William Polk

In the record (1)

1. 1780

   The famous attribution of the phrase 'hornet's nest [of rebellion]' to Lord Cornwallis describing Charlotte/Mecklenburg has NO surviving contemporary 18th-century documentary source -- no letter, diary, or dispatch written by Cornwallis or his officers during or shortly after the 1780 occupation contains the quote. According to multiple secondary historical accounts, the earliest known appearances of the story in writing come from local Mecklenburg figures John McKnitt Alexander and William Polk, writing in the early 19th century (i.e., 30+ years after the events), meaning the quote as popularly repeated is oral tradition/local legend rather than a documented historical fact.

   Unverified — sourced but not confirmed against a primary record.

   George AlexanderAbraham AlexanderSamuel C. AlexanderThomas PolkJohn McKnitt AlexanderLord Cornwallis

   Source · checked 2026-08-13