Sketches of Western North Carolina, Historical and Biographical eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 386 pages of information about Sketches of Western North Carolina, Historical and Biographical.

Sketches of Western North Carolina, Historical and Biographical eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 386 pages of information about Sketches of Western North Carolina, Historical and Biographical.

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     “To heavenly courts she did repair;
     May those she loved all meet her there.

“Supported by the hope of a happy death, and a glorious resurrection to eternal life, she bore a tedious and painful illness with a truly Christian fortitude.  The last exercise of her feeble mind was employed in singing the 63rd of the second book of Dr. Watt’s Hymns, in which, anticipating the blessed society above, she exchanged the earthly for the heavenly melody.”

She died on the 29th of November, 1791, in the forty-fifth year of her age.

GENERAL WILLIAM DAVIDSON.

General William Davidson was the youngest son of George Davidson, and born in 1746.  His father moved from Lancaster county, in Pennsylvania, in 1750, to North Carolina, and settled in the western part of Rowan county (now Iredell.) Here General Davidson received his earliest mental training, and subsequently his principal and final education at Queen’s Museum College in Charlotte, where many of the patriots of Mecklenburg and surrounding counties were educated.

At the Provincial Congress which met at Halifax, on on the 4th of April, 1776, four additional regiments to the two already in service, were ordered to be raised, over one of which (the 4th) Thomas Polk was appointed Colonel, James Thackston Lieutenant Colonel, and William Davidson Major.  With this regiment, under General Francis Nash, he marched to join the army of the North, under General Washington, where he served until November 1779, when the North Carolina line was ordered south to reinforce General Lincoln, at Charleston.  Previous to this time he had been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the line.  As the troops passed through North Carolina, Colonel Davidson obtained a furlough for a few days to visit his family, whom he had not seen for three years.  This saved him from the fate which befell Gen. Lincoln and his army at Charleston; for, when he approached that city, he found it so closely invested by the British Army that he was prevented from joining his regiment.  When Lincoln surrendered, Davidson returned to Mecklenburg, and rendered important services in subduing the Tories, who, encouraged by the success of the British arms, became numerous, daring and oppressive.

A strong force of Tories having assembled at Coulson’s Mill, General Davidson raised a troop of volunteers and marched against them.  A fierce skirmish took place, in which he was severely wounded by a ball passing through his body near the kidneys.  This wound nearly proved fatal, and detained him from the service about two months.  After his recovery, he again took the field, having been promoted for his bravery to the rank of Brigadier-General in the place of General Rutherford, made a prisoner at the battle of Camden.  He was active, with General Sumner and Colonel Davie, in checking the advance of the British, and throughout this darkest period of the Revolution gave ample evidence of his untiring zeal in the cause of his country.

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Sketches of Western North Carolina, Historical and Biographical from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.