The Rowan County Regiment was originally established in about August 1, 1775 as a local militia in Rowan County in the Province of North Carolina. When the North Carolina Provincial Congress authorized thirty-five existing county militias to be organized on September 9, 1775, the Rowan County Regiment was included and all officers were appointed with commissions from the Provincial Congress. The members of the Rowan County Regiment were mostly from what was Rowan County at the time. Prior to establishment of the Rowan County Regiment, many of its officers were active in the Rowan County Committee of Safety. The regiment included 160 known companies and one or more of these companies were engaged in 36 known battles or skirmishes during the American Revolution. After the establishment of the Rowan County Regiment, several other counties were created from Rowan County, including Burke County in 1777, Iredell County in 1788, Davidson County in 1822 and Davie County in 1836.
History Prior to the American Revolution, Rowan County had a militia regiment, like all colonial NC counties, as part of the Province of North Carolina. The Rowan County militia was used to defend the settlers during the Anglo-Cherokee War of 1758 to 1761 when the Cherokee Indians were devastating the outlying settlements. When Governor Arthur Dobbs sent a 50-man company of North Carolina Provincial Soldiers to the NC frontier in the summer of 1755, its commander, Captain Hugh Waddell, was placed in overall command of the Rowan and Anson County Regiments.. When the construction of Fort Dobbs (North Carolina) was ordered by Governor Dobbs, he also ordered the Anson and Rowan County Militia Regiments to each create a 50-man militia company, which could be called on in there was an alarm. Both were to rendezvous at Fort Dobbs to support the Provincials there.
From mid-May to mid-June 1767, Waddell commanded Rowan and Mecklenburg militia detachments accompanying Governor Tryon to establish a boundary between North Carolina and the Cherokee. In 1768, the regiment was commanded by Colonel Alexander Osborne. Colonel Osborne marched with the Rowan County regiment to assist Governor William Tryon in suppressing the Regulator Movement at Hillsborough in 1768 on the Yadkin River above Salisbury. (The Rowan County Scots-Irish did not join the Regulator Movement.) Colonel Osborn (17061776) was the father of Adlai Osborne, who would later command the 2nd Rowan County Regiment during the American Revolution.
As a lead up to the American Revolution, the Rowan County Regiment was established on about August 1, 1775 under patriot command. Most of the regimental leadership were participants in the Rowan County Committee of Safety. The North Carolina Provincial Congress authorized the Rowan County Regiment to be organized as one of the 35 existing county militias on September 9, 1775. Colonel Griffith Rutherford became its first commander. Shortly after being authorized, the regiment was split on October 22, 1775, into two separate and distinct regiments—the 1st Rowan County Regiment and the 2nd Rowan County Regiment. The 1st Rowan County Regiment retained most of the original members of the original Rowan County Regiment. When the Salisbury District Brigade was created on May 4, 1776, the Rowan County Regiment was included in this brigade and Col Rutherford assumed command of the brigade. On May 9, 1777, the 2nd Rowan County Regiment was renamed as the Burke County Regiment, and the 1st Rowan County Regiment reverted to its original name—the Rowan County Regiment. On May 1, 1782, this regiment was once again split into two separate and distinct regiments—the 1st Rowan County Regiment and the 2nd Rowan County Regiment. These two separate regiments continued until the end of the war (September 3, 1783).
Officers The following listings show the known commanders, officers, staff, and soldiers of the Rowan County Regiment., various pension applications and rosters Col Rutherford left the Rowan County Regiment when he was promoted to brigadier general in charge of the 1st Salisbury District Minutemen and later the Salisbury District Brigade.
Commandants and colonels: Colonel Alexander Osborne (commander prior to 1775) Colonel Griffith Rutherford (commandant, original officer) (Sep 9, 1775 to Dec 21, 1775) Colonel Matthew Locke (1775–1783, 2nd colonel, brother of Francis Locke) Colonel Francis Locke, Sr. (original officer) (commandant, December 21, 1775November 13, 1776; April 10, 17771783) Colonel Hugh Montgomery (commandant, November 23, 1776April 10, 1777)
Known lieutenant colonels: Known majors: Known adjutants: Lt. Col. Francis Locke Lt. Col. James Brandon Lt. Col. Matthew Brandon Lt. Col. Andrew Caldwell Lt. Col. David Caldwell Lt. Col. Alexander Dobbins Lt. Col. Thomas Frohock Lt. Col. John Hampton Lt. Col. Ezekiel Polk Lt. Col. William Porter 1st Maj. John Dobbins (original officer) 2nd Maj. James Brandon (original officer) Maj. James Barr Maj. George Henry Barrier Maj. Lewis Bayard Maj. James Brandon Maj. William Lee Davidson Maj. William Davis Maj. Robert Gillespie Maj. James Hall Maj. Benjamin Harris Maj. James Irvin Maj. John Johnston Maj. John Lopp Maj. Madison Maj. Martin Maj. Thomas McGuire Maj. Richmond Pearson Maj. Ezekiel Polk Maj. John Rowan Maj. Philip Rutherford Maj. Walter Sharp Maj. James Smith Maj. William Stewart William Lee Davidson George Lowman Thomas McGuireThomas Gillespie – Commissary James Kerr – Commissary David Ramsey – Commissary John Scott – Commissary Jacob Utzman – Commissary (also Ensign) James Hall – Chaplain William White – Paymaster Joseph Marbury – Quartermaster General
The regiment consisted of 160 known companies headed by captains. Company officers included lieutenants, ensigns, sergeants, corporals, and privates/drummers/fifers. The following are the known notable captains and subordinates: Lieutenant William Richardson Davie, 10th Governor of North Carolina (17981799) Captain William Sharpe, delegate to the Continental Congress (17791781) Captain Joseph Dickson, Congressman from North Carolina (17991801)and Tennessee (18071811)
Engagements The Rowan County Regiment was involved in 31 known engagements during the American Revolution from 1775 to 1782. They fought in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. The battle of Torrence's Tavern was the only battle fought in what became Iredell County, North Carolina in 1788, where many of the regiment's soldiers resided after the war. Companies were headed by captains. Not every company took part in every engagement. The regiment was also responsible for manning a shoe factory near what is now Statesville, North Carolina. The known engagements included:
Order Date range Battles/SkirmishesState1 11/19-11/21/1775Siege of Savage's Old Fields 1775SC212/22/1775Battle of Great Cane BrakeSC312/23-12/30/1775Snow CampaignSC48/1-11/1/1776Cherokee Expedition 1776NC53/3/1779Battle of Briar CreekGA66/20/1779Battle of Stono FerrySC73/28-5/12/1780Siege of Charleston 1780SC84/14/1780Battle of Monck's Corner #1SC96/20/1780Battle of Ramseur's MillNC107/15/1780Earle's FordSC117/21/1780Battle of Colson's MillNC128/11/1780Little Lynches CreekSC138/16/1780Battle of CamdenSC148/18/1780Battle of Fishing CreekSC159/10/1780Mask's FerryNC1610/7/1780Battle of King's MountainSC1710/14/1780Battle of Shallow FordNC181/17/1781Battle of CowpensSC192/1/1781Battle of Cowan's FordNC202/1/1781Battle of Torrence/Tarrant's TavernNC212/3-2/4/1781Trading FordNC222/4/1781Grant's CreekNC232/17/1781Battle of Hart's MillNC242/25/1781Battle of Haw RiverNC253/6/1781Battle of Whetzell's MillNC263/15/1781Battle of Guilford Court HouseNC274/25/1781Battle of Hobkirk's HillSC285/21-6/19/1781Siege of Ninety-Six 1781SC299/8/1781Battle of Eutaw SpringsSC309/13/1781Battle of Lindley's MillNC316/1-10/31/1782Cherokee Expedition 1782NC
See also Cherokee–American wars Fort Dobbs List of American Revolutionary War battles Salisbury District Brigade Southern Campaigns: Pension Transactions for a description of the transcription effort by Will Graves Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War
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