Salisbury District Brigade

The Salisbury District Brigade was an administrative division of the North Carolina militia during the American Revolutionary War (1776–1783). This unit was established by the Fourth North Carolina Provincial Congress on May 4, 1776, and disbanded at the end of the war.^[1]

Salisbury District Brigade
Active	1776–1783
Allegiance	North Carolina
Branch	North Carolina militia
Type	infantry brigade
Size	about 2,000 men
Engagements	see #Engagements
Commanders
Notable commanders	Brigadier General Griffith Rutherford Matthew Locke Henry William Harrington William Lee Davidson Andrew Pickens Ambrose Ramsey[1]

History

General William Lee Davidson

General Andrew Pickens

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. The Salisbury District was one of these districts, which eventually led to the creation of the Salisbury District Brigade. At the county level, there were Committees of Safety, including the Rowan, Anson, Mecklenburg, Surry, and Tryon county committees of safety. Many members of the Rowan committee of safety became the officers of the regiments of the Salisbury District Brigade.^[2][3]

Griffith Rutherford was from Rowan County, North Carolina. He was commissioned as a Colonel and commandant of the Rowan County Regiment on September 9, 1775. On December 21, 1775, the North Carolina Provincial Congress split the Salisbury District into two separate regiments of minutemen—the 1st Battalion of Salisbury District Minutemen and the 2nd Battalion of Salisbury District Minutemen. Colonel Rutherford was assigned as commandant of the 1st Battalion, along with Colonel Thomas Wade. The 1st Battalion participated in one engagement, the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge on February 27, 1776. Colonel Thomas Polk was commandant of the 2nd Battalion. The 2nd Battalion participated in the Battle of Great Cane Brake on December 22, 1775, the Snow Campaign on December 23, 1775 to December 30, 1775, and the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge on February 27, 1776.^[1]

The minutemen battalions were considered "state troops" vice local militia. On April 10, 1776, the two battalions of minutemen regiments were disbanded in favor of local militia brigades and subordinate regiments. There were eventually six militia brigades by the end of the war. On April 22, 1776, Rutherford was commissioned as a brigadier general and assigned as the commandant of the Salisbury District Brigade that was established officially on May 4, 1776. Colonel Matthew Locke took over as commandant of the Rowan County Regiment.^[1]

Commandants

Commandants of the Salisbury District Brigade and their dates of service were as follows:^[1][4]

• Brigadier General Griffith Rutherford was commandant from 1776 to 1783. At the Battle of Camden on August 16, 1780, he was taken POW and remained in British custody and imprisoned in Saint Augustine, Florida until he was released in a prisoner exchange in July 1781 and returned to service in September 1781. During his absence from duty, generals pro tempore filled in as commandants in the rank of general pro tempore.
• Brigadier General Matthew Locke was general pro tempore for a few months in 1779 while General Rutherford was in South Carolina for the Purrysburg expedition in early 1779.
• Brigadier General Henry William Harrington was general pro tempore from July to December 1780. The North Carolina Council of State appointed Henry William Harrington as brigadier general (pro tempore) to lead the Salisbury District Brigade while general Rutherford was sent to South Carolina to join up with components of the Southern Department. Brigadier General (pro temp) Henry William Harrington resigned his commission in November 1780.^[1]
• Brigadier General William Lee Davidson was general pro tempore from September 1780 to February 1781. He was commissioned as brigadier general pro tempore of Militia after Griffith Rutherford was captured at the battle of Camden, South Carolina on August 16, 1780. General Davidson was killed at the Battle of Cowan's Ford in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina on February 1, 1781 while opposing the re-entry of Cornwallis into North Carolina.
• Brigadier General Andrew Pickens was general pro tempore from February to March 1781. The colonels of the Salisbury District "elected" Andrew Pickens to replace Davidson. Pickens was a newly appointed general in the South Carolina militia and did not have an active assignment. However, general Pickens returned to the South Carolina militia in March and Colonel Ambrose Ramsey replaced him for the Battle of Guilford Courthouse.^[1][5]
• Brigadier General Ambrose Ramsey was general pro tempore on March 15, 1781 for the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, after which he returned to his assignment as colonel/commandant of the Chatham County Regiment.

Regiments

The following regiments were subordinate to the Salisbury District Brigade. The date regiments were established and disbanded are shown. Those regiments marked with a "+" were transferred to the newly-created Morgan District Brigade of Militia in May 1782. The Washington County Regiment was called initially the Washington District Regiment until Washington County was created from Washington District. The 2nd Rowan County Regiment's name was changed to the "Burke County Regiment" in 1777 and then back to "2nd Rowan County Regiment" in 1782.

• Anson County Regiment (1775–1783)
• Burke County Regiment+ (1777–1782)
• Guilford County Regiment (1775–1783)
• Lincoln County Regiment+ (1779–1783)
• Mecklenburg County Regiment (1775–1783)
• 2nd Mecklenburg County Regiment (1779–1780)
• Montgomery County Regiment (1779–1783)
• Richmond County Regiment (1779–1783)
• Rowan County Regiment (1775–1783)
• 2nd Rowan County Regiment (1775–1777, 1782–1783)
• Rutherford County Regiment+ (1779–1783)
• Sullivan County Regiment+ (1779–1783)
• Surry County Regiment (1775–1783)
• Tryon County Regiment (1775–1779)
• Washington District Regiment (1776–1777)
• Washington County Regiment+ (1777–1782)
• Wilkes County Regiment+ (1777–1783)

The regiments were made up of male citizens over sixteen years of age. Regiments of militia were called up for service by the governor or the commanding general to serve for a campaign or for a period of time as needed. The soldiers were told what equipment they had to bring with them.^[6]

The brigade was reported to have a size of 1,400 men in 1781 but never more than 2,000 men the remainder of the war.^[7]

Engagements

Major engagements in the Southern Campaign

Battle of Guilford Courthouse Reenanctment

Regiments of the Salisbury District Brigade were involved in 98 known engagements (battles, sieges, and skirmishes), including six in Georgia, 32 in South Carolina, eight in Tennessee, and 52 in North Carolina. One or more companies of these regiments were involved in each engagement.^[1]

Order	Dates	Engagement	State	Anson	Burke	Guilford	Lincoln	Mecklenburg	2nd Mecklenburg	Montgomery	Richmond	Rowan	2nd Rowan	Rutherford	Sullivan	Surry	Tryon	Washington District	Washington County	Wilkes
1	11/19/1775 to 11/21/1775	Siege of Ninety-Six 1775	SC									x
2	12/22/1775	Battle of Great Cane Brake	SC					x				x					x
3	12/23/1775 to 12/30/1775	Snow Campaign	SC					x				x					x
4	2/27/1776	Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge	NC	x		x		x								x	x
5	3/20/1776	Encounter at Cross Creek, aka Cochrane's Mill[8]	NC														x
6	6/1/1776	Battle of Round Mountain	NC														x
7	6/28/1776	Battle of Fort Moultrie #1	SC					x									x
8	7//1/1776	Masacere at Quaker Meadows[9]	NC														x
9	7/3/1776	Cherokee siege of McDowell's Station[10]	NC										x
10	7/20/1776	Battle of Island Flats – VA Units[11]	TN															x	x
11	7/20/1776 to 8/2/1776	Siege of Fort Caswell – VA Units	TN															x	x
12	8/1/1776 to 11/1/1776	Cherokee Expedition 1776	NC	x		x		x				x	x			x	x
13	8/1/1776 to 12/28/1776	Cherokee Expedition 1776	TN													x	x	x	x
14	10/1/1776	Defeat of the Cherokees at French Broad River[12]	NC													x	x
15	10/1/1776	Defeat of the Cherokee at French Broad River VA Units[12]	NC															x	x
16	6/1/1778	Skirmish at Gilbert Town #1[13]	NC														x
17	7/1/1778	Ambush near Salisbury[14]	NC			x
18	2/8/1779 to 2/10/1779	Battle of Carr's Fort[15]	GA											x
19	2/14/1779	Battle of Kettle Creek	GA											x
20	3/1/1779	Encounter at Haw Fields[16]	NC			x
21	3/3/1779	Battle of Briar Creek	GA	x	x	x	x	x		x		x		x		x		x	x	x
22	4/10/1779 to 4/20/1779	Battle of Chickamauga Towns	TN		x		x									x		x	x	x
23	4/29/1779	Skirmish near Purrysburg[17]	SC				x
24	6/20/1779	Battle of Stono Ferry	SC		x	x	x	x				x		x		x				x
25	8/14/1779	Skirmish at Lockhart's Plantation[18]	GA		x
26	9/16/1779 to 10/18/1779	Siege of Savannah	GA											x		x				x
27	3/15/1780	Battle of Guilford Court House	NC	x	x	x	x	x		x		x		x		x		x	x	x
28	3/28/1780 to 5/12/1780	Siege of Charleston 1780	SC	x	x	x	x	x		x	x	x		x		x				x
29	4/14/1780	Battle of Moncks Corner #1	SC	x	x	x		x		x		x			x			x	x
30	6/18/1780	Skirmish at Hill's Iron Works[19]	SC												x
31	6/20/1780	Battle of Ramseur's Mill	NC		x		x	x	x			x		x		x				x
32	7/13/1780	Skirmish at Gowen's Old Fort[20]	SC		x
33	7/15/1780	Engagement at Earle's Ford[21]	SC		x							x		x
34	7/17/1780	Skirmish at Prince's Fort[22]	SC		x									x				x	x
35	7/20/1780	Skirmish at Beaver Creek Ford[23]	SC					x
36	7/21/1780	Battle of Colson's Mill	NC	x		x	x	x	x	x		x				x				x
37	7/26/1780	Battle of Thicketty Fort[24]	SC		x		x							x	x			x	x
38	7/30/1780	Battle of Rocky Mount	SC				x	x
39	8/6/1780	Battle of Hanging Rock	SC					x								x				x
40	8/8/1780	Battle of Wofford's Iron Works[25]	SC		x		x							x	x			x	x
41	8/11/1780	Battle of Little Lynches Creek[26]	SC			x	x	x		x		x				x
42	8/16/1780	Battle of Camden, General Rutherford Captured	SC	x	x	x	x	x		x	x	x				x		x	x	x
43	8/16/1780	Skirmish at Rugeley's Mills #1[27]	SC				x													x
44	8/18/1780	Battle of Fishing Creek	SC		x		x	x				x				x				x
45	8/18/1780	Battle of Musgrove's Mill	SC		x									x	x			x	x	x
46	9/1/1780	Skirmish at Graham's Fort[28]	NC				x
47	9/1/1780	Skirmish at McAlpine Creek[29]	NC			x
48	9/9/1780	Skirmishes in Anson County[30]	NC	x
49	9/10/1780	Skirmish at Mask's Ferry[31]	NC									x
50	9/12/1780	Battle of Cane Creek[32]	NC		x			x						x
51	9/26/1780	Battle of Charlotte	NC	x
52	10/3/1780	Battle of the Bees	NC					x
53	10/7/1780	Battle of Kings Mountain	SC		x	x	x	x				x		x	x	x		x	x	x
54	10/8/1780	Battle of Richmond Town #2[33]	NC													x
55	10/14/1780	Battle of Shallow Ford	NC			x						x				x				x
56	11/20/1780	Battle of Blackstock's Farm	SC		x									x				x	x
57	12/4/1780	Skirmish at Rugeley's Mills #2[27]	SC			x	x	x
58	12/16/1780	Battle of Boyd's Creek[34]	TN												x			x	x	x
59	1/17/1781	Battle of Cowpens	SC		x	x	x	x		x		x		x	x	x		x	x	x
60	2//1/1781	Skirmish at Chestnut Mountain[35]	NC													x
61	2/1/1781	Battle of Cowan's Ford, General Davidson killed	NC		x	x	x	x		x		x		x		x				x
62	2/1/1781	Battle of Torrence's Tavern	NC		x	x	x	x				x				x				x
63	2/3/1781 to 2/4/1781	Skirmish at Trading Ford[36]	NC					x				x
64	2/4/1781	Skirmish at Grant's Creek[37]	NC									x
65	2/7/1781	Skirmish at Shallow Fords of the Yadkin[38]	NC					x								?
66	2/17/1781	Skirmish at Hart's Mill[39]	NC					x				x				x
67	2/19/1781	Battle of Fort Granby #1[40]	SC					x
68	2/25/1781	Battle of Haw River	NC			x	x	x				x				x				x
69	2/26/1781	Battle of Dickey's Farm[41]	NC													x				x
70	3/1/1781	Engagement at Tuckasegee	NC															x	x
71	3/4/1781	Battle of Clapp's Mill #1[42]	NC			x		x								x
72	3/5/1781	Battle of Clapp's Mill #2[42]	NC					x
73	3/6/1781	Battle of Wetzell/Whitesell's Mill	NC			x	x	x				x				x		x	x	x
74	3/7/1781	Skirmish at Reedy Fork[43]	NC				x											x	x
75	3/15/1781	Battle of New Garden Meeting House[44]	NC			x										x
76	3/31/1781	Skirmish at Cole's Bridge #2[45]	NC	x
77	4/2/1781 to 4/3/1781	Battle of Fort Nashborough	TN															x	x
78	4/15/1781	Skirmish at Big Glades[46]	NC																	x
79	4/25/1781	Battle of Hobkirk's Hill	SC		x		x	x				x
80	5/21/1781 to 6/19/1781	Siege of Ninety-Six 1781	SC		x	x	x					x		x						x
81	5/24/1781 to 6/1/1781	Siege of Augusta	GA		x									x				x	x
82	7/27/1781	Skirmish at Hudson's Ferry[47]	SC												x
83	8/2/1781	Battle of Rockfish Creek[48]	NC					x
84	8/3/1781	Massacre of Piney Bottom Creek[49]	NC	x
85	8/4/1781	Battle of Beatti's Bridge[50]	NC	x				x		x	x
86	8/9/1781	Skirmishes in Richmond & Cumberland Counties[51]	NC	x						x	x
87	8/28/1781	Skirmishes at Fanning's Mill[52]	NC	x
88	9/1/1781	Battle of Brown Marsh[53]	NC			x				x
89	9/1/1781	Battle of Little Raft Swamp[54]	NC	x							x
90	9/8/1781	Battle of Eutaw Springs	SC	x	x	x	x	x		x	x	x		x	x	x		x	x	x
91	9/11/1781	Battle of Moccasin Creek[55]	TN															x	x
92	9/13/1781	Battle of Lindley's Mill	NC	x		x						x
93	10/15/1781	Battle of Raft Swamp[56]	NC	x		x										x
94	11/15/1781	Skirmish at Brick House[57]	NC	x		x										x
95	11/17/1781	Battle of Fair Lawn Plantation[58]	SC												x				x
96	12/10/1781	Battle of Cox's Mill #3[59]	NC															x	x	x
97	6/1/1782 to 10/31/1782	Cherokee Expedition 1782	NC		x		x					x	x	x		x		x	x	x
98	9/20/1782	Battle of Lookout Mountain[60]	TN		x													x	x

Staff

The Salisbury District Brigade had several staff positions. The forage master, quarter master, and commissary were especially important in providing troops with food and supplies when they were called outside of the Salisbury District in North Carolina.^[61][7]

• Forage master
  • Allin, Thomas (under general William Lee Davidson)
• Quartermaster
  • Boyd, Benjamin (Quartermaseter General)
  • Brannon, John (Quartermaseter of Issues)
  • Carr, Robert
  • Gamble, Edmund
  • Gillespie, Thomas (Quartermaster under general Rutherford)
  • Walker, Andrew
• Commissary
  • Graham, John
  • Ramsey, David
  • Scott, John (Issuing Commissary)
  • Wallace, James
  • Watson, John (stationed in Salisbury)
• Chaplain
  • Hall, James (uncertain)
• Aide-de-Camp
  • Harris, Thomas
  • Rutherford, James (son of Griffith Rutherford)
• Paymaster
  • Locke, Matthew
• Provisions Contractors
  • Roper, James
  • Sheppard, William

See also

• Cherokee–American wars
• List of North Carolina militia units in the American Revolution
• List of United States militia units in the American Revolutionary War
• Rutherford Light Horse expedition
• Salisbury District, North Carolina

References

1. Lewis, J.D. "The American Revolution in North Carolina, Salisbury District brigade". Retrieved January 27, 2019.
2. Howard, Josh. "NCPedia, North Carolina in the US Revolution". Retrieved March 5, 2019.
3. Towles, Louis P. (2006). "NCPEDIA, Council of Safety". Retrieved March 5, 2019.
4. Various databases have been searched to confirm the officers, including Find a Grave, FamilySearch.com, US Federal Census Records from 1840, DAR Records, and Pension Applications
5. see also Andrew Pickens, William Lee Davidson biographies for additional sourcing
6. Durham, J. Lloyd (1992). "Outfitting an American Revolutionary Soldier". NCPedia, Tar Heel Junior Historian. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
7. MacDonald, James M (2006). Politics of the Personal in the Old North State: Griffith Rutherford in Revolutionary North Carolina (PDF). ISBN 978-0-542-56459-8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-07-23.
8. Lewis, J.D. "Cross Creek". Retrieved March 21, 2019.
9. Lewis, J.D. "Quaker Meadows". Retrieved March 21, 2019.
10. Lewis, J.D. "McDowell's Station". Retrieved March 21, 2019.
11. Long, Howard (1928). "Battle of Island Flats". Retrieved March 21, 2019.
12. Lewis, J.D. "French Broad River". Retrieved March 21, 2019.
13. Lewis, J.D. "Gilbert Town". Retrieved March 21, 2019.
14. Lewis, J.D. "Salisbury". Retrieved March 21, 2019.
15. history.com. "Battle of Carr's Fort". Retrieved March 21, 2019.
16. Lewis, J.D. "Haw Fields". Retrieved March 21, 2019.
17. Lewis, J.D. "Purrysburg". Retrieved March 21, 2019.
18. Mays, Terry M. (18 November 2009). Historical Dictionary of the American Revolution. ISBN 9780810875036. Retrieved March 21, 2019., page 184
19. Lewis, J.D. "Hill's Iron Works". Retrieved March 21, 2019.
20. Lewis, J.D. "Gowen's Old Fort". Retrieved March 21, 2019.
21. Lewis, J.D. "Earle's Ford". Retrieved March 21, 2019.
22. Lewis, J.D. "Prince's Fort". Retrieved March 21, 2019.
23. Lewis, J.D. "Beaver Creek Ford". Retrieved March 21, 2019.
24. Lewis, J.D. "Thicketty Fort". Retrieved March 21, 2019.
25. Lewis, J.D. "Wofford's Iron Works". Retrieved March 21, 2019.
26. Lewis, J.D. "Little Lynches Creek". Retrieved March 21, 2019.
27. Lewis, J.D. "Rugeley's Mills". Retrieved March 21, 2019.
28. Lewis, J.D. "Graham's Fort". Retrieved March 21, 2019.
29. Lewis, J.D. "McAlphine Creek". Retrieved March 21, 2019.
30. Lewis, J.D. "Anson County". Retrieved March 21, 2019.
31. Lewis, J.D. "Mask's Ferry". Retrieved March 21, 2019.
32. Lewis, J.D. "Cane Creek". Retrieved March 21, 2019.
33. Lewis, J.D. "Richmond Town". Retrieved March 21, 2019.
34. TennGenweb. "Boyd's Creek". Retrieved March 21, 2019.
35. Lewis, J.D. "Chestnut Mountain". Retrieved March 21, 2019.
36. Lewis, J.D. "Trading Ford". Retrieved March 21, 2019.
37. Lewis, J.D. "Grant's Creek". Retrieved March 21, 2019.
38. Lewis, J.D. "Shallow Fords of the Yadkin". Retrieved March 21, 2019.
39. Lewis, J.D. "Hart's Mill". Retrieved March 21, 2019.
40. Lewis, J.D. "Fort Granby". Retrieved March 22, 2019.
41. Lewis, J.D. "Dickey's Farm". Retrieved March 22, 2019.
42. Lewis, J.D. "Clapp's Mill". Retrieved March 22, 2019.
43. Lewis, J.D. "Reedy Fork". Retrieved March 22, 2019.
44. Lewis, J.D. "New Garden Meeting House". Retrieved March 22, 2019.
45. Lewis, J.D. "Cole's Bridge". Retrieved March 22, 2019.
46. Lewis, J.D. "Big Glades". Retrieved March 22, 2019.
47. Lewis, J.D. "Hudson's Ferry". Retrieved March 22, 2019.
48. Lewis, J.D. "Rockfish Creek". Retrieved March 21, 2019.
49. Lewis, J.D. "Piney Bottom Creek". Retrieved March 21, 2019.
50. Lewis, J.D. "Beatti's Bridge". Retrieved March 22, 2019.
51. Lewis, J.D. "Richmond and Cumberland Countiees". Retrieved March 22, 2019.
52. Lewis, J.D. "Fanning's Mill". Retrieved March 22, 2019.
53. Lewis, J.D. "Brown Marsh". Retrieved March 22, 2019.
54. Lewis, J.D. "Little Raft Swamp". Retrieved March 21, 2019.
55. Mooney, James (5 July 2017). Historical Sketches of the Cherokee. ISBN 9781351515672. Retrieved March 22, 2019., also mentioned by J.D. Lewis
56. Lewis, J.D. "Raft Swamp". Retrieved March 21, 2019.
57. Lewis, J.D. "Brick House". Retrieved March 21, 2019.
58. Lewis, J.D. "Fair Lawn Plantation". Retrieved March 21, 2019.
59. Lewis, J.D. "Cox's Mill". Retrieved March 21, 2019.
60. Highway Marker. "Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, American Revolution". Retrieved March 24, 2019.
61. Lewis, J.D. "The American Revolution in North Carolina, Miscellaneous". Retrieved March 7, 2019.

Further reading

• 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.
• Howard, Josh. "North Carolina in the American Revolution". NCPedia. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
• MacDonald, James M. (2006). Politics of the Personal in the Old North State: Griffith Rutherford in Revolutionary North Carolina (PDF) (Ph.D.). Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College. OCLC 75633820. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 23, 2010. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
• 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.
• Russell, Phillips (1965). North Carolina in the Revolutionary War. Charlotte: Heritage Printers.
• Saunders, William, ed. (1890). The Colonial Records of North Carolina, Vol. 10. Raleigh: Josephus Daniels.
• United States Army Center of Military History. "Bibliography of the Continental Army in North Carolina".
• Wheeler, Earl M. (July 1964). Development and Organization of the North Carolina Militia. North Carolina Historical Review, 41, no. 3. pp. 307–323.