History of Charlotte, (Mecklenburg County) North Carolina United States of America

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Biographies:

Abraham Alexander, statesman, was born near Raleigh, N. C., in 1718. He was a member of the colonial legislature before 1775, and when that year the royalist governor attempted to oppose the people in their right of free speech, he was elected president of an indignation meeting held in the court house at Charlotte, at the call of Col. Thomas Polk. He was made permanent chairman of the subsequent meeting held May 31, 1775, that issued the Mecklenburg declaration of independence, providing for a republican form of government, and renouncing allegiance to Great Britain. This was nearly a year before the Declaration signed at Philadelphia, July 4, 1776. This document was transmitted to Philadelphia in August, 1775, by a special messenger, after having been read in mass meetings to the people in different parts of the state. Mr. Alexander died at Charlotte, N.C., April 23, 1776.

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

Daniel Harvey Hill, soldier and educator, was born in York district, S.C., July 12 or 21, 1821; son of Solomon and Nancy (Cabeen) Hill. Solomon Hill was the proprietor of Hill's iron works. York district, which were established by his father, Col. William Hill, a native of York, Pa,, and Col. Isaac Hayne, of South Carolina. His first ancestors in America were natives of Scotland and Ireland and immigrated to America, settling in York, Pa. Daniel was graduated at the U.S. Military academy, West Point, in 1842; and served in the 4th artillery, in Maine during the boundary troubles, and in the Mexican war, 1846-47, when he was transferred to the infantry with the rank of first lieutenant. He was brevetted captain for gallant conduct at Contreras and Churubusco, and major for volunteering and leading in a storming party from Twiggs's division at Chapultepec. He received a gold-hilted sword from the state of South Carolina in token of appreciation of his services. He resigned from the army in 1849, and was professor of mathematics and military tactics in Washington college, Va., 1849-53; of mathematics and engineering at Davidson college, N.C., 1853-58; superintendent of the North Carolina Military institute, Charlotte, 1858-61, and director of the military camp of instruction, Raleigh, N.C., 1861. He was commissioned colonel of the 1st North Carolina regiment and led it at the first important battle of the civil war, Big Bethel, Va., June 10, 1861. For his action in this engagement be was made brigadier-general and assigned to the Army of Northern Virginia. He was ordered to the Peninsula when McClellan commenced his campaign against Richmond and was present in defence and evacuation of Yorktown, Va., May 1, and at the battle of Williamsburg, May 5, 1862, where he commanded the fourth division of Longstreet's army. He was promoted major-general, and his division was conspicuous at Seven Pines, May 31 to June 1, 1862, in driving General Casey from his intrenchments, and aided by Anderson's brigade commanded by Col. Micah Jenkins, met and repulsed the corps of General Keyes. He was in command of the extreme left at Old Cold Harbor in the battle of Gaines's Mill. He was the hero of Boonsboro, Md., Sept. 14, 1809, which battle he directed, and he held the passes of South Mountain with 5000 men against McClellan's 80,000 from sunrise till three o'clock in the afternoon and thus enabled Jackson to unite with Lee and save the Confederate army from annihilation. He was also conspicuous at Sharpsburg, Sept. 17, and at Fredericksburg, Dec. 10, 1862. When Lee prepared to invade Pennsylvania in 1863 General Hill was intrusted with the command of the defences of Richmond and Petersbum'g, and of the department of North Carolina. On March 14,1863, he ordered Gen. J. J. Pettigrew to make an attack on Newbern, N.C., with the purpose of recapturing the city, which proved ineffectual. He was nominated, July 13, 1863, lieutenant-general by President Davis and was assigned to the command of Hardee's corps in General Bragg's army at Chattanooga, and fought in the battle of Chickamanga, Sept. 19-20, 1863. With Generals Polk, Longstreet, Buckner, Cleburne, Cheatham, Brown and other general officers, he signaled and sent to the President a petition stating that General Bragg had lost the confidence of the army and asking that he be transferred to another command and replaced by a more acceptable leader. President Davis was induced to believe that Hill was the originator of this paper and he therefore withheld his name from the senate for commfirmnation as lieutenant-general. The repeated efforts of Generals Johnnston and Beauregard and many of the subordinate officers to have Hill returned to the command of a corps were fruitless and Hill's demand for a court of inquiry was tardily answered: "There are no charges to be investigated." He was in Lynchburg, Va., in June, 1864, when the city was threatened by General Hunter, and in the absence of General Breckenridge, who was suffering from an injury received at Cold Harbor, he assumed command of the defences and so effectively placed the small garrison as to prevent the threatened attack. He was at last assigned to duty in Charleston, S.C., and fell back with the Confederate forces to Augusta, Ga., from where Johnston ordered him to assume command and move north in front of the victorious march of Sherman's army. He disputed the ground with Sherman's vangaurd at every stream and defile until the final surrender at Durham station, N.C., April 26, 1865, making a notable stand at Kinston, March 8, 1865, and taking a conspicuous part in the battle of Bentonville, March 9, 1865. Hethen retired to Charlotte, where he founded and edited The Land We Love, a monthly magazine. He was president of the University of Arkansas, 1877-84; and of the Middle Georgia Military and Agricultural co11ege, Milledgeville, 1885-89. He was martied, Nov. 2, 1862, to Isabella, daughter of the Rev. Dr. R. H. Morrison and granddaughter of Gen. Joseph Graham, the father of Governor William A. Graham. He edited The Southern Home and delivered a notable address on "The Old South" before the comrades of the Society of the Army and Navy of the Confederate States in the State of Maryland. He is the author of: A Consideration of the Sermon on the Mount (1858); The Crucifixion of Christ (1860); The Elements of Algebra, and of the articles: Lee's Attacks North of the Chickaminy; McClellan's Change of Base and Malrern Hill; and Chickamanga, [p.250] The Great Battle of the West, in Battles and Leaders of the Civil War (1864-88). He died at Charlotte, N.C., Sept. 25, 1889.

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