Walton War facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Walton War |
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| Belligerents | ||||||||||
 Georgia |
 North Carolina |
 South Carolina |
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| Commanders and leaders | ||||||||||
John Milledge (1804–1806) Jared Irwin (1806–1809) David Brydie Mitchell (1809–1813) Peter Early (1813–1815) David Brydie Mitchell (1815–1817) William Rabun (1817–1818)  |
 James Turner (1804–1805) Nathaniel Alexander (1805–1807) Benjamin Williams (1807–1808) David Stone (1808–1810) Benjamin Smith (1810–1811) William Hawkins (1811–1814) William Miller (1814–1817) John Branch (1817–1818) |
 Paul Hamilton (1804–1806) Charles Pinckney (1806–1808) John Drayton (1808–1810) Henry Middleton (1810–1812) Joseph Alston (1812–1814) David Rogerson Williams (1814–1816) Andrew Pickens (1816–1818) |
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Georgia National Guard
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North Carolina National Guard
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South Carolina National Guard
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| Casualties and losses | ||||||||||
| None | 1 killed | None | ||||||||
The Walton War was a disagreement between the U.S. states of North Carolina and Georgia. It happened from 1804 to 1818. The fight was over a piece of land called the Orphan Strip, which was about twelve miles wide.
This land was given to Georgia in 1802. However, the exact border between Georgia and North Carolina was not clear. Problems started when Georgia created Walton County in this disputed area. It was hard to tell if the Orphan Strip belonged to North Carolina or Georgia.
The Walton War was mostly a disagreement between the people living there and the new Walton County government. Things got serious when John Havner, a law officer from North Carolina, was killed. North Carolina's Buncombe County then called in its state militia. By doing this, North Carolina showed it believed the land was theirs. This made the Walton County government fail.
In 1807, after two years of arguments, a group of officials agreed that the Orphan Strip belonged to North Carolina. North Carolina then offered forgiveness to anyone who had supported Walton County. The Walton War officially ended in 1811. This was when Georgia's own survey also showed the land belonged to North Carolina. North Carolina then fully took over governing the Orphan Strip.
Contents
Why Did the Walton War Happen?
What Was the Orphan Strip?
The Orphan Strip was a small piece of land, about twelve miles wide. It was located where North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia met. Today, this area is in Transylvania County, North Carolina. It was called the "Orphan Strip" because for a while, no state wanted to govern it. It was like a "no-man's land."
South Carolina first governed the land. But after the American Revolution in 1787, they gave it to the U.S. federal government. The federal government then gave it to the Cherokee people in the area. In 1798, the Cherokee gave it back to the federal government. At this time, no state directly controlled the land. Settlers who had land grants from South Carolina or North Carolina began to move there.
How the Orphan Strip Caused Trouble
After the Revolutionary War, the new U.S. government wanted states to give up their claims to land west of the Appalachian Mountains. Georgia finally gave up its claim to land that is now Alabama and Mississippi in 1802. In return, Georgia received small pieces of land, including the Orphan Strip. This agreement was called the Act of Cession.
However, the Act of Cession did not clearly state if North Carolina or Georgia should govern the Orphan Strip. It also did not define the exact state borders. When both North Carolina and Georgia claimed the Orphan Strip, they started to argue. They even called out armed groups to try and control the area.
The Creation of Walton County
After Georgia received the Orphan Strip in 1802, the settlers living there were confused. They wanted a government to protect them. In 1803, Georgia created Walton County for these settlers. The county was named after George Walton, a senator and a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence.
Historians still discuss why Georgia created Walton County. Some think it was to help the settlers. Others believe it was to compete with North Carolina. Either way, creating the county caused serious confusion and conflict. Settlers with land grants from South Carolina accepted Georgia's new government. They did not accept North Carolina's Buncombe County government. But settlers with land grants from North Carolina did not accept the Walton County government.
This difference in loyalty was a small issue at first. But when the Walton County government tried to collect taxes, it became a much bigger problem.
What Happened During the War?
The conflict became most intense in late 1804. This was when the Walton County government tried to collect taxes in the Orphan Strip. Settlers who said they were part of North Carolina's Buncombe County refused to pay these taxes. This led to many arguments with people who supported Buncombe County.
Some people say these arguments were the main battles of the war. They happened at places like McGaha Branch and Selica Hill. Others believe the Walton War did not have any real battles. However, these arguments were often violent. They even led to the only known death of the war.
On December 14, 1804, John Havner was killed. Havner's death led Buncombe County to bring in its militia for protection. On December 19, Major James Brittain led 72 militiamen into the Orphan Strip. When they arrived, the militia arrested ten officials from Walton County. They took them to Morganton, North Carolina to be tried for John Havner's murder.
All ten prisoners escaped before their trial. Later, it was decided that Samuel McAdams was responsible for Havner's death. The arrival of the North Carolina militia and the arrests led to the collapse of the Walton County government. The county was too far from Georgia's main cities to defend its claim strongly.
How Did the War End?
For two more years, the governors of North Carolina and Georgia could not agree on the border. So, in 1807, they agreed to have a joint commission settle the dispute. The two leaders of the survey were Joseph Caldwell, president of the University of North Carolina, and Joseph Meigs, president of the University of Georgia. They concluded that the entire Orphan Strip was inside North Carolina's territory.
Even though Georgia ignored these findings and continued to govern until 1811, North Carolina offered forgiveness to everyone who had supported Walton County during the war. Georgia finally accepted defeat in 1818. They created a new Walton County in a different part of their territory, which still exists today.
Ellicott's Rock and the Border
Because Georgia did not want to accept the 1807 decision, Georgia hired a famous surveyor named Andrew Ellicott. He was asked to survey the border again. Ellicott confirmed what the commission had found. He marked the border at Ellicott's Rock on the east bank of the Chattooga River.
The Orphan Strip After the War
North Carolina officially took control of the Orphan Strip in 1811. In 1838, it became part of Henderson County. Later, in 1861, parts of Jackson County and Henderson County were used to create Transylvania County. This is where the Orphan Strip is located today.
A Brief Revival in 1971
In 1971, the two states briefly discussed the issue again. Some news reports called it a fun, symbolic argument. A Georgia group of lawmakers said that their state still had power over part of the old Orphan Strip. North Carolina lawmakers responded by allowing their governor to call up the National Guard to defend the area. However, no troops were ever called. The matter was soon dropped again, and no borders were changed. In 1992, North Carolina put up a historical highway marker. It is along U.S. Route 276 southeast of Brevard. This marker remembers the dispute.
