William Lee Davidson (1746–1781) was an officer in the

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 ...

militia and

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 ...

during 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 was born in Pennsylvania and moved with his family to Rowan County, North Carolina in 1750. He was killed at the

Battle of Cowan's Ford The Battle of Cowan's Ford was a battle in the Southern Theater of Cornwallis's 1780–1782 Campaign that eventually led to the British Army's surrender at Yorktown during the American Revolutionary War. It was fought on February 1, 1781, a ...

Origins and education

William Lee Davidson was born on August 9, 1746 in

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Lancaster County (; Pennsylvania Dutch: Lengeschder Kaundi), sometimes nicknamed the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in the south central part of Pennsylvania. ...

. His father George Davidson moved with his family to

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 ...

, in 1750. William, the youngest son, was educated at Queen's Museum (later Liberty Hall) in

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...

Military service

Service record: *Adjutant/Captain in the 1st Rowan County regiment of militia (1775-1776) *Major in the 1st Rowan County Regiment of militia (1776) *Major in the 4th North Carolina Regiment (North Carolina Continental Line) (1776-1777) *Lt. Colonel in the 5th North Carolina Regiment (North Carolina Continental Line) (1777) *Lt. Colonel in the 7th North Carolina Regiment (North Carolina Continental Line) (1777-1778) *Lt. Colonel in the

3rd North Carolina Regiment The 3rd North Carolina Regiment was raised on 16 January 1776 at Wilmington, North Carolina for service with the Continental Army. In April, Jethro Sumner was appointed colonel. The regiment was present at the Battle of Sullivan's Island, defens ...

(North Carolina Continental Line) (1778) *Lt. Colonel over the 1st North Carolina Regiment (North Carolina Continental Line) (1779-1780) *Brigadier General (Pro Tempore) over the

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 ...

of the North Carolina militia (September 1780 to February 1781) Active in the war from its inception as adjutant to Colonel (later Brigadier General)

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 ...

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 ...

during the

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 ...

in December 1775, he was promoted to major of the Fourth Regiment of the North Carolina line in 1776. He marched with the North Carolina line to the north and was at the

Battle of Germantown The Battle of Germantown was a major engagement in the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War. It was fought on October 4, 1777, at Germantown, Pennsylvania, between the British Army led by Sir William Howe, and the American Con ...

, after which he was promoted to Lt. Colonel of the Fifth Regiment of the North Carolina line. At

Valley Forge Valley Forge functioned as the third of eight winter encampments for the Continental Army's main body, commanded by General George Washington, during the American Revolutionary War. In September 1777, Congress fled Philadelphia to escape the B ...

with Washington, "Light Horse Harry" Lee,

Daniel Morgan Daniel Morgan (1735–1736July 6, 1802) was an American pioneer, soldier, and politician from Virginia. One of the most respected battlefield tacticians of the American Revolutionary War of 1775–1783, he later commanded troops during the sup ...

and others, he became friends with most of the influential military commanders in the Continental Line. Left without a command, he had been ordered out for the purpose of preventing the British from crossing the

Catawba Catawba may refer to: *Catawba people, a Native American tribe in the Carolinas *Catawba language, a language in the Catawban languages family *Catawban languages Botany *Catalpa, a genus of trees, based on the name used by the Catawba and other N ...

. Griffith Rutherford appointed Davidson his second in command. Severely wounded at the Battle of Colson's Mill on July 21, 1780, he did not participate in 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 ...

at which Rutherford was captured. Davidson was promoted to brigadier general and given command of Rutherford's

of militia. He participated in resisting the entry of

Lord Cornwallis Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis, (31 December 1738 – 5 October 1805), styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as the Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army general and official. In the United S ...

into Charlotte in late September 1780. Brigadier General William Lee Davidson was in Charlotte, North Carolina by December 3, 1780, the day after General

Nathanael Greene Nathanael Greene (June 19, 1786, sometimes misspelled Nathaniel) was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. He emerged from the war with a reputation as General George Washington's most talented and dependabl ...

arrived in Charlottetown as it was then called. After the defeat of the American Forces at the

or as called by most veterans in their pension records the Battle of Gum Swamp; so it was then that the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America, and the newly declared United States just before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. ...

finally agreed to permit General George Washington to replace General Gates with his best officer. General Washington immediately selected General Nathanael Greene. General Greene arrived later in the day on December 2, 1780, in Charlottetown after a long journey from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and rested. Officially the Change of Command Ceremony took place between General Gates and General Greene on December 3, 1780; and as quickly as he could General Nathanael Greene got to the business at hand to meet his new officers in the field. General William Lee Davidson and General Nathanael Greene had previously met. They were both in the

Battle of Brandywine The Battle of Brandywine, also known as the Battle of Brandywine Creek, was fought between the American Continental Army of General George Washington and the British Army of General Sir William Howe on September 11, 1777, as part of the Ame ...

opposing British General Lord Cornwallis in Pennsylvania. Greene recognized that Davidson was very respected and in favor with the local militia in the western half of North Carolina, called the Salisbury Military District over which General Davidson had complete jurisdiction. Greene wanted to capitalize on the opportunity to create a "Flying Army" that was approved by General Washington. Davidson was going to be the leading Patriot Commander in the field to raise the local militia up as this "Flying Army." Having previously served in battle and camped at Valley Forge together, they already had a bond of trust.

Death

Davidson was killed at the

Mecklenburg County, North Carolina Mecklenburg County is a county located in the southwestern region of the state of North Carolina, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,115,482, making it the second-most populous county in North Carolina (after Wak ...

on February 1, 1781, while opposing the re-entry of Cornwallis into North Carolina. General Davidson was trying to rally his men as the lead British and German elements arrived on the near bank. He was killed within minutes as the engagement unfolded. Davidson's body was recovered by fellow officers later that evening after the battle; and was buried at Hopewell Presbyterian Church located on Beatties Ford Road, North of Charlotte.

Namesakes

Davidson County, North Carolina Davidson County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 168,930. Its county seat is Lexington, and its largest city is Thomasville. Davidson County is included in the Winston-Salem, ...

and

Davidson County, Tennessee Davidson County is a county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is located in the heart of Middle Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 715,884, making it the second most populous county in Tennessee. Its county seat is Nashville ...

. * The town of Davidson, North Carolina. *

Davidson College Davidson College is a private liberal arts college in Davidson, North Carolina. It was established in 1837 by the Concord Presbytery and named after Revolutionary War general William Lee Davidson, who was killed at the nearby Battle of Cowan� ...

in North Carolina. His sword once hung in one of its halls. Congress voted $500 for a monument to him, but it has never been erected.

References

External links

* * *
Battle of Cowan's Ford

SCAR

Hopewell Presbyterian Church: General Davidson's Wallet

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Davidson, William 1746 births 1781 deaths American slave owners Continental Army officers from North Carolina North Carolina militiamen in the American Revolution United States military personnel killed in the American Revolutionary War People from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania People from Rowan County, North Carolina Militia generals in the American Revolution People of colonial Pennsylvania Military personnel from Pennsylvania