Benjamin Williams, Four-Time Governor
Carthage, Moore County, North Carolina
Marker Inscription
Benjamin Williams. Four times Governor; Revolutionary officer; congressman. Grave is 9 1/2 miles north.
Erected by North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources
The Story
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.
Why it matters
Williams belonged to the Revolutionary generation that turned wartime service into the civic leadership of the new American republic.
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Themes & tags
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Alston House
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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.
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