In today’s American Nomad historical adventure, we’re time-traveling to a pivotal, yet often overlooked, part of North Carolina history: the Regulator Movement.
From around 1760 to May 1771, this group of backcountry farmers—mostly from Anson, Rowan, and Orange counties—formed associations to protest corruption among local officials. The movement began with peaceful petitions and protests, but escalated dramatically in September 1770 when a group of Regulators stormed the courthouse in Hillsborough.
In this fiery confrontation, they assaulted the notoriously corrupt official Edmund Fanning and other government officials. This act of violence against royally appointed officers infuriated Royal Governor William Tryon and members of the North Carolina legislature like Samuel Johnston, who created the Riot Act, giving Governor William Tryon the authority to call for a militia to stop the uprising. The rebellion culminated on May 16, 1771, at the Battle of Alamance, about thirty minutes west of Hillsborough, not far from present-day Burlington, North Carolina.
To prepare for this time traveling adventure, I spent the past few weeks on the ground, retracing the steps of the Regulators in Hillsborough, attending a lecture on the Regulators by expert Dr. Carole Troxler and visiting the Battle of Alamance State Historic Site.
While some historians have claimed that the Regulator Movement was a forerunner to the American Revolution, in studying the history I discovered it truly was a stand alone event. The Regulators had a very specific set of grievances against corrupt local officials, and their beef was not with the crown. While there was a growing protest movement against British taxes in the 1760s like the Stamp Act, those tax fees were not the excessive taxes that the regulators complained about. Research shows that regulators were split on who they sided with during the American Revolution, while some became patriots, many remained loyal to the crown or were neutral, partially because the same men who fought against them at Alamance like Francis Nash and James Moore later became patriots. Would you join the patriot side and fight with the same people who attacked you at Alamance? It was a difficult decision.
Join me as we retrace key events and themes in the War of Regulation. I’ll also provide resources to help you explore the historic sites in Orange and Alamance Counties for yourself.
The Regulator Movement can be traced to the 1760s, when residents of Granville, Orange, and Rowan counties began to complain about excessive taxes and fees from corrupt government officials. On June 6, 1765, Granville County school teacher George Sims, persuaded by Thomas Person, published these grievances in the “Nutbush Address.” A commemoration marker for this event can be found today in present-day Vance County.
- Learn more about Nutbush Address here
Although Sims did not name any officials, the address’s chief target was Samuel Benton, the powerful political boss of colonial Granville County. Sims described the corruption as “the most notorious and intolerable abuses” of power. His complaints—including excessive taxes, high rents, extortionate fees, and fraudulent accounts—perfectly mirrored the grievances later taken up by the Regulators.
Sims spoke of a “recovery of native rights and privileges” and “resuming our ancient liberties and privileges as free subjects” while also urging citizens to act with deliberation and within the law. He complained that lawyers’ fees were as much as double the amount allowed by law and was troubled by the ease with which property could be seized and sold for a fraction of its value. He also voiced support for the King, the royal governor, and the colonial Assembly.
These issues were compounded by the fact that Granville County was still owned by the family of Robert Carteret, the 3rd Earl Granville, the only one of the original Lord Proprietors to not sell their stake to the Crown. This created a long-standing land title issue for settlers that was finally resolved during the Revolutionary War when the state of North Carolina took over the Granville District in 1777.
While not directly involved in the Regulator Movement, Sims’s sentiments perfectly captured what the Regulators were fighting for. Sims was arrested for libel in the wake of the Nutbush address, as Benton felt he was being personally attacked, though he was not formally mentioned in the address.
Later, Regulator leader Herman Husband quoted Sims’s address extensively in his pamphlet “A Fan for Fanning and a Touchstone to Tryon (1771)”, using it as a rallying cry in the revolt.
Thomas Person, to whom the address was written, was an active member of the Regulator Movement, and Person County is named after him.
In 1764, Royal Governor Arthur Dobbs attempted to stop the abuses by issuing a proclamation against illegal fees, but this was largely ignored. When Royal Governor Tryon, a veteran army colonel replaced him in 1765, tensions only deepened, especially when Tryon announced a tax to fund the building of an executive palace in the capital city of New Bern. Learn more about Tryon Palace here
While the citizens of the backcountry didn’t dispute the need for public infrastructure, the opulence of the palace was like rubbing salt into a sore wound. The Piedmont and Western families were literally losing their assets with unfair taxes in the backcountry, while Governor Tryon and his cronies were all but ignoring their needs while demanding money for a palace?
Per the lecture by Dr. Troxler, the affluent eastern counties with fertile topsoil and profitable plantations and planter elite had much more say in the Colonial Legislature than the west. The eastern counties were smaller (on purchase to give them more votes) than the larger western counties. Orange County in 1770 included boundaries as far east as Wake and parts of Caswell County and west into Guilford County today. Yet each of these western districts only had two representatives and fewer courts as well. The western states could never out vote the east in the lower legislature.
Most settlers in the Carolina Piedmont had come into the area via the Great Road including Germans sects like Moravians from Pennsylvania, Quakers from the north and also eastern part of the state, as well as Baptists and Scot-Irish Presbyterians. Dr. Troxler explained in her lecture that these groups were referred to as ‘dissenters’ because they were separatists from the The Anglican Church, the official religion of England the Royal Colony. Anglicanism (Episcopal Church) was prevalent in the east.
According to Troxler, these frontier Protestants—or dissenters—emphasized an individualistic approach to faith that shaped their views on public and economic issues. This fueled their belief that they had a duty to speak out against corruption. Their goal wasn’t to subvert the law, but to reform it and restore it to a just standard. They believed their complaints were righteous and they had the moral authority to stand up for justice. This mindset was particularly prevalent among Baptists, especially those of the New Light sect.
This individualistic fervor was particularly strong among the Baptists, and one of the movement’s early hotbeds was Sandy Creek Baptist Church, near Liberty, North Carolina. Founded in 1755 by Shubal Stearns and his brother-in-law Daniel Marshall, the initial congregation consisted of just sixteen family members. However, Stearns was such an impassioned preacher that in only two years the church’s membership exploded to over 600.
Stearns was raised as a Congregationalist in New England, but after hearing a sermon by George Whitefield during the Great Awakening, he converted to the New Light Baptist faith. He pastored a church in Virginia before being called to establish one in North Carolina.
While Stearns didn’t support some of the more violent tactics of the regulators, like the riot in Hillsborough, he was deeply sympathetic to their grievances. Many of his church members actively supported the movement and fought in the Battle of Alamance. After the battle, Governor Tryon offered a pardon to regulators who surrendered their arms, but for the unrepentant, he ordered their homes and farms destroyed. Despite 1,300 regulators from the Sandy Creek community taking an oath of allegiance to the crown, many church members feared future reprisal and fled to western North Carolina, present-day Tennessee, and South Carolina. This exodus is dramatically reflected in the church’s membership, which plummeted from 606 to just 14 members by 1772. Learn more about Sandy Creek history here
- You can visit the Sandy Creek Baptist Church in Liberty NC today (in Randolph County). It is a thriving parish and one of the oldest churches in the Piedmont.
Quakers were sympathetic to the Regulator Movement’s complaints, but their pacifist beliefs prevented them from participating in violence or rioting. Regulator leader Herman Husband, a convert to Quakerism, was eventually disowned by his meeting for his involvement with the Regulators. He nevertheless continued to espouse many Quaker tenets in his fight against corruption.
In its early years, the Regulator Movement was confined to peaceful protests and petitions directed at the legislature and Governor Tryon. The Regulators hoped their grievances would be heard and that the legal system would stop corrupt officials. To draw attention to their concerns, they even composed folk songs, a protest tradition that would become a staple of later American history. An early leader, Herman Husband, published pamphlets about their grievances and even won a seat in the legislature on a “Regulator Ticket.”
In 1766, residents in Orange County formed the Sandy Creek Association to protest the ‘courthouse rings.’ They presented a manifesto to the court at Hillsborough, petitioning for reforms to the system that would address corruption and extortion. The petition was largely ignored by the court and the Sandy Creek Association disbanded in 1767, but it helped to ignite the Regulator Movement in 1768.
What was a ‘Courthouse Ring’?: The Regulators referred to corrupt officials—such as judges, sheriffs, and clerks—as a “Courthouse Ring.“ This group of appointees colluded to financially abuse the farmers with illegal fees. When farmers sought legal recourse, the judges were in league with the very sheriffs and tax clerks they were supposed to hold accountable. These positions were all government appointees rather than elected officials, so the system itself was broken, even with an honest appointee. In speaking with the historians at Alamance, they mentioned that many of these positions were stacked with Edmund Fanning serving in multiple (and conflicting offices) like register of deeds, judge and militiaman. Sort of like having a President be a Supreme Court Justice…it seems fine on paper but what it becomes a fairness issue when the checkpoint in the legal system is run by the person you are being targeted by.
When colonists were unable to pay their debts or taxes, they were brought to court where these officials would seize their goods through legal action, disguising their illicit activities as lawful. The fact that the very people appointed to uphold justice had become the perpetrators of blatant injustices was a primary cause of the Regulator rebellion.
These backcountry associations adopted the name “Regulators” in 1768. The term, already in use in England to describe popular movements, reflected their core belief that government officials were corrupt and had failed to uphold the law. The Regulators believed they had a right to “regulate” their own affairs and hold these officials accountable. They were not against the Crown, but rather thought they could better follow the law than the appointees of the Royal Governor who were not elected by the people.
- Money, unfair taxes and the War of Regulation: Many North Carolinians (not just regulators) were upset by abuses by local officials like dishonest sheriffs, excessive taxes, unfair legal fees, etc…Dr. Troxler brought up in a lecture I attended that access to money and time of payment were contentious issues too. Scarcity of printed money contributed to economic strain and resentment. Many in the backcountry only had access to coin and paper money after certain seasons when they could ‘settle up’ the books (after harvest, etc…) When taxes or fees were do outside of the appointed payment time they didn’t have the ready cash to pay for excessive fees. Sheriffs would often loot homes for ‘payment.’
By 1768, after years of peaceful protesting and fervent pleas to the Royal Governor and North Carolina Legislature, the Regulators recognized that writing letters, singing protest songs and peaceful protests was not getting them anywhere. The frustration began to hit a boiling point. These grievances such as excessive taxes, where sheriffs would take more than was due under false legal pretense, was not just a nuisance but costing the livelihoods of small subsistence farmers. Many of the state taxes were a flat tax. This meant that affluent planters in the east would pay the same rate as a backcountry farmer. To the planter the tax might be an annoyance but they’d be able to pay it and survive. Whereas a backcountry farmer or tradesman would not be able to meet that increase. The taxation for Tryon Palace was a particular source of contention. It is one thing to build a public house for a governor, but a palace? (see photos comparing Tryon Palace with Allen House below. The Allen House is typical Piedmont dwelling)
This sentiment was even more potent in Brunswick Town, where residents had already mounted an armed protest against the Stamp Act in 1765. Tryon even offered to pay the tax himself in some cases to appease the protestors in the Brunswick Town and Wilmington area. While Tryon had conflict with these planters over the British taxes, the planters and merchants in the east had issues with Parliament, in contrast to the Regulators who saw the source of corruption at the state and county level.
The conflict reveals a fascinating complexity: my relative, James Moore, and other members of his family served with Tryon’s militia at the Battle of Alamance, yet many of these militiamen would later become Patriots in the American Revolution. We’ll dive deeper into this in a bit…but suffice it to say this was a ‘battleground’ of frenemies and divided loyalties post Alamance.
In 1768, with the newly appointed title and self-proclaimed authority of ‘Regulators’ the movement became more brazen in its approach. They refused to pay taxes at all until tax rates were lowered. I’m sure you can predict how well that went over with the tax authorities (sheriffs, clerks, courts)…the government officials were livid. Yet the Regulators did not back down. When a Sheriff Hawkins (first name lost to records) seized a farmer’s horse for not paying taxes, approximately eighty regulators captured Sheriff Hawkins and took him to Hillsborough and made him sit backward on a mare while riding through town.
Here’s a fun fact: North Carolina governors actually had a mansion in Brunswick Town called Russellborough, which was essentially a gift. Governor Arthur Dobbs technically paid a symbolic fee of one shilling per acre and a peppercorn, and Tryon lived there until 1770 when he moved to New Bern. It makes you wonder, why build an expensive palace when for years the governors could live for basically free?
This sentiment was even more potent in Brunswick Town, where residents had already mounted an armed protest against the Stamp Act in 1765. Tryon even offered to reimburse the tax himself in some cases to appease the protestors in the Brunswick Town and Wilmington area. While Tryon had conflict with these planters over the British taxes, the planters and merchants in the east had issues with Parliament, in contrast to the Regulators who saw the source of corruption at the state and county level.
The conflict reveals a fascinating complexity: my relative, James Moore, and other members of his family served with Tryon’s militia at the Battle of Alamance, yet many of these militiamen would later become Patriots in the American Revolution. We’ll dive deeper into this in a bit…but suffice it to say this was a ‘battleground’ of frenemies and divided loyalties post Alamance.
In 1768, with the newly appointed title and self-proclaimed authority of ‘Regulators’ the movement became more brazen in its approach. They refused to pay taxes at all until tax rates were lowered. I’m sure you can predict how well that went over with the tax authorities (sheriffs, clerks, courts)…the government officials were livid. Yet the Regulators did not back down. When Sheriff Hawkins (first name lost to records) seized a farmer’s horse for not paying taxes, approximately eighty regulators captured Sheriff Hawkins and took him to Hillsborough and made him sit backward on a mare while riding through town.
This protest was mostly nonviolent, except for a few shots fired at Edmund Fanning’s home (with no intention to kill). This action may seem riotous to modern standards, this actually followed protocol (per historian Wayne E. Lee) of a ‘skimmington,’ which was used in Early Modern England (1550-1750) to ridicule a hen-pecked man; where he had to sit backward on a horse listening to a jeering crowd.
This was an attempt to garner respect for their position and prompt the government to address their legal concerns. But the authorities, like Fanning, were only irritated and became even less open to listening to the grievances.
On May 1, 1768, two Regulator leaders, Herman Husband and William Butler, were arrested. Their arrest marked a significant escalation, as Fanning and Tryon showed they were unwilling to appease the Regulators. While Husband and Butler were eventually freed, the incident pushed the conflict closer to a full-blown war. Husband, a former Quaker and pacifist, was a particularly interesting figure; though a key leader of the movement, he publicly denied being a “Regulator” due to the violent methods but a principal leader in pamphleteering the cause and rousing support. Royal Governor Tryon continuously attacked Husband publicly and privately for his role in the disturbances.
In 1769, after his release from prison, Husband was elected on the Regulator ticket to represent the Piedmont in the legislature. While he was not present at the September 1770 riot in Hillsborough, by December 1770, Husband was falsely charged with libel and expelled from the legislature on January 31st, 1771. Tryon ordered Husband’s arrest and he was in a New Bern jail for a time until the charges were dropped.
Not only were the appointed officials wreaking havoc for farmers in the backcountry, now their representative had been targeted too. They truly felt as though they had no voice in government for their legal rights. The Regulator Movement and Tryon were on a crash course for confrontation.
The Regulators’ frustrations boiled over in September 1770. Tired of not having their legitimate issues addressed, around 150 Regulators marched into Hillsborough, a thriving city and the county seat of Orange County. Armed mostly with clubs, they entered the courthouse and disrupted legal proceedings, demanding to serve as jury members to enact proper justice. Following a thirty-minute debate with the Regulators, Judge Richard Henderson continued the court and ignored their requests.
Outside the courtroom, a frustrated group of Regulators attacked a lawyer named Williams before re-entering the courthouse, where they seized the despised Edmund Fanning and beat him. While both Williams and Fanning managed to escape, they were soon recaptured and forced to make agreements with the Regulators to secure their release. Judge Henderson, also under duress, continued holding court throughout the day and promised to return the next morning, but instead fled town that night. The judge’s escape placed all eyes on Fanning. The Regulators once again attacked him, ran him out of town, and vandalized his home. They also marched through Hillsborough with an effigy of him.
Get to Know Edmund Fanning:
Edmund Fanning was born in 1737 on Long Island, New York. For all his later villainy, there is no doubt he was highly educated, having studied law at Yale University. He also studied at Harvard, Dartmouth and Oxford University. He moved to Hillsborough to set up his law practice and worked to become a leader in the bustling Piedmont community. Outside of his law practice, he even became involved in businesses with future patriots like Thomas Hart and Francis Nash. Hart was later a sheriff and target of the Regulators for his corrupt practices (Hart would deny corruption.)
Fanning had all the means to be a successful attorney, but he also recognized the system of “who you know” and “pay-to-play.” He saw this as vital to achieving political and career success in the Piedmont, away from the eastern epicenter of politics.
By 1763, Fanning had already been appointed and promoted to several government offices (crown attorney, clerk of court) in Rowan and Orange Counties. When Governor Tryon came to power in 1765, they became fast friends, and Edmund Fanning’s star rose brighter than any other in the Piedmont. Tryon helped Fanning gain important offices, including registrar of deeds and clerk of court in Orange County. In 1768, Fanning faced charges of corruption but was exonerated for lack of hard evidence by Judge Maurice Moore. The Regulators were infuriated.
Fanning had no qualms about using his connections and wealth to gain public office. In his mind, this was how the political game was played, but for the Regulators, their livelihoods were being threatened by his corruption. Tryon remained steadfastly loyal to his friend. After the Battle of Alamance, he asked Fanning to accompany him to New York to serve as his secretary. During the American Revolution, Fanning remained devoutly loyal to the crown, serving as a Colonel before relocating to Nova Scotia after the war. Though he was hated by the Regulators and was public enemy number one for many in the Piedmont, Fanning did have some Patriot friends, including William Johnston, a nephew of Samuel Johnston. To protect Fanning’s property from being seized as a loyalist asset, Johnston “purchased” it. Nevertheless, Fanning was destitute after the Revolution, but when Tryon died, he left a large sum in his estate to his best friend.
Anti-Regulator to American Patriots…
Other targets included attorney William Hooper, a future Signer of the Declaration of Independence. Though not corrupt, Hooper was seen as part of the establishment and was dragged through the streets. Francis Nash, a future Revolutionary War hero who would later lead a militia regiment at the Battle of Alamance, luckily evaded capture. Much of the anti-Regulator sentiment among future Patriots stemmed from a rejection of the violence, rather than a disagreement with the Regulators’ grievances.
In the aftermath of the Riot, division arose even among some Regulators. Shubal Stearns for instance was a vocal sympathizer with the cause but did not condone the violence. Unfortunately it also dissuaded the eastern counties from wanting to address the issues as they were appalled by the riot at Hillsborough. There were rumors the Regulators would target them next in New Bern, although the historian I spoke with at Alamance said this was more talk than a real threat at the time.
Legislator and attorney Samuel Johnston from Chowan County (Edenton) was vehemently against the Regulators. After the violence in Hillsborough he pushed for the Riot Act to be passed. The Johnston Riot Act passed in January 1771, allowing for extreme measures against the Regulator movement. The act made it a felony for groups of ten or more people to not disperse within an hour of a legal order, authorized law enforcement to use lethal force without immediate investigation and declared those who remained at large as outlaws subject to death without punishment. Ironically some of the permissions granted in this law would be complaints of American patriots who were anti-regulators during the American Revolution.
This law provided the legal means for Tryon to muster the militia and take arms against the Regulators. Once again the legal recourse for having grievances addressed was being codified in a way that targeted the voice of the people in the backcountry.
In speaking with the historians at The Battle of Alamance Site, there was a requirement in North Carolina that every able bodied man from age 16-60 had to join the militia. This meant muster practice a few times a year (at best). The militia would only be called upon in certain situations. Each county had to have a quota of men to serve the Royal Government of North Carolina.
In the case of The Battle of Alamance, Tryon actually leaned into a paid volunteer militia versus conscription by force. Tryon himself was a former military commander and well versed in the art of war. His militia was well armed and many of the officers had training from the French-Indian War. Drew, a historian at the Battle of Alamance site, explained that though was in the heart of Regulator Territory, Orange County was split 50/50 with about half of the county’s men joining Tryon’s anti-regulation militia. Divisions were high, especially after the Hillsborough riot.
The Regulator militia was around 2,000 strong. While they did have some guns, what I found to be perhaps the most important piece of the Battle was that the majority of the Regulators were armed with clubs and other non-firearm weapons. They did not want to fight a battle but were determined to show their strength in numbers to force a negotiation. By remaining on the field, they were trying to call Tryon’s bluff.
Tryon, however, was not in the mood for talking, and he was not bluffing.
The Road to Battle:
After the Johnston Riot Act, the government had full legal authority to use force against the Regulators. In March 1771, judges informed Tryon that they could not hold court without the protection of the provincial militia. Tryon seized the opportunity and called for the militia to undertake an expedition against the Regulators. On April 22, the militia began to march from New Bern towards Hillsborough, with other units, including Orange County’s, joining en route.
General Hugh Waddell commanded a second detachment that proceeded from the Cape Fear to Salisbury, where he planned to enlist western militia. However, Waddell struggled to recruit men and, on May 9, his army of approximately 300 was met at the Yadkin River by a larger number of Regulators led by Benjamin Merrill. Outnumbered, Waddell was forced to return to Salisbury. Merrill, was later executed for his role in the Regulator Movement, especially for his role in blocking Waddell’s forces.
*Prior to his death, Merrill pleaded with Tryon for mercy in allowing his wife and children to keep their family farm near present day Lexington NC. Tryon did allow this request.
On May 11, Tryon and his force left Hillsborough for Salisbury to meet Waddell. This route took him dead center into the heart of Regulator country. On May 14, Tryon and his men encamped on Alamance Creek. Just three miles to the west, approximately 2,000 Regulators had gathered on the plantation of Michael Holt. For the next several days, there were several failed attempts at communication to avoid bloodshed. On May 16, 1771, Tryon ordered his troops to move towards the Regulator encampment. As his force approached, Tryon sent a proclamation ordering the insurgents to disperse within the hour, but he ignored their petitions. The Regulators refused to surrender, going so far as to taunt the militia to fire. At one point, a Regulator who had been caught by Tryon en route to Alamance, Robert Thompson, was shot in the back by Tryon’s men, a brutal act that only infuriated the Regulators.
After a final warning by Tryon and continued Regulator defiance, the battle began. Some contemporary accounts state that when Tryon gave the order to fire, the militia hesitated. The governor repeated his command, shouting “Fire, fire on them or on me!” and the troops turned their weapons on the insurgents.
The battle lasted about two hours, resulting in a massive loss for the Regulators. What surprised me is that though the Regulators had over 2,000 in strength compared to Tryon’s 1,400, they ended up losing the battle. Though there is not a complete record of the Regulator casualties, it is believed at least nine perished on their side and dozens were wounded, while others were forced to flee for their lives.
At the Battle of Alamance Site, Historical Interpreter, Drew, explained that many of the Regulators didn’t show up with guns but only handmade wooden clubs because they truly thought that if they showed their might, Tryon would back down and finally listen to their demands. However, Tryon was a career military man and was about to leave North Carolina for a major promotion to be Governor of New York. Tryon did not want to leave this rebellion unsettled, and putting it down no doubt would appeal to his superiors.
Tryon’s militia included well-trained military men like Francis Nash and James Moore, who would later become Patriot heroes in the American Revolution. Tryon brought eight cannons, including two field pieces and six swivel guns, which the Regulators could not stop. Though greater in number, the Regulators, who did not have a true commander or sufficient ammunition for a lengthy engagement, were no match for Tryon’s well-trained militia and their artillery.
The battle lasted about two hours. The Regulators’ initial fire forced the provincial army to fall back, and some Regulators rushed forward to seize one of the cannons. However, without ammunition or skill in firing it, they were soon driven from their position by Tryon’s force. The grapeshot from the two cannons was instrumental in dispersing the Regulators. In his report to Lord Hillsborough, secretary of state for the American colonies, Tryon wrote that after about half an hour the Regulators “took to tree fighting” and that he then advanced his first line to force them from their cover and pursued them “a mile beyond their camp.” (reference)
In the aftermath of the battle Governor Tryon offered pardons to any Regulators who would take an oath of loyalty to the crown, with the exception of several key regulator leaders who were forced to stand trial. It is estimated around 6000 Regulators swore the oath of loyalty to the crown after Alamance. Many fled to the Overmountain area of present day Tennessee and the Watauga Association (James Robertson too 16 Regulator leaning families to Sycamore Shoals).
While war has a human cost, the tragedy of the Regulator dead, especially in Hillsborough, still haunts the air. On June 19, 1771, six Regulators were hanged in Hillsborough, including Benjamin Merrill, Captain Robert Messer, Robert Matear, and James Pugh. Two other men, whose names were not recorded, were also executed. An additional six others, who were also condemned, were pardoned by Tryon.
*Some modern research indicates that Pugh may have survived and another individual was hung instead. However historical markers include him as one of those executed at the Hillsborough Gallows. Although their exact burial location is unknown, it is believed to be near the Cameron School, not far from the Old Courthouse in Hillsborough.
Interestingly enough several of the key leaders of the Regulator movement like Herman Husband and James Hunter evaded capture. Some accounts say that Husband was present at Alamance before the shots were fired. Husband, realizing his life was in danger in the aftermath of the end of the Regulator Movement fled to Maryland and eventually to Pennsylvania, where funny enough he was involved as a protestor in the Whiskey Rebellion years later.
Hunter fled the state in fear of his life until Governor Martin took office. During this time his plantation was laid waste by Tryon after the battle. He eventually accepted a pardon and took an oath of allegiance to the crown. When the American Revolution began and Governor Martin issued a call to the Regulators and Scottish Highlanders to raise the King’s Standard at Cross Creek and onto Moore’s Creek Bridge, he now once again faced many of the same foes he battled at Alamance. This time Capt. James Moore was leading the patriot forces.
As I mentioned earlier it is easy to question why would the Regulators lean loyalist when complaints like taxes and government abuses of the American Patriots would stir them. However, many of the Regulator were not upset with parliament but local corrupt officials. While Tryon had many allies in the Eastern Part of the State, Martin was disliked, in part because he actually went into the backcountry and met with former regulators to try and fix some of their grievances. Martin in my opinion was not a good governor, but he also was put in a difficult situation given the fact that while The Battle of Alamance stopped the Regulators it did not fix any of their legitimate concerns.
During our time traveling to the Third Provincial Congress in Hillsborough which occurred in August-September 1775 after Governor Martin was forced out of North Carolina onto his ship the HMS Cruzier after the Burning of Fort Johnston in July 1775, North Carolina was left without a formal government. They chose to host the Third Provincial Congress in Hillsborough as an olive branch to former Regulators they hoped to recruit to the new government and patriot cause. Former Regulator Thomas Person was one of the delegates that attended. Many of the issues discussed at the Congress related to grievances originally brought up during The War of Regulation. When North Carolina wrote its state Constitution in 1776, Dr. Troxler mentioned in her lecture that one-fourth of the Constitution worked on addressing the same issues regulators had complained about (mentioned during lecture I attended at Third Provincial Congress event in Hillsborough)
Today you can visit sites tied to the Regulator War in Historic Hillsborough and in Alamance County at the Battle of Alamance State Historic Site.
- Check out this wonderful site sponsored by Hillsborough for the 250th anniversary of the Regulator Movement. Lots of great videos and resources about this fascinating period of NC history.
- Alliance for Historic Hillsborough has a number of self-guided historic walks through Hillsborough
Make sure to visit the Old Courthouse (where previous courthouse was located as well). Signs throughout downtown Hillsborough near the Old Courthouse provide historical nods to the War of Regulation.
Retracing History at The Battle of Alamance State Historic Site
The Battle of Alamance site is easily accessible from I-40 and is conveniently located in the quaint town of Alamance, just a few miles from Burlington and Greensboro. I was able to stop by Hillsborough and Alamance in one day. The state historic site invites you to tour the grounds via a self-guided walking trail with interpretive signs guiding you through the history.
What stands out about this site is that in addition to the self-guided tour, the on-site historians, rangers, and volunteers are ready and available to dive into the history with each guest and challenge your preconceived thoughts on how the War of Regulation should be interpreted today. As one ranger explained, these are timeless issues of going against corruption and having your voice heard. Both sides had flaws. The Regulators could be intimidating to neighbors who didn’t join their cause, and despite the notorious corruption of Edmund Fanning, beating officials, especially future Patriots like William Hooper, seems extreme. Tryon and eastern representatives could have done a better job of addressing the complaints and working to help those in the backcountry.
This visit helped me see a more complete picture of the conflict. I learned about Governor Josiah Martin’s outreach to former Regulators to resolve their grievances. Coming from the Moore family and having visited historical sites in the eastern part of the state, you’re often told about Martin’s ineffective governorship. I don’t think he was a great governor, but it helped me see a more complete picture of the issues in North Carolina—a picture that, while separate from the American Revolution, did weave into the fabric of the state’s journey to become not east or west, but one unified state.
One of the highlights at the Battle of Alamance is the Allen House, which shows how many of the settlers in the Alamance region lived during the War of Regulation and later the American Revolution. This two-story log home belonged to local Quakers John and Rachel Allen and their twelve children. In 1967, the house was moved from nearby Snow Camp, NC, to the state historic site.
In speaking with historical interpreter Lisa, what impressed me the most about the home was the craftsmanship of the furniture, including a beautiful clock. Many of the pieces in the home are from the period and were made or imported by families in the greater Alamance region. Lisa explained that many of the settlers had trades up in Pennsylvania or other regions they immigrated from and would bring that craftsmanship for furniture making to the area. The settlers also would purchase many goods or components for the home from regional merchants, peddlers, and storefronts in Hillsborough or Salisbury.
While the Allens, as staunch Quakers, were not involved with the Regulator Movement, the Allen House was selected for Alamance because John’s sister, Amy, married Herman Husband.
Fun fact: Legend states that when Herman fled North Carolina he changed his last name to ‘TuEscapeDeath’ – it’s Shakespeare in the backcountry – got to love his poetic flair as a pamphleteer.
The Battle of Alamance Site in the American Revolution:
The Battle site later played a role in the American Revolution.
Archaeological evidence has proven that a small Revolutionary War engagement occurred on the Regulator battlefield on 5 March 1781. Ten years after the Battle of Alamance, and approximately two weeks before the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, soldiers of the Delaware Light Infantry commanded by Captain Robert Kirkwood fought a small contingent of British sentries from the Army of Lord Charles Cornwallis.
Just a few miles down the road (in a Dollar General Parking Lot of all places) is a marker denoting another Revolutionary skirmish, The Battle of Clapp’s Mill between notorious Lt. Colonel Banastre Tarleton and patriot commander General Harry Lighthorse Lee.
The fight for this region was a personal one, with allegiances forged a decade earlier during the Regulator War. The same families who witnessed or participated in that conflict now found themselves on the front lines of the American Revolution’s Southern Campaign. At major battles like Guilford Courthouse and in countless skirmishes, former neighbors fought one another. While Quakers tended to the wounded of both sides due to their pacifist beliefs, their community was largely neutral or loyalist.
Interesting fact: Patriot General Nathanael Greene was raised a Quaker in Rhode Island and kicked out of meeting for his decision to fight in the Revolution. Greensboro was named in his honor for his leadership at Guilford Courthouse.
The Regulators themselves were deeply divided. Many who had sworn a loyalty oath to the King after Alamance honored that pledge like a signed contract, while others chose to fight for the new promise of independence.
Planning Your Visit:
The Alamance Battleground State Historic Site is open from Tuesday-Saturday. I recommend checking their website for upcoming events and current hours/tour times. The staff here is extremely knowledgeable and helpful! They went out of their way to bring the Regulator Movement and Battle of Alamance to life.
They have special events throughout the year, including a battle reenactment every year.
Want to Learn More about Alamance and The War of Regulation…? Here are some helpful historical resources:
- Battle of Alamance Site Learning Resources
- Dr. Carole Troxler Books
- Breaking Loose Together (book) by Marjoleine Kars
- 10 Facts About Regulator War from American Battlefield Trust
- Outlander features The War of Regulation in both the books and series. The history is not completely accurate, but it is till a great starting point for the history. With historical fiction, I always take time to fact check the story from the history. Either way, Outlander has brought a lot of interest to Alamance and Hillsborough, which is great!
- Brother vs Brother – interesting article I found about William and John Butler – two brothers on opposite side of Regulator War
- Battle of Alamance Guide to Key Regulators
Other helpful links to plan your Regulator War Adventures:
- Visit Alamance County – Plan your visit to Historic Alamance County
- Visit Hillsborough – Great Resources to plan your historical day in Hillsborough
- Orange County Historical Museum – in heart of downtown Hillsborough…this museum has a treasure trove of history from Native American roots to War of Regulation, Revolutionary War and beyond…
*I did my best to provide the most accurate information based on research from visiting the Battleground, studying scholarly articles, etc…but of course if you have a question or want to add anything about the Regulator War – let me know! I also recommend going to the source at Alamance Battleground Site – they are fantastic interpreters who know the history inside out!
Next up on American Nomad we’ll be kicking off our series on Hillsborough NC – from Historic Sites to great eats, fun shops and more.
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Hi, I’m Adele Lassiter, the travel enthusiast behind American Nomad Traveler. This is where I share my love for history, cool museums, art, and travel tips. When I’m not writing, I’m a singer-songwriter with a passion for Americana music. You can find my new album here: adelelassiter.bandcamp.com
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