History

Fort Dobbs

"A good and Substantial Building of the Dimentions following (that is to say) The Oblong Square fifty three feet by forty, the opposite Angles Twenty four feet and Twenty-two, In height Twenty four and a half feet as by the Plan annexed Appears, The Thickness of the Walls which are made of Oak Logs regularly Diminished from sixteen Inches to Six, it contains three floors and there may be discharged from each floor at one and the same time about one hundred Muskets the same is beautifully scituated in the fork of Fourth Creek a Branch of the Yadkin River."

Fort Dobbs was the only permanent frontier provincial fort in the colony of North Carolina. Construction began in late 1755 and was completed one year later.  It served as the military headquarters for the frontier company (approximately fifty men) as well as a safe-haven for settlers. 

The fort was attacked on the night of February 27, 1760 when more than sixty Cherokees were repelled. The garrison suffered two men wounded, as well as having one colonial boy killed. The Cherokee were reported to have lost 10-12 men killed and wounded. Waddell described the encounter in a dispatch to Governor Dobbs:

"We had not marched 300 yds from the fort when we were attacked by at least 60 or 70 Indians ... We recd the Indian's fire: When I perceived they had almost all fired, I ordered my party to fire which We did not further than 12 Steps each loaded with a Bullet and 7 Buck shot, they had nothing to cover them as they were advancing either to tomahawk or make us prisoners ... the Indians were soon repulsed with I am sure a considerable Loss, from what I myself saw as well as those I can confide in they cou'd not have less that 10 or 12 killed and wounded ... On my sided I had 2 Men wounded one of whom I am afraid will die as he is scalped, the other is in a way of Recovery, and one boy killed near the fort."

By the end of 1761, the British had essentially won the war and only thirty troops remained at the fort. Colonial leaders disbanded the troops and removed all the supplies of the garrison as settlement moved far west of the fort. The neglected fort was in ruins by 1766.