Part 15 (1/2)
IREDELL COUNTY.
Iredell county was formed in 1788 from Rowan county, and named in honor of James Iredell, one of the a.s.sociate Judges of the Supreme Court of the United States.
At the time of the war of the Revolution the county of Rowan embraced all that beautiful and agricultural region extending from the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, eastwardly, to where the Yadkin river loses its name in the great Peedee; comprising a territory equal in extent to several of the States of the American Union, and presenting a varied topography, unsurpa.s.sed for bold mountain scenery and lovely landscapes spreading over the charming champaign country lying between the Yadkin and Catawba rivers. Within this territory are now organized many counties, with attractive features, one of which is the county of Iredell.
COLONEL ALEXANDER OSBORN.
Alexander Osborn was born in New Jersey in 1709, and emigrated to the western part of Rowan county (now Iredell) about 1755. He was a Colonel in the Colonial government, and as such marched with a regiment of Rowan troops to Hillsboro in 1768 to a.s.sist Governor Tryon in suppressing the ”Regulation” movement.
He married Agnes McWhorter, a sister of Dr. Alexander McWhorter, president of Queen's Museum College in Charlotte. His residence (called Belmont) was one of the earliest wors.h.i.+ping places of the Presbyterians of Rowan county before the present ”Center Church” was erected, and became by compromise the _central_ meeting-house of wors.h.i.+p for a large extent of surrounding country. Colonel Osborn was a man of fine character and wielded a strong influence in his day and generation.
In the graveyard of Center Church, on a double headstone, are the following records:
”Here lys the body of Col. Alexander Osborn, who deceased July y'e 11th, 1776, aged 67 years;” and, separated by a dividing upright line, this record appears:
”Here lys the body of Agnes...o...b..rn, who deceased July y'e 9th, 1776.”
From these records it would appear that this worthy couple left the scenes of earth for a brighter world only two days apart, and not on the same day, as stated by some authorities. They left one son, Adlai Osborn, who graduated at Princeton College in 1768. He was Clerk of the Court for Rowan county under the Royal government, and continued in that office until 1809. He was a man of fine literary attainments, the warm friend of education, and one of the first Trustees of the State University. He died in 1815, leaving a large family, among whom were Spruce McCay Osborn, who graduated at Chapel Hill in 1806; studied medicine, entered the army as surgeon, and was killed at the ma.s.sacre of Fort Mimms in the war of 1812; and Edwin Jay Osborn, who was distinguished as a lawyer of eloquence and learning, and was the father of the late Judge James W. Osborn, of Charlotte, one of Mecklenburg's most worthy, gifted and lamented sons.
CAPTAIN WILLIAM SHARPE.
Captain William Sharpe was born on the 13th of December, 1742, and was the eldest son of Thomas Sharpe, of Cecil county, Maryland. At the age of twenty-one he came to North Carolina and settled in Mecklenburg county, where he married a daughter of David Reese, one of the signers of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence. He was a lawyer by profession and had a large practice. Soon after his marriage he moved to the western part of Rowan county (now Iredell) and took an active and decided stand for liberty. The Journal of the ”Committee of Safety” for Rowan county, from 1774 to 1776, presents a n.o.ble record of his activity and influence.
He was a member from Rowan county to the Provincial Congress which met at Newbern in April, 1775; and also of the Congress at Hillsboro, in August, 1775. In November, 1776, he was a member of the Convention at Halifax which formed our first State Const.i.tution. He acted as aid to General Rutherford in his campaign against the Cherokee Indians in 1776. In 1777 he was appointed with Waightstill Avery, Joseph Winston and Robert Laneer to form a treaty with the same tribe of Indians.
In 1779 he was appointed a member of the Continental Congress at Philadelphia, and served until 1782. He died in July, 1818, in the 77th year of his age, leaving a widow and twelve children. Two of his sons, William and Thomas, were in the battle at Ramsour's Mill,--the former commanding a company with distinguished bravery, and, near the close of the action, shot down one of the Tory captains which speedily terminated the fortunes of the day in favor of the American arms.
His eldest daughter, Matilda, married William W. Erwin, of Burke county, who, for more than forty years, was Clerk of the Superior Court for that county, and in November, 1789, was the delegate to the Convention at Fayetteville which ratified the Federal Const.i.tution.
Like a faithful vine she raised fifteen children who have held honorable positions in society. His second daughter, Ruth, married Col. Andrew Caldwell, of Iredell county, who was often a member of the State Legislature. He was the father of the late Judge David F.
Caldwell, the Hon. Joseph P. Caldwell, Dr. Elam Caldwell, of Lincolnton, and others.
MAJOR WILLIAM GILL, CAPTAIN ANDREW CARSON, AND OTHERS.
Many interesting events which transpired within the territory of ”old Rowan” during the war of the Revolution, have unfortunately been buried from our view by those who have pa.s.sed away. A few traditions still linger in the memory of the descendants of those who were actors in those scenes relating more particularly to the north-eastern portion of Iredell, and of some of the families who resided there. And although such traditions can only be now presented as detached and fragmentary items of history, yet they are worthy of being preserved and placed on permanent record.
The facts given in this sketch relate to that part of Iredell lying between Statesville, its county seat, and Yadkinville, the county seat of Yadkin county, and mostly near to the dividing line of these two counties.
The numerous creeks and small streams which water this portion of Iredell, empty into three large streams of about the same size, flowing through it, named South Yadkin, Rocky Creek, and Hunting Creek. These streams mingle their waters in a common channel before their confluence with the Great Yadkin, in the county of Davie.
In the year 1778, Thomas Young removed from Mecklenburg, Virginia, to North Carolina, and settled on Hunting Creek, within three miles of the place where the counties of Yadkin, Davie, and Iredell now form a common corner. He was then pa.s.sed the age for military service, but had furnished three sons-in-law and two sons to the army of General Was.h.i.+ngton, and a third son, at sixteen years of age, to the army at Norfolk, Va.
One of his sons-in-law, Major William Gill, entered the service at the beginning of the war, and became connected with the staff of General Was.h.i.+ngton. He served in the capacity of aid to the Commander-in-chief through the war, and was with him at the surrender of Cornwallis, at Yorktown. From this point he returned to his family, in Mecklenburg, Va., who had not heard from him in two years.
Soon after the establishment of peace, Major Gill, with his family, and the other two sons-in-law of Mr. Young, viz: Major Daniel Wright and Dr. Thomas Moody, and his sons, William, Henry, and Thomas Young, removed to North Carolina and settled near him. Major Gill settled on Rocky Creek, near to the site of the present village of Olin, and, at his death, was interred in the family burying ground on the lands of his father-in-law. The record on his tombstone states that he died on the 4th of September, 1797, in the 47th year of his age. His commission is now in possession of his descendants, in Iredell county.
The part which Major Gill bore in the great struggle for independence, was once familiar in the traditions of his family, and must have been satisfactory to General Was.h.i.+ngton, from the fact that he continued with him to the end of the war, and bore with him into retirement the commission which made him one of the military family of the father of his country.
A single incident will show the spirit with which Maj. Gill bore himself on the battle-field. At the battle of Brandywine, while discharging his duty, he became separated from his command, and, in the dense smoke of the conflict, rode into the ranks of the enemy.
Upon discovering his situation, the only means of escape which presented itself, was to leap his horse over a high rail fence, which was being scattered by the artillery of the enemy. This feat he accomplished successfully, and afterward received the congratulations of his General for the spirited adventure and escape.
It has not been recorded in history that the mortal remains of a member of the staff of General Was.h.i.+ngton repose on the banks of Hunting Creek, in the county of Iredell, N.C. The tradition here given of the fact, can be yet fully attested by surviving members of the family of Major Gill, as well as by his commission.