The Battle of Ramsour's Mill took place on June 20, 1780 in present-day Lincolnton, North Carolina, during the British campaign to gain control of the southern colonies in the American Revolutionary War. The number of fighters on each side of the battle is still an issue of contention, but Loyalist militiamen outnumbered Patriot militia and had captured a group of Patriots who they were planning to hang on the morning of June 20. On June 18, Patriot General Griffith Rutherford, who was camped near Charlotte, North Carolina, learned that a large force of Loyalists was assembling at Ramsour's Mill, near present-day Lincolnton. On June 19, Rutherford sent orders to Lieutenant Colonel Francis Locke and other local militia leaders to call up their militia. Locke gathered a force of 400 cavalry and infantry at Mountain Creek, about 16 miles to the northeast of Lincolnton. Their intelligence showed that the Loyalist force was more than three times their size, but it was decided to attack early the next morning without waiting for Rutherford's forces to join up due to a fear of reinforcements to the British force. On June 20, at daybreak, they were one mile from the Loyalist camp, located on a hill about 300 yards east of the mill belonging to Jacob Ramsour.

When the cavalry leading the Patriot column approached, the Loyalist sentries on the road fired at them and retreated to their main body. After an initial cavalry charge, the Patriot infantry moved up. In the confusion of the battle, the Patriots were able to turn the Loyalists' flank and gain control of the ridge. General Rutherford, then only a few miles from Ramsour's Mill, received word of the action and immediately dispatched his cavalry to assist and hurried the infantry along. Patriot Colonel Francis Locke was unable to reform his line on the ridge and ordered his men to fall back. However, Captain John Dickey refused and led his company to higher ground, where the rifle marksmanship of Captain John Hardin's men turned the battle into victory. When ordered to retreat by Colonel Locke, he had soundly cursed, saying he would not retreat. Captain Dickey was credited with saving the day at the battle. Unable to make it to the bridge, 50 Tories were taken prisoners. Those beyond soon dispersed and made their escape. Almost a quarter of the Tories were unarmed, and they with a few others retired at the commencement of the battle. Loyalists were imprisoned, and their property was seized in the aftermath.