Battle of Charlotte Marker, Charlotte
The Battle of Charlotte marker is an upright boulder with a rounded top and a square bronze plaque inset into the stone. Engraved into the plaque is a depiction of the Battle of Charlotte from a painting by Dan Nance. Along the bottom are logos for the Mecklenburg Historical Association, the Harvey B. Gantt Center, Charlotte Liberty Walk and The May 20th Society. The stones’ rear has a flat finished surface with the logo for the Liberty Walk which features a silhouette of Captain James Jack on his horse with CHARLOTTE appearing above and LIBERTY WALK below. Captain Jack is famous for carrying the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence to Philadelphia in May of 1775.
[BATTLE OF CHARLOTTE IMAGE]
Caption: “BATTLE OF CHARLOTTE, SEPTEMBER 26, 1780” – BY DAN NANCE
“MORE HOSTILE THAN ANY OTHER”
DURING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, CHARLOTTE WAS OF VITAL IMPORTANCE AS IT LAY DIRECTLY ON THE INVASION ROUTE / (TRYON STREET) FROM THE SOUTHERN COLONIES INTO NORTH CAROLINA. A NUMBER OF MAJOR ENGAGEMENTS WERE / FOUGHT WITHIN 90 MILES
OF CHARLOTTE, INCLUDING CAMDEN, KINGS MOUNTAIN, COWPENS AND GUILFORD COURT HOUSE.
IN LATE 1778, THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION HAD REACHED A STALEMATE IN THE NORTH AND THE BRITISH BEGAN A SOUTHERN / CAMPAIGN. THEY HAD INITIAL SUCCESSES, TAKING SAVANNAH (DECEMBER 1778) AND CHARLESTON (MAY 1780). FOLLOWING / THE FALL OF CHARLESTON, BRITISH LT. COL. BANASTRE TARLETON DESTROYED A FORCE OF 380 CONTINENTAL SOLDIERS IN / THE WAXHAWS, 35 MILES FROM HERE, EARNING HIM THE NAME “BLOODY BAN.” THEN IN AUGUST 1780 THE BRITISH / ARMY DEFEATED THE AMERICAN SOUTHERN ARMY AT CAMDEN.
IN SEPTEMBER 1780 THE TIDE TURNED. CORNWALLIS’ ARMY WAS DELAYED IN CHARLOTTE BY THE MECKLENBURG MILITIA AT / THE BATTLE OF CHARLOTTE AND IN OCTOBER HIS WESTERN ARMY UNDER MAJOR PATRICK FERGUSON WAS DESTROYED AT / KINGS MOUNTAIN, 40 MILES WEST OF THIS SPOT. IN JANUARY 1781, TARLETON’S BRITISH LEGION WAS SOUNDLY DEFEATED AT / COWPENS, AND IN MARCH THE ARMIES FOUGHT TO A DRAW AT GUILFORD COURT HOUSE NEAR PRESENT-DAY GREENSBORO. / THE BRITISH ARMY THEN MARCHED TO VIRGINIA WHERE IT WAS TRAPPED AND DEFEATED AT YORKTOWN. THE WAR / CONTINUED IN THE SOUTH WITH MANY IMPORTANT AND BLOODY BATTLES BEFORE IT FINALLY ENDED IN 1783.
MANY MECKLENBURG CITIZENS FOUGHT IN THIS CAMPAIGN AND THE SENTIMENT IN MECKLENBURG WAS FIERCELY / REBELLIOUS. IN HIS MEMOIRS, TARLETON WROTE, “IT WAS EVIDENT, AND HAD BEEN FREQUENTLY MENTIONED TO THE / KING’S OFFICERS, THAT THE COUNTIES OF MECKLENBURG AND ROHAN WERE MORE HOSTILE TO ENGLAND THAN ANY OTHER / IN AMERICA.”
City of Charlotte
September 26, 2013
35.223520 , -80.848280
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Norris, David A. and Barefoot, Daniel W., “Charlotte, Battle of,” NCPedia.org, (accessed January 12, 2017) Link
Syfert, Scott. “Commemorating The Battle of Charlotte,” All Things Liberty.com, (accessed May 24, 2017) Link
“Charlotte Liberty Walk,” Mecklenburg Historical Association, (accessed February 22, 2017) Link
Yes
Bronze on rock quarried from the ancient bed of the Catawba River
Mecklenburg Historical Association and The May 20th Society
The Battle of Charlotte Marker is part of the Charlotte Liberty Walk, a public/private partnership celebrating the revolutionary history of the City of Charlotte. This 1 mile trail dedicated in 2012 links important sites in the revolutionary history of Charlotte. The Battle of Charlotte is Marker 1 along the walk. Other markers include the Liberty Hall (Marker 4); Ishmael Titus (Marker 2); Indian Trading Path (Marker 3); British Encampment plaque (Marker 6), and Queen Charlotte Walks in Her Garden sculpture (Marker 12).
The marker is located on the east side of South Tryon Street at the corner of Stonewall Street in front of the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Art. A few steps from the African Americans in American Revolution (Ishmael Titus) plaque.
The memorial marker stands on a brick walkway at the corner of busy streets.
Guided and self-guided "Charlotte Liberty Walk" historic tours.
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