James Innes (British Army officer, died 1759)
Colonel James Innes | |
---|---|
Born | c. 1700 Canisbay, Caithness, Scotland[1] |
Died | 5 September 1759 (aged 58–59) near Castle Hayne, North Carolina |
Buried | |
Allegiance | Kingdom of Great Britain |
Service | |
Years of service | 1740–1756 |
Rank | Colonel |
Battles / wars |
James Innes (c. 1700 – 5 September 1759) was an American
Early life and emigration
Innes was born around 1700 in the Scottish Highlands.[2] In 1732, Innes purchased 320 acres (130 ha; 0.50 sq mi) on the Cape Fear River in what is now Bladen County, North Carolina. In or about 1733, he received an additional grant of 640 acres (260 ha; 1.00 sq mi).[3] Shortly after Innes's arrival in North Carolina, Governor Gabriel Johnston appointed him as a justice for New Hanover County, and tried unsuccessfully to appoint Innes to his council.[1]
Military and political career
War of Jenkins' Ear

In 1739, war broke out between Spain and Great Britain over the respective powers' colonial possessions and spheres of influence.[4] At the outset of that conflict, the British requested that their colonies supply troops for an expedition to South America. Innes was selected by Governor Johnston to lead a company of 100 men from the Cape Fear region to Cartagena in the Spanish Viceroyalty of New Granada, a city which is located in the modern-day country of Colombia. The Cape Fear company was to be joined by three other companies raised in the Albemarle Sound region.[2] Innes was granted a provincial commission as Captain in the British Army on 7 June 1740.[1]
Upon arriving in South America, Innes and his men, as well as North Carolina's three Albemarle companies, were placed under the direct command of Colonel
Innes was placed in command of the New Hanover militia after his return. In 1748, after the war between the British and Spanish had expanded into a wider war against the French known in the colonies as King George's War,[8] a Spanish fleet attacked Brunswick Town, North Carolina, and Innes assisted the local militia under Captain William Dry in repulsing the raiding force.[2][9]
Inter-war career
Between the War of Jenkins' Ear and the French and Indian War, Innes served as a commissioner for John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville, charged with the sale of that proprietor's lands in the Granville District.[7] Active in the colonial government, Innes was a baron of the Court of Exchequer in Wilmington. There he was associated with Francis Corbin and the Salisbury Land Office (as a land grant agent).[10] After 1750, Innes served on the Governor's Council under both Gabriel Johnston and Arthur Dobbs until his death in 1759.[7]
French and Indian War
After the conclusion of King George's War in 1748, tension increased on the frontier between the French-held North American territory and the British colonies on the coast.
Washington was given command of the Virginia Regiment upon Fry's death, and he led that unit into the Ohio River Valley on Dinwiddie's orders before Innes was appointed his superior. On 28 May 1754, Washington's unit, along with native Mingo allies, surprised a French unit, killing Joseph Coulon de Jumonville, the unit's commander. A large force of French soldiers then advanced to trap Washington, and on 3 July 1754, assaulted him at Fort Necessity near what is now Farmington, Pennsylvania, and forced the Virginian's surrender.[7] Dinwiddie blamed Matthew Rowan, the acting Governor of North Carolina, for the defeat, stating that had Innes's men been assembled in a timely fashion, they could have accompanied Washington to the frontier.[13] Nevertheless, this engagement signaled the beginning of colonial combat between the French and English, which by 1755 had erupted into open war.[14]

Innes's tenure as commander-in-chief had scarcely begun at the onset of the
Within five months of Innes's appointment,
Retirement and death

Innes lived out the remainder of his life as a planter at "Point Pleasant", his plantation in North Carolina.[2] He died on 5 September 1759 and left behind his wife Jean.[19]
Legacy
After his death in 1759, Innes's will left a bequest for an academy, to be called the Innes Academy.[20] The Academy constructed what became the Thalian Hall in Wilmington, North Carolina, which exists today.[21] Innes Street, the main east–west thoroughfare in Salisbury, North Carolina, is named after him.[10]
References
Footnotes
- ^ a b c Smith 1988, p. 251.
- ^ a b c d "Marker D-90: James Innes", North Carolina Highway Historical Marker Program, N.C. Dept. of Cultural Resources, accessed 8 June 2019
- ^ Lefler & Powell 1973, p. 90.
- ^ Lefler & Powell 1973, p. 129.
- ^ Lefler & Powell 1973, p. 131.
- ^ Lefler & Powell 1973, p. 132.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Smith 1988, p. 252.
- ^ Lefler & Powell 1973, p. 129-130.
- ^ Lefler & Powell 1973, p. 136-137.
- ^ ISBN 0-8063-7998-7.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link - ^ Lefler & Powell 1973, p. 137-138.
- ^ Lefler & Powell 1973, p. 139-140.
- ^ Morton 2010.
- ^ Parkman 1995, p. 94.
- ^ Waddell 1885, p. 47.
- ^ Waddell 1885, p. 46.
- ^ Lefler & Powell 1973, p. 141.
- ^ Parkman 1995, p. 132.
- ^ Smith 1988, p. 253.
- ^ Lefler & Powell 1973, p. 211.
- ^ Steelman & Tetterton 2006, p. 1114.
Bibliography
- Lefler, Hugh T.; ISBN 0-684-13536-1.
- Morton, Patrick (2010). "French and Indian War". NCpedia.org. North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
- Parkman, Francis (1995). Montcalm and Wolfe: The French and Indian War. New York: Da Capo Press. ISBN 0-306-80621-5.
- Smith, Claiborne T. Jr. (1988). "Innes, James". In Powell, William S (ed.). Dictionary of North Carolina Biography. Vol. 3 (H-K). Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 978-0-8078-1806-0.
- Steelman, Bennett L.; Tetterton, Beverly (2006). "Thalian Association". In Powell, William S (ed.). Encyclopedia of North Carolina. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 978-0-8078-3071-0.
- Waddell, Alfred (1885). A Colonial Officer and His Times, 1754–1773: A Biographical Sketch of Hugh Waddell. Raleigh, NC: Edwards & Broughton Co. OCLC 16153240.
Further reading and primary sources
- Clark, Walter, ed. (1895–1907). Colonial and State Records of North Carolina. Vol. 11, 22 & 24. Raleigh, NC: State of North Carolina. OCLC 1969836.
- Saunders, William L., ed. (1886). Colonial and State Records of North Carolina. Vol. 4–6, & 9. Raleigh, NC: P. M. Hale, Printer to the State. OCLC 1969836.