Humpday History Highlight
By Wyatt Earp | February 1, 2012
Have you ever heard of Brigadier General William Lee Davidson? Davidson served in the Revolutionary War and was killed on this day in 1781 at the Battle of Cowans Ford in North Carolina.
If you live in North Carolina, Davidson College is named after him.
Davidson’s North Carolina militia, numbering between 600 and 800 men, hoped to thwart or at least slow Cornwallis’ crossing. The Patriots stayed back from the banks of the river in order to prevent Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tartleton’s forces from fording the river and surprising the Patriots with a rear attack.
At 1 a.m., Cornwallis began to move his troops toward the ford; by daybreak, they were crossing in a double-pronged formation–one prong for horses, the other for wagons. The noise of the rough crossing woke the sleeping Patriot guard.
The Patriots fired upon the Britons as they crossed and received heavy fire in return. Almost immediately upon his arrival at the river bank, General Davidson took a rifle ball to the heart and fell from his horse; his soaked corpse was found late that evening.
Sadly, the battle did little to slow Cornwallis’ advance toward Virginia.
Topics: HHH | 8 Comments »
Davidson County TN is named after him too. Back in the revolution days I think all of TN was one county belonging to NC.
Lieutenant Colonel Banastre “Bloody Ban” Tartleton was the inspiration for Colonel Tavington (Jason Isaacs) in the movie THE PATRIOT.
If you live in North Carolina, Davidson College is named after him.
What if I don’t live in North Carolina?
What if I don’t live in North Carolina?
Then it’s named after this guy…..
Thanks for clearing that up!
Thanks for clearing that up!
No tengo problemo.
If you live in North Carolina, that means “Pass the grits”.
Sally Anne – Maybe they’ll reclaim it? Civil war!!!
John D – Didn’t know that.
Veeshir – Good point. I was tired when I wrote this. Obviously.
JT – Well crafted.
Eh, that’s just one of my stock jokes.
I’ll say, “If you live there, and I suppose even if you don’t…”