GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1971 SESSION

RESOLUTION 47 HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 695

A JOINT RESOLUTION COMMEMORATING THE BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OF THE .

Whereas, on May 16, 1771, more than 2,000 men who called themselves "Regulators", assembled along the banks of Alamance Creek and surrounding area in what is now known as Alamance County, having come together from their homes, farms, stores and various professions to protest and force , the King of 's Royal Governor of North Carolina, to listen to their complaints of the dishonesty of his officeholders; and Whereas, Governor Tryon was determined to put down this "Insurrection," and as head of the militia serving the colony, had left his palace at New Bern, and arrived at Hillsborough, in Orange County on May 9, and had on May 11 headed into the country of the Regulators and had set up camp on Alamance Creek on May 14; and Whereas, Governor Tryon refused to soften his surrender terms, but issued an ultimatum to the Regulators to quietly lay down their arms, surrender their leaders and rest on the leniency of Governor Tryon so as to prevent bloodshed; and Whereas, the Regulators sent a reply to Governor Tryon to "Fire and be damned"; and Whereas, the militia opened fire upon the Regulators, and during the ensuing two-hour battle, nine of Tryon's men were killed and sixty-one wounded, and nine of the Regulators were killed and about two hundred wounded; and Whereas, Governor Tryon's militia captured many Regulators and subsequently hanged six of them for refusing to denounce their Regulator activities; and Whereas, the Battle of Alamance was the first battle of the Revolutionary War, occurring four years prior to the Battle at Concord Bridge; and Whereas, during the year 1971, North Carolina is celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Alamance;

Now, therefore, be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:

Section 1. The historical significance of the Battle of Alamance is hereby recognized and commemorated as being the first Battle of the . Sec. 2. The House of Representatives and the Senate express their interest in the rich and glorious history of Alamance County and the Battle of Alamance. Sec. 3. This resolution shall be effective upon ratification. In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 16th day of April, 1971.