On December 11, 1790, a state Senate resolution declared that Farquard Campbell’s actions during the Revolutionary War were justifiable.
Campbell’s early life remains a mystery, but it is known that he emigrated from Scotland by the 1750s. He rose to prominence in Cumberland County, first as a justice of the peace and then as surveyor and a representative in the legislature. Campbellton, which later became Fayetteville, was named in his honor.
After the Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge, Campbell was found guilty of aiding the British and was imprisoned for about two years. He reestablished himself politically and was thus forgiven.
The name Farquard Campbell might sound familiar to readers of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series of books. Much of the fourth book, Drums of Autumn, takes place in 18th century North Carolina, and in that volume Campbell appears as a fairly significant character in the book—a local justice of the peace and loyal friend of Jamie Fraser’s aunt Jocasta. He is described in the novel as “the usual justice in this district.”
Gabaldon paid considerable attention to the veracity of her portrayal of North Carolina in the 1700s, writing about a great many real and thinly-veiled characters from the state’s history.
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