Dempsey Burges

Colonel Dempsey Burgess (1751 – January 13, 1800) was a Democratic-Republican U.S. Congressman from North Carolina who represented his state in the 4th and 5th United States Congresses between 1795 and 1799 and served as a militia officer during the American Revolutionary War. He was born in 1751 in Shiloh, Camden County, North Carolina, in the northeastern part of the colony near the Pasquotank River and Albemarle Sound. Little is recorded about his parents or early upbringing, but his later prominence in local military and political affairs indicates that he was a figure of some standing in his community by the time of the Revolution.

Burgess’s formal education is not documented in surviving records, which is common for many colonial-era figures from rural North Carolina. Nonetheless, his subsequent service in legislative bodies and his leadership roles in the militia suggest that he possessed sufficient education and practical experience to participate effectively in public life. His familiarity with local affairs in Pasquotank and Camden Counties positioned him to take on responsibilities as the colonies moved toward open resistance against British rule.

With the onset of the American Revolution, Burgess emerged as an active participant in the patriot cause. He was a member of the North Carolina Provincial Congress in 1775 and 1776, taking part in the revolutionary assemblies that assumed governmental authority from the royal administration and laid the groundwork for the state’s early constitutional and political framework. These congresses met at a time when North Carolina was organizing its defenses, coordinating with other colonies, and moving toward a formal declaration of independence, and Burgess’s presence there placed him among the early leaders of the state’s revolutionary movement.

In addition to his legislative role, Burgess served extensively in the North Carolina militia during the American Revolutionary War. His military service record included appointment as a major in the Pasquotank County Regiment of the North Carolina militia from 1775 to 1776, a period that coincided with the initial mobilization of colonial forces. He then served as lieutenant colonel in the 2nd Pasquotank County Regiment from 1776 to 1777, reflecting increased responsibility as the conflict intensified. From 1777 to 1779 he was lieutenant colonel in the newly formed Camden County Regiment of the North Carolina militia, following the division of Pasquotank County and the creation of Camden County. In 1779 he rose to the rank of colonel and became commander of the Camden County Regiment, overseeing local defense and contributing to the broader war effort in the region.

After the Revolution, Burgess continued to be involved in public affairs as North Carolina transitioned from a colony to a state within the new federal union. Aligning with the emerging Republican, later known as Democratic-Republican, faction that favored limited central government and agrarian interests, he became part of the political current associated with Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. His Revolutionary service and standing in Camden County helped establish his reputation as a suitable representative for his district at the national level.

Burgess was elected as a Republican to the 4th and 5th U.S. Congresses, serving as a Democratic-Republican U.S. Congressman from North Carolina from March 4, 1795, to March 3, 1799. During his tenure in the House of Representatives, he served in the early years of the federal government under Presidents George Washington and John Adams, a period marked by debates over the scope of federal power, fiscal policy, and foreign relations, particularly with Great Britain and France. While detailed records of his individual votes and speeches are limited, his party affiliation places him among those who generally opposed the Federalist program of strong centralized authority and supported a more decentralized republic grounded in state and local interests.

After leaving Congress at the close of the 5th Congress in March 1799, Burgess returned to private life in Camden County, North Carolina. He remained in the community where he had been born and where he had long been active in both military and civic affairs. He died in Camden County on January 13, 1800. Colonel Dempsey Burgess was buried in Shiloh Baptist Churchyard in Shiloh, Camden County, North Carolina, closing a life that had spanned the colonial era, the American Revolution, and the formative years of the United States.