Fight at Colson’s — L-51

The longer story.

The state marker commemorates a Patriot victory near Colson’s Mill during the southern campaign of the American Revolution. North Carolina’s current historical essay dates the fight to July 21, 1780. It describes William Lee Davidson leading about 160 Patriots against roughly 250 Loyalists gathering near the Rocky and Pee Dee rivers. Davidson was wounded, but his men drove the opposing force from the field.

The essay reports two Patriot wounded and Loyalist losses of three killed, four or five wounded and ten captured. These are the state account’s reported figures, not a newly verified roster. Their approximate character matters: the wounded count is a range, and the force strengths should not be treated as exact headcounts.

Most importantly, DNCR explicitly corrects the marker’s identification of Samuel Bryan as the opposing commander. The current account says Bryan had already reached British lines almost a month earlier and was over fifty miles away. A visitor reading only the metal sign would miss that correction. The marker is therefore both an introduction to the battle and an example of why historical interpretation must remain open to revision.

Research: NC DNCR: current historical essay & marker record ↗ · HMdb: marker photographs, transcription & location ↗

How to read this place.

The military significance described by the state lies in the difficulty of assembling Loyalist support during the southern campaign. The numbers should be read as estimates within a narrative, rather than a precision statistical dataset. The comparison graphic below retains “about” and keeps casualties separate from force strengths. The roadside marker’s location also differs from the battlefield it describes.