Re-examining the battle of Alamance

9/06/2009 06:59:00 AM
I'm sure you all remember the battle of Alamance, in FIERY CROSS, after which Roger was hanged. Here's an interesting article from today's Raleigh [NC] News & Observer, about the battle, describing how historians and archaeologists are re-examining the site. (Note the sidebar where it mentions that some of the Regulators were hanged after the battle.) I thought this was fascinating. I'd never seen this battle mentioned anywhere outside of Diana's books before.

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5 comments

Deniz Bevan said...

Hi Karen,
I hadn't known about this battle before, either, but last year my husband and I actually visited the battlesite! I still can't decide if it's a good or bad thing that I was more interested in the battle and the history since I could picture Jamie and Claire and Roger and Bree and even Tryon (spooked off his horse by Jamie's Highland cry!) there in the woods. That is, I should be interested in history for its own sake, for knowing about those who came before us and all the events that have shaped the world; yet it's all so much more real when you can envision people there... The article says Tryon hanged seven, but in Fiery Cross it says three - not counting poor Roger.

September 7, 2009 at 4:29 PM
Karen Henry said...

Hi Deniz:

"It's all so much more real" -- I couldn't agree with you more! When I visited Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia about a year ago, I was absolutely fascinated to see what everything looked like in real life.

Interesting that you came all the way from Canada to see the battlefield at Alamance, while I live only a couple of hours drive away from there and have never been there myself. I'll have to check it out one of these days.

Karen

September 7, 2009 at 7:47 PM
Metz said...

Hi :)

Dropping by to say hi and to see what is new over here on your side of the world and things seem great as always :) Will just be reading here for a while :)

Hope that your week is continuing to be a fabulous one and stress free.

Take care always,
Metz
In the mean time come and visit my virtual streets :)

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September 10, 2009 at 10:51 AM
Jari Backman said...

Dear Karen,

Tryon reached even London Gazette.

And then there is the the Journal of the Campaign, where it is said that the man (James Few, p. 845) was hanged to appease the murmurings of the Troops.

The grave of the six men is marked as the seventh, James Few above, was probably buried in an unknown place.

Also there is the interesting Battle of Alamance, a story from 1905 that explains (at the bottom of the page), how Few was executed on spot without a proper trial (like Roger was hanged), and that he was in a state of insanity. The next page explains in detail the trial of the six men a month later.

And that the punishment didn't just include hanging:
That the prisoner should be carried to the place from whence he came; that he should be drawn from thence to the place of execution and hanged by the neck; that he should be cut down while yet alive; that his bowels should be taken out and burned before his face; that his head should be cut off, and that his body should be divided into four quarters, which were to be placed at the King's disposal, and may the Lord have mercy on your soul.

I also have read about Tryon's correspondence, but can't find it here now.

September 13, 2009 at 2:13 PM
Karen Henry said...

Jari:

Wow, thank you so much for digging up all that detailed information!

Karen

September 13, 2009 at 4:22 PM

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