WILKES COUNTY.
Wilkes county was formed in 1777, from Surry, and named in honor of
John Wilkes, a distinguished statesman and member of Parliament. He
was a fearless political writer, and violently opposed to the
oppressive measures of Great Britain against her American Colonies. In
1763 he published in the "North Briton" newspaper a severe attack on
the government, for which he was sent to the Tower. Acquitted of the
charge for which he was imprisoned, he sued for and recovered five
thousand dollars damages and then went to Paris. In 1768 he returned
to England and was soon after elected a member of Parliament. In his
private character he was licentious, but his eminent talents, energy,
and fascinating manners made him a great favorite with the people. He
died at his seat in the Isle of Wight in 1797, aged seventy years.
COLONEL BENJAMIN CLEAVELAND.
Colonel Benjamin Cleaveland, one of the distinguished heroes of King's
Mountain, and in honor of whom Cleaveland county is named, lived and
died in Wilkes county at a good old age.
In 1775 he first entered the service as Ensign in the second regiment
of troops, and acted a brave and conspicuous part in the battle's of
King's Mountain and Guilford court house. A serious impediment in his
speech prevented him from entering public life. He is frequently
spoken of in the mountain country as the "hero of a hundred fights
with the Tories." He was for many years the Surveyor of Wilkes county
and resided at the "Little Hickerson place."
Among other singular incidents in his remarkable career, as preserved
by General William Lenoir, and recorded in Wheeler's "Historical
Sketches," we give place to the following:
"Riddle Knob, in Watauga county, derives its name from a
circumstance of the capture of Colonel Benjamin Cleaveland,
during the Revolution, by a party of Tories headed by men of
this name, and adds the charm of heroic association to the
loveliness of it unrivaled scenery. Cleaveland had been a
terror to the Tories. Two notorious characters of their
band, (Jones and Coil) had been apprehended by him and hung.
Cleaveland had gone alone, on some private business, to New
river, and was taken prisoners by the Tories, at the 'Old
Fields, on that stream. They demanded that he should furnish
passes for them.
"Being an indifferent penman he was some time in preparing
these papers, and he was in no hurry as he believed that
they would kill him when they had obtained them. While thus
engaged Captain Robert Cleaveland, his brother, with a party
followed him, knowing the dangerous proximity of the Tories.
They came up with the Tories and fired on them. Colonel
Cleaveland slid off the log to prevent being shot, while the
Tories fled, and he thus escaped certain destruction.
"Some time after this circumstance the same Riddle and his
son, and another were taken and brought before Cleaveland,
and he hung all three of them near the Mulberry
meeting-house, now Wilkesboro. The depredations of the
Tories were so frequent, and their conduct so savage, that
summary punishment was demanded by the exigencies of the
times. This Cleaveland inflicted without ceremony."
COLONEL JOHN SEVIER.
Colonel John Sevier was born in Shenandoah county, Virginia, in 1734.
His father descended from an ancient family in France, the name being
originally spelled Xavier.
About 1769 young Sevier joined an exploring and emigrating party to
the Holston river, in East Tennessee, then a part of North Carolina.
He assisted in erecting the first fort on the Watauga river, where he,
his father, his brother Valentine, and others settled. Whilst engaged
in the defence of the Watauga fort, in conjunction with Captain James
Robertson, so known and distinguished in the early history of Middle
Tennessee, he espied a young lady, of tall and erect stature, running
rapidly towards the fort, closely pursued by Indians, and her approach
to the gate cut off by the savage enemy. Her cruel pursuers were
doubtless confident of securing a captive or a victim to their
blood-thirty purposes; but, turning suddenly, she eluded the savages,
leaped the palisades of the fort at another point, and gracefully fell
into the arms of Captain John Sevier. This remarkably active and
resolute woman was Miss Catharine Sherrill, who, in a few years after
this sudden leap and rescue, became the devoted and heroic wife of the
gallant Captain and future Colonel, General, Governor and people's
friend, John Sevier. She became the mother of ten children, who could
gratefully rise up and call her blessed.
During Sevier's visit to his family in Virginia in 1773, Governor
Dunmore gave him a Captain's commission.
Through his own exertions he raised a company and was in the
sanguinary battle of Point Pleasant, on the Kenhawa, in which James
Robertson and Valentine Sevier actively participated.
The first settlers on the Holston, Watauga and other tributary
streams, were so far beyond the influence of the State laws of North
Carolina as to induce them in 1772 to form a temporary government for
their better protection and security. The people enjoyed the
advantages of this "Watauga government," as it was called, from 1772
until 1777, at which date Colonel Sevier procured the establishment of
courts and the extension of State laws over "Washington District,"
then in North Carolina, embracing an interesting section of country in
which he and other pioneers of civilization had cast their lots. These
hardy pioneers opened roads across the mountains, felled the forests,
built forts and houses, subdued the earth, and began rapidly to
replenish it, for they married and were given in marriage. The State
of North Carolina, several years afterward, with a motherly
forgiveness, passed laws to confirm marriages and other deeds of these
wayward children in the wilderness.
Colonel Sevier served in the expedition under Colonel Christian to
chastise the Indians for their numerous murders and depredations. In
1779, he raised troops, entered the Indian territory, and fought the
successful battle of Boyd's creek. A few days after this battle, he
was joined by Colonel Arthur Campbell with a Virginia regiment, and
Colonel Isaac Shelby with troops from Sullivan county, then in North
Carolina. These active officers scoured the Cherokee country,
scattered hostile bands, destroyed most of the Indian towns, and,
after inflicting this severe chastisement, returned to their homes
with greater assurance of peace and security.
The former part of the year 1780, was one of gloom and despondency in
the Southern States. Charleston surrendered, Gates defeated, and other
minor reverses; Tories becoming daring and insolent; the British
overrunning South Carolina and Georgia; the Indians upon the borders,
bribed and inflamed against the Americans--all tended to increase the
gloom and darken the prospect of achieving our independence. But
amidst all the obscurity which shrouded the sun of American
independence, there was a gallant band of patriots in the mountains of
North Carolina and upper South Carolina, who never quailed in duty
before the enemy, struck a severe blow at every opportune moment, and
never despaired of final success.
In the brilliant victory of King's Mountain, Col. Sevier, with his
regiment, displayed the most consummate bravery. In June of the same
year, he marched into South Carolina and assisted Col. McDowell and
other officers in the successful battle of Musgrove's Mill.
In 1781, Colonel Sevier was appointed by General Greene a commissioner
to treat with the chiefs of the Cherokees and other tribes of Indians,
which trust he faithfully performed. During the years 1781 and 1782,
he was almost constantly engaged in leading expeditions into the
Cherokee country.
On the 14th of December, 1784, a convention of five delegates from
each county of the extreme western portion of North Carolina, met at
Jonesboro, now in Tennessee, of which body Col. Sevier was made
President. They formed a constitution for a new State, to be called
"Frankland," which was to be received or rejected by another body of
similar powers, "fresh from the people," to meet at Greenville in
November 1785. This anomalous state of things, as might be expected,
caused Governor Caswell, who was both a soldier and a statesman, to
issue his proclamation "against this lawless thirst for power."
The prescribed limits of this sketch forbid a full recital of all the
angry discussions and violent acts of the opposing parties which
unfortunately, for about three years, seriously disturbed the peace
and welfare of Western North Carolina.
In 1789, Colonel Sevier was elected the Senator from Greene county to
the Legislature of North Carolina. In 1790, he was elected a member of
Congress. He was twice elected Governor of Tennessee. In 1811, he was
elected a Representative to Congress, and in 1813, re-elected to the
same position. In 1815, he was appointed by President Madison a
commissioner to adjust difficulties with the Creek Indians. Whilst
engaged in the performance of this arduous duty, he was taken
seriously ill, and soon thereafter died near Fort Decatur, Ala., on
the 24th of September, 1815, aged about eighty-one years.
Gen. Gaines, then in command of the regular troops near that place,
though quite ill at the time, paid the last sad tribute of respect to
a brave fellow-soldier, and had him buried with the honors of war.
GENERAL WILLIAM LENOIR.
General William Lenoir was born in Brunswick county, Virginia, on the
20th of May, 1751. He was of French (Huguenot) descent, and the
youngest of a family of ten children. When he was about eight years
old his father removed to a place near Tarboro, N.C., where he resided
until his death, a short time afterward. He received no other
education than his own limited means and personal exertions enabled
him to procure. When about twenty years of age he married Ann Ballard,
of Halifax, N.C.--a lady possessing, in an eminent degree, those
domestic and heroic virtues which qualified her for sustaining the
privations and hardships of a frontier life, which it was her lot
afterward to encounter.
In March 1775 Gen. Lenoir removed with his family to Wilkes county
(then a part of Surry) and settled near the place where Wilkesboro now
stands. Previous to leaving Halifax he signed the paper known as the
"Association," containing a declaration of patriotic principles and
means of redress, relative to the existing troubles with Great
Britain. Soon after his removal to Surry he was appointed a member of
the "Committee of Safety" for that county. He took an early and active
part in repelling the depredating and murderous incursions of the
Cherokee Indians upon the frontier settlements. In this kind of
service he was actively engaged until the celebrated expedition, under
Gen. Rutherford, completely subdued the Indians, and compelled them to
sue for peace. From the termination of this campaign, in which he
acted as a Lieutenant under Captain Benjamin Cleaveland, to the one
projected against Major Ferguson, he was almost constantly engaged in
capturing and suppressing the Tories, who, at that time, were assuming
great boldness, and molesting the persons and property of the Whig
inhabitants.
In the expedition to King's Mountain Gen. Lenoir held the appointment
of Captain in Colonel Cleaveland's regiment, which united with the
other Whig forces at the head of the Catawba river. When it was
ascertained it would be impossible to overtake Ferguson, now evidently
showing signs of fear, with the footmen, it was decided by a council
of the officers, that as many as could procure horses should do so,
and thus, as mounted infantry, advance rapidly upon the retreating
enemy. Accordingly, Gen. Lenoir and his company offered their
services, joined the select Spartan band of _nine hundred and ten_
brave spirits, and pressed forward without delay to the scene of
action.
In the brilliant achievement on King's Mountain, Gen. Lenoir was
wounded in the arm and in the side, but not severely, and a third ball
passed through his hair, just above where it was tied. He was also at
the defeat of Col. Pyles, on Haw River, where his horse was shot and
his sword broken. At a later period he raised a company and marched
towards Dan river with the hope of joining General Greene, but was
unable to effect a junction in time. He performed many other minor but
important services, which it is here unnecessary to enumerate.
General Lenoir served as Major General of the militia about eighteen
years. In a civil capacity he also discharged many high and
responsible duties.
He filled, at different times, the offices of Register, Surveyor,
Commissioner of Affidavits, Chairman of the County Court, and Clerk of
the Superior Court for Wilkes county. He was one of the original
Trustees of the State University, and the first President of the
Board. He was also a member of both the State Conventions which met
for the purpose of considering the Constitution of the United States.
He served for many years in both branches of the State Legislature.
During the last seven years of his services in the Senate, he was
unanimously chosen Speaker of that body, and performed the duties of
that important station with great satisfaction, firmness and
impartiality.
In private life General Lenoir was no less distinguished for his moral
worth and generous hospitality than in public life for his unbending
integrity and enlarged patriotism. His mansion was open at all times,
not only to a large circle of friends and relatives, but to the
stranger and the traveller. To the poor he was kind and charitable,
and in his will made liberal provision for those of his own
neighborhood.
During his last illness he suffered much pain which he bore with
Christian resignation. He often said "he did not fear to die--death
had no terrors for him." He died, with calm composure, at his
residence at Fort Defiance, on the 6th of May, 1839, aged eighty-eight
years.
His remains were interred in the family burying ground which occupies
the spot where Fort Defiance was erected during the Revolutionary war.