Patriots

Patriots
Meet the Patriots. The Patriots are those who rebelled against the British Crown during the American Revolution. These Patriots sometimes called “rebels” took up arms against the Crown because they felt Great Britain had placed unfair taxes on the American Colonies.

In 1775, the Continental Congress ordered all colonies to prepare for military action. North Carolina had already formed their militia in 1774 at the behest of their Royal Governor Josiah Martin. Militia were men between the ages of 16 and 60, they met 4 times a year to train on military tactics, and their primary function was to protect the communities and town in which they lived. At the Battle of Moores Creek Bridge it is hard to say exactly how many of the Patriots were militia, but at least 200 of the 1,000 Patriots who fought at the Battle of Moores Creek Bridge were militia.

The Continental Congress also suggested that each of the colonies create minute men battalions, because they had worked so well at the Battles of Lexington and Concord in April of 1775. North Carolina was quick to jump on board and established minute men battalions for six military districts Edenton, Halifax, Hillsborough, Wilmington, New Bern and Salisbury districts. These men were between the ages of 16 and 25, they trained for 14 days straight, met once a month there after for training, carried their muskets everywhere they went to be ready in a minute’s notice, and supplemented the Continental Battalions (Patriot regular Army) of North Carolina. The minute men are the precursor to our Army National Guard today. The vast majority of the Patriots at Moores Creek Bridge were minute men from the New Bern and Wilmington Districts.

Patriot Commanders during the Battle of Moores Creek

Check out the videos below to learn more about the Patriot Commanders involved in the Moores Creek Campaign.