Pyle's Massacre, (also Pyle's defeat, Pyle's hacking match, or Battle of Haw River), was fought during the American Revolutionary War in present-day Alamance County on February 24, 1781. The battle was between Patriot troops attached to the Continental Army under Colonel Henry Lee and the Loyalist North Carolina militia commanded by Dr. John Pyle. Due to the unique uniform design of his forces, the Loyalists mistakenly thought Colonel Lee was the expected British cavalry commander, Banastre Tarleton, who was known to be en route to reinforce Pyle. When Lee's men opened fire, they took Pyle's force totally by surprise. This resulted in an extremely lopsided victory for Lee, and Pyle's command was scattered and routed.
Background
British general the Earl Cornwallis had been unable to catch Nathanael Greene's army (in what historians now call the "Race to the Dan"), who strategically retreated using a screening feint column under Col. Otho Williams, to Dix's Ferry (present day Danville, VA) allowing Greene to cross the Dan River at Irwin's (Turbeville, VA) and Boyd's Ferry (South Boston, VA) and out of North Carolina. Cornwallis, who had burned his baggage train at Ramsour's Mill (Lincolnton, NC), in chasing Greene completely exhausted his men, who were also starving in wet freezing weather with little forage from locals. All the boats for crossing the Dan River were taken by Greene (Colonel Henry Lee in command of the rear guard cavalry was the last to cross approx. 2 hours before the British arrived) so that Cornwallis was stranded on the NC side of the river. Cornwallis made an exhaustive trip South, establishing a headquarters to regroup and recover at Hillsborough, North Carolina, a colonial outpost city, on February 21, also to rally Loyalists to his side.
Dr. John Pyle (1723–1804) had moved to Chatham County in 1767. Noted for his loyalty to the King, he had assisted the Governor in the War of the Regulation, though he was not at the Battle of Alamance. When Cornwallis appealed for Loyalist volunteers, Pyle gathered between 300 and 400 men. He requested Cornwallis provide his men with an escort, and Banastre Tarleton with his cavalry and a small force of infantry, a total of about 450 men, marched to lead Pyle to safety.
General Greene spent days in Virginia from the 15th to the 22nd, where he was able to resupply, feed his troops, medically recover his wounded and gain reinforcements. On February 17 he detached Colonel Henry Lee with his cavalry, and Colonel Andrew Pickens with Maryland infantry and South Carolina militia, to recross the Dan and monitor British activity. This force crossed the Dan on February 18 and set up a hidden camp along the road between Hillsborough and Haw River crossing points. From there Lee sent scouts to watch for British movements.
Word came the next morning that Tarleton was moving toward the Haw with an estimated 400 men. Lee and Pickens followed behind Tarleton, who, they learned, had camped near the Haw. A planned attack was called off when scouts reported that Tarleton had again moved, after the militia companies he was expecting to meet did not show up. Pyle's force had delayed its movement (in violation of orders) to visit with family and friends before setting off.
At noon on February 24, Lee and Pickens captured two British staff officers and learned through interrogation that Tarleton was only a few miles ahead. In the waning hours of the day, Lee's Legion, who wore short green jackets and plumed helmets, encountered two of Pyle's men, who mistook them for Tarleton's dragoons, who wore similar uniforms. Lee used this to his advantage and learned that Pyle's troops were nearby. Lee instructed Pickens' riflemen to flank Pyle's position, and then trotted into the camp in full salute. Lee exchanged customary civilities with Colonel Pyle and began shaking his hand when the sounds of battle commenced.