Battle of Alamance
Encyclopedia
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. However, modern historians reject this notion, as there does not seem to have been any intent to rebel against king or crown, only to protest taxation and corrupt local government. Named for nearby Great Alamance Creek
, the battle took place in what was then Orange County
and has since become Alamance County
in the central Piedmont about six miles south of present-day Burlington, North Carolina
.
left New Bern
, mustering and marching approximately 1,000 militia troops west in order to address a rebellion
that had been brewing in western counties
for several years, but which had included only minor, scattered acts of violence, followed by refusal to pay fees, disruption of court proceedings, and continued harassment of government officials. A group of 2,000 so-called Regulators had gathered, hoping to gain concessions from the governor by intimidating him with a show of superior force. Funded by Council Member and wealthy merchant Samuel Cornell for £6,000, on May 11, Tryon left the county seat of Hillsborough
with his militia to confront the Regulators, who had made camp south of Great Alamance Creek in western Orange County
or present-day Alamance County
.
Tryon sent out one of his aide-de-camps, Captain Philmore Hawkins, and the Sheriff of Orange County with the following proclamation:
While the terms were being read, Tryon's troops began to move forward. Shortly thereafter, Tryon was informed that the Regulators had rejected Tryon's terms. Herman Husband, a Quaker, recognizing that violence was about to take place, left the area.
By midday, the hour had expired, Tryon sent the aide-de-camp with one final warning:
Some of the Regulators petitioned the Governor to give up seven captured Regulators in exchange for two of his men that the Regulators had captured the day before. Tryon agreed but after a half an hour, there was no appearance of the captured officers. He became suspicious that his positions were being flanked and ordered the militia to march within 30 yards of the Regulators. Shortly thereafter, a large crowd of regulators appeared in front of the militia, waving their hats and daring the militia to open fire.
Around this time, two men left Tryon's camp who had been attempting to negotiate a peace between the 2 sides: Reverend Dr. Caldwell and Mr. Robert Thompson. Dr. Caldwell made it to the field in between the 2 lines, but was warned off the field by the Regulators who sensed the governor was about to open fire. Mr. Thompson, however, was detained by Tryon as a prisoner. Tryon, in a moment of anger, took a gun from a militiaman and shot Mr. Thompson dead. Realizing what he had done, he sent a flag bearer by the name of Donald Malcolm, with a white flag in hopes of calming things quickly. The flag bearer failed and was himself fired upon by the Regulators, who responded, "Fire and be damned".
While the Regulators lacked the leadership, organization, and adequate munitions that Tryon held, the early course of the battle went well for them. They employed what contemporary recorders referred to as "Indian style" fighting, hiding behind trees and avoiding structure and lines in order to gain advantage. This allowed two of the Regulators, brothers named McPherson, to capture one of Tryon's three cannons on the field. Unfortunately for them, the Regulators had no ammunition for this cannon and it could not be used.
A man considered to be one of the principal military leaders of the Regulators, Captain Montgomery, was shot and killed by a shell at about the same time that a bullet hit Tryon's hat. The governor sent a second white flag by another aide-de-camp, but the aide-de-camp was killed even while Regulator Patrick Muller called for his fellow insurgents to cease fire. Outraged at the disregard of a second white flag, the governor rallied his troops against the insurgents, who ammunition was rapidly running out. At this point, many of the regulators fled the field. Delays prevented approximately 300 reinforcements under Captain Benjamin Merrill from arriving in time to help the rebel cause. After this, some of the Regulators remained behind to continue firing upon the milita. Tryon ordered the woods to be set on fire.
Losses for both sides are disputed. Tryon reported nine dead and 61 wounded among the militia. Other historians indicate much greater numbers, between 15 and 27 killed. Both sides count 9 dead among the regulators and dozens to over one hundred wounded.
Tryon took 13 prisoners, one of them (James Few) being executed at the camp, and six executed later in nearby Hillsborough. Many Regulators traveled on to frontier areas beyond North Carolina. The governor pardoned others and allowed them to stay on condition they pledge an oath of allegiance to the royal government.
The battle took place in what was then Orange County. During the American Revolution a decade later, the same section of Orange County (subdivided into Alamance County in 1849) hosted several minor skirmishes, including the infamous Pyle's Hacking Match
in 1781. Recent archeological studies at the site have shown that the area now known as Alamance Battleground was also the site of another skirmish in the Revolutionary War
and of a Civil War
era Confederate encampment.
The following were excepted from pardon by Governor Tryon:
Six men were found guilty of treason
, but were pardoned at Tryon's behest:
Six men were found guilty of treason and were sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered
, although in practice, they were only hanged
:
may view the field of battle, memorialized in 1880 with a granite monument and a second monument from 1903. Today the site contains exhibits, period cannon, and colored flags representing troop positions. The visitor's center offers exhibits, artifacts, and a presentation on the battle. Visitors may also tour the onsite Allen House, a restored frontier farmstead of the period.
War 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...
, 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. However, modern historians reject this notion, as there does not seem to have been any intent to rebel against king or crown, only to protest taxation and corrupt local government. Named for nearby Great Alamance Creek
Great Alamance Creek
Great Alamance Creek is an 11-mile long creek that is a tributary of the Haw River. The creek's headwaters are in Guilford County, but it flows primarily through Alamance County, North Carolina. It is a major source of water for the cities of Burlington and Greensboro through the Lake Mackintosh...
, the battle took place in what was then Orange County
Orange County, North Carolina
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 133,801. Its county seat is Hillsborough...
and has since become 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...
in the central Piedmont about six miles south of present-day Burlington, North Carolina
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...
.
Events prior to the battle
In the spring of 1771, Governor William TryonWilliam 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:...
left New Bern
New Bern, North Carolina
New Bern is a city in Craven County, North Carolina with a population of 29,524 as of the 2010 census.. It is located at the confluence of the Trent and the Neuse rivers...
, mustering and marching approximately 1,000 militia troops west in order to address a rebellion
Rebellion
Rebellion, uprising or insurrection, is a refusal of obedience or order. It may, therefore, be seen as encompassing a range of behaviors aimed at destroying or replacing an established authority such as a government or a head of state...
that had been brewing in western counties
Piedmont (United States)
The Piedmont is a plateau region located in the eastern United States between the Atlantic Coastal Plain and the main Appalachian Mountains, stretching from New Jersey in the north to central Alabama in the south. The Piedmont province is a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division...
for several years, but which had included only minor, scattered acts of violence, followed by refusal to pay fees, disruption of court proceedings, and continued harassment of government officials. A group of 2,000 so-called Regulators had gathered, hoping to gain concessions from the governor by intimidating him with a show of superior force. Funded by Council Member and wealthy merchant Samuel Cornell for £6,000, on May 11, Tryon left the county seat of Hillsborough
Hillsborough, North Carolina
Hillsborough is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 5,653 at the 2008 census. It is the county seat of Orange County....
with his militia to confront the Regulators, who had made camp south of Great Alamance Creek in western Orange County
Orange County, North Carolina
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 133,801. Its county seat is Hillsborough...
or present-day 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...
.
Course of the battle
On the evening of May 15, Tryon received word that the regulators were camped about 6 miles away. The next morning, at about 8:00, Tryon's troops set out to an old field about one-half mile from the camp of the Regulators. He set out 2 lines, and split his artillery between the two wings and the center of the first line. The Regulators, however, remained disorganized, with no leadership - no officers ranked higher than Captain - and no anticipation of an attack, expecting that their superior numbers would frighten Tryon's militia away.Tryon sent out one of his aide-de-camps, Captain Philmore Hawkins, and the Sheriff of Orange County with the following proclamation:
| Alamance Camp, Thursday, May 16th, 1771. To Those Who Style Themselves "Regulators": In reply to your petition of yesterday, I am to acquaint you that I have ever been attentive to the interests of your County and to every individual residing therein. I lament the fatal necessity to which you have now reduced me by withdrawing yourselves from the mercy of the crown and from the laws of your country. To require you who are now assembled as Regulators, to quietly lay down your arms, to surrender up your leaders, to the laws of your country and rest on the leniency of the Government. By accepting these terms within one hour from the delivery of this dispatch, you will prevent an effusion of blood, as you are at this time in a state of REBELLION against your King, your country, and your laws. (Signed) William Tryon. |
While the terms were being read, Tryon's troops began to move forward. Shortly thereafter, Tryon was informed that the Regulators had rejected Tryon's terms. Herman Husband, a Quaker, recognizing that violence was about to take place, left the area.
By midday, the hour had expired, Tryon sent the aide-de-camp with one final warning:
| GENTLEMEN AND REGULATORS: Those of you who are not too far committed should desist and quietly return to your homes, those of you who have laid yourselves liable should submit without resistance. I and others promise to obtain for you the best possible terms. The Governor will grant you nothing. You are unprepared for war! You have no cannon! You have no military training! You have no commanding officers to lead you in battle. You have no ammunition. You will be defeated! |
Some of the Regulators petitioned the Governor to give up seven captured Regulators in exchange for two of his men that the Regulators had captured the day before. Tryon agreed but after a half an hour, there was no appearance of the captured officers. He became suspicious that his positions were being flanked and ordered the militia to march within 30 yards of the Regulators. Shortly thereafter, a large crowd of regulators appeared in front of the militia, waving their hats and daring the militia to open fire.
Around this time, two men left Tryon's camp who had been attempting to negotiate a peace between the 2 sides: Reverend Dr. Caldwell and Mr. Robert Thompson. Dr. Caldwell made it to the field in between the 2 lines, but was warned off the field by the Regulators who sensed the governor was about to open fire. Mr. Thompson, however, was detained by Tryon as a prisoner. Tryon, in a moment of anger, took a gun from a militiaman and shot Mr. Thompson dead. Realizing what he had done, he sent a flag bearer by the name of Donald Malcolm, with a white flag in hopes of calming things quickly. The flag bearer failed and was himself fired upon by the Regulators, who responded, "Fire and be damned".
While the Regulators lacked the leadership, organization, and adequate munitions that Tryon held, the early course of the battle went well for them. They employed what contemporary recorders referred to as "Indian style" fighting, hiding behind trees and avoiding structure and lines in order to gain advantage. This allowed two of the Regulators, brothers named McPherson, to capture one of Tryon's three cannons on the field. Unfortunately for them, the Regulators had no ammunition for this cannon and it could not be used.
A man considered to be one of the principal military leaders of the Regulators, Captain Montgomery, was shot and killed by a shell at about the same time that a bullet hit Tryon's hat. The governor sent a second white flag by another aide-de-camp, but the aide-de-camp was killed even while Regulator Patrick Muller called for his fellow insurgents to cease fire. Outraged at the disregard of a second white flag, the governor rallied his troops against the insurgents, who ammunition was rapidly running out. At this point, many of the regulators fled the field. Delays prevented approximately 300 reinforcements under Captain Benjamin Merrill from arriving in time to help the rebel cause. After this, some of the Regulators remained behind to continue firing upon the milita. Tryon ordered the woods to be set on fire.
Losses for both sides are disputed. Tryon reported nine dead and 61 wounded among the militia. Other historians indicate much greater numbers, between 15 and 27 killed. Both sides count 9 dead among the regulators and dozens to over one hundred wounded.
Tryon took 13 prisoners, one of them (James Few) being executed at the camp, and six executed later in nearby Hillsborough. Many Regulators traveled on to frontier areas beyond North Carolina. The governor pardoned others and allowed them to stay on condition they pledge an oath of allegiance to the royal government.
The battle took place in what was then Orange County. During the American Revolution a decade later, the same section of Orange County (subdivided into Alamance County in 1849) hosted several minor skirmishes, including the infamous Pyle's Hacking Match
Pyle's Massacre
Pyle's Massacre, also known as Pyle's Hacking Match or the Battle of Haw River, was fought during the American Revolutionary War in Orange County, North Carolina , on February 24, 1781, between Patriot and Loyalist North Carolina militia troops...
in 1781. Recent archeological studies at the site have shown that the area now known as Alamance Battleground was also the site of another skirmish in the Revolutionary War
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
and 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 Confederate encampment.
Colonial militia
According to Governor Tryon's journal, the following men served under his command:- Major-Generals: John Ashe and Thomas Lloyd;
- Lieutenant-Generals: John Rutherford, Lewis Henry DeRosset, John Sampson, Robert Palmer, Benjamin Heron, and Samuel Strudwick;
- Majors of Brigade: Abner Nash and Robert Howe;
- Colonels: Alexander Osborne, Edmund Fanning, Robert Harris, James Sampson, Samuel Spencer, James Moore, and Maurice Moore;
- Lieutenant-Colonels: John Frohock, Moses Alexander, Alexander Lillington, John Gray, Samuel Benton, and Robert Schaw;
- Majors: William Bullock, Walter Lindsay, Thomas Lloyd, Martin Fifer, and John Hinton.
- Alexander LillingtonAlexander LillingtonJohn Alexander Lillington , aka Alexander John Lillington, was a Patriot officer from North Carolina in the American Revolutionary War who notably fought in the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge in 1776...
and James Moore were both American patriots at the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge - Richard CaswellRichard CaswellRichard Caswell was the first and fifth governor of the U.S. State of North Carolina, serving from 1776 to 1780 and from 1784 to 1787....
was delegate to the Continental CongressContinental CongressThe Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
in PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, one of the principal authors of the 1776 constitution of North Carolina, and the first governor of the newly-independent state - Francis NashFrancis NashFrancis Nash was a brigadier general killed in the American Revolutionary War.Nash was born in Prince Edward County, Virginia. At an early age he became prominent as a North Carolina merchant, attorney, and justice of the peace; experiences which eventually led to a seat in the North Carolina...
, whose guilt for extortion precipitated the War of the Regulation, fought and died as an American Patriot in the Revolution - Griffith RutherfordGriffith RutherfordGriffith Rutherford was an officer in the American Revolutionary War, a political leader in North Carolina, and an important figure in the early history of the Southwest Territory and the state of Tennessee....
served as a Brigadier General in the Continental Army
Regulators
The following individuals were numbered as members of the Regulators:- Herman HusbandHerman HusbandHerman 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...
- James Hunter - So-called "General of the Regulators", whose 1901 statue is now found at Alamance BattlegroundAlamance BattlegroundAlamance 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.-History:...
- James Few - executed at camp after the battle
The following were excepted from pardon by Governor Tryon:
- Samuel Jones
- Joshua Teague
- Samuel Waggoner
- Simon Dunn, Jr.
- Abraham Creson
- Benjamin Merrit (Merrill)
- James Wilkerson, Sr.
- Edward Smith
- John Bumpass
- Joseph Boring
- William Rankin
- William Robeson
- John Winkler
- John Wilcox
Six men were found guilty of treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
, but were pardoned at Tryon's behest:
- Forest Mercer
- James Stewart
- James Emerson
- Hermon (or Harmon) Cox - his powder horn is now on display at Alamance Battleground
- William Brown
- James Copeland
Six men were found guilty of treason and were sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered
Hanged, drawn and quartered
To be hanged, drawn and quartered was from 1351 a penalty in England for men convicted of high treason, although the ritual was first recorded during the reigns of King Henry III and his successor, Edward I...
, although in practice, they were only hanged
Hanging
Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
:
- Benjamin Merrill
- Robert Matear (Matter)
- James Pugh
- Captain Messer
- 2 Unknown men
Battle of Alamance memorial
Visitors to Alamance Battleground State Historic SiteAlamance Battleground
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.-History:...
may view the field of battle, memorialized in 1880 with a granite monument and a second monument from 1903. Today the site contains exhibits, period cannon, and colored flags representing troop positions. The visitor's center offers exhibits, artifacts, and a presentation on the battle. Visitors may also tour the onsite Allen House, a restored frontier farmstead of the period.
See also
- Alamance BattlegroundAlamance BattlegroundAlamance 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.-History:...
- Carter County, TennesseeCarter County, TennesseeCarter County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 57,424. Its county seat is Elizabethton.Carter County is part of the Johnson City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined...
- Doe RiverDoe RiverThe Doe River is a naturally flowing river in northeast Tennessee that forms in Carter County near the North Carolina line, just south of Roan Mountain State Park.-Hydrography:...
- Elizabethton, TennesseeElizabethton, TennesseeElizabethton is the county seat of Carter County, Tennessee, United States. Elizabethton is also the historical site both of the first independent American government located west of both the Eastern Continental Divide and the original thirteen British American colonies.Elizabethton is also the...
- Holston RiverHolston RiverThe Holston River is a major river system of southwestern Virginia and east Tennessee. The three major forks of the Holston rise in southwestern Virginia and have their confluence near Kingsport, Tennessee. The North Fork flows southwest from Sharon Springs in Bland County, Virginia...
- Kings Mountain National Military ParkKings Mountain National Military ParkKings Mountain National Military Park is a National Military Park near Blacksburg, South Carolina, along the North Carolina/South Carolina border...
- Kings Mountain, North CarolinaKings Mountain, North CarolinaKings Mountain is a small suburban city of Gastonia and Charlotte in Cleveland and Gaston counties, North Carolina, United States. The population was 9,693 at the 2000 census....
- Roan Mountain (Roan Highlands)Roan Mountain (Roan Highlands)Roan Mountain is the highpoint of the Roan-Unaka Range of the Southern Appalachian Mountains, located in the Southeastern United States. The mountain is clad in a dense stand of Southern Appalachian spruce-fir forest, and includes the world's largest natural rhododendron garden, and the longest...
- Roan Mountain State ParkRoan Mountain State ParkRoan Mountain State Park is a Tennessee state park in Carter County in Northeast Tennessee along the Tennessee-North Carolina border near the community of Roan Mountain, Tennessee. Situated in the Blue Ridge of the Appalachian Mountains, the park preserves woodlands near 6,285 foot Roan Mountain...
- Roan Mountain, TennesseeRoan Mountain, TennesseeRoan Mountain is a census-designated place in Carter County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,360 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Johnson City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical Area...
- Overmountain Victory National Historic TrailOvermountain Victory National Historic TrailThe Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail is part of the U.S. National Trails System. It recognizes the Revolutionary War Overmountain Men, Patriots from what is now East Tennessee who crossed the Great Smoky Mountains and then fought in the Battle of Kings Mountain in South...
- Overmountain MenOvermountain MenThe Overmountain Men were American frontiersmen from west of the Appalachian Mountains who took part in the American Revolutionary War. While they were present at multiple engagements in the war's southern campaign, they are best known for their role in the American victory at the Battle of Kings...
- Issac Shelby
- Watauga RiverWatauga RiverThe Watauga River is a large stream of western North Carolina and East Tennessee. It is 60 miles long with its headwaters on the slopes of Grandfather Mountain and Peak Mountain in Watauga County, North Carolina.-Hydrography:...