Caswell Cemetery at Vernon Hall, 2000 Dig
Smithsonian Examines Caskets, 2005
Casket Reburial, 2005
Dr. Charles Ewen Report
Location of Gov. Caswell's Grave, 1999
Caswell Month, August 2007
Caswell Family Cemetery, 2008 Dig
Help Save the Caswell and other Cemeteries
Governor Richard Caswell Document Collection in the Lenoir County, NC GenWeb Archives
Governor Richard CASWELL
- Contributed By Clair
Hadley A Caswell Descendant
Clair's personal page contains information on many other families
in the area.
Richard Caswell was the first Governor of the independent state
of North Carolina. He was the only one ever to serve for six one
year terms, and the only one ever from Lenoir (then Dobbs) County.
Caswell was distinguished also among governors of the newly
independent states for having directly participated in the
Revolutionary battles. While serving in the militia with rank of
colonel in 1771, Caswell saw action under Governor Tryon in the
Battle of Alamance. Three years later the First Provincial
Congress met at New Bern to name delegates to the First
Continental Congress, opening in Philadelphia on September 5,
1775. In May 1775, whileenroute to the Continental Congress,
Colonel Caswell learned of the April 19th battles at Lexington and
Concord. By the time he returned to North Carolina, Colonial
Governor Josiah Martin had fled the Royal Palace, Tryon, at New
Bern, taking refuge on a British warship at the mouth of Cape Fear
River. Military preparations increased throughout North Carolina
and Caswell was named commander of the militia in one of the six
military districts. Then, at the battle of Moore's Creek Bridge on
Feb. 27, 1776, Caswell led some 1,100 Whig troops who ambushed the
Tories, upset British invasion plans and made him a hero of the
Revolution.
- In 1776, after the Provincial Congress enacted the Halifax
Resolves, military preparations escalated and Caswell was promoted
to brigadier general of militia. Later he was to command all North
Carolina militia and was to join General Horatio Gates in the
unsuccessful action against Cornwallis at the battle of Camden. In
the meantime, Caswell served as chairman of a group to draft a
state constitutuion, which was adopted, following the Declaration
of Independence, by the Continental Congress. General
Caswell was chosen and reelected Governor of North Carolina by the
general assemblies of 1777, 1778, and 1779. The constitution
permitted only three successive terms for governor. It was
in 1777, his first year as constututional governor, that Caswell
bought Harmony Hall; according to Dr. Charles Holloman, Caswell
occupied Tryon Palace for a brief period, but then moved the
government to Kinston, feeling the palace presented too exposed a
target for British warships. Caswell was again elected N.C.
Governor in 1785 and was re-elected for the full legal limit of
three successive terms, serving until 1788. He suffered a fatal
paralytic stroke while presiding over the state senate in the
general assembly at Fayetteville in the Fall of 1789. He died on
10 Nov. 1789 and is believed to be buried at Kinston in what is
now Caswell Memorial Park. The park houses the Caswell museum and
Visitors Center Since Caswell left no land or houses and precious
momentoes, his wealth having been sorely depleted as a result of
the war, only Harmony Hall remains as the restored proof of his
courage and service to the State and the Nation. SOURCES: Harmony Hall LH 08288-6 Lenoir Community College,
History of Lenoir County by Charles Holloman
LIFE STORY
-
The Story of Governor Richard Caswell of Lenoir
includes NC history and many area families of the Revolutionary period.
/dl>
BIBLE RECORDS
-
Richard CASWELL Jr. Family Bible
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Dallam CASWELL Bible
-
MCILWEAN Family Bible
CASWELL FAMILY TREE
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Caswell Family Photo Album
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Caswell Connections
-
Eliza W. Desmond Corrections and/or Additions
-
Martin CASWELL Family
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Martin CASWELL Descendants
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Richard CASWELL Sr. Descendants
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Gov. Richard CASWELL Jr. Descendants
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Early Records of the MACKILWEAN Family
- GATLIN Family
- LOVICK Family - Mary Ann Lovick Kilpatrick Photo
-
WASHINGTON Family
WILLS
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Claims Against the Estate of Gov. Richard Caswell
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Wayne County Claims Against the Estate of Richard Caswell
DEEDS
- Deeds Tracing Property Ownned by Gov. Caswell and Brothers
Martin and Samuel and descendants
LETTERS
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1804 Petitions by Dallem Caswell concerning his father's estate
-
George Washington Papers at the Library of Congress results of a search using"CASWELL"
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