History of Mecklenburg County North Carolina United States of America

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Alexander Caldwell Davidson, representative, was born in Mecklenburg county, N.C., Dec. 26, 1826. He was graduated from the University of Alabama, in 1848; studied law and became a planter at Uniontown, Ala. He was a colonel in the Confederate army, 1861-64, and a member of the Alabama house of representatives, 1880-81; of the state senate, 1882-86; and was a Democratic representative in the 49th and 50th congresses, 1885-89.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

James Blythe, educator, was born in Mecklenburg county, N.C., Oct. 28, 1765. After receiving a classical education hw devoted a few years to the study of theology, and in 1793 was ordained to the Presbyterian ministry. His pastorate was at Pisgah, Ky., where he remained several years, resigning to accept the chair of mathematics and natural philosophy at the newly founded University of Transylvania. In 1802 he was made president of that institution, a position which he resigned in 1818 to found a seminary for young ladies, filling at the same time the chair of chemistry at Transylvania, and being further active as associate pastor of a Lexington church. From 1832 to 1836 he acted as president of South Hanover college, afterwards having charge of a church. The College of New Jersey conferred on him the honorary degree of D.D. in 1805. He died May 20, l842.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

William Polk, patriot, was born in Mecklenburg county, N.C., July 9, 1758; son of Col. Thomas Polk . He attended Queen's college, Charlotte, N.C., leaving on the outbreak of the Revolution to join the patriot army as 2d lieutenant, 3d S.C. regiment. He commanded a detachment in various fights with the Tories in South Carolina, in one of which he was wounded; became major of the 9th N.C. regiment, Nov. 26, 1776; joined Washington's army, and served at Brandywine and Germantown, being severly wounded at the latter. He was subsequently deprived of his command through consolidation and served on the staffs of Gen. Richard Caswell in the battle of Camden, and Gen. William Davidson in North Carolina, who sent him to Governor Jefferson at Williamsburg, Va., in 1780, to secure Virginia troops to aid in the defense of North and South Carolina against the British and Tories. He was promoted lieutenant-colonel, 4th S.C. cavalry, in 178l, serving as Eutaw Springs, Sept. 8, 1781, and remaining under Gen. Thomas Sum-ter until the close of the war. He was appointed surveyor-general of the middle district of North Carolina, and resided at French Lick Fort, the site of Nashville, Tenn., 1783-86. He was sent from Davidson county as a member of the house of commons of North Carolina, 1784-86, and from Mecklenburg county, 1786-91, and was made supervisor of internal revenues for the district of North Carolina by President Washington in 1791, which office he held until 1808. He was a stockholder of the State Bank of North Carolina, a director, 1811-19, and its president for some years. He declined the appointment by President Madison of brigadier-general. U.S.A., March 25, 1812, on account of his opposition to the policy of the administration. In 1824, as a commissioner from North Carolina, he welcomed Lafayette to America. He was the owner of 100,000 acres of land in Tennessee, and Samuel Polk, the father of President Polk, was his agent. Jacob Johnson, the father of President Johnson, was a porter in his bank, and President Andrew Jackson received large tracts of valuable lands in Tennessee through his friendly advice. He was twice married: first to Griselda Gilchrist, a native of Scotland; and secondly, to Sarah, daughter of Col. Philemon Hawkins. he was a member of the Society of the Cincinnati, and at the time of his death was the last surviving field officer of the North Carolina line. He died in Raleigh, N.C., Jan. 4. 1834.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

John Lycan Kirkpatrick, educator, was born in Mecklenburg county, N.C., Jan. 20, 1813; son of James Hutchinson and Ann (Parks) Kirkpatrick, and grandson of Capt. Hugh and (Davis) Parks of York county, S.C. His paternal grandfather came from county Antrim, Ireland, in 1784; and his maternal grandfather, an officer in the Revolution, participated in the battle of King's Mountain. John L. Kirkpatrick removed with his parents to Morgan county, Ga., in 1817, and in 1826 went to reside with his uncle, the Rev. John Kirkpatrick, in Cumberland county, Va., and attended a classical school there for two years. In 1830 he matriculated at Franklin college, University of Georgia, and in the following fall entered Hampden-Sidney college, Va., and was graduated from there with distinction in 1832. He taught school two years at Charlotte Court House, Va., and in January, 1835, entered Union Theological seminary at Hampden-Sidney, Va. He was pastor at Lynchburg, Va., 1837-41; at Gainesville, Ala., 1841-53; and at the Glebe Street church, Charleston, S.C., 1853-61, and was editor of the Southern Presbyterian, 1856-60. He was president of Davidson college, Davidson, N.C., 1861-65, and professor of moral philosophy and belles-lettres at Washington university, 1866-85, the institution being known as the Washington and Lee university after 1871. He was a member of the general assembly of the Presbyterian church at Philadelphia in 1846, and at Buffalo, N.Y., in 1854, and was moderator of the second southern assembly at Montgomery, Ala., in 1862. He received the degree of D.D. from the University of Alabama in 1852. He died in Lexington, Va., June 24, 1885.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Mecklenburg County North Carolina

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