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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter from an inhabitant of North Carolina [Extract as published in the Diary of the American Revolution: From Newspapers and Original Documents]
No Author
December 05, 1780
Volume 15, Pages 171-172

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[From Gardner's Diary of the Revolution, Vol. 2, Pages 351 & 352.]

December 5, 1780.

A letter of this date from Charlotte in North Carolina says:

“Although some pains have been taken to asperse the militia of this, as well as our sister States, on account of what happened on the memorable 16th & 18th of August, yet I hope that an impartial world will not lose sight of those striking marks of heroism displayed at Ramsour's on the 20th of June, where Col. Locke commanded; at Packolet, in the night of the 15th of July, where Colonel McDowel commanded; at Coleson's, the south of Rocky River, on the 21st of July, where Colonel, now General, Davidson commanded, and in which he was wounded; at Rocky Mount, on the 23rd of July, where the heroic General Sumpter Commanded; at Hanging Rock, on the 6th of August, where General Sumpter Commanded; at Enoree, the 19th of August, where the late intrepid Colonel Williams commanded; at Augusta in Georgia, on the 12th of September, where Col. Clarke commanded; at King's Mountain, on the 7th of October, where Colonel Campbell commanded; at Broad River, on the 9th of November, where General Sumpter commanded, and where Major Wemyss was made prisoner; at Black Stocks, on Tygar River, on the 20th of November, where General Sumpter commanded, and was unfortunately wounded; besides several other rencounters. Such a train of important victories, obtained by raw militia, has no parallel in history.

“The firmness of the people in Mecklenburg and Rowan Counties when the enemy advanced to Charlotte evince that they possess the most genuine principles; they were left to defend themselves against the whole force of the enemy. His Lordship took post at Charlotte with amazing pomp. Proclamations were issued, peace and protection was offered to all returning and penitent rebels, and death, with all its terrors, threatened to the obstinate and impenitent. Governor Martin, with great solemnity, assumed the Government, and conceived himself reinstated. The people generally abandoned their habitations; some fled with such of their property as they could carry; others took the field, determined to dispute every foot of the ground, and some assembled in small

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parties, in their respective neighborhoods, determined to harass the enemy's foraging parties. His Lordship soon discovered that he was in an enemy's country, without provisions, without forage, without frends, without intelligence, without a single humble servant except Peter Johnson and McCafferty, who at last deserted him in the night, and came to make peace with us; his communication with Camden cut off and his dispatches intercepted; in the mean time our friends joined issue with Ferguson at King's Mountain.

“These are stubborn facts, and will do immortal honor to the militia. Lord Cornwallis' aid, in a letter to Col. Balfour, which was intercepted, says: ‘Charlotte is an agreeable village, but in a d__d rebellious country.’ Oh! had we a well-appointed, well,-disciplined, permanent force, what a delightful back-country dance we should have led his lordship at Charlotte.”



Additional Notes for Electronic Version: Although the source for this document is given as Gardner's Diary of the American Revolution, the editor of the book was Frank Moore.