In the first post in this series, Private Aaron Spelmore (Spellman), Part 1 , I focused on two things: determining the commander of Captain Anthony Sharpe's company and gathering information regarding a possible skirmish at Bacon's Bridge across the Ashley River near the village of Dorchester, South Carolina (now Summerville). Today I'll examine his claims of participating in the Siege of Ninety Six and the Battle of Eutaw Springs. The Siege of Ninety Six: May 22 to June 18, 1781 The village of Ninety Six got its name from early 18th-century traders in Charleston who estimated the miles from that location to the Cherokee village of Keowee and Fort George on the Keowee River. I struggled to find sources for this battle that included details about the North Carolina Continentals, though the National Park Service's brief article lists twenty-eight sources.[1][2] Keeping the objective in mind, we will only focus on the siege portions involving the North Carolina Contine
Image 6 of 8 Aaron Spelmore's Declaration claims that he enlisted on May 5, 1781 in the state of North Carolina in the company commanded by Captain Sharpe in the 10th North Carolina Regiment, commanded by Colonel [blank] in the line of the Continental Establishment and served until April 5, 1782 when he was discharged at Wilmington. It also states that he served at: the Battle of Bacon's Bridge (?), the Siege of Ninety Six (May 21 -June 19, 1781) and the Battle of Eutaw Springs (September 8, 1781). So, now we begin the task of identifying Image 7 of 8 officers, their service assignments, and researching the battles. The officers, 1781-1782 Captain Anthony Sharpe On June 1, 1778, Captain Anthony Sharpe was transferred to the 1st North Carolina Regiment.[1] The Commanders The known commanders for the 1st North Carolina Regiment were: Col. James Moore, Col. Francis Nash, Col. Thomas Clark, and Lt. Col. William Lee Davidson.[2] Colonel Francis Nash & Colonel James Moore Nash wa