Griffith Rutherford Campaigns Against the Cherokee
Griffith Rutherford led an important campaign against the Cherokees early in the Revolutionary War.
Griffith Rutherford
By the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, Griffith Rutherford had already become a leader of North Carolina.
This Irish immigrant had established himself as a soldier during the Seven Years War and worked his way up to the Colonial Assembly.
A friend of Daniel Boone, Griffith had a great deal of hunting and surveying in the western lands that would become Kentucky and Tennessee.
All of these experiences would help him succeed in the War of Independence.
Campaign Against The Cherokees
When a revolution broke out, Rutherford answered the call immediately. He was briefly appointed Colonel before a promotion to Brigadier General for the North Carolina Militia.
Arguably his most important contribution to the war came in the Summer of 1776 when he led a campaign against the Cherokee on the North Carolina frontier.
Working with Andrew Williamson and Andrew Pickens, Griffith attacked the hostile nation. The expedition burned dozens of villages and destroyed hundreds of acres of crops.
Southern Theater
Rutherford moved on to the Southern Theater of the Revolutionary War, where he would spend the remainder of his time.
He participated in many battles, notably Ramseur’s Mill and Camden. During the latter of these he was taken prisoner (as was much of the Southern Army) and held for ten months.
After his release, Griffith led his men to Wilmington, North Carolina.
While most of the Continental Army was attacking Yorktown, Rutherford was pushing Loyalist forces into Wilmington in a successful attempt to prevent supplies and reinforcements from halting General Washington’s actions.
President of the Legislative Council
During his time in the field, Rutherford was also elected to the State Assembly.
Griffith served here for over a decade, also going to the State Constitutional Ratification Convention where he voted against the Federal Government.
Eventually, Rutherford relocated to Tennessee where he was chosen as President of the Legislative Council of the Southwest Territory. In this office he furthered his credentials as an American Founder by helping drive many of the communities in the southwest toward Statehood.
To learn more about relationships with the Cherokee, check out this article:
Richard Henderson, The Transylvania Company and the Cumberland Compact
Want to learn more about the Cherokee Wars?
‘Massacre at Cavett’s Station’ goes into depth on this often overlooked part of the American Founding.
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