USA > North Carolina > Historical sketches of North Carolina : from 1584 to 1851, Vol. I > Part 43
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Members of the General Assembly from Lenoir County, from the formation of the County to 1851.
Years. Senate.
House of Commons.
1792. Joshua Croom,
Isaac Croom, Wm. White.
1793. William Croom,
Isaac Croom, Wm. White.
1794. William Croom,
Wm. White, Isaac Croom. Henry Goodman, Simon Bruton.
2 Shadrach Wooten, Robert Collier.
Henry Goodman, Robert Collier.
1798. William Bush, Benjamin Fordham, Amos Johnson,
* See vol. i. 87.
1795. William Croom,
1796. William White, 1797. William White,-
224
HISTORY OF NORTH CAROLINA.
Years. Senate.
House of Commons.
1800. Simon Bruton,
Hardy Croom, Wm. Easterling,
1801. Simon Bruton,
Shadrach Wooten, Benj. Witherington.
1802. Simon Bruton,
Benj. Witherington, Wm. Goodman.
1803. Simon Bruton,
James Bright, Allen Wooten.
1804. Simon Bruton,
1805.
William Croom,
1806. William Croom,
1807.
William Croom,
1808.
Simon Bruton, Simon Bruton,
1810.
James Bright,
1811.
James Bright,
1812.
James Bright,
1813. Simon Bruton,
1814. Simon Bruton,
1815. Jesse H. Croom,
1816. Joseph Loften,
1817.
Simon Bruton,
James Cox, Joshua Moseley.
1818. Simon Bruton,
John Whitfield, John Williams.
1819. Joseph Loften,
1820.
Joseph Loften,
James Cox, John Williams. . Abraham Croom, John Cobb. Isaac Tull, Nathan B. Whitfield.
1821.
Abraham Croom,
1822. Nathan B. Whitfield, Wm. B. Kilpatrick, James Cox.
1823.
Nathan B. Whitfield, Isaac Croom, W. B. Kilpatrick.
1824. John Williams,
James Cox, R. W. Goodman. .
1825.
Nathan B. Whitfield, Jesse Lassiter, James Cox.
1826.
Isaac Croom, Jas. Cox, W. B. Kilpatrick. Nathan B. Whitfield, W. B. Kilpatrick, Geo. Whitfield.
1828.
Hardy B. Croom,
Geo. Whitfield, W. B. Kilpatrick:
1829.
Wm. D. Moseley, ~
Allen W. Wooten, Council Wooten.
1830.
Wm. D. Moseley,
1831.
Wm. D. Moseley,
Council Wooten, A. W. Wooten.
1833. Wm. D. Moseley,
Blount Coleman, Pinckney Hardie.
1835.
Wm. D. Moseley,
1836. Wm. D. Moseley,
1838.
Wm. D. Moseley,
Windall Davis.
1842.
Edwin G. Speight,
Windall Davis.
1844. Edwin G. Speight,
Jesse Jackson.
1846. Edwin-G. Speight,
Jesse Jackson.»
1848. Edwin G. Speight,
Council Wooten.
1850.
Edwin G. Speight,
William Sutton.
Allen W. Wooten, Council Wooten. .
1832. Wm. D. Moseley,
A. W. Wooten, Council Wooten.
1834. Wm. D. Moseley,
Geo. Whitfield, Windall Davis.
Windall Davis, Council Wooten.
Windall Davis.
1840. James B. Whitfield,
Windall Davis.
1827.
Francis Kilpatrick, Alexander Moseley. Abraham Croom, Joseph Loften. Francis Kilpatrick, Joseph Loften.
Joseph Loften, Nathan Byrd. Joseph Loften, Nathan Byrd. Joshua Moseley, Blount Coleman.
James Bright, Lazarus Pierce. James Bright, Lazarus Pierce. James Bright, Lazarus Pierce. Rigdon White, John Wooten. John Wooten, Wm. Branton. John Wooten, Lazarus Pierce. Francis Kilpatrick, Alexander Moseley.
1809.
225
LINCOLN COUNTY.
CHAPTER XLVI.
LINCOLN COUNTY.
Date of formation-Origin of name-Situation and boundaries-Population and products-Colonial and Revolutionary history-The association of the people-Battle at Ramsour's Mill, between the Tories under Colonel Moore, and the Whigs under Colonel Locke, Captain Falls, and others, on 20th June, 1780, from the pen of General Joseph Graham-Route of Lord Corn- wallis through this county, in Feb., 1781-Biographical sketches of her sons, Joseph Graham, Peter Forney, Jacob Forney, Abram Forney, John Brevard, Michael Hoke, and others, and a list of her members of the Gene- ral Assembly. .
LINCOLN COUNTY was formerly called Tryon, in honor of William Tryon, the Royal' Governor ; but whose odious oppressions caused the General Assembly to blot out his name, and in 1779 to divide this territory into Lincoln and Rutherford. Governor Tryon's life and character have already been described .*
. Lincoln County was so called in honor of Benjamin Lincoln, who, at the time of its formation, was fighting the battles of his country against the British at Charleston.
BENJAMIN LINCOLN was born Jan. 23d, 1733, at Hingham, about thirteen miles from Boston. He was appointed, in Feb., 1777, Major-General in the Revolutionary Army, and served with General Gates at Stillwater, on Oct. 7th, 1777, which campaign terminated so gloriously to American arms. In this battle he was wounded, and suffered severely for several months. He joined the army in August, 1778.
At the request of the delegation in Congress from South Carolina, he was appointed by Congress to command the Army in the south. He arrived at Charleston in Dec., 1778, and actively engaged in his important duties. On the 2d of March, 1779, General Ashe was defeated at Brier Creek, on the Savannah River, by which General Lincoln lost one-fourth of his Army.
On the 20th, he attacked the British at Stono, a warm action ensued, num- bers killed on each side, but this action was not decisive.
On the 9th of October, with Count D'Estaing and a large French force, he attacked the enemy at Savannah, a successful and bloody conflict; after which D'Estaing returned to the West Indies, and Lincoln to Charleston.
Closely besieged by Sir Henry Clinton and Admiral Arbuthnot, on the 12th of May, 1780, Lincoln was forced to surrender that post and the Army to the British. His reputation as an officer and as a man suffered no detriment from this vicissitude of war, for his force was inadequate either for achievement or defence ; but with it he baffled for three months, the greatly superior force of the enemy.
Being exchanged for Major-General Phillips, in the spring of 1781, he with joy joined the standard of his country; and, with Washington, was engaged in the glorious surrender of the British at Yorktown, Oct. 19th, 1781, and was selected by Washington for the honor of receiving the conquered arms of the English.
* Vol i. 49.
226
HISTORY OF NORTH CAROLINA.
This closed the war. He was appointed Secretary of War, in 1781, with permission to retain his rank in the Army, but he soon resigned the laws of State for the pleasure of retirement, and after frequent and honorable employ- ments he died in the house in which he was born, on the 9th of May, 1810. Worthy is his name to be preserved in a portion of the finest part of our State.
Lincoln County is situated in the western part of the State, and is bounded on the north by Catawba County, east by the Catawba River, which separates it from Iredell and Mecklenburg, south by Gaston County, and west by Cleaveland.
Its capital is Lincolnton, and is one hundred and seventy-three miles west of Raleigh.
Its population is 5,661 whites ; 2,055 slaves ; 30 free negroes ; 6,924 repre- sentative population.
Its products are 1,479,396 pounds of cotton ; 24,494 pounds of wool ; 787,225 bushels of corn; 185,373 bushels of wheat; 84,324 bushels of oats ; 4,800 bushels of Rye ; 25,000 pounds of tobacco ; 840 tons of iron.
As Tryon County, Lincoln sent to that band of patriots in Newbern, on Aug. 25th, 1774, DAVID JENKINS and ROBERT ALEXANDER.
And to Hillsboro', on Aug. 21st, 1775, JOHN WALKER, ROBERT ALEXANDER, . JOSEPH HARDEN, WILLIAM GRAHAM,, FREDERICK HAMBRIGHT, and WILLIAM KENNON.
To Halifax, Nov. 12th, 1776 (which body formed our Constitution), JOSEPH HARDEN, ROBERT ABERNETHY, WILLIAM GRAHAM, WILLIAM ALSTON, and JOHN BARBER. 1.
There is no portion of our State whose territory was the more immediate scene of our revolutionary struggles than Lincoln. Once a portion of Meck- lenburg, it was a genuine swarm from "The Hornet's Nest."
In August, 1775, the following association was drawn up and ordered to be signed by every freeholder in the county.
It was found among the papers of General William Graham, of Rutherford, and recently published in, the North Carolina Spectator, in Rutherfordton. It is also noticed in Jones' Defence of North Carolina :*-
"An Association.
" The unprecedented, barbarous and bloody actions committed by the British troops on our American brethren near Boston, on 19th April and 20th of May last, together with the hostile operations and treacherous designs now carrying on by the tools of Ministerial vengeance, for the subjugation of all British America, suggest to us the painful necessity of having recourse to arms for the preservation of those rights and liberties which the principles of . our Constitution and the laws of God, nature, and nations have made it our duty to defend. We, therefore, the subscribers, freeholders and inhabitants of Tryon County, do hereby faithfully unite ourselves under the most solemn ties of religion, honor, and love to our country, firmly to resist force by force, in defence of our national freedom and constitutional rights, against all in- vasions, and at the same time do solemnly engage to take up arms and risk our lives and our fortunes, in maintaining the freedom of our country whenever the wisdom and counsel of the Continental Congress or our Provincial Conven- tion shall declare it necessary ; and this engagement we will continue in and hold sacred till a reconciliation shall take place between Great Britain and America on constitutional principles, which we most ardently desire, and do firmly agree to hold all such persons as inimical to the liberties of America . who shall refuse to sign this association."
Signed by
John Walker, Charles McLean, Thomas Beatty, Frederick Hambright, and others.
Jacob Forney, Joab Turner, Samuel Loften,
* See Jones' Defence of North Carolina, p. 81.
227
. LINCOLN COUNTY.
Let it be remembered that this association was signed nearly twelve months before Congress declared independence.
It was on the 20th June, 1780, that the celebrated battle of Ramsour's Mill, near Lincolnton, was fought, and as it has been described by one who knew all the actors, and a resident of this ground (General Joseph Graham), I copy his valuable account of this affair as he himself has recorded it :-
BATTLE OF RAMSOUR'S MILL-FOUGHT (TUESDAY) THE 20TH OF JUNE, 1780.
An account of the battle at Ramsour's Mill was published several years since in
the papers of this State, but, as it contained several errors, the author ( Gen. Joseph Graham) transmitted to Lemuel Bingham, Esq., a corrected copy, which was published in the Catawba Journal, printed at Charlotte, February 1st, 1825.
The unsuccessful attempt made by Gen. Lincoln to take Savannah, and the subsequent capture of the army under his command, inspired the Royalists with hope, and induced Sir Henry Clinton to regard the States of Georgia and South Carolina as re-annexed to the crown. The South was left destitute of any regular military force to support the cause of the Revolution-there were no regular troops south of Pennsylvania to oppose the British or to keep the Tories in awe. Within a few weeks after the surrender of Charles- ton, detachments of British troops occupied the principal posts of Georgia and South Carolina. Lieut .- Col. Brown marched up the Savannah River and re-occupied Augusta ; Lieut .- Col. Balfour took possession of Ninety-Six on the Wateree ; and Lord Cornwallis pushed forward to Camden. The object of this last movement was threefold; one, to intercept the retreat of Colonel Buford, who had been hastening with a few Continental troops to the relief of General Lincoln at Charleston; the second, to open an easy communication with the Scottish settlements on the Pee Dee, Drowning Creek, and Cape Fear; the third, to keep in check the Whigs of the Waxhaw settlement on the Catawba and of the south-western counties of North Carolina. The effect which these movements were calculated to produce upon the public mind was increased by the defeat of Col. Buford and the slaughter of his men. The States of Georgia and South Carolina yielded submission to royal autho- rity, and the commander-in-chief, Sir Henry Clinton, embarked with the main army for New York, leaving only four thousand troops for the Southern service. The command devolved on Lord Cornwallis, who immediately re- paired to Charleston to establish such commercial regulations as the new state of things required, and to arrange the civil administration of the State, leaving Lord Rawdon in command at Camden. North Carolina had not yet been invaded, and the hopes of the Revolution in the South seemed to rest on the efforts which she should make.
Charleston surrendered on the 12th of May, 1780. On the 29th of that month, Tarleton defeated Buford on the Waxhaw settlement, forty miles south of Charlotte, in North Carolina. Brigadier-Gen. Rutherford ordered out the militia en masse, and, by the third of June, nearly nine hundred men assembled near Charlotte. On that day intelligence was received that Tarle- ton was on his return to Camden, and on the next day the militia, after having been harangued by the Rev. Dr. McWhorter, President of the College at Charlotte, were dismissed by Gen. Rutherford, with orders to have their arms in good repair and be in readiness for another call. Major Davie (after- wards Gen. Davie) having recovered from the wounds received at Stono, again, took the field, and part of his cavalry were ordered to reconnoitre between Charlotte and Camden.
On the 3d of June Gen. Rutherford was informed of the advance of a part of the troops under Lord Rawdon, to Waxhaw Creek, thirty miles south of Charlotte, and issued orders for the militia to rendezvous on the 10th, at Ree's plantation, eighteen miles north-east of Charlotte. The militia, to the num- ber of eight hundred, promptly assembled on the 12th. Having heard that Lord Rawdon had retired to Hanging Rock, Gen. Rutherford advanced ten miles to Mallard Creek.
228
HISTORY OF NORTH CAROLINA.
On the 14th the troops under his command were organized. The cavalry, sixty-five in number, under Major Davie, were equipped as dragoons, and formed in two troops under Captains Simmons and Martin. A battalion of three hundred light infantry was placed under the command of Col. Wm. P. Davidson, a regular officer, who could not join his regiment in Charleston after that place was invested, and now joined the militia.
Five hundred men remained under the immediate command of General Rutherford. On the evening of the 14th he received intelligence that the Tories were embodying in arms beyond the Catawba River, in Tryon County, about forty miles to the north-west of his then position. He issued orders to Col. Francis Locke, of Rowan, Major David Wilson, of Mecklenburg; to , Captains Falls and Brandon, and also to other officers, to make every effort to raise men to disperse the Tories, it being deemed impolitic by. General Rutherford to weaken his own force, until the object of Lord Rawdon's ex- pedition was better ascertained.
On the 15th Gen. Rutherford advanced two miles to the south of Char- lotte. On the 17th he was informed that Lord Rawdon had retired towards Camden, and the Tories were assembled in force at Ramsour's Mill, near the south fork of the Catawba. A man by the name of John Moore, whose father and family resided about six miles from Ramsour's Mill, had joined the British army the preceding winter, and leaving the detachment under Cornwallis, on the march from Charleston to Camden, he arrived at his father's on the 7th of June, wearing a sword and an old tattered suit of regimentals. He announced himself as a Lieut .- Col. of the regiment of North Carolina Loyalists, commanded by Col. John Hamilton, of Halifax County. He gave to the people of the neighborhood the first particular ac- count they had received of the siege and capture of Charleston, and the ad- vance of the British troops to Camden. He appointed the 10th of June for an assembling of the people in the woods on Indian Creek, seven miles from Ramsour's. Forty men assembled, and Moore told them that it was not the wish of Lord Cornwallis that they should embody at that time, but that they' and all other loyal subjects should liold themselves in readiness, and in the mean time get in their harvest, that before the getting in of the harvest it would be difficult to procure provisions for the British army; and that as soon as the country could furnish subsistence to the army, it would advance into North Carolina, and support the Royalists.
Before this meeting broke up an express arrived to inform them that Major Joseph McDowell, of Burke County, with twenty men, was within eight miles of them, in search of some of the principal persons of their party. Confident of their strength, they resolved to attack McDowell, but some preparations being necessary, they could not march until next morn- ing, when finding he had retired they pursued him to the ledge of mountains which separate the counties of Lincoln and Burke, and not being able to overtake him, Moore directed them to return home and meet him on the 13th · at Ramsour's. On that day two hundred men met Moore, and they were joined on the next day by many others, among whom was Nicholas Welch, a Major in the regiment commanded by Col. Hamilton. He had lived in that neighborhood, and had joined the British army eighteen months before. He was directly from the army of Lord Cornwallis, and gave information of Col. Buford's defeat. He wore a rich suit of regimentals, and exhibited a con- siderable number of guineas, by which he sought to allure some, while he en- deavored to intimidate others by an account of the success of the British army in all operations of the South, and the total inability of the Whigs to make further opposition. His conduct had the desired effect, and much more confi- dence was placed in him than in Colonel Moore. They remained in camp until the 20th, during which time a detachment commanded by Col. Moore made an unsuccessful attempt to capture Col. Hugh Brevard and Major Joseph McDowell, each of whom came into the neighborhood with a number of Whigs to harass the Tories who were assembling.
By the 20th, nearly thirteen hundred men had assembled at Ramsour's, one-fourth of whom were without arms. Gen. Rutherford resolved to con-
229
LINCOLN COUNTY.
centrate his force and attack them as soon as he learned that Lord Rawdon had retired to Camden. With this view he marched on Sunday the 18th, from his camp south of Charlotte, to the Tuckasege Ford on the Catawba River, twelve miles nearer to Ramsour's. In the evening of that day he dispatched an express to Col. Locke, advising him of his movement, and of the enemy's strength, and ordering Locke to join him on the 19th in the even- ing or on the 20th in the morning, a few miles in advance of the Tuckasege Ford. The express was neglected and did not reach Col. Locke. The morn- ing of the 19th was wet, and the arms of Gen. Rutherford's men were out of order. At mid-day the weather cleared up, and orders were given to the men to discharge their guns. This discharge produced an alarm in the neighborhood, and the people thinking the Tories we're attempting to cross the river, many of them came in with arms and joined Rutherford. In the evening he crossed the river, and encamped sixteen miles from Ramsour's. When Rutherford crossed the river, it was believed he would march in the night and attack the Tories next morning; but, expecting that his express had reached Colonel Locke he waited for Locke's arrival, that he might on the next day march in full force to the attack. "At 10 o'clock at night Col. James Johnston* of Tryon County, reached Rutherford's camp. He had been dispatched by Colonel Locke, to give notice of his intention to attack the Tories at sunrise the next morning, and requesting Rutherford's co-operation. Rutherford, in confident expectation that his express had reached Colonel Locke, shortly after Colonel Johnston had left, made no movement until next morning.
In pursuance of the orders given to Col. Locke, and the other officers at Mallard Creek on the 14th, they severally collected as many men as they could, and on the morning of the 18th, Major Wilson, with sixty-five men, passed the Catawba at Tool's Ford, and joined Major McDowell with twenty- five men. They passed up the river at right angles with the position of the Tories, to join the detachment of the friends who were assembling at the upper fords. At McEwen's Ford being joined by Captain Falls, with forty men under his command, they continued their march up the east side of Mountain Creek, and on Monday the 19th, they joined Colonel Locke, Capt. Brandon and other officers, with two hundred and seventy men. The whole force united amounted to four hundred men. They encamped on Mountain Creek, sixteen miles from Ramsour's. The officers met in council, and they were unanimous in the opinion that it would 'be unsafe to remain in that position, as the Tories could attack them after a marchi of a few hours, and from the inferiority of their force, they had no doubt the Tories would march on them as soon as they learned where they were.
It was first proposed that they should re-cross the Catawba at Sherrill's Ford, six miles in their rear, and wait for reinforcements, believing that with their force' they could prevent the Tories from crossing. To this it was ob- jected that a retrograde movement would embolden the Tories, whose numbers were increasing as fast as probably their own numbers would increase, after they had re-crossed the river, and no additional security could therefore be obtained by such a movement.
It was next proposed that they should march directly down the river, and join Gen. Rutherford, who was then distant from them about thirty-five miles. It was said this movement could be made without risk, as in making it they would not be nearer Ramsour's than they were. To this prudent proposition it was objected, that nearly all the effective Whigs of that section were from home, either with them, or with Gen. Rutherford, and such a movement would leave their families exposed, and their houses unprotected from pillage ; that it would also be a dangerous movement for themselves, as the Tories might be in motion, and they might encounter them in their march. It was insinu- ated, that these propositions proceeded, if not from fear, at least from an , unwillingness to meet the Tories-and therefore, another proposition was made, which was, that notwithstanding their disparity of force, they should march during the night and attack the Tories in their camp carly the next
* Father of Robert Johnston, Esq., of this County.'
230
HISTORY OF NORTH CAROLINA.
morning. It was said, that the Tories being ignorant of their force, and . suddenly attacked, would be easily routed. The more prudent members of the council could not brook the insinuation of cowardice, and trusting to that fortune which sometimes crowns even rashness with success, it was unani- mously resolved immediately to march, and at daybreak attack the Tories. Col. Johnston being well acquainted with the country, was immediately dispatched to apprise Gen. Rutherford of this resolution.
Late in the evening they commenced their march from Mountain Creek, .' and passing down the south side of the mountain, they halted at the west end of it for an hour in the night, and the officers convened to determine on the plan of attack. It was determined that the companies commanded by Captains Falls, McDowell, and Brandon, should act on horseback, and march in front. No other arrangements were made, and it was left to the officers to be governed by circumstances after they should reach the enemy. They resumed their march, and arrived within a mile of the enemy's camp at day- light.
The Tories were encamped on a hill three hundred yards east of Ramsour's Mill, and half a mile north of the present flourishing village of Lincolnton. The ridge stretched nearly to the east on the south side of the mill pond, and the road leading to the Tuckasege ford, by the Mill, crosses the point of the ridge in a north-western direction. The Tories occupied an excellent posi- tion on a summit of the ridge; their right on the road fronting the south. The ridge has a very gentle slope, and was then interspersed with only a few trees, and the fire of the Tories had full rake in front for more than two hun- dred yards. The foot of the hill was bounded by a glade, the side of which was covered with bushes. The road passed the western end of the glade at right angles : opposite the centre of the line and on the road a fence ex- tended from the glade to a point opposite the right of the line-the picket guard, twelve in number, were stationed on the road, two hundred and fifty yards south of the glade, and six hundred yards from the encampment.
The companies of Captains Falls, McDowell and Brandon, being mounted, the other troops under Col. Locke were arranged, in the road, two deep, be- hind them, and without any other organization or orders, they were marched to battle. When the horsemen came within sight of the picket, they per- ceived that their approach had not been anticipated. The picket fired and fled to their camp. The horsemen pursued, and turning to the right, out of the road, they rode up within thirty steps of the line, and fired at the Tories, who being in confusion, had not time to form their line, but seeing only a few men assailing them they quickly recovered from their panic, and poured in a destructive fire, which obliged the horsemen to retreat. They retreated in disorder, passing through the infantry, who were advancing; several of the infantry joined them and never came into action. At a convenient distance the greater part of the horsemen rallied, and, returning to the fight, exerted themselves with spirit during its continuance. The infantry hurried to keep near the horsemen in pursuit of the picket, and their movements being very irregular, their files were opened six or eight steps ; and when the front ap- proached the Tories, the rear was eighty poles back.
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