Alston House
Carthage, Moore County, North Carolina
Marker Inscription
Alston House. Philip Alston's Whigs were defeated there by David Fanning's Tories, 1781. Later the home of Benj. Williams, Governor, 1800-02. Is 9 1/2 mi. N.
Erected by North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources
The Story
In 1781 the Alston House was the scene of a sharp skirmish when Loyalist partisans under David Fanning attacked the Whig militia of Philip Alston during the Revolution's brutal backcountry fighting. The house later became the home of Benjamin Williams, four-time governor of North Carolina. The site preserves the memory of the neighbor-against-neighor warfare that scarred the Carolina interior.
Why it matters
The Alston House fight reflects the vicious partisan war between Whig and Tory neighbors that made the Southern backcountry one of the Revolution's bloodiest fronts.
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Related people
- · Philip Alston
- · David Fanning
- · Benjamin Williams
Related events
- · Skirmish at the Alston House, 1781
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Benjamin Williams, Four-Time Governor
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Benjamin Williams served his state and country across a remarkable career—first as an officer in the Revolution, then in Congress, and four separate times as governor of North Carolina. A leading figure of the early republic, he helped guide the young state through its formative decades. His grave lies to the north at the Alston House.
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