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May program: 'The Real Story of the Battle of Cowan’s Ford'

  • May 1
  • 2 min read

Davidson Historical Society will present a free program May 16 titled "The Real Story of the Battle of Cowan's Ford," about a key Revolutionary War battle that took place right here in Mecklenburg County.   


Author, historian and Revolutionary War reenactor John E. Ferguson Misenheimer II will tell the story of the 1781 battle from the unique perspectives of both Major General Nathanael Greene and his brother-in-arms, Brigadier General William Lee Davidson.


Both men were officers in the Continental Army. Greene was a Rhode Islander. In 1780, he was named commander of southern forces. Davidson's family moved to North Carolina when he was a boy. He commanded several regiments of Continental forces and became brigadier general in 1780. He died in the Battle of Cowan's Ford. Later, Davidson College was named in his honor.

Man in Revolutionary War officer's uniform and tricorner hat
John Misenheimer as Nathanael Greene.

The program is May 16 at 4pm at Davidson Town Hall, 251 South St., Davidson.  


John Misenheimer has spent more than 20 years studying and reenacting Revolutionary War history. He is the current president of the Lt. Col. John Phifer Chapter NCSSAR, past chair of the Board of the Historic Cabarrus Association, and past member of the Charlotte/Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission. He was named North Carolina Historian of the year by the NC Society of Historians in 2006.  


"The Real Story of the Battle of Cowan's Ford" is free. Register in advance at DavidsonHistoricalSociety.org, where you also can become a society member. Memberships begin at $25 a year. 


Davidson Historical Society promotes an understanding and appreciation of the history of Davidson, North Carolina and its surrounding area. The society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization supported by memberships and donations. 


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