The Mecklenburg County Regiment was authorized on May 31, 1775 by the Province of North Carolina Congress. From November 7, 1779 until the 3rd Quarter of 1780, it was called the 1st Mecklenburg County Regiment when a 2nd Mecklenburg County Regiment existed. The 1st Mecklenburg County regiment was engaged in 39 known battles and skirmishes against the British during the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...

in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia between 1776 and 1781. It was active until the end of the war.

Officers

The Mecklenburg County Regiments (both 1st and 2nd) were under the command of

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

and General Griffith Rutherford when it was established on May 4, 1776 through the end of the war. Officers of the Mecklenburg County Regiment included: Colonels: * Colonel Thomas Polk (1775, original officer) * Colonel Adam Alexander (1775, Lt. Col.; 1776-1778, Colonel) * Colonel George Alexander (1776-1778, Major; 1778-1780, Colonel) * Colonel

William Lee Davidson William Lee Davidson (1746–1781) was an officer in the North Carolina militia and Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He was born in Pennsylvania and moved with his family to Rowan County, North Carolina in 1750. He was kil ...

(early 1780) * Colonel Robert Irwin (1775, 1776-1777, Captain; 1777-1778, Lt. Col; 1778-1783, Colonel) * Colonel Caleb Phifer (1775, 1776-1778, Captain; 1778-1779, Lt. Col; 1779-1780, 2nd, Colonel; 1780-1783, Colonel) Miscellaneous staff: * James R. Alexander, Surgeon * William Lemmond, Clerk and Surgeon * Thomas Grier, Commissary * John Huggins, Wagon Master * James Maxwell, Quartermaster * Andrew Walker, Quartermaster Other notable officers: * Lt. Col. William Polk (also Major) * Major James Rutherford (also Captain, son of General Griffith Rutherford) * Captain James Knox (Presidential ancestor of

James K. Polk James Knox Polk (November 2, 1795 – June 15, 1849) was the 11th president of the United States, serving from 1845 to 1849. He previously was the 13th speaker of the House of Representatives (1835–1839) and ninth governor of Tennessee (183 ...

) * Captain John Polk * Captain Charles Polk

Engagements

The Mecklenburg County regiment was active from its original authorization until the end of the war. It was subordinated to the

under Brigadier General Griffith Rutherford. The Mecklenburg County regiment was involved in 39 known battles, sieges, and skirmishes in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. See Salisbury Districgt Brigade Engagements for a complete, chronological list of engagements.

2nd Mecklenburg County Regiment

When the

North Carolina General Assembly of 1779 The North Carolina General Assembly of 1779 met in three sessions in three locations in the years 1779 and 1780. The first session was held in Smithfield from May 3 to May 15, 1779; the second session in Halifax, from October 18 to November 10, ...

approved the creation of a 2nd Mecklenburg County Regiment on November 7. 1779, the name of the original regiment became the 1st Mecklenburg County Regiment. Colonel Caleb Phifer became the commander of the 2nd Mecklenburg County Regiment. The 2nd Mecklenburg County Regiment was short lived and it was disbanded in the third quarter of 1780, about the time of the

Battle of Camden The Battle of Camden (August 16, 1780), also known as the Battle of Camden Court House, was a major victory for the British in the Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War. On August 16, 1780, British forces under Lieutenant General ...

Polk's regiment of light dragoons

In September 1780, Lt. Col. William Polk of the Mecklenburg County Regiment was authorized to create a regiment of Light Dragoons, which was subordinated to the Mecklenburg County Regiment. On April 1, 1781, this regiment of light dragoons was placed under Brig. Gen. Thomas Sumter's South Carolina State Troops.

Independent corps of light horse

The Independent Corps of Light Horse was established in June of 1780, mostly from men in the Mecklenburg County Regiment. The unit was commanded by Major

William Richardson Davie William Richardson Davie (June 20, 1756 – November 29, 1820) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father of the United States, military officer during the Revolutionary War (United States), Revolutionary War, and List of Go ...

. The unit saw some action at Hanging Rock, South Carolina in June 1780. The unit arrived too late for the fighting at the Battle of Ramseur's Mill. It was disbanded in August 1780.

References

Bibliography

* , Facebook page for Revolutionary war reenacting unit that represents the Mecklenburg Militia from the Hopewell area of Mecklenburg county North Carolina {{NCRevWarUnits North Carolina militia Mecklenburg County, North Carolina 1775 establishments in North Carolina