Captain Charles Alexander was born in Mecklenburg county, N.C., January 4th, 1753. He first entered the service of the United States as a private in July, 1775, in the company of Captain William Alexander, and Colonel Adam Alexander’s regiment, General Rutherford commanding, and marched across the Blue Ridge Mountains against the Cherokee Indians. The expedition was completely successful; the Indians were routed, and their towns destroyed.
He next served as a private for two months, commencing in January, 1776, known as the “Snow Campaign,” in Captain William Alexander’s company, and Colonel Thomas Folk’s regiment, and marched to Rayburn’s creek, where the Tories were dispersed. In one of the skirmishes, William Polk was wounded in the shoulder.
In October, 1776, he again served under the same Captain, and in Colonel Caldwell’s regiment, but the command of the regiment during this tour of duty, was under Major Thomas Harris, who marched to Camden, S.C., and remained there about three months.
In 1776, he served in the cavalry company of Captain Charles Polk, who marched to Fort Johnson, near the mouth of Cape Fear river, Colonel Thomas Polk commanding. He again served as a private in 1778, in the company of Captain William Gardner and Lieutenant Stephen Alexander, General Rutherford commanding, who marched to Purysburg, S.C., and there joined the regulars under General Lincoln, at a camp called the “Black Swamp.” In 1780, shortly after Gates’ defeat, he joined Captain William Alexander’s company, and Colonel Thomas Polk’s regiment, under General Davie, marched to the Waxhaws, and was in the engagement fought there against the Tories.
He again served under Captain William Alexander, as one of the guard over wagons sent to Fayetteville to procure salt for the army.
In September, 1781, he was elected Captain of a cavalry company, under Major Thomas Harris, and marched against the Tories at Raft Swamp.
Besides the tours herein specified, Captain Alexander performed other important services, of shorter duration, in scouring the surrounding country, and protecting it against the troublesome Tories.
In 1814, Captain Alexander moved to Giles, now Lincoln county, Tenn., and in 1833, to Maury county, where he died at an extreme old age.
The Alexanders, who performed a soldier’s duty in the Revolutionary War, residing principally in Mecklenburg county, were very numerous, several of whom can here receive only a passing notice.