{"id":3071,"date":"2026-06-23T11:35:30","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T11:35:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=3071"},"modified":"2026-06-23T11:35:30","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T11:35:30","slug":"in-charlotte-cemeteries-historian-unearths-untold-tales-of-american-independence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=3071","title":{"rendered":"In Charlotte cemeteries, historian unearths untold tales of American independence"},"content":{"rendered":"

In southwest Charlotte, a quiet, neatly groomed cemetery sits in the shadow of a shuttered historic Presbyterian church, surrounded by the roar of construction and the steady drone of jets arriving and departing the airport<\/a> about a half-mile away. It\u2019s an unlikely place to find the roots of a nation, but that\u2019s precisely the point for historian Kelly Gomez<\/a>. Among the 1,700 weathered headstones at Steele Creek Memorial Cemetery<\/a>, some dating back to 1763, Gomez is uncovering stories that challenge traditional history books.<\/p>\n

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Contrary to popular belief, the Durham resident argues, the true \u201chotbed of the Revolution\u201d wasn\u2019t found in the tea-stained harbors of New England or along the cobblestone streets of Philadelphia, but right here in Mecklenburg County. \u201cI\u2019ve learned Charlotte was the epicenter of the American Revolution,\u201d said Gomez, founder of the popular history and photography website and social media project The Forgotten South<\/a>. \u201cIt was the hotbed of the Revolution, right here where we\u2019re standing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gomez’s project went viral during the pandemic and now boasts 1.6 million followers. She\u2019s on a yearlong mission to document the graves of 250 Revolutionary War Patriots<\/a> throughout the South to honor the upcoming 250th anniversary of American independence.<\/p>\n

Gomez does that by visiting cemeteries and sharing stories<\/a> of people from the Revolutionary era, from generals to the enslaved population. Her research, often starting with census records and primary genealogical data, frequently unearths stories that have never been told, she said.<\/p>\n

As of mid-June, Gomez had driven 701 miles across four states \u2014 the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida \u2014 and visited 87 Patriots\u2019 graves, including those of five women, she said on the project\u2019s social media sites.<\/a><\/p>\n

British Gen. Charles Cornwallis\u2019 own letters suggest the rebellion would not have succeeded without the local backcountry support, Gomez said. And the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence<\/a>, supposedly signed in Charlotte in May 1775, predates the Continental Congress\u2019s declaration by 15 months, she said.<\/p>\n

Most historic Presbyterian churchyards in the region hold a multitude of Patriots, she said. The fight for independence in the Carolinas, Gomez said, was largely driven by Scots-Irish Presbyterian settlers and pastors who \u201cused the Gospel to justify the American Revolution.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gomez\u2019s project goes beyond generals and majors. She\u2019s also seeking \u201clesser known\u201d Patriots \u2014 the farmers, the women and the enslaved people whose contributions have faded into history.<\/p>\n

At the Steele Creek cemetery, she points out some of the American Revolutionary War Patriots: Gen. Robert Irwin, the Rev. Humphrey Hunter<\/a> and farmers Robert and Eleanor Wilson.<\/p>\n

The American Revolution in the Charlotte area is historically known as \u201cCornwallis\u2019s War.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSome people say that it was the Wilsons\u2019 family war,\u201d Gomez said. When British Gen. Charles Cornwallis came through the Charlotte area, he stayed with the Wilsons, forcing Eleanor Wilson to cook dinner. \u201cShe was mad. They were not happy about England being in their backyard.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite Cornwallis\u2019 attempts to turn the Wilsons into Loyalists to the crown with promises of high military rank if Robert joined the British forces, \u201cthey gave him the what-for,\u201d Gomez said. Seven of the Wilsons\u2019 11 sons fought in militias.<\/p>\n

Eleanor Wilson didn\u2019t fight, but her grave is marked as a Patriot for supplying war rations. \u201cThere\u2019s a Daughters of the American Revolution chapter named for her,\u201d Gomez said. A descendant had organized the chapter in Washington, D.C.<\/a>, according to DAR\u2019s website.<\/p>\n

Gomez is writing about each person\u2019s grave she visits with a photo of their headstone and her research on their story on The Forgotten South\u2019s website. \u201cSometimes I\u2019m writing the first article that\u2019s ever been written about these people,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The Rev. Humphrey Hunter, an Irish native, joined the cavalry at age 20 and fought in several battles in the area, Gomez said. After the war, he was ordained and served as a minister at the Steele Creek Presbyterian Church from 1804 until his death in 1827.<\/p>\n

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\u201cHe did a lot to help the community after the Revolution,\u201d Gomez said. \u201cHe has a long list of accomplishments.\u201d<\/p>\n

She points out the carving of a weeping willow tree on Hunter\u2019s stone. There\u2019s a DAR marker listing him as a \u201chero\u201d by the Battle of Charlotte chapter.<\/p>\n

In Lincoln County, there\u2019s Peter Edelman, who fought in the Revolution and was a cabinetmaker who sold furniture to the wealthy, she said.<\/p>\n

Over the border in South Carolina, is Betheseda Presbyterian Church, near McConnells. It\u2019s the final resting place for 34 documented American Revolutionary War veterans, including Col. William Brattonsville.<\/p>\n

And in the enslaved burial ground at Historic Brattonsville is Watt, a man who was owned by the Bratton family. Watt famously rode through the night to warn Col. William Bratton of the British approach, a pivotal move that led to a decisive Patriot victory at the Battle of Huck\u2019s Defeat on July 12, 1780.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was a really cool story,\u201d Gomez said, \u201cbecause I don\u2019t know how many enslaved people I\u2019ll find that we know their stories and their contributions.\u201d<\/p>\n

The urgency of Gomez\u2019s work is underscored by the landscape itself.<\/p>\n

The Steele Creek cemetery was once part of a 37-acre historic designation. It now sits beside the massive Runway Logistics Park, a 920,000-square-foot development by Foundry Commercial.<\/p>\n

While the cemetery remains intact, the surrounding expansion is a stark reminder of how Charlotte\u2019s rapid growth can easily pave over its own history. The church building itself will be the headquarters for the nonprofit She Built This City,<\/a> which helps women break into skilled trades.<\/p>\n

There is no single, official master count of Revolutionary War graves in North Carolina and South Carolina.<\/p>\n

However, the N.C. Sons of the American Revolution<\/a> has a registry list with of nearly 8,500 Patriots and militia members buried in cemeteries and private cemeteries. The S.C. Sons of the America Revolution<\/a> also has its own database showing over 9,000 Patriots listed as of May.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy biggest goal is how do we get the people on the books that you wouldn\u2019t know otherwise?\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Eventually, Gomez would like to share her findings in one book.<\/p>\n

As she continued to walk the rows of stones \u2014 from Lincoln County to Rock Hill \u2014 Gomez has turned her hobby as a historian into a paid career. She is paid by Facebook for her posts.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy job is to provide you with the data and the facts,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m just a history nerd who doesn\u2019t want these stories to be lost.\u201d<\/p>\n

This story was originally published June 23, 2026 at 5:15 AM<\/span> with the headline “In Charlotte cemeteries, historian unearths untold tales of American independence.” <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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Durham NC historian Kelly Gomez documents Revolutionary War Patriots around the Charlotte region for her \u201cForgotten South\u201d project in America\u2019s independence.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3070,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3071","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"\nIn Charlotte cemeteries, historian unearths untold tales of American independence - Durham Moving Hub<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=3071\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"In Charlotte cemeteries, historian unearths untold tales of American independence - 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