North Mecklenburg High School - Viking Yearbook (Huntersville, NC)

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On Tuesday, tOctober 3 or -il Cornwallis dispatched several hundred men up the twisting road toward Hope- well. Their duty was to fill approximately sixty wagons with supplies taken from the farms of the people along Beatties Ford Road. By the time the British reached McIntyre's farm, some dozen farm boys had hidden in the woods surrounding the farm, NVhen the British ar- rived, the Mecklenburg boys waited until they had dis- mounted and started their search for supplies and then began to fire on them. The British were so confused that in the skirmish that followed they upset some bee hives. The bees swarmed from the hives and together with the farm boys, they routed the British. The story is told that they left in such a hurry to get back to Charlottetown and safety that some of their horses dropped dead in the street from exhaustion. Truly Corn- wallis had found a hornet's nest, not only in the bee hives, but in the spirit of the North Mecklenburg farmers. On the Saturday following this skirmish at the Beat- ties Ford Road farmhouse, however, disaster overtook the British invaders of the back country. This was the Battle of Kings Mountain. General Davidson was joyous over such news. Many historians regard the victory at Kings Mountain as the turning point of the war. Because American militiamen had been so effective in disrupting communication between Cornwallis and Ferguson, it was perhaps several days before the British Commander in Charlottetown learned of the catastrophe at Kings Mountain. It was staggering news. Already the British were in a most difficult position. Food was be- coming scarce and hard to obtaing many of the men were ill, worst of all, perhaps, Cornwallis was isolated in the region of a desperately hostile people. Little Char- lottetown, his Lordship had found, was indeed 'can agreeable village, but in a damned rebellious country. Tarleton had been correct in describing it as a hornets' nest. Cornwallis began evacuating Charlottetown. mov- ing back into South Carolina. After action in the Pee Dee region in South Caro- lina, Cornwallis, on Monday, Ianuary 31. moved to get across the Catawba with a minimum number of casual- ties and as quickly as possible. He made a move to indi- cate he was planning to cross at Beatties Ford by send- ing a detachment of Bedcoats to force a passage there. But at one o,clock on the morning of February l, he would march down the river to Cowanss Ford, where he planned his major drive to cross the stream. General Davidson inspected his troops at Camp Alexander, czeross the lziglzway from the present site of North Mecklerilmrg. J. ,. s 111.9 ' Q -A we - ff Xp -L si .Q VTX' K s v 2' gl T X . ' ,Ii . A a QV r kj-l x I ' I ' ' Q , f 4' s , , Q 3 , , -A-T r',', T fn K i , . ,112 . X I A I av' X N I' ,lv 6' -rfbzy, 4 x , . WHWI 'Y s F - P' --' rw, ,. 'STB j l i , X f' X71 f 'I ' .tx A? 4 E' A 4 0 0 f r H- ' ' ' ' 41 X. ' f' ' v I 7 gl If f x j' Y' v , lf if at V Q' X Tj if if ' ' I- 1 1 X1 K p I. 'I ' f if - XXV !X , 4 ff i f U if jp. , fl! 1 x A , nf .. l jx - 'f' fV' . l I X Q4 'C 'I all I p-J , i 4 lx ! , ' , ix N IW -44 W 5 xg Ll' J f 1 X f la' h 1 ff , Q ' I f , f F , v u l ii, 1 A iff '

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Davidson had placed his men at the various fords along the eastern bank to do what he could to slow Cornwallisis crossing. Under Joe Graham and Colonel Polk a company set out for Cowanis Ford. Graham was to keep a patrol on the move to.see that the British did not make a surprise crossing under cover of darkness. Toward nightfall Davidson himself led a detachment to Cowanis Ford and set up camp a half mile or so back from the river, but he assigned pickets to watch from the water's edge at the Cowanis crossing point. At one o'clock in the morning the British general began his march to the river, which was reached after much difficulty and the loss of some of their cannon. But instead of going to Beatties Ford, which his actions there during the day had indicated he would try to force, he moved down the river to Cowan's. Davidson feared that Tarleton's troops would get behind him, from which position they could attack him as the British infantry began its crossing. So he stayed well back from the river bank opposite the point where the horse ford emerged on the Mecklenburg side. Mean- while, the pickets huddled on the bank near the wagon ford. Instead of taking the horse ford as had been ex- pected, Cornwallis, on reaching the river, hardly hesi- tated at the swollen stream and began crossing along the wagon ford. They were led by a Tory who lived in the vicinity. The American pickets had fallen asleep on the eastern bank, but the noise of the crossing awak- ened them and they began to fire on the Redcoats. Their firing brought General Davidson and his men racing toward the wagon ford. For a few minutes the action was lively, the militiamen were picking off many Britishers struggling in the water. The return fire was heavy, and hardly had Davidson arrived when he was struck from his horse. In a few minutes several other Americans were killed. The British loss was greater, but the skirmish proved a defeat for the Americans. Their resistance hardly slowed Cornwallisis advance. It would be recorded, however, as the last battle with an invader on Mecklenburg soil. And in the fall, on October 19, Cornwallis would surrender at Yorktown. General Davidson had been killed by a rifle ball through the heart. Tradition persists that the Tory lead- ing Cornwallis across Cowan's Ford was Davidsonis slayer. General Davidson, an amazingly successful or- ganizer, had been the driving force of the area,s re- sistance. His death was a great blow. Late that evening the Generalis body was found by David XVilson, Major john Davidson. and others. They took it to the home of David's widowed step- mother, Mrs. Samuel YVilson. That night by torchlight, with Pastor Mc-Caule conducting the brief service and with Mary Brevard Davidson standing stalwart beside the red clay grave, XVilliam Lee Davidson was buried in Hopewell churchyard. YVith independence so boldly proclaimed in 1775, securely established by 1781, Mecklenburgers were free to contribute their energies to the peaceful pursuits of building a nation. They repaired the little court house in Charlottetown, they undertook to build new school- houses or give added support to those already started in such communities as Sugaw Creek, Hopewell, and others, and they began to increase materially their crops of small grain, corn, and cotton. Mecklenburg citizens were beginning to put the emphasis on looking to the future potentialities as well as to the past,s accomplishments. Charlotte and Meck- lenburg County were building the background for their emergence into a position of leadership and a place of top-most rank. North Mecklenburg community had a great story in her early daysg she has a tremendous story right now, and the coming years should provide an even greater one. The hard core of that hard-headed, independent, industrious, determined citizenship that was the North Mecklenburger of 1775 has come right down through the generations. Yes,- North Mecklenburg is proud of her name BEBELS. for what school could deserve it more! 11