Wilmington journal., 1876-03-03
EIi..sH:C
THE HER OF TIE FIGHT AND THE PRIDE
OF THE CAPE FEAR.

From on AdIress Delivered by Hon
Gcnrgc DaUis at tie UtiArcrsity {
North CaroIiha, lime, 1853.
Aiexauler L'i'ington Is another nam
the people of North Clroiina ough
never to forget HIS grandfather
Major Alexander Llling; on, I'M g:-s.tnI
from Barbados 10 the cJnnty ii Aibo
marie, but at what precise time l., no
now known. He was early distin
! guished, however, in the history Of TIL
colony. His grandson, Alexander, wa
left an orphan at an eafiy "g3, an
when Ed ward MosGlay. VINO had mar
| rled his fathers sister. emtgrated T.
the Cape Fear about the year 1927
young Lillington went with him. FL.
was early known as an active and lead
ing Wing, and VAS prominent aud
infuential member of the Wilmington
Com mmittee. Though he served through
the war with distinction and attal:ed
to the rank of Bfigadier General. get
| his fame principally rests upon the
| Battle of Moore's Greek. Without the
remOtest intention Of detracting from
he we'll earned fame of Governor
Caswell, whose memory is very dear TO
me as Il North Caroliuian, I must say
that If TIE traditions OF the people
among whom the battle was fought are
to be relied Gu, General Liliington has
never yet received the due meed OF
praise for his part in that days work
Those traditions agree mainly with
Jones' account of the battle, aud they
tell that he bore " far the harda
brunt of the fight, while he has only
been permitted to wear the smallest
share of the glory. Whether ho com
nanded in chief or not, he certainly
had thu post of d niger and OF
honor in tle front Of the bat
tie and leading the daring charge
across the bridge bore himself like y
hklifui and gallant l1icer wEiic fighting
as Common soldier. There was honor
enough for all and all should have
shared 1t alike. TWAS most unjust that
his name wis altogether omitted in the
vote OF thanks which was If rward4
passed by the Pro iucaI Cr"grass II
Halifax. 1t has been said tia he him.
srf never complained OF this. It IL
true He never compaiued btcau 6 he
was p itrlot aud not a soldier of for
tuna, because be fought for tht, free
dom Of his country d not for person
al reDown. HIS famitr, who wUr mp
h'S memorT, have st II the silver cres-
day and It bears inscribed the words
which Were his cry of battle, his prayer
At night ana his nope always -"Liber-
tv or Death"
| Extract from d?e 42dress deIiUereG
By Loshua q. Wright. Esq, at tic
Cete6ratiOn at Noorc's Crcch on
27th Of February, 1857.
Aud now, my country men, you my
ask who was the leader of the Ameri-
can forces in this memorable engage
in4nt. Wnnld that i could SO inrerrn-
gate his ory as t. give You satistac-
tory answer TO this much v-Xed ques-
ton. L VIII not pretend 70 d-ny that
the veil of doubt overhaugs it, but iu-
vuivIbg as il does the fame of a gl-
isot s,idier of New Hanover and b,.
liev'ng rs [ do that alike history ana
t .dih n DUl'st TO him as the leading
ACTOR III tue 'itama OF that day, !! Il Ii
not hesitate III the endeayOr 70 viudi--
cate the claims of Coluuej Alexander
L.lhn9 ton to the first honOrS nf the
field. 1t is admitted by The ;4blest ad-
vOcates Of the antagouI4t.c claim of
Colonel CasweIi that they We're
of the recently organized bat
taiions of minu'e men, one of which |
b I'd been raised in the Newbern and
the other in the New Hanover
district, aud that both were |
appointed On the same day, by toe
same authority, to the rank they held
IT IS SAID, haWever, that CDlouel Cas- |
well must have assumed tha command
nn the day of the battle, f1r thu reason
that he carried upon The fiel,i $50 men,
while Colonel L'iiIngton comnan -
the much Inferior uumbsr of I'D
mounted men. [ know of 40 ptinci. !
pl" Of military pr, -dencA. however,
which tntitie. officers Of equat grad. |
to Ontrank each other Imply because |
the one may b. ia co:nm#n,l Of ii force i
= superior to tine other. No |
snci, rulc has been shOWa to have ex-
lst"d u this period. nnd If any such
lid exist, [ am yet TO he iJfOrmed |
what iix~d difference tue III numbers
::"a:ed this uperior ciai t. Command |
in ny given case. x *
Colonel LillingbnD was IN his own DIS |
tr;ct, and the rule was that comm and |
ers of equal grade ranked tbcir peers |
N their resp ctive districts. :
Nor LIT it be forgotten thai the uuwrit.
ten history of this battle hereab0uts |
aud the truthful tradition Of New
Hanover award TO Colonel L;iIington
the chief glory of the conflict. From
the lips of one known to any around
patriotic vaiOr ard varied
v rtuns endeared hum to all who kew
him-who was near II years of age
when tl;s battle Was fought, and who
gave himself to the revolutionary ser
vice of his Countrywide was ever re-
vered as the Bayard of his day, "with-
out fear and without repfoach," aye
-, -
Samuel Ashe We have it that Lnlliug
ton was the great leader oil the contest.
From Revolutionary Incidents by
ReU. E. w. & ;ruthers
OF Colonel Ii iington, 1t is unneces-
sary to speak. Possessed of wealth,
AMI family standing
which gave him prominent place III
society, his power and Influence had
hitherto been employed in defence If
his own and HIS country's rigtts. On
every suitable occasion his voice had
been heard iii strong aud clear denuu-
ciations of British tyranny, and when
the crisis came he stood among the
foremost IN manly attitude of stern
and unyielding resistance. Ga the
day of battle, though the number of
men under his Immediate command
was small, sustained by their conf
dpnce n his wisdom and animated by
their ardor, they did good service and
won a wrt ath Of unfading laurel.
Placed in front either by his own
choice or in compliance with orders
from the co'nmaI,ling officer, mattered
not to occupy the post of danger
aud to ma:ntuln it with so much firm
ness under all the trying circumstan-
ces Of the times and occasion, was
brave work.
CAswELL
THE WASHINGTON OF NORTH CAROLINA