f ?:M IN! ,
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LINCOLNTON, N. C, FRIDAY, JAN. 6, 189?.
vol vi.
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XAKRATIVK OF TI1E 1T
TLE OF COWA.VS FOKD.
Through the coarteaj of Jadgo
Schenck I have the pleasare of pre
senting the renders ot the COURIER
with Robert Henry's Narrative of
the Battle at Cowan's Ford Febru
ary 1, 1781. The manuscript of
this narrative is iu the handwriting
or Mr. Llenry and has recently been
published in pamphlet form bj
Judge Scbencb. Tbj9 account dif
feis from that of other historians
and materially from much of the
local tradition as to who killed the
bn'.ve General Davidson. As this
is the story of one of the active
p.Hi ici antH f if an engayemenr that
occurred while thn British under
command of Lotd Cornw;tliis w- re
passing frc-m thesol of Li renin iuto
Meklea: urg vm:m!v if. will I ihii k
prove ireriaitung matters for your
raier-. A ti e reader (f the nnr
f ariv: ill doubtless be interested
in Mr. Ueury, I will it. thi!jurro
duction prevent such a ktch o bis
life ah I can obtain from Judge
Schenck's paiuithlet and Kiug'8
Mountain and its Heroes" by Lr.
Draper.
His father, Thomas Henry, was
from the north of Ireland and tied
soon after the Revolution of rheu
matism contracted during the war.
Robert was born in a rai' pen Janu
ary 10th 1705, Dr. Draper lo-
cttes bis birth place la Rowan,
Judge Souenck in Try on county
He was born in Mecklenburg coun
ty. In 1768 Tnoti was cut off
Mecklenburg. This portion of Try
on was afterward Lincoln ; Lincoln
was divided and Mr. Henry's birth
place fell in the presont county of
Gaston, aud is in the vicinity of
Tuckaseege Ford on the Catawba
River aboQt ten miles below Cowi
ao's Ford. Full of patriotisms
though young, he shared in the
trials and perils of the Revolution.
At tievouthful age of sixteen he
was with the brave South Fork boys
at the memorable battle ol King's
Mountain,
Ciptaio David Vance who fought
at King's Mountain on that Gloriou-
day was subtequentjy ore of the
Commissioners to locate the boun
dary line between North Carolina
aud Teuuessee. Captain Vance also
feugbt at Ramsaur's Mill, Mus
grove's Mill aud the Cowpen and
was the grandfather of Governor
Vance. Robert". Henry whs one ot
the Surveyors. While on that sur
vey Captain Vance gave an account
of the oattle in which he related
Major Chronicle's tcstimouy to the
courage and trust wo'thiness of tht
yonthtul soldier. before making
the attack on Ferg-ison they couut
ed the number of horsemen they
C uld raise but iuteuded to report
more, when they came to the South
Fork Boys, Campbell mentioned
to Chtouicle that the lad whom he
hai wilh him should not hear the
-nume.aiion. Chromed replied
that bo was a son of "Old rugged
and Tough' that his cheek ws too
well hooped to leak the lad (Rob
ere ueruyj men is i,ov uur tv -
or-
ll. .1 ; . . . ..
During the heat of the baltle
when the Whigs had advam-ed upj jck HHgar bail a ne nf this deserip
the hiiicJoetu the Tory Hues your.g j tjcn j. ws a!vrRyg Relieved he
Ueuiy took posit.on by a log across j shot h.m Mofifc of tbe Qtber rwJes
a hollow and there ic-maiufd firing ! returi,ed on or bpfort. the close of
until theB ith charged bayonets, j tbe var? but Hslger went to Tennes.
As he was getting readv to give' sePf and 8tay1 f bere unr.ji e0nie of
tbe euemy another shot the . bayo- thfi Dav:d,ou family moved to that
net charge c;ujo dashing along.
Une ot tue enemy was advancing
r - pidiy o.i y ung Henry, who was
iu ; i;e k.cl of cocking hie guu. when
Htitsgouist's biyout glanced
LL-i.ry's guu barrel, assing clear
i tj r ugh one ol bis bands, and pent
rtraling iuto h s thigh. Hcnr.v iu
the melee hd shot tbe Tory, and
b-jtU fe i to the grouud the young
Whi hero comi-letely transfixed.
When his South Fork hiends retired
to the Lottos of lhe hi 1, reloaded j
a-.d in tnrn chased their enemies upj
the moQUtaiu, William CaltUell, j
one ot Henry's companions, see:ng j
hi s tuatiou, pulled the bayonet
out ol bis thigh ; but findiug itje,
sticking fast to the young soldier's
baud gave the wounded limb a kick
with bis boot, which loosened tbe
bloody instrument from its hold,-
Henry suffered more in the opera
tion of extracting the bayonet, than
when the Biiton made the effective
thrust, driving it through bys hand
into his tbigb. Again upon his feet
he picked up his gun with his uu
injured hand aud fonnd it empty
how he could not tell ; but supposed,
as he received the terrible bayonet
terust, that he must, almost in
stinctively, have touched the trig
ger, and discharged his rifle, and
that the ball must have cut some
main artery of bis antagonist as he
bled profusely.
Mr. Henry was one of the first
settlers in Bancotnbe county, taught
school on the Swaunoa the first
school taught in Buncombe county.
He wns a suive.or and in 1795 was
ne of the party vrho run the boui
dry d' e betweeu 2iorlb Carolina
and rJVnne-bee. He subsequently
studied lw and practic ed his pro
fession titauy years in Buncombe
county. He enjoyed the reputation
of being "a great, land lawyer' his
practice as a surveyor no doubt
making hiui formidable iu such
suits. He ovened the White Sul
phur Springs about rive miles South
west of Asbeville, It waaa popular
resoit in summer for wealthy plant
ers from the South and was the
scene of much gayety and pleasure.
He served in the House ot Com
mons in 1833 and 1834 was a clear
and forcible speaker. He died in
the county of Clay, North Carolina
j January 6-h 1863 within four days
of attaining the patriarchal age ot
ninety eight years and was un
doubtedly the LAST of the heroes of
Kings MouDtain.
His brother, Joseph Henry, re-
terred to in the narrative was a con
spicuous character in the earfy bis
tory of Lincoln as the records iu
the court house attest. He served
many ears in the office as sheriff
and subsequently removed to Bun
combe caunty.
The fard the British crossed is a
vunrter of a mile above the present
ford and just below the G. D. Aber
netby mill. Toe old ford was re
opened iu 1814 on the occasion of
j gn at whig barbecue during the
celebrated Harrison campaign on
j tbe ei4Bt bank of tfae river where lbe
engagement occurred. With that
exceptiou it has remained closed
until the last vear or so when it is
again coming into use. The lower
ford leading through the island was
also in use then and known as the
horse ford the upper was called
tbe wagou ford. General Davidson
did not know which oue tbe British
would take. The tradition of to
day is and I ibink correct that the
British bad as a i-ilot; a Tory named
Frederick Ha?ar. Qa tbi subject I
quote some authorities. General
Jsepb Graham in his narrative cf
shis engagement as recorded in
Judge Scneuch's "North Carolina
1780-S1," savs : The command of
tb9 front wns committed to Co'onel
Uail , f lhe G,wJf4 wbo had for a
j u,u;(ie Frdelick Hagar a reuegane
I f.r tr,1rt ; trort r th
t'8Ce. Agau he says "The General
'vn$ gbot wilh a sm;il! rifle ha!l mar
j tuppJ(, of the JeJt hrsfc and
! iver moved after he fell. It wms
well knon that their rn!o Fretle -
. countrv? w beu he raoved. with eight
or ten others all fugitives I rom jus
tice, and mde the lir-1 American
settlement on the Arkansas R-ver
near Lix Post; married and raised
a family there and died in the year
1C1 1 '
Go, Wbeeler in his iiStj History
j Remincence ,f North Carolina
states that -'General Davidjon In
riding from the poiut wbtre he ex
pected tbe enemv to cross to th
paCt thej di(1 wa9 fire(j up0Uj
a rjfle ba plssed through bis
heHrt and be te!i dead trom his
borpe . ag lbp Bri;i-sa cniv bad mu9.
kets and tbe orie3 lifles arjd be Wa8
slain by a rifle shot, it is beiieved he
was shot by the hand of a tcry." In
a loot note be adds "It is said and
the tradition is that a tory by the
name of Hager shot General David.
sou ."
Hunter in his sketehs of Western
North Carolina says, "With judi
cious forethought, Cornwaiiis had
hired the services of Frederick Has
ger, a tory on the western bank,and
under his guidance tbe bold Britons
plunged into the water, with the firm
determination of encountering the
small band of Americans on tbe
From tbe account cf tbe passage
of tbe Catawba river at Cowan's
Ford by Stedman the Euglish Com
missary and historian who accom
panied Cornwaiiis in his Southern
Campaigns, tbe natural inference is
that General Davidson was not shot
by this tory guid, as he stysno
sooner did the guide (a tory) hear
the report of the Sentinel's rnu-ke:
than he turned around and left them
I present one paragraph from Sted
man : "The light infantry of thn
guard-', led by Colonel Hall, first
entered the water. They were fol
lowed by the grenadiers, and the
grenadiers ty the battalions, the
men marching in platoour. :o sup
port each other against the rapidity
of the stream. Wheu the light in
fautry bad nearly reached the mid
die of the nver tbey were challenge
ed by one of lhe enemy's sentinelc.
Tbe sentinel having challenged
thrice, and receiving no answer im
mediately gave the alarm by dis
charging his musket, and the ene
my's picket were turned out. No
sooner did the guide (a-tory) who
attended tue 1 ght infantry to show
them the ford, hear the report of
the sentinels musket than be turna 1
around and left them. This, which
seemed to portend much mischief
in tbe end proved a fortunate inci
dent. Colonel Hall, being forsaken
by bis guide, and not knowing the
true direction of the ford, led the
column directly across tbe river to
the nearest part of lhe opposite
bank."
I have thus been somewhat parti
cular to give the historical and tra
ditional accounts ot the tony Fed
Huger and the killing ot General
Davidson, because as the reader
will see, Mr. Llenry occupying an
excellent position for observation
details the circumstances of his
death by another hand.
I think tbe reader wiii be inter
ested in Gen. Giabaru summary of
the result of the battle which I now
quote: "At Cowan's Ford, besides
General Davidson there 'ere killed
James Scott of Lieutenant David
sou's picket, Robeii B atty of Gra
ham's cavalry aud oue private of
General Davidson's infantry in all
four. We had none wounded or
taken. The enemie's los as stated
in she Charleston Gazetts two
months after, wis Co!ooel Hail of
the Guards, and another officer
i and twenty nine privates, thiriy one
iu all, kdle-J, ad thirty five- wound
ed. Th;y left sixteeu who w-re
badly wounded they conl I not t
tken at Mr. Lucas' (:he iHr--:
frm) and a surgeon under the po
tectum of a fiau whs left with t rn.
Two wouuded officers were carried
on biers, arid sucm of the other
wounded a- could not alk were
carried in wagons. Some of their
dead wvre found down the rive
j son'e distanc1, lodged in fish traps
i aud on brush about, the banks on
j recks &c. An elegant beaver bat,
made agreeably to the fashion ot
hose times masked inside, "The
property of Josish Martin, Govern-
j or," was fouud teu miles ielo . 1;
was never explain by what means
his excellency lost his hat. He wa
not hurt himself-''
Colonel Wheeler is authority for
tbe statement that Lord Cornwall
narrowly escaped with his life as
bis horse was kill- d under him.
In a letter ro the writer under
date of 14th in?t. Judtre Schenck at
tests his imping confidence ic the
correctness of Mr. Henry's narrative
I take the pnvih-dge ot giving his
words: I only regret tnat I did
not have this ji.ount by Mr. Henry
j before I wrote my history, I feel
confident that it is the only correct
'account of that battle vbioh has
ever been written. It bfars the im
press of froth and i corroborated
by all the natural evidence sur
rounding the scene. '
A debt cf gratitude is due the
mem"iy of Roln rr Henr.x tortus
interesting contribution to our Rev
olutionary history and Judge
Scbenck for placing the saaie before
the public.
A. Nixon.
Robeet Henry's Narrative.
I will proceed to point ont and
correct some of the errors iu Wheel
er's History of North Carolina, so
far as respects the transactions of
Cornwaiiis crossing Cowan's Ford,
en Catawba river, tbe Jst of Feb
uary, 17?1 ; then I will give my own
version of thatjtransaction ; then 1
will give the common report of tbe
transaction shortly after it happen
ed. Wheeler's History, p. 232 '33 :
"Here" (meaning at Cowairs Ford)
"about six hundred mil tia undei
General Davidson were ported, and
a slight skirmi-h oceured. A I5r it
ish Colonel (Ha!i) and three privates
were killed, and thirty six wound
ed.' If we take tuis acc?nnt to be
true, we must conclude that these
militiv were very bad markmen; for
they bad time to have fired five
rounds each, which would have1
been three thousand single shots, at
distances varying from fifty yards
to less than twenty yards, over a
naked sheet of water ; that their
enemy was not obscured by smoke,
being iu water above the wait band
aud banging together by their mus
kets; that not a sing'e uu was fit"
el by them whilst in the wxter.
This story, if it bears telling, can
not be accredited to be true, that
in firing thrte thousand single sho;
they only killed four, including Col.
Hall, and wouuded thirty six. The
story appears further incredible
trom this that iu common battles
ou laud, there areas many, aud of
ten more, men killed than wounded
where the whole force from head to
foot is exposed to fire of t!i' oppo.
Mte party. In the present case, the
body, from aboe the weist band to
the top ol tne head was exposed
for all below was uuder water and
secure from Jead. Wounds in the
upper part of the body a:e donbl
as apt to kill as those in rhe lower
extremities, from tbe waist-band
downward ; hence we wo'ild expect
double as many killed on this occa
sion as wounded but th reverse
is told, that only four were killed,
including Col. Hall, and thirty-six
wouuded,
A further mistake may be noticed
The account states that Davidson
had six hundred misitia, whereas he
had only three hundred. The whde
of this quotation should pass for
nothing.
The next error that I ill notice
is on page 235 of Wheeler's ILstnry,
which I quote: "Soon after live a -tio;
commenced" (meaning Ht 0
an's Fwtd) ''General WjiiMtn Dacni.
soa wa ki led, greatly :a'nen d l.
all who knew bt . 9 a al ; t .
'r t'-e and generous ffj . '
ru s a uj. n is niv : )Av
T
w-,i- kdled y !.- gst j.u;. -a- w s!ci. a e n had h au- -ni
fited tin the Hriti-h -ide on i!m . Um un on; when Moses St. .net
C inn, f r sh" did not tire a izur- i giv.- him his gun. When about to
whilst intho river; a'id the gtiti h .' 1 -"''t. I give Niyhttn hundied
kil ed him was fired at the 1v.re.1V , do-Ur Continental bill for a half
edge on the Meck'enburg s'de; ani
I if Davidson's n othes had been ex
jamined, it is probatde that tbey
would have shown the muk o'
(ponder. The who!e of the Amur's
jeans had h ft tneir stands or i osts
j at lire water's edge and judiciously
Med, )et the British might h-m
1 them in by the river; aud ai utter
si'enee prevailed not a gun fired
on either sid : Siience was first bro-
j ken by the report ot theguu that
killed Dividson.
A further quotation Irom tbe sam
pajre: "The Company commanded
by G'-n. Graham was the first to
commence ths attack" (at Cowan's
Ford) "on the British as they ad-
j vanced through the river, which
was resolutely continued until they
reached the bank, loaded their arm -
and commenced a heavy fire upon
his men, two of whom were killed."
jThe whole of this is a gratuiou
statement, for Gen. Graham was
! not ihere nor was rhere either of
6cer or private killed at that place wa8 encamped ihree-fourtus of a
except Geu. Davidson; nor was' m,e &nri t,li4t some ptrsoa ac-
there any one wounded there ex-(lua,nteJ 'n tlje neighborhood of
cept Robert Beatty, wbo afterwards' (Continued io last page.)
died of toe wound. Gen. Graham
and his company may have been at
DavidsonV camp, three quarters of
a mile Irom the Ford, and two of
bis men might have been killed
there, if they were too tardy in
making their escape before the
Bntih arrived there.
Another quotation from Wheel
er's History, p 264 : 4tAt day,
break the British army under Corn
wallis, on tbe 1st February, 1781,
entered the waters of Catawba,
theu swollen by heavy rams, at Co
wan's Ford. Trie morning was
dark and raiov. The light infan
try under Col. Hall entered first,
followed by tbr grenadiers and the
battal ons. The p'quet ot Gen Da
vidson challenged th enemy; re
ceiving no repK tne gmrd tired.
Tnis turned out the w hol- to:ce of
Davidson, who kept up a galling
fire Itoni the bank."
O'isetvethe m-iming w;s drk
"it. not rainy. Davidson's army
as stationed thre quarters of a
miV Irom the Ford, and did not
tire a gun at the British whilst in
the river, nor afer they came
across ; all the firing by the Ameri-.
.au side in the river and on the
fank wa done by the guard.
Now, I will g:ve mv own versiou
of tin trausa'tion of Cornwaiiis
crossing the GNtawba River at
Cowan's Ford, 1st February, 1781.
Robert Beatty, a lame man, had
ak'n up a school near the Tucka--eageFord,
and had taught two
days, and was teaching the third,
whea news came to tho Sclioo'-houe
Mi t Cornwaiiis was camped at For.
ney s, about stvei miles from the
School house; that. Tarlefon was
ranging through the country catch
ing whig boys to make musicians of
of them iu the British army. Tte
master instantly dinnd-Fed the
scholary, directing them to go home
and spread the news, and retiied
himself. I went tome, and that
night Moses Starret, Geoig Gi.Ies-
pie, Robert Gillespie, and ('haile
Ruth dt'e came to my fatbei's I We
lay on: that night, and tboi My b
f re day-light my bn ther, Jot-epli
Henry, who had left the army lo
give the news, and had crossed Ca
tawb tat .Tone Beattie's in a canoe;
mid when leleft the arm.: it was
expected that Cornwaiiis would
fios the river at Tu?;kascage Ford,
Early iu the morning this company
crossed the river at Beatties, about
jiwomiies below Tuckaseage Ford,
where we hid our canoe, staid some
erne at Beatties' then went up to
the Tuckaseage Fird, and tin anuv
wa at Cowan's Ford, we went up
the river to John Nigh'n's who
treated uh well ty giving us po'a
'Oes to roast, and ho rue whiskey to
irink. We became noixy and mis-
IiHvoms. Ni'h'eti s.ijd 'ac huid
ij r iiae a;;y lt:r.r-'" ulils'-ey. I
pr-opo-' d :-. to 'o "h'- c "' ; " 'tie
j - "U '
i '
' u'i ' me have
11 u M bn th-
T n ' e a :i I 1 g v e ijjm Mi- ; C har
s R " i -d p d h - t
a w ot whiskey. My brother
aw a.:ioti:-r bill o ttie same size
fo- hab a tu:i' ei of potatoes. Wo
' dispatched th whiskey. B ing
j thus equipped, we went to the Ford,
! which w a"tut a ftiiie and a ha:f.
! When we arrived, the guard tliat
l fher, thirty ;n nu:n.er, raaile
a welcome ; the officer or the guard
to'd us that c r wains wot id e-r-tatnly
attempt to cross that night
or early in the morning; that each
one of the g- ard had picked their
stands to annoy the British as they
j crossed, that when he alarm was
given tbey would not be crowded,
or be in each others way and said
we must ihoose) our stands. He aci
j complied u Charles Rutledge
chose the uppermost stand, and I
j chose tbe lowest, next tbe getting
ou? place of the Fora; the officer
observed, that he considered that
Davidson bad dne wrong, for that
tbe army should have beeu station
i ec at the Ford instead of which it