Griffith Rutherford

Griffith Rutherford
Allegiance	United Kingdom United States
Service / branch	Continental Army
Years of service	Colonial Militia 1760–1775 Continental Army 1775–1783
Rank	Colonial Militia Captain 1760 Colonel 1772 Continental Army Colonel December 21 1775 Brigadier General April 22, 1776
Unit	Continental Army North Carolina Line
Battles / wars	French and Indian War War of the Regulation Battle of Alamance American Revolutionary War Battle of Camden Battle of Ramsour's Mill Chickamauga Wars Second Cherokee War Second Invasion of Chichamauga Towns
Relations	Married to Elizabeth Graham
Other work	Served in the North Carolina senate, settled in Sumner County, Tennessee, became President of the Legislative Council of Tennessee

Griffith Rutherford (c. 1721 – 10 August 1805) was an officer in the American Revolutionary War, a political leader in North Carolina, and an important figure in the early history of Tennessee.

Originally from Ireland, Rutherford immigrated to Philidelphia at the age of eighteen with his parents, both of whom died during the voyage. After working on a relative's farm for a period of time, he moved to Rowan County, North Carolina in 1753, were he married his wife Elizabeth Graham. An active member of his community, Rutherford served in multiple municipal occupations such as the local sheriff and tax collector. He was also a representative of Rowan County at the North Carolina General Assembly in 1766.

Rutherford not only held an interest in participating in his local community, but also in military service. He first experienced military life during the French and Indian War as a Captain of a local militia in 1760, and continued his militaristic service towards the British Empire until the start of the Revolution in 1775, in which he enlisted in the Continental Army as a Colonel. Following his appointment to Brigadier General of the "Salisbury District" by the Fourth Provincial Congress of April and May 1776, Rutherford accumulated a force of 2,400 men and participated in several conflicts with the Cherokee Indians in Western North and South Carolina and Georgia until he returned that October. His career after this was mostly spent checking on local Loyalist groups until June 1780, where he he was partially responsible for the Tory defeat in the Battle of Ramsour's Mill. Rutherford was also involved in the Battle of Camden on August 16, 1780, where he was wounded and taken prisoner by the British. He was later exchanged in 1781. He partook in several other campaigns after his release, including a second attack on the Cherokee.

Following the War, Rutherford continued to serve as a senator in North Carolina's state senate, which he had undertook in 1779, until 1786. By the end of his term he had unsuccessfully run for governor in 1783 and had become an advocate of the Antifederalist movement. He moved to Sumner County, Tennessee in 1792 and was appointed President of the Legislative Council of Tennesee in 1794. He died in Sumner County on August 15, 1805 at the age of 84.

Early life

Griffith Rutherford was born approximately in 1721 in Ireland to John Rutherford and "Miss. Griffith". Little is known about his early life until he immigrated to Philidelphia at the age of eighteen. His parents died on the voyage from Ireland, and for a period of time he worked on his relative's farm. Around 1753 he moved to Rowan County, North Carolina, bought two tracts of land about seven miles from the town of Salisbury, and married his neighbor's sister Elizabeth Graham. Their son James Rutherford later became a Major during the Revolutionary War and died during the Battle of Eutaw Springs. Rutherford began his long career as a soldier in 1760 during the French and Indian War, in which he was a Captain of a local militia. Afterwards, Rutherford became increasingly active in his community. He is listed as being a member of the North Carolina General Assembly in 1766, a sheriff and a justice of Rowan County from 1767 to 1769, and a tax collector. During the War of the Regulation in 1769 to 1771, Rutherford supported the Regulators and refused to fight them at the Battle of Alamance on May 16, 1771. Following that conflict, Rutherford was promoted to Colonel of the Rowan County militia.

Revolutionary War

Rutherford entered the War in 1775 under the title of Colonel, which he had earned three years earlier. Throughout that year his regiment helped to disarm and disperse Loyalist groups in the South Carolina back country. Rutherford represented Rowan County at the Fourth Provincial Congress in Halifax, which lasted from April 4 to May 14, 1776. During the conference, he helped develop and write North Carolina's constitution and was promoted to Brigadier General of the "Salisbury District" In the summer months following the conference, he raised an army of two thousand four hundred men to campaign against local Cherokee Indians who had sided with the British.

Campaign against the Cherokee

Main article: Chickamauga Wars (1776–1794)

Rutherford's regiment rendezvoused at Fort McGahey with the Guilford and Surry regiments under Colonels James Martin and Martin Armstrong on July 23. From there, the three groups traveled through the Blue Ridge Mountains at the Swannanoa Gap, passed up the valley of Hominy Creek, and crossed the Pigeon River. They then passed through Richland Creek, near the present day town of Waynesville, North Carolina, and crossed the Tuckasegee River near an Indian settlement. They moved further onwards towards the Cowee Gap, where they had a small engagement with a band of Cherokee, in which only one of Rutherford's men was wounded. After that conflict, they marched to the so-called "Middle Towns" on the Tennessee River, where he met General Andrew Williamson of South Carolina on September 14. Williamson was on a similar mission and readily joined forces with the original three regiments.

The now four regiments skirmished with hostile Indians at Valley Town, Ellijay, and near Franklin (present day Northeast Tennessee). Eventually, the Indian tribes were subdued at the cost of 3 fatalities to Rutherford's regiment. Casualties to the Indians, however, were severe. By the end of the conflict the four regiments had destroyed thirty six Indian towns, decimated acres of corn farms, and chased off most of the Indian's cattle. Afterwards, Rutherford returned home by the same route. He arrived back in Salisbury in October, where he disbanded his troops.

Battle of Ramsour's Mill

Main article: Battle of Ramsour's Mill

In early June 1780, General Rutherford was encamped within the vicinity of Charlotte, North Carolina with over five hundred North Carolina militia. He received information that Loyalists were embodying in arms at Ramsour's Mill near the Catawba River and issued orders for local officers to disperse the group before they evolved into a greater threat. After collecting troops from Mecklenburg County and Rowan County, Rutherford moved his men to the Catawba and crossed it at Tuckesege Ford on June 19. He sent word to Colonel Francis Locke of Rowan County to rendezvous with him around sixteen miles from Ramsour's Mill at the Forks of the Catawba. Locke accumulated a force of 400 men and encamped at Mountain Creek, which was thirty five miles away from Rutherford's position, though still approximately the same distance from Ramsour's Mill as Rutherford was. It was decided by Locke and his officers that a junction with Rutherford was unrealistic given the distance between the two regiments and the limited amount of time before the Loyalist group grew too large. It was resolved that Locke's forces would attack the Loyalist's position immediately and Colonel Johnson, one of Locke's subordinates, would inform Rutherford of the situation. Johnson informed Rutherford of the change of plans by 10 o'clock.

Locke's forces left their encampment late in the evening of June 19 and arrived at the enemy's position by the morning of June 20. The Patriots took the Tories by surprise. While at first bewildered and confused, the Loyalists retaliated by firing at Locke's calvary, who were forced to fall back. The Patriots eventually forced the Loyalists to retreat to their camp, though it was discovered that the enemy was regrouping on the other side of the mill stream. At this point, messages were sent to Rutherford, who was within six miles of Ramsour's, to move forward since an immediate attack from the Loyalists was expected. Rutherford met Locke within two miles of Ramsour's, where he was informed that the Loyalists were in full retreat.

Battle of Camden

Main article: Battle of Camden

Battle of Camden. Rutherford and other North Carolina militia were positioned in the center of the american formation.

After the Siege of Savannah and Charleston and the Battle of Waxhaws, most of the Continental Army had either left the South or were reduced to a number of partisan companies led by local leaders. In response to the loss of a Patriotic presence, Congress sent Horatio Gates, who had distinguished himself at Saratoga, to reform the Continental Army in Charlotte, North Carolina. Against the advice of his officers and without knowing the capabilities of his troops-some of which were untested in battle-Gates marched towards South Carolina on July 27 with a force of over 4,000 men. He aimed at capturing the crossroads town of Camden, North Carolina, which would have provided the Continental Army with a strategic control point for the South Carolina back country. Lord Rawdon, who was stationed there with 1,000 men, alerted Lord Cornwallis of Gates's movements on August 9. Cornwallis arrived there by August 13 with reinforcements, increasing the British presence there to over 2,000 men.

The battle ensued at dawn on August 16, 1780. Rutherford was positioned in the center of the Continental formation with other North Carolina militia. During the battle, he was wounded and taken prisoner like many of his comrades who participated in the battle. He was later exchanged for another prisoner in 1781.

After his release, Rutherford took command of a North Carolina militia and marched towards British occupied Wilmington, North Carolina, which was evacuated on his approach. He participated in several other conflicts and skirmishes with Loyalists, such as at Raft Swamp in 1781. He again fought the Cherokee in the west near the end of the war in 1782.

Later life

Rutherford had been appointed to North Carolina's senate in 1779 and continued to serve in this position until 1786. He was an advocate in the opposition of the restoration of Loyalist lands and supported and assisted in their confiscation while serving the Council of State. Rutherford ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1783, which has been speculated to be due to his radicalism, which may have been unpopular in the more conservative eastern portion of the state. He was an ardent Antifederalist during the national debate of the recently created Constitution. At the Constitutional Convention at Hillsborough, North Carolina in 1788, he claimed to represent the western farmer interest in a weaker central government.

Rutherford joined the wave of migration to Sumner County, Tennessee in 1792. 2 years later in 1794, he was appointed President of the Legislative council of Tennessee. Rutherford died in Sumner County on August 10, 1805. Rutherfordton, Rutherford County, North Carolina, and Rutherford County, Tennessee have been named after him.

References

• Cisco, John (1909). General Griffith Rutherford. Tennessee: Historic Sumner County.
• Clark, Walter (1906). The State Records of North Carolina, Volume 25. Nash Brothers printing co.
• Lossing, Benson John (1852). The Pictorial Field-Book of the Revolution. Harper & Bros.
• Harrison, Henry William (1858). Battlefields and Naval Exploits of the United States: from Lexington to the City of Mexico. H. C. Peck & T. Bliss.
• Hunter, C. L. (1877). Sketches of western North Carolina: Historical and Biographical. Raleigh: Raleigh News Steam Job Print.
• Murray, J. (1858). History of England: from the Peace of Utrecht to the Peace of Versailles, 1713-1783, Volume 7. Tennessee.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Wakelyn, John L. (2004). Birth of the Bill of Rights: Major Writings. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 0313331952, 9780313331954. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)
• Wheeler, John Hill (1851). Historical Sketches of North Carolina: from 1584 to 1851. Lippincott, Grambo and Co.