The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1902-04-10
THE BATTLE OF ELIZABETHTOWN.
An Important but Little Known Event
in the History of North Carolina
During the Revolutionary War.

anu hlS w E ID 'oliiH- anu I'hblISllt'i
in the Wake Forest Student of Feb
ruhry:
About the t ime eofCornwallis march
through North Carolina. 1871, after
his defeat at Guilford Court House
there was Il civil war going on i'll the
Cape Fear region between Patriot
and Tory.
1t is well to remember that the
Tories of North Carolina consisted OF
two classes OF far different character
and motive. Early in the war the
Scotch Highlanders, from perfectly
honorable motives. the SacredneSS
of an oath but recently taken, had
remained attached to the Royal
cause. These. however, We're defeated
at Moore Creek Bridge early i'll the
war and their activity was destroyed.
The Tories that were now causing
trouble i'll the Cape Fear region were
OF Il far different type. 1t was that
Tory, heartlcss and without princi-
pie, caring not for his honor or the
welfare OF his colony, turning against
his fellOWman, who brought on this
civil war i'll the State. in which neigh
bOr WHS arrayed against neighbOr.
EliZabe ethdOwn. Il small village III
Blndcn county. on the Cape Fear
River had been established by the
British at Wilmington as an outpost.
and was III command OF Col. StingSby,
an Englishmnn OF high culture and
moral standing. He had been Il resi-
| dent of Wilming't on ever since coming
to this country and took little part
i'll the WIZ, declining at first to ac-
cept 1t commission. but was finally i'll
| duccd to take charge OF the Tories in
Brunswick and Bladen countless
From this fair region OF the Cape
Fear, which had long been the seat OF
many elegant homes and cultured
| families, many Wing households were
driven into the upper counties for
refuge by these merciless Tories who.
encouraged by the British under
Major Craig. then in Wilmington.
We're ravaging the country III every
direction, insulting and plunderin9
| the most respectable families, DESTROY
ING property. burning dwellings,, and
committing the most horrible out
| RACES.
OF course, the Wings did not look
on with acquiescence. Though their
| number was feW-Only one hundred
and eighty men III the whole commlln-
ity-they banded together to rid
themselves OF these unfriendly neigh
| bOrs With the fearful odds of five or
ten to one, they adhered to their
principles with heroic frmness, and
did good service in the cause OF free
| dom. Col. Thomas Brown, the regu-
lar commanding officer, had been
wounded in a skirmish with the Brit
| ish regulars near Wilmington only a
! short time before, and was unable to
| continue in active service. Col. Robe
son, at the request of the wounded
officer, took command. Feeling too
weak to attack the Tories in a body.
| or III any way to avellgp the wrongs
they were daily suffering from these
remorseless marauders, they peti-
toned Governor Burke to send aid,
but to no purpose. At last, after
| lurking around in the swamps carry
| ING on kind of guerrilla warfare,
| they set out with Col RObesOn, as
| their leader. to secure the assistance
| OF their fellOw-W higs in the upper
| countess
They marched through Duplin,
| Johnston. Wake, Chatham and Cum
| berland counties. telling everywhere
OF the distressing condition of their
families at home. and begging the
men to Join them i'll their undertake
| ING. Though they were kindly re-
ceived in every neighbOrhOOd, not a
single man could be induced to leave
his family and march against such a
man as Stingsby and his Tories
This was disheartening to these brave
sons OF liberty, still, with Spartan
courage. they marched on from house
to house and village, until at last
after steady march of six weeks
they turned their faces hOmeward.
On reaching Duplin, Col. RobesOr
found that out of the one hundred
and eighty men with whom he had
left the Cape Fear region, he only haC
seventv-One. and these half naked
But still they did not give up. He
lnow called his little band together
and after stating his determination
to return and drive out these wickeC
| Tories. called on every man that wa.
willing to follow him in this desper
ate undertaking to step to the front
At the word every man save one
came forward, fired by the purpose O
ridding the country OF this enemy.
| These seventy men We're all mount
ed and equipped with arms, but theiil
horses were mere skeletons. while
they themselves We're ragged an(
without Il change of clothing, ant
but little ammunition. So equipped
this small band. early one morning
set out to give battle to the sam
four hundred Tories, whom six week
ago. when the difference in their mum
bers were not half SO great, they fel
too weak to encounter. Their marcI
lay through a country already lai'
waste by the enemy and only Occu
pied by few unfriendly inha abitants
Thus they continued for two day
with nothing to eat, and the horse
only eating what grass they coul
gather bN llle Iodu SIue dS 'It Noli
pany stopped for rest. Finally. o
the evening OF the 2Sth of September
as the sun was sinking, they came t
the bank of the Cape Fear. Just OF
posite the little village of Eliza abetf
town.
Here they halted to await the SCI
ting OF the moon. This occurred jus
before day, and Col. Robson bega
to put his men in motion. One ma
was left to take care of the horse:
while the sixty-nine, undressed an
holding their clothing and arms we
above their heads, waded the rivel
. which was about breast deep. HAY
ing successfully crossed the river the