Rowan County Regiment
Active1775–1783
DisbandedSeptember 3, 1783
AllegianceNorth Carolina
BranchNorth Carolina militia
TypeMilitia
Part ofSalisbury District Brigade
Garrison/HQSalisbury, 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]

History

Prior to the American Revolution, Rowan County had a colonial militia when 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. The Rowan County Regiment may have been the militia unit commanded by Hugh Waddell from Fort Dobbs built in 17551758.[2] 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]

A stone marker with a metal plaque commemorating the Battle of Torrence's Tavern
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
Battle of Guiliford Courthouse 1781 )(reenactment)
OrderDate RangeBattles/SkirmishesState
111/19-11/21/1775Siege of Savage's Old Fields 1775SC
212/22/1775Battle of Great Cane BrakeSC
312/23-12/30/1775Snow CampaignSC
48/1-11/1/1776Cherokee Expedition 1776NC
53/3/1779Battle of Briar CreekGA
66/20/1779Battle of Stono FerrySC
73/28-5/12/1780Siege of Charleston 1780SC
84/14/1780Battle of Monck's Corner #1SC
96/20/1780Battle of Ramseur's MillNC
107/15/1780Earle's FordSC
117/21/1780Battle of Colson's MillNC
128/11/1780Little Lynches CreekSC
138/16/1780Battle of CamdenSC
148/18/1780Battle of Fishing CreekSC
159/10/1780Mask's FerryNC
1610/7/1780Battle of King's MountainSC
1710/14/1780Battle of Shallow FordNC
181/17/1781Battle of CowpensSC
192/1/1781Battle of Cowan's FordNC
202/1/1781Battle of Torrence/Tarrant's TavernNC
212/3-2/4/1781Trading FordNC
222/4/1781Grant's CreekNC
232/17/1781Hart's MillNC
242/25/1781Battle of Haw RiverNC
253/6/1781Battle of Whetzell's MillNC
263/15/1781Battle of Guilford Court HouseNC
274/25/1781Battle of Hobkirk's HillSC
285/21-6/19/1781Siege of Ninety-Six 1781SC
299/8/1781Battle of Eutaw SpringsSC
309/13/1781Battle of Lindley's MillNC
316/1-10/31/1782Cherokee Expedition 1782NC

See also

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.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  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

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