Author: Andrew Duppstadt, DNCR
This article originally appeared in Recall, the magazine of the North Carolina Military Historical Society; republished with permission.
North Carolina formed Gates County, located in the northeastern portion of the state, in 1779 from parts of Chowan, Hertford, and Perquimans counties. The county name honors General Horatio Gates, who commanded the American Army at the Battle of Saratoga in September and October 1777. Although Gen. Gates forces captured the entire British Army he contributed little to the effort.
Born in England in 1727, Gates served in the British Army, including service with many future Revolutionary leaders in America during the French and Indian War. Frustrated at his inability to gain promotion, he sold his commission in 1772 and moved to a small plantation in Virginia. At the outbreak of the American Revolution, he entered the service of the Continental Army upon the recommendation of George Washington. He served as the first Adjutant General of the Army, among other posts. However, he always believed that he, and not Washington, should have been given command of the Continental Army. Following the success at the Battle of Saratoga, for which Gates and his allies took credit, Gates tarnished his reputation by his participation in the Conway Cabal (a group of military and political officials who secretly schemed to replace Washington in command of the army) and his disastrous defeat as commander of the Southern Department at the Battle of Camden (S.C.) in December 1780. Following the debacle at Camden, General Nathanael Greene replaced Gates as the commander of the Southern Department of the Continental Army. Gates returned to his plantation in Virginia in 1784 before selling the estate and moving to New York City only two years later. He served a single term in the New York State Legislature in 1800 and died in 1806.
After forming Gates County in 1779, the General Assembly passed an act in 1781 to levy additional taxes for the construction of public buildings. In 1831, the town known as Gates Court House was renamed Gatesville and still serves as the county seat. It is the only incorporated town in the county, with a town population of just over 300. The county is bounded by Camden, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Chowan, and Hertford counties, as well as the Commonwealth of Virginia. In its early history, the area was home to Chowanoke and later, Tuscarora Indian peoples. Today, American Indian tribes still call the area home, including the Meherrin Indian Nation. A rural county, Gates has a population of roughly 10,500 people scattered across 340 square miles. The economy relies mostly on agriculture and forestry. Gates County is home to Merchant’s Millpond State Park and Chowan Swamp State Natural Area.
For more information and to learn more, visit: https://www.ncmilitaryhistoricalsociety.org/