Moores Creek Bridge, Battle of, was a lopsided patriot victory during the American Revolution (1775-1783). The battle took place at Moores Creek, in southeastern North Carolina, on Feb. 27, 1776. Patriot forces holding the east end of a bridge over the creek clashed with a militia (citizen army) made up of North Carolinians who were loyal to Britain. The patriots won a clear victory after just a few minutes of fighting. The result of the battle led the British to cancel a planned invasion of North Carolina.
Background.
After the American Revolution began in April 1775, North Carolinians quickly took sides. Those who opposed the British were called patriots or Whigs. Those who remained loyal to the British king were called Loyalists or Tories.
North Carolina’s royal governor, Josiah Martin, was loyal to the king and hoped to crush the rebellious colonists by force. He urged local Loyalists to join him, and about 1,400 answered his call. Hundreds of the Loyalists had come originally from the Scottish Highlands. The leaders of the Tory militia were Brigadier General Donald McDonald (also spelled MacDonald) and Lieutenant Colonel Donald McLeod.
In mid-February 1776, the Tory militia marched toward the Atlantic coast. Their goal was to join British troops under General Henry Clinton who were sailing southward from Boston.
Patriot Colonel Alexander Lillington at that time commanded a Whig militia of about 150 men from Wilmington, North Carolina. He was joined by a volunteer force led by Colonel John Ashe. On February 25, Lillington led the group to the Moores Creek Bridge. The patriots planned to intercept the Tory militia that was moving toward the coast. On the east side of the creek, Lillington’s force constructed earthworks—that is, fortifications made from the earth.
Patriot Colonel Richard Caswell arrived with another 800 Whig militiamen the following day. Caswell’s men started to build earthworks on the west side of the creek. However, they soon abandoned the position and joined Lillington’s men. To hinder the Tory militia, the patriots removed some planks from the bridge. They also applied grease to the bridge’s remaining beams.
The battle.
At about 1 a.m. on February 27, the Tory militia began a 6-mile (10-kilometer) march toward Moores Creek. They arrived on the west side of the creek just before dawn. The Highlanders played bagpipes and beat drums, and many carried traditional Scottish broadswords.
McLeod directed the Tory militiamen to attack across the partially dismantled bridge. The patriots then fired on the advancing Loyalists with two small cannons that had been concealed behind the earthworks. The Loyalists panicked and retreated. In about three minutes of fighting, the Loyalists suffered at least 50 killed, wounded, and missing. The patriots suffered 1 killed and 1 wounded. Patriot forces also captured about 850 Loyalist militiamen in the days after the battle.
Aftermath.
Following the Battle of Moores Creek Bridge, the newly arrived British force under General Clinton found little organized support in North Carolina. Clinton and his men sailed on to Charleston, South Carolina, the chief port in the South. In June, the British failed to capture a fort on Sullivan’s Island, at the entrance to Charleston Harbor. Clinton then rejoined British forces in the North.
On April 12, 1776, North Carolina became the first colony to instruct its delegates to the Continental Congress to vote for independence. In December, North Carolina adopted its first state constitution.
See also American Revolution ; Clinton, Sir Henry ; Sullivan’s Island, Battle of .
