Edward Buncombe | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1742 St Christopher, West Indies |
| Died | 1778 (aged 35–36) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Place of burial | |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service | North Carolina militia, Continental Army |
| Years of service | 1775-1778 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Unit | Tyrrell County Regiment, 5th North Carolina Regiment |
| Commands | Tyrrell County Regiment, 5th North Carolina Regiment |
| Battles / wars | Battle of Brandywine Creek, Battle of Germantown |
| Spouse(s) | Elizabeth Dawson Taylor |
Edward Buncombe (1742–1778) was a plantation owner from the Province of North Carolina who served as a colonel in the North Carolina militia and Continental Army (the army of the Patriot side) in the American Revolutionary War. He is the namesake of Buncombe County in western North Carolina. In 1820, his surname (in its status as the name of that county) became the source of the derogatory American slang term, "bunkum" and its shortened form, "bunk" in consequence of the U.S. representative for the county, Felix Walker, invoking the county during a poorly received speech delivered on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.[1][2]
- ^ "Bunkum". wiktionary.org.
- ^ Lemmon, Sarah Mcculloh (1979). "Edward Buncombe". NCPEDIA. Retrieved December 17, 2019.