American colonial military unit
Military unit
The Wilkes County Regiment was authorized on December 9, 1777 by the Province of North Carolina Congress at the same time that Wilkes County, North Carolina was created from Surry County, North Carolina and Washington District, North Carolina. The regiment was subordinate to the Salisbury District Brigade of militia. It was engaged in battles and skirmishes against the British and Cherokee during the American Revolution in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia between 1779 and 1782. It was active until the end of the war.[1]
Officers
The colonels and commanders of the regiment were:[1]
Known Lieutenant Colonels and Majors:
- Lt. Col. Hardgrove
- Lt. Col. John Herndon
- Lt. Col. William Nash
- Lt. Col. William Shepherd
- 1st Maj. John Brevard
- 2nd Maj. William Lewis
- Maj. Josiah Branham
- Maj. Jesse Hardin Franklin (later Governor of North Carolina, 1820-1821)[3][4]
- Maj. Nathaniel Gordon
- Maj. Joseph Hardin Sr.
- Maj. Francis Hardgrave
- Maj. Benjamin Herndon
- Maj. Joseph Herndon
- Maj. Elijah Isaacs
- Maj. William Lenoir
- Maj. Joseph Lewis
- Maj. James Smith
- Maj. James Stevenson
The regiment had 78 known companies headed by captains. Companies consisted of lieutenants, ensigns, sergeants, corporals, privates, drummers and fifers. Notables captains and other troops included:[1]
- Capt Richard Allen (1778-1781, may have been Colonel of the regiment after the war[5]
- Private John Hammond under Captain Larkin Cleveland (the 2nd to last Revolutionary War Patriot to die, 1760-1868)[6]
- Captain and Major William Lenoir later went on to become a major general in the North Carolina militia after the war.
North Carolina