USA > North Carolina > Alamance County > Some neglected history of North Carolina, being an account of the revolution of the regulators and of the battle of Alamance, the first battle of the American Revolution > Part 12
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await the arrival of General Waddell's detach- ment. With the capture of General Waddell's forces and the destruction of his ammunition train by the Regulators, together with the daily desertion from his own ranks by men who did not wish to kill their countrymen in battle, the Governor found himself in a very serious and trying position. Before leaving Camp Eno he had dispatched an express to Colonels Fanning and Caswell at Hillsborough to join him in camp beyond Haw River on May 14. The militia in Duplin County, except perhaps a small troop of cavalry commanded by Captain
* Bullock, refused to march against the Regula- tors at all, and refused the oath of allegiance offered them after the battle of Alamance. In Halifax there were many supporters of the principles of the Regulators; in Newberne itself many, in fact the majority of the militia, declared in their favor. Not a few men eminent in the colony favored them more or less openly. Of these were such men as Maurice Moore, Judge of the Superior Court; Thomas Person, of Granville County, founder of Person Hall at Chapel Hill, and Alexander Martin, afterwards Governor of the State (Foote, Sketches of North Carolina, p. 66), and many who came from other counties, were either so reluctant to shed the blood of their
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fellow-citizens or so well affected to their cause that they deserted, while the Regulators were increasing every hour. In this situation noth- ing could save his Excellency but a bold and expeditious stroke; for to hesitate longer wait- ing to be reinforced by General Waddell with the detachments from Bladen, Cumberland, and the western counties would mean certain defeat. While encamped at Alamance, one- third of his army were ordered to remain under arms the whole night and to be relieved every two hours; and the same orders were is- sued the night of May 15, but with the addi- tional precaution that the cavalry were to keep their mounts saddled and a guard of ten men as videttes a half mile in front toward the enemy's camp, to be relieved every two hours. (Tryon's Order Book, Col. Rec. of N. C., Vol. 8, p. 583. )
The Regulators were concentrating their forces some six miles distant from Tryon's camp on the plantation of Captain Michael Holt, a wealthy land owner of that section, on whose plantation the Battle of Alamance was fought and whose residence after the battle was converted into a hospital for the wounded. They had sent petitions to Tryon two years previous, and to the General Assembly, im- ploring relief from oppression and extortions,
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and again they were ready to petition, which they did through their diplomat, Rev. David Caldwell. M. D., a true patriot, who called on Tryon at Alamance Camp Tuesday morning and evening, May 15, 1771, and on the after- noon of the date last mentioned he carried a petition from the Regulators, again imploring and beseeching an audience with Tryon, signed by several of the Regulators. The following is a copy of the petition presented by the inhabi- tants of Orange County in North Carolina just before the battle began ; it appears to be written in good language and shows that the acme of their desires and their whole ambition was that the Governor would condescend to hear their former petitions and redress their grievances which you (reader ) have already perused :
Regulators' Headquarters, Alamance Camp, Wednesday, May 15th, 1771.
To His Excellency WILLIAM TRYON, Esq.,
His Majesty's Governor-in-Chief In and over the Province of North Carolina.
SIR: The petition of us, the citizens of Orange County humbly showeth :-
First, That we have been infomed of late that Your Excellency is determined not to lend a kind ear to the just complaints of the people in regard to having rogu- ish county officers discharged and others more honest propagated in their stead, and sheriffs and other officers in power who have abused the trust reposed in them, to
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be brought to a clear, candid and impartial trial for their past conduct and other grievances of like manner which we have long labored under without any apparent hope of redress.
Secondly, That Your Excellency is determined on tak- ing the lives of many of the inhabitants of this county and others adjacent thereto, which persons being nom- inated in your advertisement, we know to be men of the most remarkable, honest, and upright character. These asperations, though daily to us, yet scarcely gain credit with the more polite among us, still, being so often con- firmed, we cannot help having some small jealousy abounding in us. In order therefore to remove them, we heartily implore Your Excellency, that, through your clemency, you would so far indulge us as to let us know by a kind answer to this petition whether Your Excel- lency will lend an impartial ear to our petition or no, which, if we can be assured of, we will with joy embrace so favorable an opportunity of laying before Your Ex- cellency a full detail of all our grievances, and remain in full hopes and confidence of being redressed by Your Excellency in each and every one of them, so far as lies in your power, which happy change would yield such alacrity and promulgate such harmony in poor pensive North Carolina that the presaged tragedy of the war- like troops, marching with such ardor to meet each other, may by the happy conduct of our leaders on each side be prevented. The interest of a whole Province and the lives of His Majesty's subjects are not toys or mat- ters to be trifled with. Many of the common people are mightily infatuated with the horrid alarms we have heard : but we still hope they have been wrongfully repre- sented to us. The chief support of this small petition, being to ascertain whether or no we may hope for a speedy and candid answer. In the meantime your hum- ble petitioners shall remain in full hopes and confidence
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of having a kind and satisfactory answer, "and is our duty we shall ever pray."
Signed in behalf of the county,
John Williams, Samuel Low, Joseph Scott, Samuel Clark.
Delivered to His Excellency at Alamance Camp, Wed- nesday, the 15th day of May, in the year of our Lord, 1771, at six o'clock in the evening. (Col. Rec. of N. C., Vol. 8, p. 640. )
The Governor's reply to this petition ( see p. 215) does not vouchsafe even at so critical a time, when the effusion of blood might have been prevented, and the honor of the govern- ment saved by it, to give them the least encour- agement that he would heed their petitions or redress their grievances ; but to the contrary, he fired upon them with his own hand, killing Mr. Robert Thompson, an unarmed gentleman, who was at his camp interceding for the Regulators.
In order to show the reader how well pre- pared for war Governor Tryon was, we will quote a transcript from his journal for the campaign against the Regulators :
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Tryon's . Order Book for the Campaign Against the Regulators .*
Alamance Camp, Wednesday, 15th day of May, 1771.
Parole-New York. Countersign-Albany. Field Officer for the Day : Col. Joseph Leech.
The pickets and grass guard to-night: the baggage and rear guard to-morrow to be furnished by a detach- ment from Col. Joseph Leech's command.
Governor's Guard
to be furnished from Col. Richard Caswell's command, as well as the Quartermaster's guard. Captain Malcolm appointed aid-de-camp to
His Excellency, the Governor, with rank and pay of captain.
His Excellency, the Governor, Commanding General.
Agreeable to seniority of the counties sending men against the insurgents, are to march in the following order, to-morrow morning at daybreak without the beat of drums :
Craven County Detachment under command of Col. Joseph Leech ; position, Left of first line. Carteret County Detachment under command of Col. William Thomson; position, Right of first line. Orange and Beaufort County Detachment under com- mand of Col. Craig, commanding artillery of four swivels and two six-pounders ; position, In center of first line.
*(Col. Rec. of N. C., Vol. 8, p. 559; State Records of N. C., Vol. XIX, pp. 840-854.)
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New Hanover County Detachment under command of Col. John Ashe ; position, Left of second line.
Wake and Onslow County Detachments under com- mand of Col. John Hinton ; position, Left of second line.
Dobbs and Johnson County Detachments under com- mand of Col. Richard Caswell ; position, Center of second line.
The Company of Artillery under command of Captain Moore. The Company of Rangers under command of Captain Neale.
The Cavalry Detachment under command of Captain Bullock. Lieutenant Col. Richard Cogdell. Major Francis McKelwane To accompany the Commanding General. * *
The Light Horse Brigade to keep their mounts bridled and saddled all night, ten of them to form a grand- guard about one-half mile towards the Regulators' camp on the Salisbury road, and a little off the main road, and to have their vidette out, one in the center and one on right and left flanks, the vidette to be visited and re- lieved every two hours all night.
After Orders.
The Army to march to-morrow morning at the break of day without the sound of drums. The tents to be left standing, and baggage and commissary wagons to re- main in Camp. One Company of the Johnson County detachment and all men from the several detachments unable to march briskly to remain as a camp guard under
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command of Col. Needham Bryan. The wagon horses to remain in gear until the army returns to camp.
Doctor Haslin has under his care and inspection the detachments from Craven, Carteret. Pitt, Dobbs, Beau- fort, and Orange Counties. Doctor Mathewson is ap- pointed assistant surgeon to Doctor Haslin.
Doctor Cobham has under his care and inspection the detachments from New Hanover, Onslow, Johnson, Wake, and Orange Counties and the Artillery, Rangers, and Cavalry. Doctors Powers is appointed assistant surgeon to Doctor Cobham.
The reader will observe that Governor Tryon had a well-officered army with which to attack the Regulators, who were not organized for warfare and had no military organization, no officers, cavalry, nor artillery. In fact, they met for the purpose of having a reconciliation with the Governor, and to that end they sent messengers with petitions, seeking redress from the burdensome oppression which was about to overwhelm them.
By a few historians the War of the Regu- lators has been unjustly termed a resistance to law and order and not a fight against oppres- sion ; it has also been maliciously claimed that the Regulators were a band of outlaws, illit- erate common people, and that the better class of the colonists had nothing to do with them and did not countenance their organization or the purpose for which they existed ; all of which
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is utterly false and without the slightest foun- dation of truth. Realizing that the justness of the cause of the Regulators has been ma- ligned by Tryon and his coadjutors, to which very great publicity has been and continues to be given, we have endeavored to prove that the patriots who shed their blood in battle against British oppression were justified. We have also attempted to establish, by his own writings. the criminality of Tryon's assault upon the Regu- lators.
Thus far historians agree ; but the rest of the story is told differently by various writers, most of whom depend upon Governor Tryon's jour- nal and his adherents for their information. But from many whose lot it was to know and to talk with men of integrity who took part in this battle, and who could be relied upon to speak truthfully of matters concerning both sides, and from such authorities as Lossing, Hawkes, Foote, Caruthers and Bancroft. the writer will chronicle the story according to his belief of the truth deducted from historical facts and from reports handed down from father to son. much of the latter yet unpublished. Being familiar with the territory, having many times surveyed the ground made sacred by the blood of heroes, and having been born and reared in this county, my maternal great-great-grandfather, Gen.
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Jacob Byrd, having participated in this engage- ment with the Americans ( Regulators), and being familiar with the story and incidents lead- ing up to this battle and of exploits following it, I feel that I am in a position to write intelli- gently on this subject.
This view is from the south side of the Salisbury Road, which is marked by the fence on the left. The belligerents confronted in the open field seen to the north of the road beyond the fence. Between the blasted pine tree, to which a muscadine is clinging, and the road. on the edge of a small morass, several of those who were slain in battle were buried. The mounds of the graves are by the fence near where the sheep, are seen in the picture. The tree by the roadside is a venerable oak on which are many scars produced by stray bullets on the day of the battle. (Lossing, Field Book of the Revo- lution.)
"No stately column marks the hallowed place Where in silence sleeps their sacred dust,
The first free martyrs of a glorious race- Their fame a people's wealth, a nation's trust.
"Above their tomb the golden harvest waves, The glorious stars stand sentinel on high,
While in sad requiem near their turfless graves The great Alamance slowly moaning murmurs by.
"But holier watchers here their vigil keep Than storied urn or monumental stone ; For love and justice guard their dreamless sleep And plenty smiles above their bloody home.
Regulator Battle-Ground.
Facing page 208.
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"Immortal youth shall crown their deathless fame, And as their country's glories still advance,
Shall brighter glow, o'er all the earth thy name, Our first-fought field for FREEDOM-ALAMANCE."
This poem was written by Seymour Whiting many years before the erection of the monument.
The Regulators were men accustomed to the use of the rifle and were men of undaunted courage, having no such word as fear in their vocabulary-brave as lions. Other than these two qualifications, undaunted bravery and crack sharpshooters, they had none of the qualifications of soldiers. They knew nothing of military tactics, had no commander- in-chief, were not officered in divisions for bat- tle. They had no artillery and many of them had never seen a cannon. Tryon realized his situation was critical. He was in the heart of the enemy's territory. Their forces were gath- ering like bees in the forest. Many friendly Tories in Orange and adjoining counties were refusing to fight the Regulators ( Whigs) and many of his own troops were deserting camp.
The Regulators numbered more than two thousand men and were encamped about six miles from Tryon's army, near the scene of the battle-ground.
On Thursday morning. May 16, 1771. Try- on's army, as per orders issued the day before,
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was marching at daybreak without the beat of drums, and left "Alamance Camp" just on the present site of the Belmont Cotton Mills, now owned by Mr. L. Banks Holt, of Graham, N. C. They marched in silence, hoping to creep up on the Regulators unawares; leaving their tents standing with all baggage and wagon-trains under guard. Tryon's army marched silently and undiscovered along the Salisbury Road to within one-half mile of the Regulators' camp, where he formed his line of battle, which was done by arranging them in two lines one hun- dred yards apart. with the artillery in the center of the front line. (Col. Rec. of N. C., Vol. 8, P. 583 ; 584. )
According to the Governor's journal, "Cam- paign Against the Regulators," he commanded about twelve hundred ( 1200) trained soldiers, drilled in military tactics and ready for war; while the Regulators were about two thousand strong, with only one thousand ( 1000) of their number bearing arms. Many were present not expecting to need arms, others did not take their rifles for fear the Governor would not treat with them if they bore arms, while others went out to see what was going on. "The majority certainly did not expect that there would be any bloodshed; and therefore many who started from home with their guns left
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them by the way, either hidden in hollow trees or deposited with their friends, until they returned, because some wiseacres had said, 'if you go armed the Governor will not treat with you.' It is doubtful whether even Harmon Husband really wished to fight; in fact, I have been told by some men who knew him well in their youth, and who were at that time 18 or 20 years of age, that his Quaker principles would not let him fight, and that when he saw the 'tug of war' would come, or about the time the Governor began to fire on them, that he mounted his horse and rode away."( Caruthers's Life of Dr. Caldwell.) "It is believed by many that his aim was to carry his point by making such a display of numbers and by manifesting such a determined spirit that the Governor would be obliged to yield; and that if he had succeeded in collecting the people in such num- bers, and in having them so well armed as to make the impression which he wished, he would have given this explanation of his own motives and conduct. However this may have been, it is certain he went to the place of meet- ing, not with any idle curiosity, nor with a blood-thirsty intent, but for a desire to see if a reconciliation with the Governor could be ef- fected. Others were actuated by these high motives and were using what influence they
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could toward effecting a reconciliation ; and of this class Dr. David Caldwell and Alexander Martin, afterwards. Governor of the State, accompanied by the sheriff, went down to Tryon's camp the day before the battle. It is said they had an interview with Tryon at his tent, but of what passed nothing is known. Next morning it is known that he passed back and forth several times from one camp to the other endeavoring to prevent a collision be- tween the two armies, and obtained from Tryon his promise that he would not proceed against the Regulators nor cause bloodshed until he had exhausted every means for a fair adjustment by negotiations. This is not a matter of record, but I have it from a source that cannot be doubted." ( Caruthers's Life of Dr. Caldwell, pp. 148, 149; Foote, Sketches of North Carolina, p. 60. )
Early in the evening before the battle, Lieut. Col. John Baptista Ashe and Capt. John Wal- ker, while out reconnoitering, were captured by the Regulators, tugged up to trees and severely whipped, then made prisoners. The whip- ping, it is said, was an old feud-the result of personal animosity on the part of a few per- sons, which was strongly censured by the body of Regulators, and some of them were so much disgusted that they threatened to give up the
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cause entirely if such acts were repeated; but this act caused much alarm and anxiety in the Governor's camp, and especially in the breast of Colonel Fanning, for "his soul had things still in remembrance, and therefore his spirit was overwhelmed within him." (Caruthers's Life of Dr. Caldwell, p. 147.) Capt. S. A. Ashe is credited with saying "his ancestor hated the Regulators very much when they began to chastise him, but when he realized that he was in their power and that they were doing a good job of it, he began to have a kind- lier feeling for them, and at length fell in love with them." (Stockard, History of Ala- mance.) Tryon's army had taken several Reg- ulators prisoners, who they tried to exchange for Ashe and Walker, but without success.
Governor Tryon, as commanding general. mounted on a handsome white charger, had his army arranged in military style, as per in- structions issued the day before, with his Ex- cellency and the artillery in the center of the front column, with Col. Richard Caswell and Col. Edmund Fanning commanding the right and left wings of the first column, and Colonel Thompson and Colonel Leech commanding the right and left wings of the second column. The detachment from Wake and a troop of light- horse from Duplin reenforced the rear guard;
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the rangers covered the flanks on both sides, facing the right; the troop of light-horse from Orange escorted the Governor. The detach- ments from the counties of Carteret and Ons- low were directed, in case of attack on the left wing, to form an angle for their respective lines to cover the left flank. ( Martin's His- tory of North Carolina, Vol. 22, p. 179.)
When the opposing forces began marching toward each other, the Regulators again pre- sented a petition, yet hoping for redress of grievances through arbitration. The Governor sent his aide-de-camp, Captain Donald Mal- colm, with the answer that both officially and personally the Governor had already used every possible means to quit the disturbances, and now had nothing further to offer; that he demanded immediate submission, with prom- ises to pay their taxes, lay down their arms, and quietly disperse. He advised that an hour would be given in which to answer. The Gov- ernor's message came back with the dignified reply that the messenger might go back and tell "Billy Tryon" that they defied him and that they would fight him. (Caruthers's Life of Caldwell, p. 150.)
It must have been humiliating to trained warriors to fight against men without disci- pline, or leaders, with no regularity of action.
John Banho
Armorial Seal and Signature of Gov. William Tryon.
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One in a state of revenge, the other with a sense of injury and oppression, they met-the Regulators presenting petitions with demands for vindication and rights with redress for grievances; the Governor, on the other hand, demanding immediate submission with a promise to pay their taxes, a peaceful return to their homes, and a solemn assurance that they would no longer protect persons under indict- ment for trial by courts.
Tryon issued the following Proclamation and sent it by his aide-de-camp, Capt. Philmore Hawkins, to the Regulators as a reply to their petition of the day before ( Col. Rec. of N. C., Vol. 8. p. 642 ) :
Alamance Camp,
Thursday, May 16th, 1771.
To Those Who Style Themselves "Regulators":
In reply to your petition of yesterday, I am to acquaint you that I have ever been attentive to the interests of your County and to every individual residing therein. I lament the fatal necessity to which you have now reduced me by withdrawing yourselves from the mercy of the crown and from the laws of your country. To require you who are now assembled as Regulators, to quietly lay down your arms, to surrender up your leaders, to the laws of your country and rest on the leniency of the Government. By accepting these terms within one hour from the delivery of this dispatch, you will prevent an effusion of blood, as you are at this time in a state of REBELLION against your King, your country, and your laws.
(Signed) William Tryon. [Seal in Coat of Arms.]
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If Governor Tryon had been as fond of checking the officers of the government from their unreasonable oppressions and extortion to the poor. as he was of shooting these unhappy people, inhabitants of Granville, Orange, Anson. Rowan and other western counties of North Carolina would not have felt the horrors of her sons murdering each other in battle. He pre- tended in his proclamation just read to offer the Regulators one hour to consider whether they would fight or surrender, but as soon as their chief men got into consultation he himself fired the first shot.
The opposing forces had already begun marching toward each other, until they were within twenty five yards of being breast to breast. During the hour which Tryon gave the Regulators to determine whether they would accept the terms of his proclamation or not, a proposition was made for an exchange of prisoners, of whom he had seven, and the Regulators two, Lieut. Col. Ashe and Capt. John Walker. Jones says that "while the parley was going on for this purpose, the im- patience of the armies was so great that the leaders made a simultaneous movement and led on to battle." but this is contradicted by Ca- ruthers, who bases his judgment on personal reminiscences of men who took part in the bat-
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tle. (Caruthers's Life of Dr. Caldwell, p. 150.) Foote, Caruthers, and Williamson say that even at this hour the Regulators were not expecting bloodshed, as many of the young men were wrestling and otherwise playing with each other.
Alexander Martin, who was present, and who with Dr. Caldwell had visited Tryon's camp in behalf of peace and reconciliation on behalf of the Regulators, says (in his history, Vol. 2, p. 281) that the opposing forces ad- vanced in silence until they were almost breast to breast ; the first rank of the Governor's men were almost mixed with the Regulators who were stationed a little in front of the main body, and who now were beginning to retreat slowly to join the main body, "bellowing defi- ance and daring their opponents to advance"; and that Tryon's army kept moving until it was within twenty-five yards of the Regu- lators' line, the Regulators still calling on the Governor to order his men to fire, several of them advancing toward the artillery with their breasts bared, and defying him to begin. He also represents the Governor as commencing the action before the hour had expired, because of the Regulators being tardy in making known their decision as to the exchange of
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