The Battle of Lindley's Mill (also known as the Battle of Cane Creek) took place in
Orange County, North Carolina
Orange County is a County (United States), county located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 148,696. Its county seat is Hil ...
(now in
Alamance County
Alamance County (), from the North Carolina Collection's website at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved September 18, 2012. is a county in North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 171,415. Its county sea ...
), on September 13, 1781, 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 the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
. The battle took its name from a mill that sat at the site of the battle on Cane Creek, which sat along a road connecting what was then the temporary state capital,
Hillsborough, with
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. With a population of 115,451 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, eighth-most populous city in the st ...
.
Background
On September 12, 1781,
loyalist militia under the command of militia colonels
David Fanning and Hector McNeill captured
Governor
A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
Thomas Burke and thirteen high-ranking
Whig officials in a daylight raid on Hillsborough. The captured officials were to be transported down the road to
Wilmington where they would be turned over to the
British Army
The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
. Brigadier General
John Butler John Butler may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* John "Picayune" Butler (died 1864), American banjo performer; may have been used by a number of performers
* John Butler (artist) (1890–1976), American artist
* John Butler (author) (born 1937), ...
, whose home was located nearby, and 300
patriot
A patriot is a person with the quality of patriotism.
Patriot(s) or The Patriot(s) may also refer to:
Political and military groups United States
* Patriot (American Revolution), those who supported the cause of independence in the American R ...
militiamen of the
Hillsborough District Brigade
The Hillsborough District Brigade of militia was an administrative division of the North Carolina militia established on May 4, 1776. Thomas Person, Brigadier General Thomas Person was the first commander. Companies from the eight regiments of t ...
set an ambush at Lindley’s Mill the next day.
Battle
Lindley's Mill was located on Cane Creek, a tributary of the
Haw River
The Haw River is a tributary of the Cape Fear River, approximately 110 mi (177 km) long, which is entirely contained in north central North Carolina in the United States. It was first documented as the "Hau River" by John Lawson, a ...
. Upon the Loyalist approach, the Patriot militia sprung their trap, surprising Fanning and his men. The loyalist forces were forced to ford Cane Creek in order to assault the patriot positions, which were on a plateau overlooking the creek. The elderly Hector McNeill, the commander of a unit of loyal Highlanders, was cut down early in the battle, leading the vanguard of Fanning's militia across the creek. The British failed to gain any ground against the Patriot position until Fanning and a larger company forded the creek upstream from Butler's position, and attacked the Patriot militia from their flank. This put the militia on the defensive, and the battle persisted for four hours until eventually Butler felt compelled to order his men to retreat due to casualties.
In spite of Butler's order, a contingent of men attempted to continue holding their ground, but they were ultimately dislodged by Fanning.
Deaths of Major Nall and Colonel McNeill
During the action at Lindley's Mills, Colonel McNeill and Major John Nall met in single combat. Both fired at the same instant, McNeill's ball striking Nall near the left pap while Nall's ball penetrated McNeill in the forehead; both died on the spot.
Aftermath
Between 200 and 250 men were killed or wounded in the battle, with the Tory force suffering due to the loss of McNeill and serious wounds received by Fanning, who was forced to hide in the woods when his column moved on. Among those wounded was Dr. John Pyle, who had earlier commanded an ill-fated regiment of loyalist militia at
Pyle's Massacre
Pyle's Massacre (also known as Pyle's defeat, Pyle's hacking match or Battle of Haw River) was fought during the American Revolutionary War in present-day Alamance County, North Carolina on February 24, 1781. The battle was between Patriot tro ...
. After recovering from his wounds, Pyle helped to nurse many other wounded men, patriots and loyalists alike, back to health, for which service Governor
Alexander Martin
Alexander Martin (October 17, 1740November 2, 1807) was a Founding Father of the United States, framer of the U.S. Constitution, fourth and seventh Governor of North Carolina, and an infantry officer in the American Revolutionary War. In priv ...
would later pardon Pyle's loyalist activities.
The governor was not rescued by the patriots, and was successfully imprisoned on
James Island. Historians have commented that the capture of Governor Burke and the defeat of the patriots only encouraged a growth in patriot sentiment.
Memorials
There are four memorial stones placed near the battle site. Three of the stones are placed directly opposite of present-da
Lindley Millsdown a path through woods. One was dedicated in 1915, one in 2002, and one in an unknown year. The fourth monument is located in the cemetery across from Spring Hill Meeting, a
Friends meeting house
A Friends meeting house is a meeting house of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), where meeting for worship is usually held.
Typically, Friends meeting houses are simple and resemble local residential buildings. Ornamentation, spires, a ...
.
See also
*
Friends Spring Meeting House
Spring Friends Meeting House is a historic Quaker meeting house located at Snow Camp, Alamance County, North Carolina. The fourth and current meeting house was built in 1907, and is a small rectangular frame one-story gable-front building. It ...
References
Citations
Sources
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
Photographs of Lindley's Mill
{{Authority control
1781 in the United States
Alamance County, North Carolina
Lindley's Mill
Lindleys Mill
Lindleys Mill
Lindleys Mill
Lindley's Mill
1781 in North Carolina