This site is about American and North Carolina Patriot Cornelius Harnett (1723-1781). The drawing below illustrates the price paid by Harnett for his courageous acts of leadership before and during the American Revolution.
For many years Sam Hummel, a sponsor of and contributor to this Web site, has promoted a renewed interest in the remarkable leadership that led to Harnett’s capture, imprisonment and death. The acts for which Harnett earned the title “Pride of The Cape Fear” are the same acts for which the British declared him to be an outlaw. Sam argues that Cornelius Harnett should not be forgotten. He and his wife Anne have commissioned an oil painting based on the above drawing by illustrator Don Long. The oil version has been expanded to include the eleven year old boy who, at age 80, described the scene that inspired the drawing. His name was Dr. Arman DeRossette. For more detail, see the article under the menu item “Historically Important Events” entitled “The Price of Leadership .”
Glenn Hood of the Lillington Rotary Club, also a sponsor and contributor to this Web site, has been a leader in promoting an awareness of Cornelius Harnett. In recent years at the “Cornelius Harnett Gala”, a fund raising event that began in 1985 by the Lillington Rotary Club, Glenn Hood has presented a PowerPoint with captions about important contributions that Cornelius Harnett made on behalf of North Carolina to the American Revolution. The annual fundraising event, in addition to supporting many worthwhile charities, has stimulated a renewed interest in Cornelius Harnett. You are invited to review the two minute PowerPoint video by Glenn Hood under the menu item “Resources.”
A primary objective of this web site is to locate and publish summaries and references to publications written by professional historians about Cornelius Harnett, the events in which and the people with whom he was involved. An important historical find made by sponsor Glenn Hood is entitled CORNELIUS HARNETT: AN ESSAY IN NORTH CAROLINA HISTORY by R. D. W. Connor that was digitized by Google after the copyright expired. The detailed directions for accessing the Web site for Connor’s Essay, appear under the menu item Resources/Books. At this site are the primary sources for information summarized in this Web site.
For some of the many reasons why Harnett was declared “The Pride of the Cape Fear” in North Carolina and an “Outlaw” in Britain, you are encouraged to read the following four articles set forth under “Historically Important Events”: First, his confrontation with Governor Tryon over attempted Stamp Act enforcement in the then royal North Carolina capitol at Brunswick in 1766. Second, Harnett’s role in bringing disgrace to Governor Josiah Martin in 1775 at Fort Johnston. Third, his leadership role in promoting independence from Britain. Fourth, his role as founding father of this nation.
Biographical information about each of the historians identified will be listed under “Resources”, a process that is far from complete. The sponsors of this site hope that current professional historians will add further information about Harnett’s actions that took place before and during the American Revolution.
There are over numerous items in the “Image Gallery”. Many are commemorative items. An important commemorative is the “Cornelius Harnett Memorial Display”. It also include historical markers, historical sites and other significant images.
Under the heading “Contemporaries” will be biographical sketches about leaders involved in significant historical events with Harnett. Attempts are currently being made to locate or obtain permission to use existing biographies of these leaders.
The heading “Projects” will contain both completed and pending projects to promote the memory of Cornelius Harnett. The “Cornelius Harnett Memorial Display’, one of the images mentioned above, was completed in April 2012 and was the first of a series of planned projects to be completed. It is located on the second floor of the Harnett County Courthouse in Lillington, North Carolina. Funding for this project included the sponsors of this Web site and the Rotary Club of Lillington, the organization that donated the display to the County of Harnett.
Under the heading “Organizations” will be information about those organizations in which Cornelius Harnett played a role. Under the menu heading “Personal” will be personal information about him.