Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge
Moore's Creek, Pender County, North Carolina, USA
What happened
North Carolina Patriot militia under Richard Caswell and Alexander Lillington blocked Loyalists, many of them Scottish Highlanders, led by Donald MacDonald. The Loyalists were marching to the coast to join British troops. The Patriots reached the bridge first, removed its planks and greased the rails. Before dawn the Loyalists tried to charge across with broadswords, and Patriot fire stopped them.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It ended British authority in North Carolina and plans for a British landing there. Independence was declared less than five months later.
What came next
Most captured Loyalists were released, and the Patriots seized many muskets and much gold. The battlefield became a national park in 1926.
Did you know?
The battle is described as the last recorded Highland charge in history.
Timeline
- 27 February 1776Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge.
- 1776Independence is declared less than five months later.
- 2 June 1926The battlefield becomes a national military park.
- 8 September 1980It is redesignated a national battlefield.