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Captain Benjamin Merrill and the Merrill Family of North Carolina

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Rowan County, NC militia captain and Regulator

Benjamin Merrill (sometimes Merrell) (c. 1731 – June 19, 1771) was a captain in the militia of Rowan County, North Carolina who sided with the Regulators during the pre-Revolutionary War insurgence. He was captured following the conflict catastrophe Boxing of Alamance on May 16, 1771, and shortly thereafter ordered to be executed as a rebel and traitor by Colonial Governor William Tryon.

Personal life [edit]

Merrill was born circa 1731 in Hopewell, New Jersey. He became a gunsmith and plantation owner. His lands included a river with a strong current "...sufficient to ability the machinery used in boring out the barrels."[1] His residence was located four miles south of Lexington, North Carolina, in what was then Orange County. Information technology was reported that Merrill was a deacon of the nearby Jersey church building, a Baptist congregation founded about 1755 past settlers from New Bailiwick of jersey.[one] [2] He was married to Jemima Smith, girl of Andrew Smith of Hopewel, and was known to have had viii to ten children.[3] [1]

Regulator movement [edit]

The Regulation move (or "State of war of the Regulation") was at get-go a low intensity activeness carried on by colonists from about 1765 to 1771 against local and state officials and offices in the Carolinas. The colonials had become upset over bug of what some considered unfair taxation, local government corruption, and local government control. At first, the colonial governments did little to intercede; but past early 1771, North Carolina Governor Tryon had had enough, now viewing the perpetrators equally full fledged rebels.[2] [4] Governor Tryon sent General Hugh Waddell through Rowan and Mecklenburg to raise troops. Waddell enlisted nearly one hundred in Mecklenburg and most the same number in Rowan. At this time, Captain Merrill had also rallied a company of three hundred men, well-nigh of whom were Baptists,[1] from the Jersey Settlement (in what is now Davidson Canton).[ii] From hither Captain Merrill marched to meet other Regulator forces, who were convinced an overwhelming show of force would intimidate the authorities forces into withdrawal, rather than to really fight. The Regulator militia was gathering a large force at a camp site along the Alamance Creek.[2]

"[Merrill] was regarded as a pious man; and was much esteemed wherever he was known. He was within an easy twenty-four hours's march of the place of meeting (Battle of Alamance) with three hundred men under his command, when he heard of the defeat; and if he had got in that location in fourth dimension the outcome would take been unlike. His men immediately dispersed, but he was taken prisoner, and his life was the forfeit. In this trying situation he gave his friends satisfactory prove that he was prepared to dice; for he not only professed his organized religion in Christ his hope of heaven and willingness to go, merely sung a song very devoutly just before he swung off, and died with the resignation and composure of a Christian. One of his enemies was heard to say 'If all went to the gallows with Captain Merrill'due south grapheme, hanging would be an honorable death.' "[1]

Alamance [edit]

On May nine, when marching to join Tryon, Waddell was intercepted at the Yadkin by the much larger force of Regulators under Merrill. Realizing his force was outnumbered, Waddell fell back to the Salisbury District. He was unable to join the governor until afterward the battle. Meanwhile Tryon had proceeded westward from Hillsborough with just nether xi hundred men. He met the forces of the insurgents at Alamance Creek and defeated them, thereby bringing open opposition of the Regulators to an end.[2] Captain Merrill arrived afterward the battle had been decided; his force was scattered and he was taken prisoner.[1]

The Boxing of Alamance was the just full-calibration—and the decisive battle—of the state of war.[2] [five]

Boxing aftermath [edit]

A plaque from Alamance battlefield monument reads: "Of the twelve regulators condemned at Hillsboro, the following six were executed by the British Governor: James Pugh, Robert Matear, Benjamin Merrill, Helm Messer, and ii others whose names are now unknown. "Our claret volition exist every bit expert seed in practiced ground, that will soon produce i hundred fold." –James Pugh, nether the gallows at Hillsboro, North.C., June 19th, 1771."

From May 30 to June 20, 1771, the court of oyer and terminer was held at Hillsborough for the trial of the Regulators captured at Alamance. Twelve were convicted of high treason, and half dozen of them were sentenced to be hanged, fatigued, and quartered for their part in the uprising,[4] [6] including 3 officers of the colonial militia who had joined ranks with the Regulator's: Merrill, Captain Robert Messer, and Helm Robert Matear.[2]

Final petition to Lord Hillsborough and death [edit]

In a letter from Governor Tryon to Lord Hillsborough, Tryon asked for consideration to be given to the widow Merrill and her children:[7]

"Benjamin Merrill a Helm of the militia, at the hr of his execution, left it in charge of the officers to solicit me to petition His Majesty to grant his plantation and estate to his wife and 8 children. He died under a thorough confidence of his crime and the justice of his sentence, and addressed himself to the spectators to take warning by his suffering. His Majesty'due south indulgence to this request would, I am persuaded, be dutifully and affectionatley [sic] received by his unhappy widow and children." —Wme. Tryon[ane]

The request was granted, although later played downwardly by the Patriots of the Revolution.[8] [one] Merrill and his five companions were hanged on June 19, 1771, near Hillsborough, North Carolina.[4] [2]

Memorial [edit]

At that place is a memorial plaque placed forth Old Halifax Rd., in Hillsborough, North Carolina marker the place of the execution.[4]

Notes [edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f grand h Captain Benjamin Merrell & The Regulators of Colonial North Carolina; [via "History of the Liberty Baptist Association, by Elderberry Henry Sheets, Edwards & Broughton of Raleigh, Due north.C, (1907)"]; TAMU; accessed Aug 2018
  2. ^ a b c d east f grand h Rowan County; North Carolina Counties; accessed Aug 2018
  3. ^ NOTE: Although Elderberry H. Sheets noted that his wife'south maiden name could not exist ascertained.
  4. ^ a b c d Prelude to the American Revolution? The War of Regulation: A Revolutionary Reaction for Reform; Sarah Sadlier; Charles Wright Academy, Tacoma, Washington; (2012); PDF format file, accessed March viii, 2019.
  5. ^ Brown, Richard Maxwell; The Southward Carolina Regulators: The Story of the Get-go American Vigilante Movement; Cambridge, Massachusetts; Belknap Printing of Harvard Academy; (1963)
  6. ^ NOTE: As a do, cartoon and quartering was non normally carried out by this fourth dimension.
  7. ^ Colonial Records of NC Vol Eight P 650
  8. ^ NOTE:The reply to the plea read: "To JEMIMAH MERRILL AND HER CHILDREN. I, Wm. Tryon, Governor and Captain-General for the Province of North Carolina; To Jemima Merrill and her Children: You are commanded to hold and possess the land and tenements, goods and chattels of the tardily Benjamin Meriill, hung for high treason till his Majesty's pleasure shall be known and all his taxation collectors and receiver shall take due notice thereof. Washed at Hillsboro---June, 1771. "Wm. Tryon"

External links [edit]

  • Benjamin Merrill Memorial Site; Find-a-Grave.com; accessed March 8, 2019; located on Old Halifax Rd., Hillsborough, Due north Carolina.

Coordinates: 36°04′31.three″N 79°05′39.8″W  /  36.075361°Northward 79.094389°W  / 36.075361; -79.094389

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Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Merrill

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