Excerpt from Historical Sketches of Wilkes County, N. C

Wilkes County has been the scene of many historic occurrences.

From the time that the Moravians first made their appearance within her borders her inhabitants have been making history by the wholesale. During the Revolutionary struggle I dare say there was not another county throughout the colonies that figured so prominently as Wilkes

At Kings Mountain, the turning point of the Revolution, about one-half the American forces were from Wilkes. And gallantly they did their country's service until the enemy's commander, who swore he had found a place "where God Almighty could not drive him from, " lay dead upon the battle field and his forces either killed or taken prisoners. And when the Tories and Indians needed attention, "Cleveland s Devils, " as the Tories called them, were always equal to the occasion, and there always had to be some earnest "cleaning up" on the part of the Tories and Indians or some of their party would dangle from a limb.

In the conflict with Mexico Wilkes furnished a company which did valiant service in behalf of the American cause, and our illustrious Colonel Sidney Stokes was so admired by those under his command that a beautiful sword was presented him as a token or respect and love.

And when it came to the Civil war our record stands without a parallel. Some men from Wilkes made excellent soldiers in the Union army, but most of the men of Wilkes took their stand with the Confederacy.

Such leaders as Gordon, Stokes, Barber, Cowles, and others, with their brave subordinates, won the esteem and love of the whole Confederate army, and their achievements on the battle fields show the display of such courage and bravery as has never been excelled in the world's history.

In the recent wars with Spain and the Filipinos Wilkes soldiers have served with distinction.

It is a lamentable fact that the history of our county has been so strangely neglected. Any of our school teachers and cholars can tell us about the history of Rome and Greece but few of them know anything of the history of their own county, not even the formation data. The fair records of her early fame are almost forgotten. It is the purpose of this little book to gather such as can be obtained of these records and give them to the people of the county in a shape that they may be preserved, and that future generations may know of and share in the glory of our ancestors. It is more than probable that I have made mistakes in recording these sketches, but all the available information has been obtained, and every statement, according to my view, is as near correct as could be ascertained.

The author does not aspire to be an historian.

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