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Tag Archives: war
Thank a Veteran This Memorial Day … “Some Gave All”
In 1868, Commander in Chief John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic issued General Order Number 11 designating May 30 as a memorial day “for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land.” Continue reading
Posted in American History, history, holidays, military, music, real life tales, war
Tagged American history, freedom, heroes, holidays, Memorial Day, military, patriotism, real life tales, war
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Colonel Matthew Locke, an Advocate for Universal Manhood Suffrage
On Friday, May 19, I presented you with the celebration of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence. On Monday, May 22, I included an article on Captain James Jack, who was not as famous as Paul Revere, but just as heroic. Today, I have another Revolutionary War hero: Colonel Matthew Locke.
Colonel Matthew Locke was a Revolutionary War leader, as well as a member of Congress, who just happened to have been born in Northern Ireland. Like many in the present day North Carolina, Locke’s ancestors first settled in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. A few years after his father died, his mother married a man by the name of John Brandon and moved to Anson County, North Carolina. Anson is the next county over from I live outside of Charlotte, and I can tell you there is LOTS of history to found in this area. Later, around 1752, the Brandons moved to Grants Creek, which was part of Mecklenburg County at that time, but is now part of Rowan County, North Carolina.
Meanwhile, Matthew Locke purchased some 200 acres near his mother and step-father’s residence, where he began a trading business. Matthew and his brother Francis set up a trade line, including skins from the backcountry of Charles Town, South Carolina, and goods produced by the North Carolina Moravian settlements. He and his brother became quite wealthy in this venture.
[caption id="attachment_34910" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Alamance Battlefield Monument https://www.ncpedia.org/history/colonial/regulator-movement%5B/caption%5D
Locke’s first foray into public life came during the Regulator uprising. The Regulator Movement was a rebellion started by the backcountry (inland regions) residents of North Carolina (basically the western counties – those backing against the mountain range separating them from present day Tennessee – remember, at one time, North Carolina territory went as far west as the current day Nashville, Tennessee). These dissidents believed the royal government mistreated them by falsifying records and imposing excessive fees. The less productive land of the western mountain ranges were taxed at the same rate as the rich coastal plain. These inland residents wished to “regulate” their own affairs. Although the Regulator Movement began with protests, eventually violence was involved.
Locke became involved when the officers of Rowan County appointed Locke as one of four men to meet with the Regulators’ contingent to attempt to come to some sort of agreement. Through sometimes heated negotiations, Locke’s committee agreed to repay any unlawful fees to those bringing suit. Liking the taste of public office, Locke became a member of the colonial Assembly in 1771, where he served until 1775.
During the Revolutionary War period, Locke joined the Patriot cause. He was named to Rowan County’s first Committee of Safety. The purpose of the Committees of Safety were to enforce the Continental Association banning all trade with Great Britain. These committees had the endorsement of the Second Provincial Congress of North Carolina and the North Carolina Assembly. They existed in late 1774 and early 1775. These committees oversaw military preparations, the control of the price of select items, especially those needed for war efforts, and the sell of seized imported goods. They also were involved in the return of slaves, punishment for those who went against the Continental Association’s dictates, and even regulated public morals. The Wilmington-New Hanover Committee of Safety managed to run then Governor Josiah Martin out of office, causing him to first seek refuge at Fort Johnston on the Cape Fear River and then on the British warship Cruizer. The Committees of Safety were replaced by the Third Provincial Congress of North Carolina in August 1775.
Matthew Locke was a delegate to the Third Provincial Congress. He was active in the financing of the case for liberty. He also saw to the militia stationed throughout North Carolina. Locke made the arrangements for governing the colony in Governor Josiah Martin’s abrupt absence until Governor Richard Caswell took over the office.
[caption id="attachment_34912" align="alignnone" width="900"] Plaque celebrating Halifax Resolves – NC State Capitol Building https://www.rrspin.com/roanoke-rapids-weldon-halifax-county-nc-news/item/11974-sar-to-honor-240th-anniversary-of-halifax-resolves.html%5B/caption%5D
Later, Locke was a member of the Fourth Provincial Congress (April 1776). This time the group met at Halifax. Out of their sometimes heated discussions came the Halifax Resolves, which was the first official action by one of British colonies calling for a break with Great Britain and the independence of all the colonies. 83 delegates to the Provincial Congress ratified the Resolves. They were then sent to the North Carolina delegation for the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia. The Halifax Resolves served as the first call for action against Britain. Virginia followed with their own recommendations to the Continental Congress. These led to Thomas Jefferson’s penning The Declaration of Independence.
Locke then became involved with a group probing the activities of those not supporting a break from Great Britain. Reportedly, Locke led the arrest of John Dunn, the founder of Salisbury, and Benjamin Booth, both of whom were suspected of treason, because early on they had signed a document pledging loyalty to the King.
Carolina’s first state constitution was drafted. He was in charge of the militia pay of six frontier counties. He procured supplies for the Continental Army. He served in the North Carolina House of Commons on and off from 1777 to 1793. He was known to support universal manhood suffrage, an idea to remove owning property as a right to vote and holding office, in other words, removing the stipulation of ownership of 50 acres of property or the payment of taxes as a prerequisite to vote. He also supported the endowment of Queen’s Museum (later Queen’s College and now Queen’s University) in Charlotte, which is considered the first institution of higher learning in North Carolina. [Just as a side note, my daughter-in-law earned her masters degree at Queens, and my son was an assistant track and cross country coach at the college. It is still a vibrant piece of Charlotte’s history.] In the vote to ratify the U. S. Constitution, Locke took a stand for the new country’s many farmers, who could not afford an expensive, nor oppressive, government.
In 1793, Locke replace the unpopular Josh Steele, a Federalist, as the congressman for the Salisbury district. He was considered “the honest farmer” and took a leading role in the concept of Jeffersonian democracy in North Carolina. He remained in the NC House of Representatives until 1800, to another Federalist, Archibald Henderson. He died in 1801.
[caption id="attachment_34913" align="alignnone" width="250"] Gen Matthew Locke BIRTH 1730 Ireland DEATH 7 Sep 1801 (aged 70–71) Mill Bridge, Rowan County, North Carolina, USA BURIAL Thyatira Presbyterian Church Cemetery Mill Bridge, Rowan County, North Carolina, USA ~ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8078741/matthew-locke%5B/caption%5D
Following Locke’s death, an obituary in the Raleigh Register edited by Joseph Gales, a staunch Jeffersonian, bemoaned the passing and called him a “friend and fixed Republican” who had “served his state admirably in Congress.” He was buried in Thyatira Presbyterian Church cemetery in Rowan County. Continue reading
Posted in American History, British currency, Declaration of Independence, England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, history, political stance, real life tales, research, Uncategorized
Tagged American history, Anson County, British history, Charlotte, government, North Carolina, Politics, Rowan County, Salisbury, war
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Cavalry Trumpet/Bugle Calls in the 18th and 19th Centuries
Recently, I had an author friend seeking information on cavalry trumpets calls, for she was writing a battle scene. The hero of her tale is in the mounted infantry, and he is on the American front during the War of … Continue reading
Posted in British history, customs and tradiitons, Georgian England, Georgian Era, history, Napoleonic Wars, Regency era, research, war, War of 1812, weaponry
Tagged American Revolutionary War, British Army, British history, bugles and trumpet signals, Georgian Era, military, music, Napoleonic Wars, Regency Era, research, war
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The Battle of Prome and the Upcoming Release of “Bell, Book, and Wardrobe” + a Giveaway
Bell, Book, and Wardrobe is part of the A Regency Christmas Doubled Regency romance anthology, four delightful tales all about twins, being released December 1, 2022, by Dreamstone Publishing. My hero of Bell, Book, and Wardrobe is a British colonel … Continue reading
Posted in book excerpts, book release, British history, Dreamstone Publishing, eBooks, Georgian England, Georgian Era, historical fiction, military, real life tales, research, romance, war, writing
Tagged anthology, Bell Book and Wardrobe, book excerpt, book release, British history, Christmas, Dreamstone Publishing, Georgian Era, historical fiction, military, Publishing, real-life tales, research, romance, twins, war, writing
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Army Enlistment During the Regency Era
I recently received several questions from readers and other authors regarding a “favorite” book being passed around that appeared to have some odd facts in it. No, I will not tell you the name of the book because I do … Continue reading
Posted in British history, British Navy, Georgian England, Georgian Era, Great Britain, history, Napoleonic Wars, real life tales, Regency era, research, war
Tagged Army, British history, enlistment, Georgian Era, military, Regency Era, war
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“Commissions” for an Officer Engineer or Artilleryman in the Regency Era
I recently had another writer send me a message to ask about the process for a man of the gentry or the aristocracy to purchase a commission as an officer engineer or artilleryman. First, permit me to say I am … Continue reading
Posted in British history, British Navy, Georgian England, Georgian Era, historical fiction, history, Jane Austen, military, Persuasion, real life tales, Regency era, research
Tagged artillery., British history, British Navy, Georgian Era, Jane Austen, naval officers, Persuasion, Regency Era, war
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Reporting Deaths in the Aftermath of Waterloo
One of my favorite Regency series comes from Mary Balogh. In the Bedwyns Saga’s book 5, entitled Slightly Sinful, Lord Alleyne Bedwyn is wounded at Waterloo. A woman who is stripping the bodies of their clothing in order to sell … Continue reading
Posted in British history, Georgian England, Georgian Era, history, Living in the Regency, military, Napoleonic Wars, real life tales, Regency era, Regency romance, research, war, weather
Tagged Battle of Waterloo, British history, Georgian Era, Mary Balogh's "Slightly" Saga, military, Napoleonic Wars, the Duke of Wellington, war
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The Battle of Waterloo: Did the Weather Change History?
The Battle of Waterloo: Did the Weather Change History? Background: The Battle of Waterloo was fought thirteen kilometers south of Brussels between the French, under the command of Napoleon … Continue reading
Posted in British history, Georgian England, Georgian Era, history, Living in the Regency, military, Napoleonic Wars, real life tales, Regency era, world history
Tagged British history, Georgian Era, military, Napoleon, Quatre-Bras, Regency Era, the Duke of Wellington, war, Waterloo, weather
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Fencibles: Defending the Homeland + an excerpt from “Mr. Darcy’s Inadvertent Bride”
Fencibles were the British “defense” (from the word ‘defencible’) forces raised for a specific war. They were raised for defense against the treat of invasion during the Seven Years’ War, the American War of Independence, the French Revolutionary Wars, the … Continue reading
Posted in book excerpts, book release, British history, Georgian Era, giveaway, historical fiction, history, Jane Austen, Living in the Regency, Living in the UK, military, Pride and Prejudice, real life tales, Regency era, Regency romance, research, war, writing
Tagged Austen characters, book release, British history, excerpt, Fencibles, Georgian Era, historical fiction, Jane Austen, military, militia, Pride and Prejudice, Publishing, Regency Era, Regency romance, Vagary, war, writing
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Major General Adam Stephen, Real-Life Model for Doctor Spurlock in My Tale, “Captain Stanwick’s Bride”
In my tale “Captain Stanwick’s Bride,” I based Elizabeth Spurlock on my own 8th great-grandmother, a Powhatan Indian Princess. But where did I find the inspiration for the lady’s husband? Easy enough to answer. I am from West Virginia originally, … Continue reading
Posted in America, American History, Appalachia, British history, British Navy, West Virginia
Tagged Adam Stephen, American history, American Revolution, Appalachia, British history, French and Indian War, George Washington, war, West Virginia
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