Shortly before the Declaration of Independence was signed, a small but pivotal battle took place near the port city of Wilmington, N.C. The February 27, 1776, Battle of Moores Creek Bridge was the first Revolutionary War battle to be fought in the Old North State. I don’t know if the popular warning against bringing a knife to a gunfight existed then, but even before the smoke had cleared that day, the Scottish Highlanders fighting for the British certainly could have vouched for the cliché’s veracity.
In late 1775, several thousand Loyalists under Brig. Gen. (of militia) Donald MacDonald assembled at Cross Creek—the site of modern-day Fayetteville, N.C. Most were recent Scottish immigrants who’d sworn allegiance to the crown, but former members of the Regulator movement were also present.
Eventually, around 1,500 Loyalists left Cross Creek and marched for Wilmington, some 95 miles away. There, they expected to meet two British seaborne forces, totaling around 7,000 troops. Accounts vary about Loyalist armament, but many—especially those carrying only broadswords from the Scottish Highlands—expected to receive proper military muskets upon meeting the British.
Patriot forces, led by Col. James Moore (no relation to the creek), began checking the Loyalists’ advances along main routes into Wilmington. Aiding Moore’s efforts was Col. James Caswell, who, according to a National Park Service (NPS) representative, led nearly 700 Minutemen from New Bern, N.C. and around 200 militia from Wilmington.
As the Loyalists closed on Wilmington, Caswell prepared to make a stand at Moores Creek Bridge. His men used natural terrain to their advantage, throwing up a breastwork on high ground, approximately 100 feet east of the bridge. According to an NPS representative, contemporary reports show that a contingent of 2nd N.C. Continentals had added two cannons to Caswell’s force, while three “brass guns” had arrived concurrent to the Minutemen.
A camp was also set up on the west side of the bridge and manned long enough for a Loyalist messenger, traveling under a flag of truce, to mistake it for the main Patriot position. That bad intelligence prompted the Scots, now led by Lt. Col. Donald McLeod, to force-march through 6 miles of cold swampland in the early morning hours of Feb. 27. Finding the camp freshly abandoned in the dawning light, they assumed the Patriots were on the run and surged forward.
As the Loyalists approached the bridge, one of their officers is reported to have yelled “King George and broadswords!” which happened to be the vanguard’s primary weaponry. The Scots soon found that the bridge’s decking had been removed and the supporting timbers greased with soap and animal fat. With Moores Creek moving swiftly and swollen to around 6 feet deep, navigating the slick beams was slow and treacherous.
Once a sizeable group of Scots was across, they were hammered by devastating fire from the muskets and cannons of Caswell’s men. Many Loyalists were killed outright, including McLeod. Others were reportedly shot off the bridge or fell, and subsequently drowned, in the strong waters.
The initial attack lasted only a few minutes, but the NPS representative told me three more assaults were beaten back—mainly by the cannons—before the Loyalists fled into the swamps. Sources vary on the number of Loyalist casualties, but somewhere between 50 and 70 were killed and wounded. Another 850 were taken prisoner in the next days, including MacDonald. Patriot forces suffered just two casualties: one combatant killed and the other wounded.
Aside from Highlander broadswords and Patriot cannons, we have scant information about weapons used during the battle. However, because this battle was early in the war and not fought by regular troops, we can reasonably assume both sides showed up with whatever arms they already possessed when called to muster.
Muzzleloading hunting rifles and fowling pieces (what would be the colonial equivalent to a modern shotgun) were likely present among each force. A contemporary report seems to support this, stating that McLeod’s body had been riddled with nine rifle balls and a couple dozen pieces of “swann shot.” The NPS representative said he’s combed through period records showing that while running away, the Loyalists threw their weapons and equipment into the swamps to aid their flight. He’s also studied firsthand accounts listing 150 broadswords, 350 fowling pieces and 1,500 “good rifles” that were mostly confiscated from Loyalist homes over succeeding days.
Moores Creek is considered to be the first decisive American victory of the Revolutionary War, providing the Patriots with a significant morale boost. It also influenced the passing, in April 1776, of North Carolina’s “Halifax Resolves” and the colony’s status as the first to instruct its delegates to vote for independence in the Continental Congress.
I’ve always held a keen interest in this battle and have visited the site several times. A hilltop where Loyalist Scots gathered while on the way to Cross Creek sits just outside my little town in central North Carolina. The same Scottish, Irish, English and German surnames found on the 18th-century land deeds, maps and headstones of our area live on in the descendants of people who fought on both sides of America’s first civil war.
I’ve called North Carolina home since I was 18 and spent 19 of my Army years stationed at Ft. Bragg. That period of my life revolved around moving quickly—often on foot—fighting light and staying one step ahead of larger enemy forces, so this is one of those battles that speaks to me on many levels. More than anything, it reinforces my deep appreciation for the sacrifices of our founding generation and the blessings of freedom.
The Battle of Moores Creek is one on a long list of evidence for the importance of well-armed citizens. It demonstrates even a modest force, competent with their arms, thinking on their feet and always ready to defend their communities, is a strong hedge against tyranny. Just as the patriots of Massachusetts had done during the battles of Lexington and Concord in April 1775, when minutes counted, the minutemen and militia of North Carolina quickly answered the call, defended their ground and altered the course of history.
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