Fort Defiance

Fort Defiance

William Lenoir lived in the Yadkin River Valley and served in the Wilkes County Militia under Colonel Benjamin Cleveland. His home on the Upper Yadkin River was built in 1792 near the site of his fortified home of the same name which he occupied during the American Revolution. Lenoir served as a lieutenant in the militia during General Rutherford's Expedition against the Cherokees in 1776. He was later captain and major, rising eventually to general. He kept a journal during Rutherford's 1776 expedition as he did during the campaign in pursuit of Ferguson in 1780.

Randell Jones, A Guide to the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail