Person:Alexander Mebane (8)

North Carolina's Paul Revere was Col. Alexander Mebane. Captured by Tory Colonel David Fanning, Mebane escaped the night of September 12, 1781, and rode through Orange and Alamance counties to warn the patriots of the Tories' approach. On September 13, Tories and patriots fought at Lindley's Mill, with neither side achieving victory. After the war Mebane's activities included serving in the U. S. Congress, as a member of the Constitutional Convention, and as an original trustee of the University of North Carolina.

Private John Mebane was among these captive Whig leaders. When thrown in jail, he maintained high spirits. Fellow captive James Turner testified in 1832 that when John Mebane was "brought into the jail, he danced across the floor." (Mebane 1833 in NARA:M804:1705). John’s brother Alexander Mebane II barely escaped capture. Historian Eli Caruthers in (Caruthers 1854:207) writes:

"Col. Alexander Mebane made his escape by leaving a very valuable horse to the care of the enemy, and taking it on foot through the high weeds which had grown up very densely in the cross streets."

Alexander Mebane II was an Orange County delegate in the Fifth Provincial Congress. At that time he was a justice of the peace. In 1777, he was Orange County sheriff, the same office his father held in 1752. During the Revolutionary War, he was Hillsborough District militia commissary officer

During 1783-1784, Alexander Mebane II was Hillsborough district auditor. During 1787-1792, he represented Orange County in the North Carolina House of Commons. At the 1788 North Carolina convention for the United States Constitution, he and his brother William Mebane represented Orange County. Alexander Mebane II was also a delegate at the 1789 convention. John Anderson represented Guilford County and James Anderson represented Chatham County. Since these counties are adjacent to Orange County, these men could be Anderson relatives, but no hard evidence is known. All of these delegates were Anti-Federalists who voted against Constitution adoption. (Massengill 1988) contains details.

In 1785, University of North Carolina was chartered. William Richardson Davie led the University of North Carolina establishment during 1789-1794 (Robinson 1957:222-276). As a member of the House of Commons, he introduced the establishing act on 12 November 1789. It passed on 11 December. The act created a board of trustees. Their first meeting was 14 December. During 1790-1792, the Board arranged the financial foundation. Along with William Richardson Davie, Alexander Mebane II was a member of the original board of trustees of the University of North Carolina (Robinson 1957:229).

Despite Alexander Mebane II's Anti-Federalist record, he later was a United States Congressman during 1793-1795. At that time, Congress met in Philadelphia. He was re-elected in 1794. He died on 5 July 1795, age 50. His brother John Mebane represented Chatham County in the state House of Commons for many terms between 1790 and 1811, but not continuously. Another brother, James Mebane, represented Orange County intermittently between 1789 and 1824. He was Speaker of the House in 1821. He was also a state senator.

The City of Mebane, North Carolina traces its beginnings to the early 19th century when a post office was established in 1809. The town was named for Brigadier General Alexander Mebane of the North Carolina Militia and a member of Congress in the 1790's.

Alexander must have married for a second time after his wife died. Wife Ann is mentioned in his will:

Will

C-53 to 56 Will in Archives. Dated 3 July 1795, proved August 1795. Names wife Ann, has property in Philadelphia; sons: John Alexander, William, Robert, James; daus: Jannet Stanford, Mary Hodge, Sarah, Fanny, Susannah, Elizabeth, Nancy; grandchildren: Arriana and Mary Stanford. Executors: son James, brother James, and Robert Hodge. Witnesses: Wm. Hodge, John Matthews

For more information, see the EN Wikipedia article Alexander Mebane.

1. ↑ Charles L Van Noppen. Biographical History of North Carolina - From Colonial Times to the Present. (Copyright, 1908 (Charles L Van Noppen, Publisher, Greensboro, NC))
   page 331.