Gen. William Lee Davidson

1746 - 1781  (35 years)

• Name	William Lee Davidson  [1]
  Prefix	Gen.
  Born	1746	Lancaster County, Pennsylvania   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Group	Davidson 001 Family of Immigrant George Davidson
  	Descendants of immigrant George Davidson of DNA Family 001
  Group	Davidson Direct Descendant
  	Direct Descendant of any immigrant Davidson
  Group	Davidson DNA Family 001
  	Descendants of John, George, and Samuel Davidson of Beverley Manor, Virginia, and Iredell county, North Carolina
  Group	Descendant of Revolutionary War Veteran
  	DAR or SAR Eligible Descendant of a Revolutionary War Veteran
  Group	Famous Historical Figure
  	Famous People
  Group	Proven Davidson DNA Family 001
  	Proven as a descendant of DNA Family 001 by YDNA test of a direct descendant
  Group	Veteran of Revolutionary War or Patriot
  	Revolutionary War Patriot or Soldier.
  Occupation	Soldier and Farmer
  FindaGrave Memorial ID	8582004
  	https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8582004
  Died	1 Feb 1781	Cowan's Ford, Rowan County, North Carolina   [1]
  Buried	Aft 1 Feb 1781	Hopewell Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Huntersville, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
  Person ID	I421	DNA Family 1 Genealogies
  Last Modified	15 Apr 2021

  
  

  Father	Col. George F. Davidson, Jr.,   b. Abt 1703, Ireland ,   d. Bef Jan 1760, Rowan County, North Carolina  (Age ~ 56 years)
  Mother	Margaret Ware,   b. Between 1712 and 1718, Donegal, Ireland, UK ,   d. Aft 1765, Rowan County, North Carolina  (Age ~ 54 years)
  Married	Abt 1743	Pennsylvania   [2]
  Family ID	F249	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Mary "Polly" Brevard,   b. 16 Jun 1748, Rocky River, Rowan County, North Carolina ,   d. Jan 1824, Logan County, Kentucky  (Age 75 years)
  Married	12 Oct 1767	Rowan County, North Carolina   [1]
  Marriage Bond	19 Dec 1767	Rowan County, North Carolina
  Children	1. George Lee Davidson,   b. 30 Mar 1770, Rowan County, North Carolina ,   d. 20 Apr 1843, Lowndes County, Alabama  (Age 73 years)   2. Pamela Davidson,   b. 16 Mar 1772, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina ,   d. 23 Apr 1851, Logan County, Kentucky  (Age 79 years)   3. Margaret Brevard "Peggy" Davidson,   b. 23 Jan 1774, Rowan County, North Carolina ,   d. 12 Dec 1868, Lexington, Lafayette County, Missouri  (Age 94 years)   4. John Alexander Davidson,   b. Abt 1776,   d. 1822, Port Clinton, Jefferson County, Mississippi  (Age ~ 46 years)   5. Ephraim Brevard Davidson,   b. 22 Jan 1779, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina ,   d. 26 Nov 1821, New Madrid, New Madrid County, Missouri  (Age 42 years)   6. Jean Davidson,   b. Abt 1780,   d. 3 Aug 1825  (Age ~ 45 years)   7. Gen. William Lee Davidson, Jr.,   b. 2 Jan 1781, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina ,   d. 13 Nov 1862, Marengo County, Alabama  (Age 81 years)
  Last Modified	29 Jan 2011
  Family ID	F226	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 1746 - Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Married - 12 Oct 1767 - Rowan County, North Carolina Marriage Bond - 19 Dec 1767 - Rowan County, North Carolina Buried - Aft 1 Feb 1781 - Hopewell Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Huntersville, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Photos

  Gen. William Lee Davidson (1746-1781) From portrait of Gen. Davidson on the Davidson College website.

  
  

  Badges

  Davidson DNA Family 001 This family are the Descendants of John Davidson of Beverley Manor, Virginia; George Davidson of North Carolina, and Samuel Davidson of Beverley Manor and North Carolina.

  
  

• Notes

  General William Davidson (usually called William Lee Davidson) was born near Chestnut Level in Chester (now Lancaster) County, PA, in 1746, to George Davidson and his wife the former Mrs. Margaret  Summerville.  He was their youngest son.  When he was two years old, the family removed to Centre Church in what was then Rowan County (now Iredell County), NC. He was educated at the Academy in Charlotte. When Governor Tryon's commissioners were running the Indian boundary in 1767, their escort was commanded by Captain George Davidson and his son Lieutenant William Davidson.   This is ascribed to the future Gen. Davidson, but his father had died about 1760 so that is unlikely. More likely the George Davidson was William's cousin. In 1774 General William Davidson was a member of the Committee of Safety of Rowan County, NC. The North Carolina Provincial Congress at Halifax on April, 1776, provided that in addition to those already enlisted, four regiments should be raised.  William Davidson was made major of the Fourth Regiment, and it was marched north to join the army under General George Washington.  There it partiicpated in the battles of Princeton, Brandywine, and Germantown.  On the field of Germantown, 4 October 1777, he was promoted for gallantry to Lieutenant Colonel.  He was in the battle of Monmouth and other northern engagements until in 1779 he was sent South to reinforce Lincoln at Charleston, SC. On his way through North Carolina, he, under leave of absence, visited his family, and, when, on the expiration of his leave, he proceeded to Charleston, he was unable to rejoin his regiment in the city then surrounded by British troops.  He returned to Mecklenburg County and engaged in putting down parties of Tories.  In an encounter with one of those parties at Coulson Mills on the Yadkin about 1 July 1780, he was severely and dangerously wounded and disabled for two months. Upon the capture of General Griffith Rutherford at Camden, Lt. Col. Davidson was by an act of the General Assembly on 31 August 1780 made Brigadier Genral of the Salisbury District in place of General Rutherford. The idea of the expedition against Colonel Ferguson seems to have originated with General Davidson.  General Daniel Morgan, having defeated the British under Colonel Banistre Tarleton at Cowpens and being on his way with his prisoners to Virginia, was pursued by Lord Cornwallis.  When the British reached the Catawba River, a rise in the stream delayed their crossing. General Davidson with a small force of three hundred was guarding the fords (Tools, Sherrill's, Beattie's, and Cowan's), in order to prevent Cornwallis from crossing to the northern bank.  Davidson took up his position at Cowan's Ford, a crossing not much used, at which he anticipated that the British would try to pass over. On the morning of 1 February 1781, Cornwallis attempted, in the dark or in a drizzling rain, to effect the passage and succeeded in the attempt only by sustaining heavy losses.  Toward the end of the fight General Davidson was shot and killed.  It was said that a Tory, Dick Beal, who was acting as guide for the British, or, maybe, another Tory named Frederick Hager, were responsible. Davidson's body was buried that night at Hopewell Church. On 20 September 1781, the Continental Congress requested the North Carolina governor and Council of State to erect a monument at the expense of the United States. Davidson County, NC, created in 1822, was named for General Davidson. Davidson College, a Presbyterian institution in Mecklenburg County, founded in 1835, was named for General Davidson. Davidson County in Tennessee was named for him also. ___________ The National Cyclopedia, page 80: "William Davidson, soldier, was born in Lancaster County, Pa., in 1746. When four years old he was taken with his family to Rowan county, N. C. and received his early education at an academy in Charlotte, the county town of Mecklenburg county, which adjoins Rowan. Volunteering his services at the outbreak of the revolutionary wear, he was appointed a major in one of the first regiments formed by the government of North Carolina. Under Gen. Nash he marched with the North Carolina line to the main army in New Jersey, where he remained attached to the command of Gen. Washington, during the next three years. He was in the battles of the Brandywine, Germantown and Monmouth, and was promoted to the command of a regiment with the rank of lieutenant-colonel commandant. In November, 1779, the North Carolina line being detached from the main army and sent to reinforce the command of Maj. Gen. Lincoln, Davidson accompanied his men, obtaining leave to visit his family, whom he had not seen since the beginning of the war. The capitulation of Gen. Lincoln and his army in May, 1780, induced the North Carolina loyalists to make some effort toward the aid of the British forces. An insurrection among them broke out in the western part of the state, and Lieut.-Col. Davidson, at the head of some of the militia, was sent to quell it. Meeting a party of the insurgents near Calson's Mill, a sharp fight ensued in which he was badly wounded, a shot passing through his body. He was confined for about two months, but on his recovery again took the field, having been appointed brigadier-general by the state of North Carolina. In combination with Gen. Sumter and Col. Davie, Col. Davidson exerted himself to resist the progress of Lord Cornwallis, and was active in collecting militia to sustain Gen. Greene in the same purpose. On the night of Jan. 31, 1781, he was ordered by Greene to guard, with 300 men, a ford which proved to be the one selected by Lord Cornwalis for his passage of the Catawba river on the following morning. A considerable force of the British crossed the stream at what was known as Cowan's ford. Davidson and his militia, although far inferior in numbers, attacked them, only to be driven into the woods. Gen. Davidson fell on the field, shot in the breast by a rifle-ball, and died immediately. The date of this engagement was Feb. 1, 1781." On April 14, 1783, North Carolina established Davidson County, named for Gen. William Davidson, an officer of North Carolina in the Revolutionary war. __________________ From FindaGrave: William was the youngest son of George and Margaret DAVIDSON. Later in life he would add the middle name "Lee" (before he met "Light Horse" Harry Lee.) Was 14 when his father George died, and his guardians were Alexander Osborne and John Brevard (father of his wife Mary.) He was educated in an Academy in Charlotte. He lived, after the death of his father and before his marrraige, at the home of his cousin, George and Catherine Reese DAVIDSON. Was Married to Mary Elizabeth BREVARD, was appointed a presiding elder of Hopewell Presbyterian Church along with John H. DAVIDSON. Hopewell began December 10, 1848. William was a popular officer, well liked by his subordinates and his superiors. He was a Lieutenant Colonel in the NC line, and was with General Washington at the battle of Germantown, spent the winter with Washington's army at Valley Forge, and became a close friend of "Light Horse" Harry Lee. On January 17, 1781 a British cavalry force under Col. Banastre Tarleton had been soundly defeated at the Battle of Cowpens by a colonial force under Gen. Daniel Morgan (mainly militia under Davidson's control). Tarleton was joined by Lord Cornwallis who was moving northward, and the combined British force began a drive to overtake Gen. Morgan and avenge the defeat of Cowpens. Morgan and his regulars retreated northward, paused at the Catawba river, then continued towards Salsibury to join Gen. Nathaniel Green, leaving the militia under General Davidson to defend the fords on the Catawba river. General Davidson would die contesting the river crossing of the main British army under Lord Cornwallis. He was shot from his horse, felled by a rifle bullet fired by a Tory guide, one Frederick Hager. His death left his wife Mary with seven small children, the youngest only a month old. Because of his bravery Davidson County and College are named in his memory. - Mary, his wife would be left with seven small children, the youngest only a month old. She would marry Robert HARRIS and after Robert's death she would move with some of the children to Logan Co., KY. Children: George Lee, Pamela, Margaret, John Alexander, Jean, Ephraim Brevard, William Lee, Jr.

  
  

• Sources

  [S8] Davison/Davidson Family, Robert Stephens Hand, (2nd Ed., 1991), p. 10 (Reliability: 3). [S8] Davison/Davidson Family, Robert Stephens Hand, (2nd Ed., 1991), p. 9 (Reliability: 3).