Hornets' Nest
You will see the hornets' nest as Mecklenburg's symbol in numerous places. Our reputation as a "hornet's nest" goes back to the Revolutionary War. On October 3, 1780, during British General Cornwallis' sixteen-day occupation of Charlotte, a British foraging party of several hundred men was sent to search for supplies. They marched out of Charlotte and up Beatties Ford Road to the McIntyre farm.
While foraging for supplies at the farm, the Redcoats were surrounded and fired upon by American patriots concealed in the woods. During their hasty retreat, the British disturbed several nests of bees on the farm and were pursued by the bees and the patriots. A correspondent for the Pennsylvania Packet wrote, "Captains Thompson and Knox, with fourteen men, attacked above 300 of a foraging party…and drove them back with such precipitation that, as I am well informed, many of their horses fell dead in the streets on their return."
Banastre Tarleton wrote, "…the counties of Mecklenburg and Rohan were more hostile to England than any other in America." Lord Cornwallis is reported to have called Charlotte, "an agreeable village, but damn rebellious country" and the Mecklenburg area a "hornets' nest" of resistance. We are proud of that name to this day.
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Location. 35° 13.753′ N, 80° 50.595′ W. Marker is in Charlotte, North Carolina, in Mecklenburg County. It is in Charlotte center city. Marker is on West 5th Street just west of North Church Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 200 W Trade St, Charlotte NC 28202, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Importance Of Religion (here, next to this marker); The Battle of Charlotte (here, next to this marker); Early Education (here, next to this marker); Captain James Jack's Ride (here, next to this marker); Gold Mining (here, next to this marker); The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence (here, next to this marker); The Origin Of Our Names (here, next to this marker); Establishing A New Life (here, next to this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Charlotte.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 3, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 20, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 1,510 times since then and 299 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 20, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
