Summerfield in Guilford County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Bugler Boy
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 3, 2023
1. Bugler Boy Marker
James Gillies, Light-Horse Harry Lee's teenage bugler, was killed near this spot by Tarleton's British Dragoons February 12, 1781. Gillies accompanied a small posse of Revolutionaries from a camp near present- day Summerfield to verify reports of nearby Loyalists to the west. They were spotted, chased, and Gillies was caught and killed by the sword during the retreat to warn Lee of the advancement. He is buried in the Charles Bruce family cemetery in Summerfield.
Erected 2018 by Town of Summerfield, NC.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Revolutionary. A significant historical date for this entry is February 12, 1781.
Location. 36° 12.044′ N, 79° 57.111′ W. Marker is in Summerfield, North Carolina, in Guilford County. It is on Oak Ridge Road (State Road 150) 0.1 miles east of Eversfield Road, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3118 Oak Ridge Rd, Summerfield NC 27358, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in North Carolina’s Piedmont and specifically in Piedmont Triad. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Bugler Boy Gillies (a few steps from this marker); Old Union Graveyard (approx. one mile away); St. James AME Church (approx. 2 miles away); J.L. Sawyer House (approx. 2.2 miles away); Zack L. Whitaker House
this page online
Also see . . . Bugler Boy Historic Site. Town of Summerfield website entry:
James Gillies a beardless, unarmed youth was the bugler for American General "Light Horse" Harry Lee. During an impromptu reconnaissance mission, Gillies was killed by the British Army near the current-day Oak Ridge/Summerfield town limits on Oak Ridge Road. (Town of Summerfield, NC) (Submitted on October 6, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 3, 2023
2. Bugler Boy Marker
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 3, 2023
3. Location Monument
The inscription reads:
About 25 yards southeast of this spot on Feb. 12, 1781, Gillies, Light Horse Harry Lee's bugler boy, fell under the swords of Tarleton's Dragoons. History leaves no record of his given name, but his noble sacrifice for his country's freedom will never be forgotten. Erected by Robert Oscar Holt Sept. 9, 1939.
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 3, 2023
4. Charles Bruce Family Cemetery
Gillies is buried in this cemetery, about 2 1/2 miles east from where he was killed.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 5, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 393 times since then and 47 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 5, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 3, 4. submitted on October 6, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
