The Scots where viewed as traitors since they assisted the British against
the American Patriots due to their vow during the Revolutionary War. One site
near Lillington was the scene of a mass execution of Scot "Traitors."
One of the last battles of the War Between the States took place at Averasboro
near Erwin. General Sherman's army, on its march to the sea, defeated the army
of General Hardee and proceeded eastward. In 1965, the centennial celebration
of that event was held at the site of the battlefield. The population began
to establish itself in urban rather than rural areas after 1880. Lillington,
Dunn, Coats, Angier, and Erwin became trading and commercial areas.
Today more than one-fifth of the population resides in towns or villages. Agriculture
and agricultural products are the greatest source of income to the county. The
preponderance of the population is either engaged directly in agriculture or
derives a major portion of its income from the economy created by agricultural
pursuits.