On May 16th, 1771 The Battle of Alamance took place in North Carolina.
2,500 Regulators fought 1,000 militia troops lead by British Governor William Tryon. The British won.
After the battle one Regulator was hanged. A few days later six additional men were hanged in Hillsborough, Orange County, North Carolina.
The British did have a habit hanging people.
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For more information see The Battle of Alamance; The War of Regulation
The upcountry of the Carolinas was especially troublesome for the British before and during the War for Independence. Today, Charlotte, North Carolina is proud of Cornwallis calling it "A Hornet's Nest of Rebellion" after local militias defeated his attempt in September of 1780 to seize and hold the area using his regular troops. Costly battles and harassment helped lead to the failure of Cornwallis's southern campaign and his fateful May, 1781 decision to seek refuge at Yorktown on the Chesapeake in Virginia.