General William Lee Davidson Grave, Huntersville
The memorial of General Davidson stands about three feet tall and sits amongst many other graves. The front of the granite structure features a large bronze plaque with a long inscription. The other sides of the structure are roughly carved and have a natural granite finish. The memorial does not stand out amongst the other graves.
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Inscription |
Rear view
TO THE MEMORY OF / GENERAL WILLIAM LEE DAVIDSON / OF MECKLENBURG COUNTY, N.C. / BORN IN 1746, YOUNGEST SON OF GEORGE DAVIDSON / OF LANCASTER, PA. WHO MOVED TO MECKLENBURG CO. / NORTH CAROLINA, IN 1750. / MAJOR 4TH. REG. NORTH CAROLINA TROOPS. / PROMOTED LIEUTENANT-COLONEL. / SEVERELY WOUNDED AT CALSON’S MILL. / HE WAS PROMOTED FOR BRAVERY / TO THE RANK OF BRIGADIER-GENERAL. / WITH 300 MEN OPPOSING CORNWALLIS AND TROOPS / HE WAS KILLED AT BATTLE OF COWAN’S FORD / FEBRUARY 1, 1781. / ERECTED BY / THE MECKLENBURG DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE CHAPTER / DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 1920
Hopewell Presbyterian Church
September 29, 1920
35.366170 , -80.897640
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"General William Lee Davidson," The Historical Marker Database, HMdb.org, (accessed May 27, 2023) Link
Davidson, Chalmers G. “Davidson, William Lee,” NCPedia.org, (accessed January 23, 2017) Link
Gillispie, Molly. “General William Lee Davidson,” Davidson Encyclopedia, https://davidsonarchivesandspecialcollections.org/archives/college/encyclopedia-2, (accessed May 27, 2023) Link
Graham, William Alexander. "General William Lee Davidson," (Greensboro, NC: Guilford Battle Ground Co., 1906), (accessed May 25, 2012) Link
“Monument to Gen Davidson,” The Charlotte News (Charlotte, NC), September 30, 1920, (accessed April 1, 2014)
“Plans Complete for Exercises,” The Charlotte News (Charlotte, NC), September 28, 1920, (accessed April 1, 2014)
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Bronze, granite
Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution
Dedication ceremonies were held at the Hopewell Presbyterian Church on September 29, 1920. The ceremony featured a number of speakers and a musical performance by the Davidson College band. Davidson College was named after the General. Basket dinners were served by members of the D.A.R.
General Davidson was killed in a delaying action skirmish known as the Battle of Chowan’s Ford.
Although technically a defeat, this action delayed the British long enough for the Patriot army
under General Nathanial Greene to escape to Guildford Courthouse and prepare for the battle
that was a turning point in the Revolutionary War.
The General William Lee Davidson Memorial is located across from Duke Energy’s McGuire Nuclear Station, in Huntersville, NC.
The memorial to where General William Lee Davidson was killed is located near Charlotte, NC.
John J. Morton Company was formed in the Charlotte area in 1920.
Davidson College, County and City are all named for General William Davidson.
[Additional information from NCpedia editors at the State Library of North Carolina: This person enslaved and owned other people. Many Black and African people, their descendants, and some others were enslaved in the United States until the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in 1865. It was common for wealthy landowners, entrepreneurs, politicians, institutions, and others to enslave people and use enslaved labor during this period. To read more about the enslavement and transportation of African people to North Carolina, visit https://aahc.nc.gov/programs/africa-carolina-0. To read more about slavery and its history in North Carolina, visit https://www.ncpedia.org/slavery. - Government and Heritage Library, 2023.]
The memorial is situated among other graves in the common graveyard of Hopewell Presbyterian Church, at 10500 Beatties Ford Road Huntersville, NC 28078.
The tombstone sits atop the physical burial site of General Davidson.
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