-1807 Reading Blount.jpg
Reading Blount, 1756/581807

Known Field grade officers: [1]

The brother of Major Reading Blount, Lieutenant Thomas Blount, served with this unit until he was captured and taken to prison in England. [11]

Known engagements

The 5th North Carolina Regiment served with the North Department in 1777 and with the Southern Department in 1779: [1]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Carolina Line</span> Colonial North Carolina militia units within the Continental Army

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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.

Edward Buncombe (1742–1778) was a plantation owner from the Province of North Carolina who served as a colonel in the North Carolina militia and Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. He is the namesake of Buncombe County in western North Carolina. In 1820, his surname became the source of the derogatory American slang term, "bunkum" and its shortened form, "bunk" in consequence of the U.S. representative for the county, Felix Walker, invoking the county during a poorly received speech delivered on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.

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 Montgomery County Regiment was authorized on February 8, 1778 by the North Carolina General Assembly of 1778. It was created at the same time that Montgomery County, North Carolina was created out of the northern half of Anson County, North Carolina. 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 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.

The Wilkes County Regiment was authorized on December 9, 1777 by the Province of North Carolina Congress at the same time that Wilkes County, North Carolina was created from Surry County, North Carolina and Washington District, North Carolina. The regiment was subordinate to the Salisbury District Brigade of militia. It was engaged in battles and skirmishes against the British and Cherokee during the American Revolution in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia between 1779 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

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Thomas Benbury was a revolutionary leader in the early formation of the State of North Carolina. He was a member of the North Carolina Provincial Congress, a member of the North Carolina House of Commons from 1776 to 1782, Speaker of the House of Commons, and an officer in the Chowan County Regiment during the American Revolution.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Lewis, J.D. "5th North Carolina Regiment". The Revolutionary War in North Carolina. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
  2. Wright, Richard K. (1983). "Lineage". The Continental Army. Army Lineage Series. Washington, D.C.: United States Army Center of Military History. CMH Pub 60-4. Archived from the original on October 9, 2019. Retrieved June 26, 2006.
  3. United States Army Center of Military History (1996). Bibliography of the Continental Army in North Carolina. Archived from the original on June 8, 2010. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  4. Lemmon, Sarah Mcculloh (1979). "Edward Buncombe" . Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  5. Rankin, Hugh F. Rankin; Kellam, Ida Brooks (1979). "Thomas Clarke". NCpedia. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  6. O'Donnell, John Burke Jr. "Henry Irwin". NCpedia. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  7. Davidson, Chalmers G. (1986). "William Lee Davidson". NCpedia. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  8. Miller, Mark F. (1986). "Henry Hal Dixon". NCpedia. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
  9. Worthy, Pauline (1979). "Reading Blount". NCpedia. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
  10. Davis, Charles L. (1896). A Brief History of the North Carolina Troops on the Continental Establishment in the War of the Revolution with a Register of Officers of the Same (PDF). Retrieved January 30, 2019.
  11. Maupin, Armistead Jones (1979). "Thomas Blount". NCpedia. Retrieved December 11, 2019.