General Richard Caswell
Brigadier General Allen Jones
Major General Robert Howe
Colonel Isaac Shelby
Colonel William Richardson Davie
Lieutenant Colonel William Polk
Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Graham (Lincoln County Regiment)
Captain Richard Henderson (Granville County Regiment)
Major Joseph Winston (Surry County Regiment)
Lietenant Colonel Richard Dobbs Spaight (Craven County Regiment)
Colonel John Sevier (Washington District Regiment)
The following is a comprehensive list of known North Carolina militia units in the American Revolution that fought against the British, Loyalists, and Cherokee Native Americans that aligned themselves with British forces. The units included district brigades, county regiments, some battalions, and a special unit of volunteers from North Carolina counties that became Tennessee after the war. North Carolina was organized in counties in the colonial era and military districts as the state began to exercise its independence from British rule. These districts were used to organize the initial brigades. The size of brigades could be up to a few thousand volunteers and were commanded by a brigadier general. Regiments were commanded by a colonel and made up of a number of companies commanded by captains with about 50 men in each company. During engagements, one or more companies of regiments may have been involved in actions and commanded by the regimental or brigade commander.[1]
Background[]
In August 1775, the Third Provincial Congress of North Carolina delegates appointed Cornelius Harnett the head of the Council of Safety which oversaw resistance to British rule. They also divided the colony into six military districts for the purpose of organizing militia and arranging representation in the executive body. At the county level, there were Committees of Safety, including the Rowan, Anson, Mecklenburg, Surry, and Tryon counties. Many members of these committees of safety became the officers of the regiments of militia.[2][3]
The North Carolina Provincial Congress authorized thirty-five existing county militias to be organized on September 9, 1775. Some counties had already established their militias earlier in 1775. In 1775, the Rowan County regiment was split on October 22, 1775 into two distinct regiment, the 1st Rowan County Regiment and the 2nd Rowan County Regiment. On December 22 that same year, the North Carolina Provincial Council split the Pasquotank County Regiment into two separate and distinct regiments, the 1st and 2nd Pasquotank County regiments. This resulted in a total of 37 county regiments by the end of 1775.[4]
Units[]
The following are the North Carolina militia brigades and regiments, along with the dates established and disestablished, as well as the original commander when the unit was established.[5]
| Unit | Subordinate Brigade | Created | Disbanded | Original Commander, Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina Militia and State Troops | Governor | 1778 | 1783 | Ashe, John Sr., M.G. |
| Edenton District Brigade | North Carolina Militia | 1776 | 1783 | Vail, Edward, B.G. |
| 1st Regiment of North Carolina militia | Edenton | 1780 | 1780 | Jarvis, Samuel, Col |
| 2nd Regiment of North Carolina militia | Edenton | 1780 | 1780 | Exum, Benjamin, Col |
| Bertie County Regiment | Edenton | 1775 | 1783 | Witmell, Thomas, Col |
| Camden County Regiment | Edenton | 1777 | 1783 | Gregory, Isaac, Col |
| Chowan County Regiment | Edenton | 1775 | 1783 | Bonner, Thomas, Col |
| Currituck County Regiment | Edenton | 1775 | 1783 | Jarvis, Samuel, Col |
| Gates County Regiment | Edenton | 1779 | 1783 | Baker, Lawrence, Col |
| Hertford County Regiment | Edenton | 1775 | 1783 | Wynns, Benjamin, Col |
| Martin County Regiment | Edenton, Halifax[6] | 1775 | 1783 | Williams, William, Col |
| 1st Pasquotank County Regiment | Edenton | 1775 | 1783 | Lowery, John, Col |
| 2nd Pasquotank County Regiment | Edenton | 1775 | 1777 | Gregory, Isaac, Col |
| Perquimans County Regiment | Edenton | 1775 | 1783 | Harvey, Miles, Col |
| Tyrrell County Regiment | Edenton | 1775 | 1783 | Buncombe, Edward, Col |
| Halifax District Brigade | North Carolina Militia | 1776 | 1783 | Jones, Allen, B.G. |
| 1st Battalion of Volunteers | Halifax | 1776 | 1777 | Sheppard, Abraham Sr, Col |
| 2nd Battalion of Volunteers | Halifax | 1776 | 1777 | Locke, Francis, Col |
| Bute County Regiment | Halifax | 1775 | 1779 | Person, William, Col |
| Edgecombe County Regiment | Halifax | 1775 | 1783 | Haywood, William, Col |
| Franklin County Regiment | Halifax | 1779 | 1783 | Seawell, Benjamin, Col |
| Halifax County Regiment | Halifax | 1775 | 1783 | Bradford, John, Col |
| Nash County Regiment | Halifax | 1777 | 1783 | Clinch, James, Col |
| Northampton County Regiment | Halifax | 1775 | 1783 | Jones, Allen, Col |
| Warren County Regiment | Halifax | 1779 | 1783 | Eaton, Thomas, Col |
| Hillsborough District Brigade | North Carolina Militia | 1776 | 1783 | Person, Thomas, B.G. |
| Caswell County Regiment | Hillsborough | 1777 | 1783 | Saunders, James, Col |
| Chatham County Regiment | Hillsborough | 1775 | 1783 | Ramsey, Ambrose, Col |
| Granville County Regiment | Hillsborough | 1775 | 1783 | Taylor, Joseph, Col |
| Mounted Volunteers Regiment | Hillsborough | 1780 | 1780 | Taylor, Philip, Col |
| Northern Orange County Regiment renamed Caswell County Regiment in 1777 | Hillsborough | 1776 | 1777 | Saunders, James, Col |
| Orange County Regiment, renamed Southern Orange County Regiment in 1776 and then back to Orange County Regiment in 1777 | Hillsborough | 1775 | 1783 | Hogan, John, Col |
| Randolph County Regiment | Hillsborough | 1779 | 1783 | Balfour, Andrew, Col |
| Wake County Regiment | Hillsborough | 1775 | 1783 | Hinton, John, Col |
| New Bern District Brigade | North Carolina Militia | 1776 | 1783 | Caswell, Richard, B.G. |
| Beaufort County Regiment | New Bern | 1775 | 1783 | Bonner, James, Col |
| Carteret County Regiment | New Bern | 1775 | 1783 | Thompson, William, Col |
| Craven County Regiment | New Bern | 1775 | 1783 | Leech, Joseph, Col |
| Dobbs County Regiment | New Bern | 1775 | 1783 | Sheppard, Abraham |
| Hyde County Regiment | New Bern | 1775 | 1783 | Latham, Rotheas, Col |
| Johnston County Regiment | New Bern | 1775 | 1783 | Bryan, Needham, Col |
| Jones County Regiment | New Bern | 1779 | 1783 | Bryan, John, Col |
| Pitt County Regiment | New Bern | 1775 | 1783 | Simpson, John, Col |
| Wayne County Regiment | New Bern | 1779 | 1783 | Exum, Benjamin, Col |
| Morgan District Brigade | North Carolina Militia | 1782 | 1783 | McDowell, Charles, B.G. |
| Davidson County Regiment | Morgan | 1783 | 1783 | Bledsoe, Anthony, Col |
| Greene County Regiment | Morgan | 1783 | 1783 | Harden, Joseph, Col |
| Salisbury District Brigade | North Carolina Militia | 1776 | 1783 | Rutherford, Griffith, B.G. |
| Anson County Regiment | Salisbury | 1775 | 1783 | Spencer, Samuel, Col |
| Burke County Regiment | Salisbury, Morgan[7] | 1777 | 1782 | Armstrong, William, Lt Col |
| Guilford County Regiment | Salisbury | 1775 | 1783 | Sutherland, Ransom, Col |
| Lincoln County Regiment | Salisbury, Morgan[7] | 1779 | 1783 | Graham, William, Col |
| 1st Mecklenburg County Regiment | Salisbury | 1775 | 1783 | Polk, Thomas, Col |
| 2nd Mecklenburg County Regiment | Salisbury | 1779 | 1780 | Phifer, Caleb, Col |
| Polk's Regiment of Light Dragoons | Mecklenburg County Regiment, State Troops (1781) | 1780 | 1781 | Polk, William, Lt Col |
| The Independent Corps of Light Horse | Independent | 1780 | 1780 | Davie, William Richardson, Maj |
| Montgomery County Regiment | Salisbury | 1779 | 1783 | Little, John, Col |
| Richmond County Regiment | Salisbury | 1779 | 1783 | Harrington, Henry William, Col |
| Rowan County Regiment | Salisbury | 1775 | 1783 | Rutherford, Griffith, Col |
| 2nd Rowan County Regiment | Salisbury | 1775 | 1777 | Osborne, Adlai, Col |
| 2nd Rowan County Regiment | Salisbury | 1782 | 1783 | Brandon, James, Col |
| Rutherford County Regiment | Salisbury, Morgan[7] | 1779 | 1783 | Hampton, Andrew, Col |
| Sullivan County Regiment | Salisbury, Morgan[7] | 1779 | 1783 | Shelby, Isaac, Col |
| Surry County Regiment | Salisbury | 1775 | 1783 | Armstrong, Martin, Col |
| Tryon County Regiment | Salisbury | 1775 | 1779 | Graham, William, Col |
| Washington District Regiment[8] | Salisbury | 1776 | 1777 | Carter, John, Col |
| Washington County Regiment | Salisbury, Morgan[7] | 1777 | 1783 | Shelby, Evan, Col |
| Wilkes County Regiment | Salisbury, Morgan[7] | 1777 | 1783 | Cleveland, Benjamin, Col |
| Wilmington District Brigade | North Carolina Militia | 1776 | 1783 | Ashe, John Sr., B.G. |
| 1st Battalion of Militia | Wilmington | 1776 | 1776 | Brown, Thomas, Col |
| 2nd Battalion of Militia | Wilmington | 1776 | 1776 | Hawkins, Philemon, Jr., Col |
| Bladen County Regiment | Salisbury | 1775 | 1783 | Robeson, Thomas, Jr., Col |
| Brunswick County Regiment | Wilmington | 1775 | 1783 | Howe, Robert, Col |
| Cumberland County Regiment | Wilmington | 1775 | 1783 | Rutherford, Thomas, Col |
| Duplin County Regiment | Wilmington | 1775 | 1783 | Kenan, James, Col |
| New Hanover County Regiment | Wilmington | 1775 | 1783 | Moore, James, Col |
| Onslow County Regiment | Wilmington | 1775 | 1783 | Cray, William, Col |
| Overmountain Men | 1776 | 1783 | Shelby, Isaac, Col[9] |
See also[]
- List of United States militia units in the American Revolutionary War
- List of military leaders in the American Revolutionary War
- List of British units in the American Revolutionary War
- Southern Campaigns: Pension Transactions for a description of the transcription effort by Will Graves
- Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War
- North Carolina Line
- North Carolina State Navy
- Militia (United States)
- Category for North Carolina militiamen in the American Revolution
Notes[]
- ↑ Towles, Louis P. (2006). "Colonial Militia". https://www.ncpedia.org/militias-colonial. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
- ↑ Howard, Josh. "NCPedia, North Carolina in the US Revolution". https://www.ncpedia.org/history/usrevolution/overview. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
- ↑ Towles, Louis P. (2006). "NCPEDIA, Council of Safety". https://www.ncpedia.org/council-safety. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
- ↑ See Lewis and other references in the bibliography for details.
- ↑ References are contained in the individual brigade or regiment pages, as well as biography pages, where they have been created.
- ↑ The Martin County Regiment was transferred from the Edenton District Brigade to the Halifax District Brigade of militia in December 1777.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 Burke, Lincoln, Rutherford, Sullivan, Washington, and Wilkes County Regiments were transferred to the newly-created Morgan District Brigade of Militia in May 1782.
- ↑ The Washington District Regiment was renamed as the Washington County Regiment on December 18, 1777.
- ↑ Led by Shelby in 1780
Bibliography[]
- Connor, Robert D.W. (1916). Revolutionary Leaders of North Carolina. Greensboro: North Carolina State Normal & Industrial College. http://www.carolana.com/NC/Revolution/Revolutionary_Leaders_of_North_Carolina_R_D_W_Connor_1916.pdf.
- Crow, Jeffrey J. (1975). A Chronicle of North Carolina During the American Revolution, 1763–1789. Raleigh: North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, Division of Archives and History.
- Durham, J. Lloyd. "Outfitting an American Revolutionary Soldier, Equipment of a Militiaman". https://www.ncpedia.org/history/usrevolution/soldiers. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
- Howard, Josh. "North Carolina in the US Revolution". https://www.ncpedia.org/history/usrevolution/overview. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
- Lewis, J.D.. "The American Revolution in North Carolina, Militia". http://www.carolana.com/NC/Revolution/revolution_patriots_militia_nc.html. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
- Towles, Louis P. (2006). "Colonial Militia". https://www.ncpedia.org/militias-colonial. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
- Harriet Reed Whitaker, ed (1932). Roster of Soldiers from North Carolina in the American Revolution. The North Carolina Daughters of the American Revolution. https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/008555399.
- North Carolina Department of Archives and History, North Carolina Revolutionary Army Accounts-Secretary of State Treasurer's and Comptroller's Papers Journal "A" (Public Accounts) 1775–1776.
- Powell, William. Dictionary of North Carolina Biography. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press.
- Rumple, Jethro Rev (1881). A History of Rowan County. https://archive.org/details/historyofrowanco00rump/page/n4.
- Russel, David Lee (2000). The American Revolution in the Southern Colonies. https://books.google.com/books?id=5DFy0eWaPxIC&lpg=PA339&ots=XbVu0Hnc1M&dq=Russell%2C%20Phillips%20(1965).%20North%20Carolina%20in%20the%20Revolutionary%20War.%20Charlotte%3A%20Heritage%20Printers.&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q=Russell,%20Phillips%20(1965).%20North%20Carolina%20in%20the%20Revolutionary%20War.%20Charlotte:%20Heritage%20Printers.&f=false. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
- Russell, Phillips (1965). North Carolina in the Revolutionary War. Charlotte: Heritage Printers. OCLC 4888768.
- Saunders, William, ed (1890). The Colonial Records of North Carolina. 10. Raleigh: Josephus Daniels. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89067595553;view=1up;seq=7.
- Wheeler, Earl M. (July 1964). Development and Organization of the North Carolina Militia. North Carolina Historical Review, 41, no. 3. pp. 307–323. https://archive.org/details/northcarolinahis1964nort/page/n335.
The original article can be found at List of North Carolina militia units in the American Revolution and the edit history here.