In the spring of 1791, President George Washington visited Salem and the site of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse as part of a tour of the southern U.S. that took him from Virginia to Georgia, according to Warren L. Bingham, author of a book about the trip.
Washington believed his trip would increase public interest in the federal government, Bingham told about 70 people in his May 30 visit to the Old Salem Visitor Center in Winston-Salem.
Washington’s annual salary was $25,000. The president used that salary to pay the expenses of his southern trip, said Bingham.
Washington’s traveling party consisted of his secretary, William Jackson, who grew up in Charleston, S.C., two enslaved men, and five paid staff members from the president’s house in Philadelphia, Bingham said.
Washington was 59 at the time. He served as president for two terms, from April 30, 1789, to March 4, 1797.
Here’s a timeline of Washington’s visit to NC:
May 31, 1791
Washington crossed the Yadkin River on Long’s Ferry, which is nearly the same spot as where Interstate 85’s bridge crosses the river, Bingham said. Washington and his entourage followed the road, which roughly followed the path of N.C. 150 through Davidson and Forsyth counties.
Washington arrived in Salem on May 31, with local musicians playing in his honor. A group of three Moravian ministers escorted Washington to their town, which had a population of about 300 people.
After speaking to the townspeople, Washington stayed at the Salem Tavern on Main Street for two days.
Washington had planned to spend only one day in Salem, Bingham said. He extended his stay for a second day so he could meet Gov. Alexander Martin of North Carolina, Bingham said.
June 1, 1791
Martin arrived in Salem to meet Washington. Martin lived in a home in Martinsville, the seat of Guilford County at that time, Bingham said.
Washington and the governor talked about the state’s ties to the federal government. Martin told the president that North Carolina would soon ratify the U.S. Constitution, including the Bill of Rights.
Washington enjoyed the Moravian food, music and hospitality, Bingham said. Washington was also impressed with the town’s orderliness and organization, as well as its water distribution system.
June 2, 1791
Washington, Martin and their traveling party then left Salem at 4 a.m., traveling east, Bingham said. They stopped for breakfast at Dobson’s, a tavern at Dobson’s Crossroads, now Kernersville.
From there, they traveled to Martinsville in Guilford County and visited the place where the Battle of Guilford Court House was fought in March, 1781. American troops under Gen. Nathanael Greene and British troops commanded by Lord Charles Cornwallis fought there during the Revolutionary War. Many historians see the battle as a turning point in the war, as the British Army emerged victorious, but the number of casualties suffered by the British soon led Cornwallis to retreat.
Washington toured the battlefield, historians say.
“George Washington enjoyed seeing the Guilford Court House battlefield firsthand,” Bingham said.
June 3, 1791
Washington and his entourage left Guilford County and traveled through Rockingham County. Washington visited the Troublesome Iron Works near Reidsville, Bingham said.
Washington spent the night north of Yanceyville, which is about 1 mile south of the Virginia state line, Bingham said.
Washington then returned to his plantation at Mount Vernon, Virginia, by June 12, 1791. The trip covered about 1,900 miles with Washington traveling 30 to 50 miles per day, Bingham said.
“On the whole, he was pleased with the trip,” Bingham said.
Washington died from a throat infection at his home on Dec. 14, 1799, at the age of 67, Bingham said.
–journalnow.com
