John Alexander Lillington (c. 1725 – 1786), also known as Alexander John Lillington, was an American planter, politician and

Patriot A patriot is a person with the quality of patriotism. Patriot may also refer to: Political and military groups United States * Patriot (American Revolution), those who supported the cause of independence in the American Revolution * Patriot m ...

officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," f ...

from

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

in the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. He fought in the

Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge The Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge was a minor conflict of the American Revolutionary War fought near Wilmington (present-day Pender County), North Carolina, on February 27, 1776. The victory of the North Carolina Provincial Congress' militia ...

in 1776 as Colonel of the Wilmington District Minutemen. He was afterwards commissioned as colonel of the 6th North Carolina Regiment of the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

, but resigned after a month to instead serve as brigadier general of the

Wilmington District Brigade The Wilmington District Brigade was an administrative division of the North Carolina militia during the American Revolutionary War (1776–1783). This unit was established by the North Carolina Provincial Congress on May 4, 1776, and disbanded at t ...

of the North Carolina militia. At the Battle of Camden his troops were among the militia who fled the field. His son John Lillington also served in the North Carolina militia.

Early life

John Alexander Lillington was born in about 1725 in Beaufort Precinct,

Province of North Carolina Province of North Carolina was a province of Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain that existed in North America from 1712(p. 80) to 1776. It was one of the five Southern Colonies, Southern colonies and one of the Thirteen Colonies, thir ...

and was the son of John and Sarah Porter Lillington. He was orphaned as a child and raised by his uncle, Edward Moseley. He married Sarah Waters of

Brunswick County, North Carolina Brunswick County is the southernmost County (United States), county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 136,693. Its population was only 73,143 in 2000, making it one of the ...

. They had two sons and two daughters.

Service in the Revolutionary War

He was commissioned as a colonel/commandant over the Wilmington District Minutemen battalion in August 1775. He led this battalion at the

on February 27, 1776. All North Carolina minutemen battalions were disbanded on April 10, 1776. On April 15, 1776, he was commissioned as colonel/commandant over the newly created 6th North Carolina Regiment of the

North Carolina Line The North Carolina Line refers to North Carolina units within the Continental Army. The term "North Carolina Line" referred to the quota of infantry regiments assigned to North Carolina at various times by the Continental Congress. These, together ...

. He resigned his commission on December 31, 1776 due to ill health. On February 12, 1779, he was assigned as brigadier general over the

of the North Carolina militia. He replaced General

John Ashe (general) John Ashe, Sr. (ca. 1720 – October 24, 1781) was Speaker of the House of Burgesses in the Province of North Carolina. He was Harvard educated and fought in the North Carolina militia during the French and Indian War. During the American ...

. He led the brigade at the

Battle of Briar Creek The Battle of Brier Creek was an American Revolutionary War battle fought on March 3, 1779 near the confluence of Brier Creek with the Savannah River in eastern Georgia. A mixed Patriot force consisting principally of militia from North Caroli ...

on March 3, 1779, Battle of Heron's Bridge on January 30, 1780, and Battle of Webber's Bridge on August 17, 1780. In January 1780, he was responsible for building breastworks in defense of Charleston, South Carolina. He and his troops were discharged from these duties well before the surrender of the city in March of 1780. Except for a period where he took a leave of absence in the summer of 1781, he retained the command of the Brigade until the end of the war.

Political career

He served as a representative from New Hanover County in the

North Carolina House of Commons The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the President pro-tem in the North Ca ...

1777 Events January–March * January 2 – American Revolutionary War – Battle of the Assunpink Creek: American general George Washington's army repulses a British attack by Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis, in a second ...

Death

He died in April 1786 in

New Hanover County, North Carolina New Hanover County is one of 100 List of counties in North Carolina, counties located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 225,702. Though the second-smallest NC county in land a ...

(in the area that later became

Pender County, North Carolina Pender County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 60,203. Its county seat is Burgaw. Pender County is part of the Wilmington, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area. History The county ...

). He was buried in the Lillington Cemetery, Rocky Point,

Namesakes

The town of Lillington, county seat of

Harnett County, North Carolina Harnett County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 133,568. Its county seat is Lillington; its largest city is Dunn. Harnett County is part of the Fayetteville Metropolitan Stat ...

, was named for him in 1874. The town was originally called Harnett Court House.

References

Bibliography

*Purcell, L. Edward. ''Who Was Who in the American Revolution''. New York: Facts on File, 1993. . {{DEFAULTSORT:Lillington, Alexander 1725 births 1786 deaths American slave owners Militia generals in the American Revolution North Carolina militiamen in the American Revolution Continental Army officers from North Carolina