author
David Vance
1745–1813
A Revolutionary War officer and early North Carolina settler, he helped shape life on the western frontier as soldier, surveyor, lawyer, teacher, and public official. He is also remembered as the grandfather of North Carolina governor Zebulon Baird Vance.
1 Audiobook
Narrative of the Battle of Cowan's Ford, February 1st, 1781 and Narrative of the Battle of Kings Mountain
by Robert Henry, David Vance
About the author
Born near Winchester, Virginia, around 1745, he moved to North Carolina in the 1770s and settled first along the Catawba River. During the American Revolution, he served with North Carolina forces and is associated with the Battle of King's Mountain.
After the war, he became one of the early white settlers in the Reems Creek area of what is now Buncombe County. Sources describe him not only as a militia colonel, but also as a surveyor, lawyer, teacher, and local public figure in the new county.
He married Priscilla Brank, and their family became prominent in North Carolina history. Through his son David Vance Jr., he was the grandfather of Zebulon Baird Vance, who later served as governor of North Carolina.