The War of the Regulation Part Five- Tryon at Hillsborough May 9th by Jim Curran

Jim Curran Admin 05/09/21 (3) Baptist Church History | Facebook

The War of the Regulation Part Five- Tryon at Hillsborough May 9th

On May 9th The army of Tryon would arrive at Hillsborough with about 1000 troops. The Militia came mainly from the East and were fortified by 2 Cannon and about 20 “gentlemen of distinction” who would ride as cavalry. The next day Tryon would send off a letter to General Hugh Waddell that sounded so ironic in tone. Wadell would soon march to try to get to Alamance and reinforce Tryon. Hillsborough 10th May 1771.General Waddell. “The Army arrived here yesterday in good health and in High Spirits. I shall be at the place of Rendezvous at the time appointed from whence I shall be happy to carry into execution in concert with you the most vigorous measures in the support of Government and the invaluable Rights of the Constitution—The Army with me is formidable from the unanimity that subsists through all Ranks independent of its Numbers which with its Officers included will be little short of two thousand men. I have a good Train of Artillery well provided with Ammunition—General Gage sent me some Brass Cannon from New York which fortunately arrived at Newbern the day before we marched.Perhaps this letter may fall into the Enemy’s hands; if it should my operations will be the same and the principles of my actions invariable. My heart feels a generous warmth in the cause in which I am inlisted and I trust I shall pursue it with an ardor that will not discredit the confidence that is reposed in my conduct by both officers and Soldiers under my command.”Those cannon would be unleashed upon men armed only with musket and ball. The “gentlemen of distinction” would ravage through home, field, and barn burning them in the time to come. As a note a letter in the Moravian’s Bethabara Diary (Tryon would later camp there) indicates that Tryon’s intent originally was to use some of the 2000 British regulators that had landed with the New Governor who had landed in New York. Perhaps this explains why such a “lame duck” governor would undertake such a military expedition when he had already been appointed to go to New York.