In recent wars men and women fought along-side of each other in battle but in earlier times men mostly were in combat. In fact, it was forbidden for a known woman to serve in combat during the Revolutionary War on either side, but some did without knowledge of their commanders.
During the Revolutionary War, when men were at war, the women, children, older people, and enslaved people were left to take care of things at home. This applied to the Patriot side along with the Tory side.
On the farms and plantations crops had to be planted and taken care of. Livestock had to be fed and taken care of. Businesses and shops had to be kept running all the while a major war was taking place.
Adding to the dilemma food and livestock sometimes had to be hidden to keep them out of the wrong hands such as enemy scouting parties. Grist mills were a prime target as well as any type of iron, powder or ammunition factory. With very little protection folks on the homefront often saw their homes and barns burnt to the ground in front of their eyes on both sides of the war. Some womenfolk were shot or tortured for what information they might know or in some cases just for what side their husbands were fighting on.
Although in most cases women were not on the front lines some served as spies and messengers. Some even followed their men from camp to camp and served as cooks, seamstresses or provided care for the sick and wounded. Being behind the lines could often still be a very dangerous place to be with all the shelling and diseases.
In this column I hope to tell you about at least three N.C. Patriot women who played their parts in our war for independence from England. I’m sure there are many more accounts that space won’t allow but I’m sure the ladies of your local chapter of the DAR or local Historical Societies can provide more insight into the subject.
Our first story is about a sixteen-year-old girl by the name of Betsy Dowds. Betsy lived around Currituck Sound in northeastern N.C. Early on the evening of December 8th, 1775, Betsy overheard someone telling her parents that a large British and Tory force were marching down from Virginia to overtake the Great Bridge. They would then burn all the patriot’s homes and barns along the way unless they joined the British side.
Well, on that rainy night, before anybody knew, Betsy saddled her marsh pony named Black Bess and took off to warn the other patriots along a fifty- mile ride. To save precious
time she took short-cuts through swamps, marshes and rivers all on the back of her small Spanish mustang. She warned all she came across and told them to tell N.C. Militia.
In a short time, the local N.C. Militia was on their way to the Great Bridge and somehow managed to route the British back into Virginia.
Later, for her daring action she earned personal thanks from General George Washington.
Our second story is about a female patriot by the name of Sallie Salter (1742-1800). Her story takes place in the south eastern part of our great state in Bladen Co. around Elizabethtown.
Seems that British General Cornwallis decided to mount an attack in the southern colonies starting in 1779 and lasting until around 1781. He thought that another Army of Loyalists could be raised throughout the south and his plan was taking shape across the Carolinas as many local men did join the Loyalist cause.
As time went by Loyalist Militia were raiding, burning and killing over the low country of North and South Carolinas.
So it was that a group of Loyalist with over three-hundred men over ran the Patriot Militia around Elizabethtown and took over the town that was located just above the Cape Fear River. The Patriots (Whigs) fled into Duplin Co. while the Loyalist (Tories) camped around Elizabethtown.
Around August,1781 while still in their camp the Tories were visited by a woman by the name of Sallie Salter. Working as a spy she was dressed in just a plain dress and bonnet. She was allowed to sell eggs to the Tory troops, but this was just a big front. For while she was selling her eggs, she gathered important information about their number of men and number of arms and where they kept their prisoners.
The next day she contacted the Bladen Patriot Militia in Duplin Co. That night with only 60 to 80 men and a plan the men slipped back across the Cape Fear River and attacked the Tory camp. The Tories were so surprised by the night attack that they ran into the woods. With all their tory leaders killed there nothing but chaos within the large Tory camp. The Torries were rounded up at what is now called Tory Hole just below Elizabethtown on the Cape Fear River.
Although Sallie didn’t fight in the battle her information, that was gathered while selling eggs, proved to be a great help for the Patriots in winning the Battle of Elizabethtown.
Although our next female Patriot wasn’t a spy or even a great rider, she endured the wraths that many women did during the Revolutionary War. Her name was Rosa Anna Auld
Harrington, wife of General Henry William Harrington of Richmond Co. N.C. Her family was from Anson Co. but after marrying Henry the family lived on their plantation south of Rockingham on the Pee Dee River. On their plantation the Harringtons raised cotton and many other crops with a lot of enslaved labor.
As the war broke out Mr. Harrington formed a Whig Militia and he was then put in command of a regiment as he quicky moved up through the ranks. During the war he was away from home a lot.
As I said earlier when a Patriot was away from home fighting, others took advantage to raid and burn homes and plantations. So, it was with Harrington plantation.
Late one evening a man that Mrs. Harrington knew and was serving under the General knocked on Mrs. Harrington’s door. He informed her that a Tory raiding party was operating in the area and the general wanted the family to leave the plantation.
During the winter night, with help from the enslaved people, she loaded some wagons with essentials that very night. Early the next morning she stepped up on one of the wagons where she was handed her first born young daughter by the name of Harriet. They and their drivers then started north on the old River Road. Don’t know why they just didn’t cross the river to her family, but it’s possible the Tories could have been guarding the ferries.
Along about ten the next morning the Harrington party was about to ford Big Mountain Creek when they were set upon by a band of so-called Tories. The Tories took everything they had, even the horses and wagons, and left the family on foot.
The family had no other choice but to walk back home in the cold winter weather. Later, mainly due to exposure, young Harriet passed away.
Rosa Anna and General Harrington had five known children; Harriet, Henry William, another Harriet, Michael, and another Henry William. The first four died as infants or early childhood. The last child Henry William Harrington served in the U.S. Navy during the War of 1812 and became a member of the House of Commons.
This has been just a few stories of the heroic actions and hardships of women who lived during the American Revolutionary Era.