Date: February 27, 1776
Location: Moore's Creek Bridge, North Carolina
Victor: Colonel James Moore
Defeated: Lt. Colonel Donald McLeod
Summary
In early 1776, Maj. General William Howe ordered Maj. General Henry Clinton to sail south as part of a campaign to capture the port city of Charleston and gather the support of Southern Tories. As part of the plan, Tories were to join General Clinton at Cape Fear, North Carolina. On February 20, 1776, 1,600 Scottish Highlanders set out for Cape Fear. On February 26, they learned that 1,000 Rebels were waiting with two cannon at Moore's Creek Bridge
After a council of war, the Highlanders decided to fight. They walked right into a trap and got obliterated by the Rebels. General Clinton would arrive at Cape Fear to find no Tories waiting for him. The defeat had cowed other Tories from joining the fight as well.
View the following pages for a more detailed description on the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge:
