Francis Locke Sr. (1722–1796) was a plantation owner, businessman, politician, and a participant in the

American War of Independence 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 ...

, where he led the American

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 ...

s to the decisive victory at Ramseur's Mill, which turned the tide of the American War for Independence in the south.

Personal and family life

Francis Locke was born in 1722 in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. He was the son of John and Elizabeth Locke. When he was still young, the family emigrated to Lancaster,

Pennsylvania Colony The Province of Pennsylvania, also known as the Pennsylvania Colony, was a British North American colony founded by William Penn after receiving a land grant from Charles II of England in 1681. The name Pennsylvania ("Penn's Woods") refers to Wi ...

, where Locke grew up. After his father died in 1744, his mother married John Brandon, who eventually moved the family to

Anson County Anson County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,055. Its county seat is Wadesboro. History The county was formed in 1750 from Bladen County. It was named for George Anson, Ba ...

North Carolina Colony Province of North Carolina was a province of Great Britain that existed in North America from 1712(p. 80) to 1776. It was one of the five Southern colonies and one of the thirteen American colonies. The monarch of Great Britain was rep ...

. That area of the county was later split off as

Rowan County, North Carolina Rowan County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of North Carolina that was formed in 1753, as part of the British Province of North Carolina. It was originally a vast territory with unlimited western boundaries, but its size w ...

. Locke settled a plantation near

Salisbury Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath. Salisbury is in the southeast of Wil ...

, in Rowan County, in 1753, on 640 acres of land he had purchased from his step-father. He and his brother,

Matthew Locke Matthew Locke may refer to: * Matthew Locke (administrator) (fl. 1660–1683), English Secretary at War from 1666 to 1683 * Matthew Locke (composer) (c. 1621–1677), English Baroque composer and music theorist * Matthew Locke (soldier) (1974–2 ...

, ran a regional transportation company with several wagons based out of the plantation. In the 1760s and early 1770s, Locke was an

ordinary Ordinary or The Ordinary often refer to: Music * ''Ordinary'' (EP) (2015), by South Korean group Beast * ''Ordinary'' (Every Little Thing album) (2011) * "Ordinary" (Two Door Cinema Club song) (2016) * "Ordinary" (Wayne Brady song) (2008) * ...

owner, as well as holding several Rowan county governmental positions, including coroner. He worked from 1764 to 1766 as Rowan County sheriff, succeeding

Griffith Rutherford Griffith Rutherford (c. 1721 – August 10, 1805) was an American military officer in the Revolutionary War, a political leader in North Carolina, and an important figure in the early history of the Southwest Territory and the state of Ten ...

,''Sketch of Colonel Francis Locke''
McCorkle, George; "The North Carolina Booklet – Great Events in North Carolina History;" pp. 12–21; at

Archive.org The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

; accessed January 2016 during the

War of the Regulation The Regulator Movement, also known as the Regulator Insurrection, War of Regulation, and War of the Regulation, was an uprising in Provincial North Carolina from 1766 to 1771 in which citizens took up arms against colonial officials, whom they v ...

. Locke married Anna (née Brandon) Locke. They were the parents of four sons and three daughters. Son, Francis Locke Jr., became a

Congressman A Member of Congress (MOC) is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The term member of parliament (MP) is an equivalen ...

and

superior court In common law systems, a superior court is a court of general jurisdiction over civil and criminal legal cases. A superior court is "superior" in relation to a court with limited jurisdiction (see small claims court), which is restricted to civil ...

judge.

Military career

During the

French and Indian Wars The French and Indian Wars were a series of conflicts that occurred in North America between 1688 and 1763, some of which indirectly were related to the European dynastic wars. The title ''French and Indian War'' in the singular is used in the U ...

, Locke was made an

ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...

in a

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

commanded by Rutherford (1759). He saw several battles during the Revolutionary War as well. Locke was a member of the 1775 "

Snow Campaign The Snow Campaign was one of the first major military operations of the American Revolutionary War in the southern colonies. An army of up to 3,000 Patriot militia under Colonel Richard Richardson marched against Loyalist recruiting centers in ...

", and in 1776, commanded the

Rowan County Regiment The Rowan County Regiment was originally established in about August 1, 1775 as a local militia in Rowan County in the Province of North-Carolina. When the North Carolina Provincial Congress authorized thirty-five existing county militias to be o ...

of militia as part of the Light Horse Expedition (August – November 1776) led by General Rutherford against the

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...

on the western frontier. Revolutionary War service: *Lt. Colonel, in the

of the North Carolina militia (1775) *Colonel over the 1st Rowan County Regiment of the North Carolina militia (1775-1776) *Colonel over the 2nd Battalion of Volunteers in the

Halifax District Brigade The Halifax 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 the ...

of the North Carolina militia (1776-1777) *Colonel over the Rowan County Regiment of North Carolina militia (1777-1782) *Colonel over the 1st Rowan County Regiment of North Carolina militia (1782-1783)

Ramseur's Mill

On June 18, 1780, Rutherford learned that a large force of

Loyalist Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cro ...

s, or "Tories," was assembling at Ramseur's Mill (near present-day Lincolnton). Rutherford began moving his troops in that direction, and on June 19, he sent orders to

Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

Locke and the other militia leaders in the region to call up their men. Locke quickly gathered a force of 400 cavalry and infantry at Mountain CreekNote:The rendezvous site is now beneath the impounded waters of the Cowens Ford dam (which forms

Lake Norman Lake Norman is the largest man-made body of fresh water in North Carolina. It was created between 1959 and 1964 as part of the construction of the Cowans Ford Dam by Duke Energy. Geography Lake Norman is fed by the Catawba River, and drains i ...

). about to the northeast of Lincolnton.''Ramsour's Mill''
webpage; Lincoln County History online; accessed January 2016 Locke and his second-in-command,

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

John Dickey, decided to attack early the next morning—without waiting for Rutherford's forces to join up—counting on the element of surprise to be to their advantage. The threat of expected additional reinforcements to the Tory force also compelled them to this action.''Letter, written by Maj. William A. Graham, 1904''
"The American Revolution in North Carolina—Battle of Ramseur's Mill;" Carolana.com; accessed January 2016 The battle, in which muskets were sometimes used as clubs because of a lack of ammunition, was fought between "neighbors, near relations, and friends".; p. 154 At first, the battle went Locke's way. When the battle turned against the

s, however, Locke ordered a retreat, but Dickey stubbornly refused to retreat from the superior force, and instead sought higher ground, and dug in. Following this, most of Locke's men returned to the battle, flanking the Tories. Dickey is credited with turning the tide of battle. The action delayed the

Loyalists Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cr ...

long enough for Rutherford's forward detachment to arrive and force the Loyalist surrender. The defeat so badly demoralized the mid-southern Loyalists that they could never organize again in that region.

Other action

Locke also was involved in engagements at Battle of Ninety-Six (November 1775); the Brier Creek expedition (1779); Colson's Mill (July 1780), and in Nathanael Greene's " Race to the Dan" (1782). On November 8, 1784, he resigned his commission and retired from the military. In 1794 the Rowan court appointed Locke to succeed William Sharpe as attorney for the state.

Death

Locke died in early 1796, and is buried in the Thyatira Presbyterian Church cemetery,

Mill Bridge, North Carolina Mill Bridge is an unincorporated community and populated place officially registered as Mill Bridge in 1874. It is located primarily in Atwell Township and Steele Township in Rowan County, North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. sta ...

References

External links

''Colonel Francis Locke''
at

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Locke, Francis Sr. North Carolina sheriffs North Carolina militiamen in the American Revolution People from Rowan County, North Carolina 1722 births 1796 deaths