Benjamin Cleveland

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Benjamin Cleveland

Inscription on the Benjamin Cleveland obelisk at Madison Community, South Carolina
Born May 28, 1738
Orange County, Virginia
Died October 1806
Oconee County, South Carolina
Occupation Colonial militia and surveyor
Spouse Mary Graves
Parents John and Elizabeth Cleveland

Benjamin Cleveland (1738–1806) was an American pioneer and soldier in North Carolina. He is best remembered for his service as a colonel in the North Carolina militia during the Revolutionary War, and in particular for his role in the American victory at the Battle of Kings Mountain in 1780.

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[edit] Early life

Benjamin Cleveland was born on May 28, 1738 in Orange County, Virginia. His parents were John and Elizabeth Cleveland. He moved to what later became Wilkes County, North Carolina in 1769. He built his famous estate, called "Roundabout," near what is today Ronda, North Carolina in eastern Wilkes County. Cleveland was very active in the early history of Wilkes County - at various times, he worked as a hunter, trapper, farmer, carpenter, and surveyor. By the time of the American Revolution in 1775, Cleveland was probably the wealthiest and most prominent citizen in Wilkes. A large, bulky man, he earned an early nickname from his size and his estate; he was called "Old Roundabout."

[edit] Revolutionary War

At the beginning of the Revolutionary War, Cleveland was appointed a colonel in the North Carolina militia. He was elected to the North Carolina House of Commons in 1778 and to the North Carolina Senate in 1779. Until 1780, the fighting in North Carolina consisted mostly of guerilla warfare between patriots, or those colonists who favored American independence from Britain, and Tories, or those colonists who remained loyal to the British crown. A fierce believer in the patriot cause, Cleveland became known as the "Terror of the Tories" for his treatment of pro-British colonists. In 1779, two Tories raided and looted the home of George Wilfong, a patriot farmer and friend of Cleveland. The Tories used Wilfong's clothesline to chase away his horses. They were captured by Cleveland's militia and brought before Cleveland for judgement; he had them hanged from an oak tree using the same clothesline they had stolen from Wilfong. In revenge, a small group of Tories led by Captain William Riddle of the Tory militia kidnapped Cleveland. Soon after, however, Cleveland's men rescued him and captured Captain Riddle and two others. They were hanged from the same oak tree. The tree became known as the "Tory Oak" and stood for many years as an historic landmark behind the old Wilkes County courthouse (now the Wilkes Historical Museum).

In 1780, British General Lord Cornwallis led an invasion army into the Carolinas, and won several victories over the American forces. When Major Patrick Ferguson, one of Cornwallis's commanders, threatened to lead an army of Tories into the North Carolina mountains to crush patriot forces in the area (including Cleveland and his militia), a group of mountain men from western North Carolina (including what is today Tennessee) decided to attack Ferguson's section of the British Army at King's Pinnacle, an isolated ridge on the North Carolina-South Carolina border. Cleveland played a key role in the Battle of Kings Mountain. According to legend, Cleveland climbed atop Rendezvous Mountain in Wilkes County and blew his powder horn to summon over 200 Wilkes County militiamen to fight in the battle. Cleveland led his men to the battlefield, and was one of the primary American commanders in the battle. During the battle Cleveland's horse was killed, and he subsequently commandeered the horse that had been the steed of Major Patrick Ferguson. Ferguson had been shot off his horse and killed earlier in the fight. After the battle, Cleveland took Ferguson's white stallion as a "war prize", and rode it to his estate of Roundabout in Wilkes County.

[edit] Later years

After the war, Cleveland sold his property (or gave up ownership due to a title dispute), and moved to the South Carolina frontier. He was a commissioner in the Pendleton District.

He died at his home in Oconee County, South Carolina on October 15, 1806. There is an obelisk monument on private property just north of U.S. Route 123 about 160 yds (145 m) east of the Madison Baptist Church in the Madison Community of Oconee County. He is buried across Route 123 about 1 mi (1.6 km) away in a cemetery that is on private property.

Cleveland County, North Carolina, Cleveland, Tennessee, and Cleveland, Georgia are named in his honor.

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Persondata
NAME Cleveland, Benjamin
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION Colonel in Revolutionary militia
DATE OF BIRTH May 28, 1738
PLACE OF BIRTH Orange County, Virginia
DATE OF DEATH October 1806
PLACE OF DEATH Oconee County, South Carolina