A stately oak stood here for nearly 300 years and came to symbolize the patriots' yearning for freedom and the bitterness of their conflict with the British crown. In 1779, two tories, Americans loyal to Britain, plundered the home of George Wilfong in neighboring Lincoln County and used Wilfong's clothesline to lead off his horses. Before reaching the British lines, they were captured and brought to the courthouse here, where Colonel Benjamin Cleveland found them "guilty" and had them hung from the limbs of the Tory Oak using Wilfong's clothesline. Later, three other tories retaliated by kidnapping Colonel Cleveland, but Cleveland's brother Robert led the charge to rescue Benjamin, and the three kidnappers were also hung from the Tory Oak.