The Regulator War- Part eight-The Battle of Alamance May 16th, 1771 by Jim Curran

Jim Curran Admin 05/16/21 20+ Pictures

The Regulator War- Part eight-The Battle of Alamance May 16th, 1771

On May 16th the tensions that had been boiling among a people repressed by a Royal governor that acted like a king and officials that had defrauded then and infringed of their liberties time and time again came to a fateful head at Alamance located just south of what is Burlington NC. About 2000 Regulators had gathered to oppose Tryon. The Regulators hoped that a show of strength would convince Tryon to listen to their grievances. Such would not be the case. Among Tryon’s troops were their very oppressors including Fanning. There was no acknowledgment of their many legitimate grievances, simply orders to disperse and submit. The Tentative battle would last but two hours but the posturing before would consume most of the day before. As tensions escallated and violence appeared imminent Herman Husband being a Quaker left the area. Alamance Camp, Thursday, May 16, 1771.To Those Who Style Themselves “Regulators”: In reply to your petition of yesterday, I am to acquaint you that I have ever been attentive to the interests of your County and to every individual residing therein. I lament the fatal necessity to which you have now reduced me by withdrawing yourselves from the mercy of the crown and from the laws of your country. To require you who are now assembled as Regulators, to quietly lay down your arms, to surrender up your leaders, to the laws of your country and rest on the leniency of the Government. By accepting these terms within one hour from the delivery of this dispatch, you will prevent an effusion of blood, as you are at this time in a state of rebellion against your King, your country, and your laws.(Signed) William Tryon.Later as the dispatch’s time expired yet another demand would be sent.Gentlemen and Regulators: Those of you who are not too far committed should desist and quietly return to your homes, those of you who have laid yourselves liable should submit without resistance. I and others promise to obtain for you the best possible terms. The Governor will grant you nothing. You are unprepared for war! You have no cannon! You have no military training! You have no commanding officers to lead you in battle. You have no ammunition. You will be defeated! The tense standoff continued until nearly evening. Two of Tryon’s men attempting reconnaissance Lt. Col Jojn Baptista Ashe and Captain John Walker were captured the night before by the regulators and whipped. This action by a few of their number disgusted many of the Regulators. Tryon’s army had also taken prisoner some of the Regulators. Tryon would attempt to exchange their prisoners but that was to no avail. There were attempts however to diffuse the situation which would only escalate and break into battle. WE Fitch in his Neglected history of North Caroline describes the beginning of the battle. “It was now about midday. Mr. Robert Thompson, who was leaving to go back to the Regulators, for whom he had been interceding with Tryon for a reconciliation in their behalf, was detained by Tryon as a prisoner. Indignant at such perfidy, he thereupon told the Governor some very plain truths. He was an amiable, but bold, outspoken gentleman, deservedly beloved and respected for his unimpeachable character. (Revolutionary History of North Carolina, P 33.) Being unarmed, therefore his leaving was not an escape, but simply retiring in the conscious dignity of a gentleman. At this moment the irritable Governor snatched a gun from a militiaman and with his own hand shot and killed Thompson. Tryon perceived his folly the next moment, and sent a flag of truce toward the Regulators’ side of the field. Donald Malcolm, one of the governer’s aides, was the bearer of this flag. (He was afterwards a very obnoxious under-officer of the customs at Boston.) He had proceeded but a short distance when the Regulators, enraged at the revengeful act of the blood-thirsty Tryon, immediately began firing with deadly aim. When the firing commenced, the bearer of the flag retreated with safety to his person, but had the misfortune to have the buttons of his small clothes leave their fastenings. Trumbal, in his “M’Fingal,” with rather more wit than modesty, refers to the circumstance in four lines. Tryon, now all the more enraged at the disrespect to his white flag, mounted on his white charger, handsome and commanding in his person, rising in his stirrups led his army to battle, crying, “Fire! fire!” Yet his men hesitated, when he again cried out “Fire on them!” or “Fire on me!” “Fire and be damned!” cried a Regulator, and instantly the din of battle began.” The Regulators would hide behind trees and rocks while Tryon’s forces were arrayed in straight line British military precision. The early course of the Battle would seem to favor the Regulators but there was another factor in play- the cannons. The British artillery would begin to fire volleys against the Regulators. At least one history indicates that the cannon were the first to fire (and this is also what is generally noted in tours of the site.) The regulator leader Captain Montgomery was felled by a volley by the Cannon. The cannon were devastating to the regulators and raked havoc among them. However hidden behind a rock was James Pugh who was a brother-in-law to Herman Husband. He was a gunsmith and an expert marksman. His aim took out many of the artilleryman and he was the regulator’s only defense against them. (There is some indication that the regulators captured one cannon but had no ammunition so it was useless to them) The Regulators would hold out just a little while longer as their ammunition began to fail. They began to retreat to the woods. The costs of the battle varied widely Tryon in his report would say “loss in killed, wounded, and missing was about sixty men and the enemy two hundred.” (Col. Rec., Vol. 8, pp. 609, 616.) However it is known that James Pugh, who was a sharpshooter of the regulators killed 15 on Tryon’s artillerymen. Martin in his history of North Carolina notes that “That out of a company from Beaufort County, fifteen were either killed or wounded by the Regulators.” Considering this Tryon’s losses likely were quite higher than reported. The Battlefield is located just south of Burlington, NC on NC Hwy 62. It is operated by the State of North Carolina and certainly a must visit. If you go there however expect to hear little of the side of the story you are hearing now. The movie largely focuses on Herman Husband and does not deal with many of the issues voiced by the regulators such as the vestry tax and the non recognition of marriages. (As an aside see Shiloh Films movies on the battle and the Regulators much better.) A couple of times I got the docents to talk about the vestry tax or Benjamin Merrill by mentioning them but apparently it is not in the regular script. Several of the signs scattered about the battlefield call into doubt several items found in history or on the monuments. These have been added some time between 2013 when I first visited there and 2016. They call into doubt that James Pugh who was a brother-in-law of Herman Husband was later hanged and rather Enoch Pugh was hanged. (This is completely ridiculous in light of the fact that he was arraigned as well as tried at Hillsborough. That is not to mention that his death is well documented.) Two other signs call into doubt inscriptions upon the 1880 monument as well as the Colonial column placed by the Daughters of the American Revolution. This had stood in the Gulliford Courthouse battlefield until the National Park Service had evicted it. Here is an organization dedicated to the American Revolution that placed a monument calling this the first battle of the Revolution yet that is disregarded.As a note I think a few lessons are in order. Notice that the order was given to lay down their arms. A disarmed people is a people that can be subjugated. There was a reason that the second amendment was passed in our bill of rights. Tyrants also give no quarter. After the battle Tryon would go through settlements demanding obedience.

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