Battle of Lindley's Mill

The Battle of Lindley's Mill on September 13, 1781 was a hard-fought engagement that followed David Fanning's daring raid on Hillsborough, the temporary capital of North Carolina. Fanning, one of the most successful Loyalist partisan leaders of the war, had led 950 Tories in a bold raid that captured Governor Thomas Burke of North Carolina along with several Continental officers.

Returning with their prisoners toward British lines, Fanning's force was ambushed at Lindley's Mill by about 400 Patriot militia under Brigadier General Rutherford. The battle lasted several hours and was bitterly contested. Rutherford himself was wounded and captured during the fighting. Fanning was also wounded but his force fought through the ambush and continued with the prisoners.

Though technically a Loyalist victory in that they escaped with their prisoners, the battle inflicted severe casualties on both sides. Governor Burke was eventually taken to Charleston but managed to escape later. The engagement was characteristic of the vicious partisan warfare that gripped North Carolina throughout 1781, as Fanning conducted some of the most effective Loyalist operations of the entire war.