Davidson College - Quips and Cranks Yearbook (Davidson, NC)

Page 26 text:

effective service. On January 17, 1781, the battle of Cowpens, which put an end to the cruel despotism of Tory rule in South Carolina, was fought. General Morgan, however, was hotly pursued by Lord Cornwallis and forced to retreat with his spoils across the Catawba river. To cover his retreat, General Davidson had placed guards at four of the fords of the river. When Lord Cornwallis reached the river he found it too swollen to allow crossing where he had at first intended, so he fell back a few miles and encamped for three days. On the morning of February 1, 1781, he broke camp and started for Cowan ' s Ford. Here General Davidson himself was stationed with about three hundred and fifty men. At daybreak the British vanguard entered the river, the American picket challenged, and, receiving no answer, fired. This so frightened the Tory guide who was leading the British that he took to his heels, and Colonel Hall, who was commanding the light infantry of the enemy, being thus left to his own resources, led his men straight across the river to an unexpected landing place. This action prevented the Americans from firing directly upon the enemy and thereby rendered their aim less effective. The firing at the river quickly attracted the attention of General David- son, who was a half mile in the rear with the larger portion of his forces, and he hurried to the scene of action, arriving just as the small guard was giving way before the superior forces of the British. In attempting to rally his men he exposed himself too recklessly to the rifles of the enemy and received a fatal wound in the breast, dying almost immediately. This dis- heartened the Americans still more, and though they held their ground for a time, they were soon compelled to retire. After the departure of the British, the body of General Davidson was secured by David Wilson and Richard Barry and conveyed to the house of Samuel Wilson, whence it was carried at night to the graveyard of Hope- well Church and interred by the dim light of torches. In this country church- yard the remains of the leader still lie, but recognition, though tardy, is at last falling where it is due. The records of General Davidson ' s life are meagre, and we possess no eulogies of his character, but we may well judge of what mould it was, for it has been found worthy to be bestowed upon one of the fairest counties of the State as an example of true patriotism to its citizens, and upon a cher- ished institution of the church as an example of Christian manhood to the young men gathered there. ( The writer is greatly indebted to the excellent account of General Davidson ' s life in the volume Sketches of Western North Carolina, by C. L. Hunter, which has been quite closely followed.)