Cornwallis in the Hornets Nest 11 September 21 October 1780 http://elehistory.com/amrev/cornwallishornetsnestslides.pdf Copyright 2012 by EleHistory Research. All rights reserved.
American Revolution Web Application Sites, Events, and Troop Movements http://elehistory.com/amrev/siteseventstroopmovements.htm
Introduction If you live in the Charlotte area, you can easily drive to many interesting historical sites where Cornwallis s British Army and the American Army camped or faced problems. Major Robert Crawford s Plantation Wahab Plantation Clems Branch Campground at SC/NC state line Little Sugar Creek Camp Charlotte McIntyre s Farm Big Sugar Creek, loss of 20 wagons Nation Ford Thomas Spratt s Plantation Sugar Creek crossing Old Waxhaw Presbyterian Church Land s Ford Also, you can learn about heroic individuals, like William Richardson Davie.
British captured Charlestown 12 May 1780
Battle of Camden 16 August 1780
British Army occupied South Carolina after Battle of Camden, 16 August 1780
Rev. MacWhorter exhorts Students 20 August 1780
North Carolina Board of War 6 September 1780 Modeled on Continental Congress Board of War Members: John Penn Alexander Martin Oroondates Davis Thomas Polk, not active
Four Main Roads south of Charlotte
Key British Commanders: Cornwallis, Rawdon, Tarleton, Hanger
British Army Chain of Command at or near Charlotte September 1780 Cornwallis 23 rd Webster 33 rd Webster 71 st MacArthur Vol of Ireland Rawdon British Legion Tarleton
Key American Commanders: Gates, Sumner, Davidson, Polk, Davie, Graham, Dickson, Sumter
American Chain of Command at or near Charlotte September 1780 Gates NC Militia Sumner NC Western Davidson NC Central NC Cavalry Davie Infantry Cavalry Guilford Paisley Orange Butler New Acquistion Crawford Mecklenburg Heagans Catawba Indians New River Anson Davidson Mecklenburg Irwin Rowan Locke Mecklenburg Graham Lincoln Dickson
British Camp at Maj. Crawford s Land 11 24 September 1780
British Regiments in or near Charlotte Regiment Name Commander 23 rd Royal Welch Fusiliers Lieutenant Colonel James Webster 33 rd West Riding Regiment Cornwallis (delegated to Webster) 71 st Fraser s Highlanders Major Archibald McArthur British Legion Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton 2 nd American Volunteers of Ireland Lieutenant Colonel Francis Lord Rawdon
British Army Column on the March Speed, Size, Length
William Faden Map, 1787 Cornwallis s Advance and Retreat
Mecklenburg Road System in 1789
Davidson at McAlpine Creek 31 August 25 September 1780
Sumter on East Side of Bigger s Ferry 15 25 September 1780
Davie based near Providence Presbyterian Meeting House 8 25 September 1780
Davie Raid at Wahab Plantation 20 21 September 1780
Situation 24 September 1780 British Army occupied South Carolina
British paused at Twelve Mile Creek night 24 25 September 1780
American and British Movements 25 September 1780
Milestone, old as 1780? hand-chiseled inscription means 15 miles to Charlotte highlighted using image software
British invaded North Carolina at Clems Branch Campground afternoon 25 September 1780
British Camp at Little Sugar Creek Rawdon after Sumter at Bigger s Ferry night 25 26 September 1780
American and British Movements 26 September 1780
Ezekiel Polk took British Protection house at present-day I485 Light-Rail Station
Rawdon rejoined Main Army about 11:00 am 26 September 1780
British Approach on South Tryon Street Thomas Barnett aimed at Hanger noon 26 September 1780
Liberty Hall Academy used as Hospital Reverend Alexander MacWhorter
Battle of Charlotte noon 26 September 1780 Painting by Dan Nance, 2010, DAN@DANNANCE.COM. Used with permission.
Battle of Charlotte Markers Courtesy of the North Carolina State Archives.
Captain Joseph Graham wounded afternoon 26 September 1780
Lieutenant George Locke killed at Sassafras Fields afternoon 26 September 1780
Sumner Camp at Trading Ford on Yadkin River 27 September 17 October 1780
British Encampment in Charlotte 26 September 12 October 1780
Cornwallis s Proclamation 27 September 1780
NC Royal Governor Josiah Martin s Proclamation 3 October 1780 I do hereby exhort and invite all the young and able bodied men to testify the reality of their loyalty and spirit, by enlisting in the Provincial Corps, which are forthwith to be raised and put under my command, as his majesty s Governor of the Province.
McIntyre s Farm, Battle of the Bees 3 October 1780 Musket balls highlighted with chalk. 1 May 1931.
Skirmish at Polk s Mill probably 7 October 1780
Davidson s Camp at Rocky River 8 13 October 1780
Cornwallis s Plan to Advance 6 8 October 1780 Tarleton wrote: In the beginning of October it was intended to send a corps from Charlotte town, under the orders of Lieutenant-colonel Webster, to attack a party of Americans, commanded by General Sumner, at Alexander s mill, on a branch of Rocky river. (Tarleton 1787, 165).
Kings Mountain Battle Major Patrick Ferguson Killed 5:00 pm 7 October 1780
Tarleton sent to rescue Ferguson crossed Armour s Ford 10 15 October 1780
Cornwallis Decision to Withdraw Express killed at Little Sugar Creek afternoon 12 October 1780
Withdrawal of Cornwallis from Charlotte Advance of Davidson & Davie 12-15 October 1780
British lost at Park s (or Barnett s) Mill probably on Big Sugar Creek 12-13 October 1780
British on Nation Ford Road 13-14 October 1780
British stopped by Flood at Nation Ford 14 October 1780
British Camp at Spratt s Plantation 14-16 October 1780
Great Hurricane of 1780 10 20 October 1780 References to heavy rain in Carolinas, 14 16 October: o Charles Stedman: it rained for several days without intermission o Banastre Tarleton: a great fall of rain o Anthony Allaire: Marched all day through the rain o Uzal Johnson: Shed to keep out of the Rain o William R. Davie: heaviest rain ever poor fellow lived through o Philip Taylor: Such a rain, good God! the most powerful rain I ever saw o Jethro Sumner: rain set in very heavy o Joseph Graham: rainy weather and the roads bad o Records of the Moravians (Salem): heavy rain Great Hurricane of 1780 o First noted 10 October in West Indies, 22,000 lives lost, 40 French transport ships sank, 4000 French soldiers drown, destroyed 8 British ships in StLucia, most deadly hurricane ever o Hurricane center probably passed off Carolina coast o 20 October, probably the same storm recorded in Labrador
British crossed Sugar Creek 16 17 October 1780
British paused at Twelve Mile Creek 18 October 1780
British Camp at Maj. Crawford s Land 19 October 1780
British Camp at Blair s Mill 20 October 1780
British Retreat from Charlotte and American Response 12-20 October 1780
British forded Catawba River at Land s Ford morning 21 October 1780
William Richardson Davie Grave at Old Waxhaw Presbyterian Church Cemetery
Elizabeth Hutchinson Jackson Shrine at Old Waxhaw Presbyterian Church
More Details For details, read: http://elehistory.com/amrev/cornwallisncinvasion.pdf http://elehistory.com/amrev/cornwallischarlotteretreat.pdf http://elehistory.com/amrev/davieepitaph.pdf
Conclusion The American Revolution remains the great epic story that occurred in the Carolinas. Nothing like it occurred before or since. It defined our nation. Its noteworthy sites are all around us. We should do our best to protect what we can.