Place:Harnett, North Carolina, United States

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source: Family History Library Catalog

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

Harnett County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 133,568. Its county seat is Lillington; its largest city is Dunn. Harnett County is part of the Fayetteville Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

Harnett County was formed in 1855 from land given by Cumberland County. It was named for American Revolutionary war soldier Cornelius Harnett, who was also a delegate to the Continental Congress. The first settlers came to the region in the mid-1720s, and were followed by Highland Scots immigrants. The Scots settled in the foothills, where land was more affordable, rather than in the rich alluvial soil area of the coastal plain. After the defeat by the British of Bonny Prince Charles at Culloden, Scots immigrants came up the Cape Fear River in ever increasing numbers and settled in western Harnett County. British immigrants had settled primarily along the banks of the Cape Fear River in the coastal area, generally from Erwin to Wilmington.

During the American Revolutionary War, many of the Scots were Loyalists. In their defeat in Scotland, they had been forced to take ironclad vows that prohibited taking up arms against the British. Some Rebels considered them traitors to the cause of Independence. Public executions of suspected spies occurred. One site near Lillington was the scene of a mass execution of "Scots Traitors."

Though Harnett County was not a site of warfare during the Civil War, one of the last battles took place near Averasborough which was once the third most populated town in North Carolina but is no longer in existence. During the Carolinas Campaign the Left Wing of General William Sherman's army under the command of Maj. General Henry W. Slocum defeated the army of General William Hardee in the Battle of Averasborough and proceeded eastward. A centennial celebration of the event was held in 1965 at the site of the battlefield.

Harnett County was formed in 1855 from Cumberland County. It was named for the Revolutionary War Patriot, Cornelius Harnett, delegate to the Continental Congress. The first settlers came in the mid 1720's, followed by the Highland Scots. After the defeat by the British of Bonny Prince Charles at Culloden, the Scots came up the Cape Fear River in ever increasing numbers and settled in western Harnett County. Many in this area today have Scottish ancestry.

Lillington, the county seat, on the Cape Fear River is named in honor of Alexander Lillington, another Revolutionary patriot. Lillington, Dunn, Coats, Angier, and Erwin are the leading trading and commercial areas.

Averasboro Battleground in souteast Harnett County is the site of a Confederate attack on Sherman's Army (March 15, 1865) and is marked by a grove of large oak and beech trees.^[1]

Timeline

Population History

source: Source:Population of States and Counties of the United States: 1790-1990

Research Tips

• Harnett County Cemetery & Obituary Search - Genealogists and family historians who are curious about their Harnett Roots can use the Harnett County Public Library Online Catalog to search for obituaries and cemetery information in Harnett County. Just select "Obituary" in the Database block when setting up search criteria. Harnett County cemeteries listed here. You can also read information about the Harnett County Public Library Cemetery/Obituary Database Project.

External links

• Harnett County government services homepage
• Wikipedia: Harnett County, North Carolina
• Harnett County Veterans Park - Memorials for veterans from Harnett County