STORIES OF REVOLUTIONARY WAR SOLDIERS

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Richard Caswell

Richard Caswell is first introduced by the record in the capacity of Governor of North Carolina previous to the Revolution. He was an esteemed member of the Bar and remarkable for his kindness to the poor. He was a staunch Whig and member of the first general Congress in 1774. In 1776 he commanded a regiment and proved himself a brave and skilful officer. With 1,000 minute men he engaged General McDonald with a force of 1,500—killed and wounded 70 of his men; he was taken prisoner along with 1,500 rifles. This victory gave a fresh impetus to the glorious cause of Independence in North Carolina. This bold patriot ultimately reached the rank of major-general of militia. He was President of the Convention that framed the first Constitution of his State and governor for four years under that Constitution. He was President of the Senate at the time of his death. His life was nobly spent, his usefulness extensive, his reputation unsullied, his death deeply lamented. We died at Fayetteville, N. C. on the November 20, 1789.

Source: The Sages and Heroes of the American Revolution by L. Carroll Judson