The French & Indian War in North Carolina: The Spreading Flames of War

by John R. Maass

Though most of the events in the French and Indian War took place hundreds of miles away, North Carolina was not exempt from its impact. As the European forces of France, Spain, Great Britain and their American Indian allies brought war to the New World, the colony mobilized troops, raised money, built forts and participated in several arduous military campaigns. The war had a huge influence on the colony, including a dramatic conflict between the colonial Governor Arthur Dobbs and the colonial legislature over how many troops to raise and how it would be funded. This led to an increasing sense of independence from Britain that would continue to build after the war was over. Join historian and author John R. Maass as he chronicles a significant yet often overlooked North Carolina history..

Genres: History

144 pages, Paperback

First published November 10, 2013

Reviews

[Joseph Ficklen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title should be rather "The French and Indian War in(volving troops from) North Carolina," but a fascinating story nonetheless. Governor Rowan of North Carolina was one of the first to send support to Governor Dinwiddie of Virginia in his confrontation with the French at the Forks of the Ohio in 1754. Several companies of the North Carolina Regiment commanded by Colonel James Innes were on the way to support Washington at Fort Necessity when he was defeated there. The following year, North Carolina troops were bringing up the rear of the column marching to the Monongahela, when the head of the column marched into its bloody ambush. In 1756, North Carolina provincials were sent as far afield as Fort Oswego in New York, but they failed to arrive before the fort was taken by the French. Most of these men were disbanded however, and at least some reenlisted in the 60th "Royal American" Regiment. Two years later, under the influence of Governor Arthur Dobbs, North Carolina made another large contribution to the 1758 campaign against Fort Duquesne, and a handful of Carolinians served in the bloody battle before the fort in September. For the rest of the war, North Carolina's borders were actually threatened by depredations of the Cherokee, against which North Carolina contributed men and arms in their own defense. No major battles in this conflict, but fierce forest fights memorable enough for its participants.

I noticed many names that would become prominent in the Revolution a decade or so later, James Grant would be a British General, Adam Stephen and Andrew Lewis generals of Virginia troops, Francis Marion would become immortal as the "Swamp Fox." But what of the men of North Carolina's provincial troops? Did any of them go onto to serve in the Regulator War or in the Revolution? Robert Howe was mentioned, the North Carolina general defeated at Savannah in 1778, but a fuller exploration of this question was lacking in the book. Still a good bit of research.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this, great deep dive into a niche-ish subject. Lots of unique illustrations, contemporary quotes, and maps, blended with feeling prose and the odd bit of humor. I picked this up at the reconstructed Fort Dobbs gift shop, so I was way more interested in those bits, and the narration of the constant bickering over funding was a bit boring and lost my attention, but overall highly highly recommend.

[Charles Berteau · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book as an element of my family history research, as I have lines with deep roots in North Carolina, and I wanted to add to my understanding of the colonial period in the state.

The book itself is excellent: well-researched, thoroughly sourced, comprehensive and comprehendible, lots of illustrations and maps...really strong. It's a short, quick read and did give me good insight as to the conditions in the colony during the F&I War timeframe.

My only detraction is that the topic itself is so dull: virtually nothing happened in North Carolina during the war, except for some tiny troop contributions to more northern campaigns, and some action on its own western frontier. This is not the fault of the author, but unless you have a specific need to research this time and place, I don't suggest picking this book up as a casual read ... there's simply not enough there, there.

[Van Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good perspective of NC's activities during these times.