Alamance Battleground
Encyclopedia
Alamance Battleground is a North Carolina State Historic Site commemorating the Battle of Alamance
. The historic site is located south of Burlington
, Alamance County
, North Carolina
in the United States
.
between the forces of Royal Governor William Tryon
and a band of settlers from western North Carolina who were dissatisfied with the leadership provided by the royal governors.
Archaeological studies begun in 2009 have also found evidence of a Revolutionary War skirmish that occurred between the Delaware Light Infantry and British General Charles Cornwallis’ forces on March 5, 1781, one of several small battles to occur in the area prior to the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. Evidence was also found of a Civil War
era an encampment of the 3rd North Carolina Junior Reserve unit under the command of Col. John Hinsdale, who camped on the site shortly before surrendering near High Point
to Union forces.
replica and a map of the battleground site. Outside the visitors center, the grounds are marked with 2 granite
monuments
. The smaller monument was given as a memorial in 1880 white the larger monument featuring a statue of James Hunter, the so-called "General of the Regulators", was erected in 1901. The grounds are crossed by a ¾ mile trail, and key battle positions are marked with pennants as is the Regulator campsite
. A smokehouse
also stands on the grounds.
Alamance Battleground State Historic Site also includes the John Allen House, which family sources suggest was constructed around 1780. John's sister, Amy, was the wife of Herman Husband
, an agitator
and pamphleteer
prominent in the Regulator movement who was present at the Battle of Alamance. Donated by descendants of the family and moved from nearby Snow Camp
to the current site, the frontier style, one room log home
is furnished with restored, original pieces from the period
.
program about the battle, the War of the Regulation and what life was like on the frontier of North Carolina. The battleground is largely handicapped accessible. Ten picnic table
s are available for use by visitors. A gift shop is located within the visitor's center.
Battle of Alamance
The Battle of Alamance was the final battle of the War of the Regulation, a rebellion in colonial North Carolina over issues of taxation and local control. In the past, historians considered the battle to be the opening salvo of the American Revolution and locals agreed with this assessment...
. The historic site is located south of Burlington
Burlington, North Carolina
Burlington is a city in Alamance and Guilford counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the principal city of the Burlington, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Alamance County, in which most of the city is located. The population was 49,963 at the 2010...
, Alamance County
Alamance County, North Carolina
Alamance County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It coincides with the Burlington, North Carolina, Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
History
The Battle of Alamance was fought in May of 1771 as part of the War of the RegulationWar of the Regulation
The War of the Regulation was a North Carolina uprising, lasting from approximately 1760 to 1771, in which citizens took up arms against corrupt colonial officials...
between the forces of Royal Governor William Tryon
William Tryon
William Tryon was a British soldier and colonial administrator who served as governor of the Province of North Carolina and the Province of New York .-Early life and career:...
and a band of settlers from western North Carolina who were dissatisfied with the leadership provided by the royal governors.
Archaeological studies begun in 2009 have also found evidence of a Revolutionary War skirmish that occurred between the Delaware Light Infantry and British General Charles Cornwallis’ forces on March 5, 1781, one of several small battles to occur in the area prior to the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. Evidence was also found of a Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
era an encampment of the 3rd North Carolina Junior Reserve unit under the command of Col. John Hinsdale, who camped on the site shortly before surrendering near High Point
High Point, North Carolina
High Point is a city located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina. As of 2010 the city had a total population of 104,371, according to the US Census Bureau. High Point is currently the eighth-largest municipality in North Carolina....
to Union forces.
Alamance Battleground State Historic Site
The state historic site was established to preserve part of the battleground and provide historical interpretation of the lifestyle of the settlers in 1770s north central North Carolina. Family papers, books, and documents relate the story of the era, providing authentic examples of living on the frontier during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.Grounds
A visitor center at the site allows visitors to view a film and several historical items - including the powder horn of Harmon Cox, the only known surviving archeological relic from the Battle of Alamance, in a small museum. Outside the visitors center is a 3-pounder cannonGrasshopper cannon
The grasshopper cannon is a weapon designed by the British in the 18th century as a light gun to be carried around with infantry. It frequently saw service in rough terrain such as the frontiers of British North America....
replica and a map of the battleground site. Outside the visitors center, the grounds are marked with 2 granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
monuments
Monument
A monument is a type of structure either explicitly created to commemorate a person or important event or which has become important to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, or simply as an example of historic architecture...
. The smaller monument was given as a memorial in 1880 white the larger monument featuring a statue of James Hunter, the so-called "General of the Regulators", was erected in 1901. The grounds are crossed by a ¾ mile trail, and key battle positions are marked with pennants as is the Regulator campsite
Campsite
A campsite or camping pitch is a place used for overnight stay in the outdoors. In British English a campsite is an area, usually divided into a number of pitches, where people can camp overnight using tents or camper vans or caravans; this British English use of the word is synonymous with the...
. A smokehouse
Smokehouse
A smokehouse is a building where meat or fish is cured with smoke. The finished product might be stored in the building, sometimes for a year or more.-History:...
also stands on the grounds.
Alamance Battleground State Historic Site also includes the John Allen House, which family sources suggest was constructed around 1780. John's sister, Amy, was the wife of Herman Husband
Herman Husband
Herman Husband , also known as Harmon Husband, was a farmer, radical, pamphleteer, and preacher. He was born in Cecil County, Maryland and raised as an Anglican...
, an agitator
Agitator
An agitator is a person who actively supports some ideology or movement with speeches and especially actions. The Agitators were a political movement as well as elected representatives of soldiers, including the New Model Army of Oliver Cromwell, during the English Civil War. They were also known...
and pamphleteer
Pamphleteer
A pamphleteer is a historical term for someone who creates or distributes pamphlets. Pamphlets were used to broadcast the writer's opinions on an issue, for example, in order to get people to vote for their favorite politician or to articulate a particular political ideology.A famous pamphleteer...
prominent in the Regulator movement who was present at the Battle of Alamance. Donated by descendants of the family and moved from nearby Snow Camp
Snow Camp
Snow Camp is an unincorporated community in southern Alamance County, North Carolina noted for it rich history and as the site of the Snow Camp Outdoor Theater...
to the current site, the frontier style, one room log home
Log home
A log home is structurally identical to a log cabin...
is furnished with restored, original pieces from the period
Period piece
-Setting:In the performing arts, a period piece is a work set in a particular era. This informal term covers all countries, all periods and all genres...
.
Visitors
Guided tours of the Allen House are provided upon request. The visitor center has several exhibits and hosts a twenty-five minute audio-visualAudio-visual
The term Audio-Visual may refer to works with both a sound and a visual component, the production or use of such works, or to equipment used to create and present such works...
program about the battle, the War of the Regulation and what life was like on the frontier of North Carolina. The battleground is largely handicapped accessible. Ten picnic table
Picnic table
A picnic table is a modified table with attached benches, designed for eating a meal outdoors .-Uses:...
s are available for use by visitors. A gift shop is located within the visitor's center.
External links
- Alamance Battleground State Historic Site - official site