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27-619: Lieutenant Colonel Richard Dobbs Spaight from the Craven County Regiment served as an aide to general William Caswell. The following regiments were included in the New Bern District Brigade, which was subordinate to the North Carolina Militia and State Troops, Major General Ashe, beginning in 1778. Each regiment contained companies of up to 50 men. The existing Beaufort County regiment was authorized as part of

54-531: A duel on September 5, 1802, in which Stanly shot and mortally wounded Spaight, who died the following day. Spaight was the father of North Carolina Governor Richard Dobbs Spaight Jr. and the grandfather of U.S. Representative Richard Spaight Donnell . Spaight was born in New Bern, North Carolina , the son of the secretary of the Crown in the colony and grand-nephew of North Carolina Governor Arthur Dobbs . Orphaned at

81-551: A Federalist, his views on states rights led him to become associated with the Democratic-Republican Party of Thomas Jefferson . He lost his bid for re-election to Congress but returned to state government, serving in the North Carolina Senate beginning in 1801. Spaight was part of the planter class and an extensive enslaver. According to census records, he enslaved 71 people in 1790 and 83 people in 1800. At

108-523: A memorial and museum stands today. Among his many accomplishments was Caswell's proposal to use the reimbursement funds for aid rendered to the Crown during the French and Indian War for erecting and establishing a free school in every county. His "Address to the General Assembly" in 1760 on this topic was used for many years by other politicians in favor of public education. He also wrote the proposal into

135-731: A regiment of the North Carolina militia by the North Carolina Provincial Congress on September 9, 1775. It was active until the end of the war. The colonels included: The Johnston County Regiment participated in 13 known battles and skirmishes in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia during the American Revolution: The North Carolina General Assembly created the Jones County Regiment when it created Jones County out of

162-452: A regiment of the North Carolina militia by the North Carolina Provincial Congress on September 9, 1775. It was active until the end of the war. The colonels of this regiment included: The Pitt County Regiment was engaged in the nine known battles and skirmishes: Richard Dobbs Spaight Richard Dobbs Spaight (March 25, 1758 – September 6, 1802) was an American Founding Father , politician, planter , and signer of

189-606: The 2nd North Carolina Regiment during the American Revolutionary War. He was lost at sea in 1784. William, a son by his first marriage, was also colonel of Dobbs Regiment and brigadier general and in command of New Bern District during the war. Caswell died in Fayetteville, North Carolina , on November 10, 1789. According to tradition, his body was returned to Kinston for burial in the Caswell family cemetery, near where

216-677: The Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge (1776). Soon after that, the Provincial Congress disbanded minuteman battalions in favor of militia. In 1780, he was commissioned major general of militia and state troops. At the Battle of Camden Court House in 1780, his troops fled after Virginia militia broke and ran in panic, exposing him to attack without greater defense, leaving the Continentals behind to suffer defeat. After his defeat at Camden Court House, Caswell returned home with an unnamed illness. In

243-766: The Congress of the Confederation between 1782 and 1785; he then served in the North Carolina House of Commons from 1785 to 1787 and was named speaker of the House . In 1787, he was a delegate to the Philadelphia Convention that drafted the U.S. Constitution, and he signed the document when he was 29 years old. Under the North Carolina Constitution of 1776, Spaight was nominated for governor in 1787 but

270-470: The Governor's Palace, New Bern , in 1791. Spaight retired from politics for several years because of ill health; he returned to the state House of Representatives in 1792. Also, in 1792, he was elected the first native-born governor of North Carolina and was re-elected by the General Assembly for two further one-year terms. During his term as governor, sites were chosen for the new state capital of Raleigh and

297-542: The United States Constitution , who served as a Democratic-Republican U.S. Representative for North Carolina's 10th congressional district from 1798 to 1801. Spaight was the eighth governor of North Carolina from 1792 to 1795. He ran for the North Carolina Senate in 1802, and Federalist U.S. Congressman John Stanly campaigned against him as unworthy. Taking offense, Stanly challenged him to

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324-532: The House of Representatives. Spaight is buried at "Clermont," near New Bern, North Carolina. Spaight Street in Madison, Wisconsin , is named in his honor. Most of the main streets in downtown Madison are named after signers of the United States Constitution . Richard Caswell Richard Caswell (August 3, 1729 – November 10, 1789) was an American politician and lawyer who served as

351-615: The North Carolina militia on September 9, 1775 by the North Carolina Provincial Congress , along with 34 other existing county regiments. Beaufort County had a small population and difficulties raising a militia. This regiment was involved in the Battle of Brier Creek in Georgia on Marcy 3, 1779 and the Battle of Rockfish Creek on August 2, 1781 in North Carolina. The commanders of this regiment were: The Craven County Regiment

378-650: The Regulators at Alamance (1771) during the Regulator Movement , where it is thought he commanded the right wing of Governor Tryon 's forces. Caswell represented North Carolina in the Continental Congresses of 1774 and 1775. When the militia district of New Bern was formed on May 4, 1776; Caswell was appointed to command that minuteman region. As such, he led the Provincial Congress ' force at

405-707: The Senate . Caswell married Mary Mackilwean, the daughter of James and Elinor Mackilwean. They had three children, including a daughter that died at birth in 1753, William Caswell born in 1754, and another daughter born in 1757, who died as an infant. Mary Caswell died from complications of childbirth. The family lived on a plantation home called Red House, which is the site of the Richard Caswell Memorial Park in Kinston, North Carolina. After Mary's death, Caswell married Sarah Heritage (1740–1794) on June 20, 1758. Mary

432-653: The age of eight, he was sent to live with his Dobbs relatives at Carrickfergus in Northern Ireland and later followed his cousin Richard Dobbs to the University of Glasgow . During the American Revolutionary War Spaight returned to North Carolina, serving as aide-de-camp to Major General Richard Caswell at the Battle of Camden . The North Carolina General Assembly elected Spaight a delegate to

459-747: The first and fifth governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1776 to 1780 and from 1785 to 1787. He also served as a senior officer of militia in the Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War . As a delegate to the First Continental Congress , he was a signatory of the 1774 Continental Association . Caswell was born on August 3, 1729, in Harford County (present-day Baltimore ), Maryland ; one of eleven children born to Richard and Christian ( née  Dallam ) Caswell. The Caswells moved to New Bern, North Carolina , in 1745. He

486-594: The meantime, the North Carolina General Assembly appointed William Smallwood of Maryland to the command of North Carolina's militia without informing Caswell, so he resigned on October 21, 1780. When Smallwood returned to Maryland in January 1781, the General Assembly once again appointed Caswell major general of militia, and he retained the position until the end of the American Revolution. Caswell

513-587: The militia. Caswell served as the comptroller of North Carolina and as a member of the North Carolina Senate between his two gubernatorial terms. Caswell was also chosen to be one of North Carolina's delegates to the United States Constitutional Convention of 1787 , but he did not attend. At the time of his death in 1789, he had returned once again to the North Carolina General Assembly, this time serving as Speaker of

540-507: The newly chartered University of North Carolina . Spaight was chair of the university's board of trustees during his term as governor. He stepped down as governor in 1795, having served the constitutional limit of three one-year terms. Spaight was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1798, filling the unexpired term of Nathan Bryan ; he was elected to a two-year term in 1799, serving until 1801, and though elected as

567-468: The southern part of Craven County on January 30, 1779. This regiment was active until the end of the war in 1783. The officers of the Jones County Regiment were appointed by the Governor of North Carolina. The commanders included: The Jones County regiment was engaged in the following five known battles and skirmishes: The Pitt County Regiment was one of the 35 existing county militias to be authorized as

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594-587: The time of his death in 1802, he was enslaving 89 people. As a delegate to the Confederation Congress , Spaight led the successful effort to eliminate Thomas Jefferson 's proposed ban on slavery from the Northwest Ordinance of 1784 . Spaight died on September 6, 1802, following injuries sustained in a duel with John Stanly, the Federalist congressman who had defeated him in the election of 1800 for

621-482: Was appointed deputy surveyor for the province in 1750. While a member of the North Carolina House of Burgesses, a position he held for 17 years, Caswell introduced a bill establishing the "Town of Kingston" (which was later changed to Kinston as a result of the American Revolutionary War). He was a prosperous lawyer, farmer, land speculator, tanner, and grand master of North Carolina. Caswell fought

648-594: Was defeated by a majority in the General Assembly; he was nominated for the United States Senate in 1789 and was again defeated. In 1788, he was a member of the state convention, which voted not to ratify the Constitution, although Spaight supported ratification. On March 24, 1788, he married Mary Leach, who had the distinction of being the first lady to dance with George Washington at a ball in Washington's honor at

675-516: Was one of the 35 existing county militias to be authorized as a regiment of the North Carolina militia by the North Carolina Provincial Congress on September 9, 1775. It was active until the end of the war. The colonels included: The Craven County regiment participated in 10 known engagements during the American Revolution: The Johnston County Regiment was one of the 35 existing county militias to be authorized as

702-511: Was president of the North Carolina Provincial Congress that wrote the first Constitution of North Carolina in 1776. As the congress adjourned, it elected him acting governor. He took the oath of office on January 16, 1777. Under the new constitution, the state Legislature ("General Assembly") re-elected him as the first governor in April 1777. Caswell stepped down in 1780, as the state constitution allowed only three consecutive one-year terms to command

729-411: Was the daughter of William Heritage and Susannah Moore. They had eight children: Richard Caswell, born in 1759; Sarah Caswell, born in 1762; Winston Caswell, born in 1764; Anna Caswell, born in 1766; Dallam Caswell, born in 1769; John Caswell, born in 1772; Susannah Caswell, born in 1775, and Christian Caswell, born in 1779. Caswell's son Richard was colonel of Dobbs Regiment and lieutenant colonel of

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