Person:William Deaton (1)

Per Chris Gillum July 2004 ...

Capt. William Deaton:

Notes for WILLIAM DEATON:

William served under Col. David Fanning in the "Loyal Militia of Randolph and Chatham Counties" as a Captain of Chatham County. William participated in the Battle of Betli's Bridge on Drowning Creek and was later killed at Cane Creek (Battle of Lindley's Mill) in an ambush by General Butler. The Battle of Cane Creek at Lindley's Mill took place on September 12, 1781 in Hillsborough, Chatham County, NC. Capt. William Deaton, a Tory, was killed during this battle. He served under Col. David Fanning's regiment. On the 5th of July, 1781, David Fanning, Esq., was appointed to be Colonel of the Loyal Militia of Randolph and Chatham Counties. This appointment, signed by J.H.Craigg, Major, Commanding the Kings Troops and Given at Wilmington, authorized Fanning to grant commissions as necessary for his different companies. On the 1st of September, 1781, William Deaton was one of several men commissioned as Captains for the companies of Chatham County. A copy of the oath was included in Fanning's narrative: By: David Fanning Esq., Colonel of the Loyal Militia of North Carolina To: William Deaton Greetings---------- Having received sufficient testimony of your loyalty and zeal for his Majesties Service, and relying on your courage and good conduct, I do hereby appoint you to be Captain of a Company in the District of Chatham County. You are therefore diligently and carefully to discharge the duty of such, obeying all orders and directions which you may receive from time to time from any superior officers in his Majesties service and all others, the inferior officers of his Majesties subjects of that and every other company are directed and requested to obey you as Captain of said Company. Given under my hand at Coxes Mill this 1st of September 1781 - - - - -- - This information was taken from "A Journal of Col. David Fanning's Transactions During the Late War in America, from the year 1775 - - - commencing 1st of May until the Peace" This writing is a first hand account of certain activities and has been researched along with other writings of the time which corroborate these accounts. Deaton participated in the Battle of Betli's Bridge on Drowning Creek. This was the 1st of September 1781, and was a serious Whig defeat and a stunning victory for the Loyalist. This battle is actually recorded as the Battle of McPhaul's Mill and lead directly to the raid on Hillsborough. On the 12th of September, 1781, Fanning�s' Regiment conducted the raid on Hillsborough. This is considered Fanning's most daring exploit. In this raid, two other regiments joined in and assisted in killing 15 rebels, wounding another 20, and capturing more than 200, including Governor Burke. On the 13th of September, 1781, Fanning marched on to Lindleys Mill to attack General Butler and his party of Rebels. The attack on Lindleys Mill was a devastating 4 hour battle that continued until Butler and his Rebels retreated. Fanning lost 27 men killed, including Captain William Deaton, 60 men wounded so badly they couldn't be moved (presumably they too also died), and another 30 slightly wounded. This battle was fought by the 950 men in Fanning's Regiment and the unknown number of men in the two regiments that had joined Fanning. At this site patriot militia commanded by Brigadier General John Butler ambushed loyalist militia commanded by Col. David Fanning in an effort to free Gov. Thomas Burke and other patriot prisoners whom the loyalist had captured at Hillsborough the previous day. Although losses were heavy on both sides, the loyalist kept their prisoners and continued their march to join the British forces at Wilmington. After the four hour battle, local residents cared for the wounded on both sides and buried the dead.

1. ↑ William Deaton, No. 519 and No. 520, in Chatham, North Carolina, United States. Land Records, 1778-1795
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