Martha Bell Monument, Guilford Courthouse National Military Park

Dedicated 1928. Matha McFarland was born in present-day Alamance County, North Carolina. Her first marriage was to John Mcgee, a wealthy farmer and trader. After McGee's death she married William Bell and moved to Bell's Mill on the Deep River in modern Randolph County. During the Revolution the Bells were notorious rebels in an area that contained a sizeable loyalist population. Following the Battle of Guilford Courthouse the British army camped at Bell's Mill on their retreat toward the coast. They were in desperate need of gristmill facilities where they could grind their looted corn into meal. With a threat that she would otherwise burn the mill, Mrs. Bell is said to have extracted a promise of protection for herself and her property. This monument commemorates the courage of this patriot woman, and is one of only two monuments in the park honoring a woman.