thereafter, accompanied by Colonels Neal, Irwin, Hill and Lacy, he
made a vigorous assault against the post of Rocky Mount, but failed in
reducing it for the want of artillery. After this assault General
Sumter crossed the Catawba, and marched with his forces in the
direction of Hanging Rock. In the engagement which took place there,
and, in the main successful, the right was composed of General Davie's
troops, and some volunteers under Major Bryan; the centre consisted of
Colonel Irwin's Mecklenburg Militia, which made the first attack; and
the left included Colonel Hill's South Carolina Regulars.[G] In 1781
Colonel Irwin commanded a regiment under General Rutherford, in the
Wilmington campaign. He was a delegate to the Provincial Congress,
which met at Halifax, on the 4th of April, 1776, with John McKnitt
Alexander and John Phifer as colleagues. He was again a delegate to
the Provincial Congress which met at Halifax, on the 12th of November,
1776, which body formed our first Constitution. His last civil
services were as Senator from Mecklenburg county, in 1797,-'98-'99 and
1800. For many years he was a worthy and influential Elder of the
Presbyterian Church at Steele Creek. He died on the 23rd of December,
1800, aged sixty-two years.

_William Kennon_ was an early and devoted friend of liberty. He was an
eminent lawyer, resided in Salisbury, and had a large practice in the
surrounding counties. He was one of the prominent advocates for
_absolute independence_ at the Convention in Charlotte, on the 19th
and 20th of May, 1775. He, with Mr. Willis, a brother-in-law, Adlai
Osborne, and Samuel Spencer (afterward Judge Spencer), took an active
part in arresting two obnoxious lawyers, John Dunn and Benjamin Booth
Boote, preceding the Revolution, in giving utterance to language
inimical to the cause of American independence.