Battle of Ramsour's Mill

I am a newcomer to the history of the Revolutionary War. I grew up in the West, far from the eastern battlefields. To illustrate this point, when Benedict Arnold was defeated at the Battle of Valcour Island on October 11, 1776, Dominguez and Escalante were on the other side of the continent passing through an empty valley inhabited only by Paiute Indians. That empty valley is where I now live. Therefore, the stories and setting of the war are far removed from my own experience. 

Recently I visited North Carolina and was placed on ground zero of Revolutionary battlefields. Just being there brought the battles alive. Some of the conflicts were major and others minor. The Battle of Ramsour's Mill falls into the latter category. 

My study of the war has really made me wonder which side I would have been on had I lived back then. Loyalist or Patriot? It's easy to look back with hindsight and think I would have been a Patriot, but it wasn't so cut and dry. Having nothing besides ideology separating the two sides, it would be the equivalent—at least in my mind—of a modern war between Republicans and Democrats. 

They say that the Revolution was North America's first civil war. That point is illustrated perhaps no better than at the Battle of Ramsour's Mill. When all was said and done, many of the dead, Loyalist and Patriot alike, were buried in the same mass grave because they couldn't be told apart. 

Millstone on display at the battleground site.

The battle took place in Lincoln County, North Carolina, just twenty five miles northwest of Charlotte. That area now consists of an elementary and high school, complete with football field and playground. The former is fittingly named Battleground Elementary. Clark Creek flows roughly north to south on the west side. 

Leading up to battle the British had gained momentum with decisive victories in Georgia and South Carolina under the command of Lord Cornwallis. In early June of 1780, Colonel John Moore and Major Nicholas Welch, both natives of Lincoln County, returned home and issued a call for local residents to assemble and support the Loyalists. By June 19th, over 1,000 men and boys, most unarmed, camped on the east bench of Clark Creek on the land of Christian Reinhardt. On the west was a gristmill operated by Jacob Ramsour. 

Meanwhile, Patriot General Griffith Rutherford, who was camped near Charlotte, learned of the assembling Loyalists. He sent orders to Colonel Francis Locke and other militia leaders to call up their militia groups. Locke responded by gathering 400 infantry and cavalry at Mountain Creek, a location sixteen miles northeast of the battle site.—It was decided by Locke's group to attack at daybreak without waiting for Rutherford's group, fearing the British might gain extra reinforcements. 

Clark Creek.

The Battle 

The Patriot militia left Mountain Creek and made a night march toward Ramsour's Mill. A heavy fog blanketed the area surrounding the mill and Christian Reinhardt's farm. Led by the cavalry, Patriot forces marched to battle, coming close to the Loyalist encampment before being discovered. 

The cavalry attacked first, followed by the infantry. The British were caught off-guard, but quickly recovered and fired back. Fighting was brutal, much of it hand to hand. Sometimes muskets were used as clubs due to lack of ammunition. They wore no uniforms. Patriots pinned white paper on their hats. Tories (or British) stuck green twigs in theirs. 

The Patriots were able to gain control of the ridge, but when they were unable to reform their line, Colonel Locke ordered a retreat. Captain John Dickey, the legendary hero of Ramsour's Mill, refused to obey orders and led a group of militiamen to higher ground. The marksmen, led by John Hardin, picked off several Loyalist soldiers and turned the battle into a victory. Loyalists retreated toward the mill, crossing to the west side of Clark Creek where they dispersed into the countryside. The battle lasted less than two hours. 

Grave of John Martin Shuford on the battlefield of Ramsour's Mill.

South of the football field is a sloping grassy field and a log cabin with rock chimney. I don't know the age of the cabin, nor whether it was connected to the battle. Next to it is a large millstone for display on the grass, as well as an interpretive sign. Near this is a parking area where my brother-in-law and I parked to explore what we could of the battlefield. 

North of the cabin next to a grove of trees is the grave of John Martin Shuford, a farmer recruited by the British to fight in the war. He died during battle at age 36. 

We walked along a dirt path through the grove of trees, alongside what appeared to be a practice field for the football team. Soon we came to Clark Creek, a small stream by North Carolina standards. Being left to our own knowledge—which wasn't much on this subject—we had no idea of the location of Jacob Ramsour's Mill, nor of Christian Reinhardt's farm. We found a few remains of something, but wasn't sure how old, or what it was. 

After the battle had ended and the fog had lifted, it was revealed that many had died. Estimates say that perhaps 50 to 70 on each side had perished, and several more than that were wounded. Many were wounded so severely that they died days later. 

Like I stated earlier, this was a battle between friends and family members. There is a story of Peter Costner, a Loyalist, who was killed by his brother, Thomas, who buried his brother's body after the combat. Another story tells of a man who rushed to battle hoping to kill his sibling, only to find that he had already been wounded and carried off. 

We wandered to other parts of the arena. On the south side of the school complex is what is referred to as “The General's Grave.” A sign indicated that there were several Generals killed in the battle, but two of them, John Dobson and John Bowman were interred at the site. Others were returned to their hometowns to be buried. What made the General's Grave interesting was that years later, when other family members had passed away, they chose to bury them there also. 

"The General's Grave," located behind the Elementary School at Lincolnton, North Carolina.

On the north side of the Elementary School, across the street from the football field, is a mass grave. Due to the fact that many of the soldiers could not be distinguished from one another because they wore no uniforms, they were respectfully buried together. Shortly after the battle work began to help the wounded and bury the dead. A large trench was dug on the west side of the hill where Loyalist and Patriot were interred as one. 

There was a somber feeling as we slowly walked around the mass grave. Today it is manicured with grass and surrounded with cement curbing. Two small Colonial flags are displayed at the corners. As we pondered, light raindrops began to fall. 

A nearby plaque reads: “Underneath this hallowed ground, lying between the borders marked, are the remains of many of the seventy brave and true citizen-soldiers, names unknown, Loyalists and Patriots, their bodies unclaimed. They died fighting, their strong beliefs intact, on that 20th day of June, 1780. Sacred to memory are those who fell, defending their beliefs, at the Battle of Ramsour's Mill. May these stones cry out—lest we forget!” 

A mass grave, which includes both Loytalist and Patriot.

The Aftermath 

On that day in June, 400 Patriots defeated 1,300 Loyalists. The victory weakened support and morale for the Loyalist cause and began momentum for the Patriots. It provided inspiration for the crucial victory at King's Mountain just a few months later. 

And remember Captain Dickey, the man who refused orders and led an attack that would turn the tide of battle? He was hailed as a hero, and perhaps a legend. A Patriot soldier composed a ballad to honor Captain Dickey. It has been sung many times in his honor. One verse remains: 

"Old Colonel Locke kept pretty well back,
While brave Captain Dickey commenced the attack.
He, Colonel Locke, ordered us to retreat and reform,
Which made our old hero mightily storm." 

By this time the rain was picking up and now a downpour. We darted quickly for the truck. As we drove through the green Carolina countryside, I couldn't help but to ponder the history tucked inside these lonely dales. History that was crucial to our nation's beginning, but is lost to the majority of us who have moved on or live so far away. ♠

Grave of Mary Anne Ramsour Butler at White Church Cemetery in Lincolnton. Daughter of Jacob Ramsour.