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The Revolutionary War in North Carolina

Home › North Carolina History › Revolutionary War

North Carolina Patriots beat a Loyalist army at Moores Creek Bridge on February 27, 1776, and the Halifax Resolves of April 12, 1776 were the first official action by a whole colony recommending independence, according to the state. On March 15, 1781, at Guilford Courthouse, the British held the field but lost nearly a quarter of their army.

  • Feb 27, 1776Moores Creek Bridge
  • Apr 12, 1776Halifax Resolves
  • Mar 15, 1781Guilford Courthouse
  • 3NPS and state battlefields to visit
1787 British engraved plan of the Battle of Guilford, fought March 15, 1781
Plan of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, fought March 15, 1781 (London print, 1787). Credit: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LCCN 2006687273. Rights: No known restrictions on publication (as stated on its Wikimedia Commons file page).

The Short Version

Two fights bookend the state's war. At Moores Creek Bridge in February 1776 the Patriots won in about three minutes; at Guilford Courthouse in March 1781 the British held the field but lost so many men that Cornwallis marched north, and surrendered at Yorktown about seven months later. Kings Mountain and Cowpens, just over the South Carolina line, drew many North Carolina riflemen.

At a Glance

DateWhat happenedSource
February 27, 1776Patriot militia beat a Loyalist army at Moores Creek Bridge, in what is now southwestern Pender County. The fight was over within three minutes.ncpedia.org
February 27, 1776About 1,500 Loyalists under Lt. Col. Donald McLeod faced about 800 Patriots under Col. Richard Caswell and about 150 under Col. Alexander Lillington. About 500 Highlanders made the attack.ncpedia.org
February 27, 1776Loyalist losses were about 70 killed or wounded and about 850 captured. The Patriots lost one man, John Grady, who died four days later.ncpedia.org
April 12, 1776The Fourth Provincial Congress at Halifax unanimously adopted the Halifax Resolves. The 83 delegates present authorized North Carolina's delegates in Philadelphia to join other colonies in declaring independence.ncpedia.org
April 12, 1776The Historic Halifax state site calls the Halifax Resolves the first official action by an entire colony recommending independence from England.historicsites.nc.gov
October 7, 1780The Battle of Kings Mountain was fought in South Carolina, just across the line. The National Park Service calls it the first major Patriot victory after the British took Charleston in May 1780.nps.gov
October 7, 1780Among the Patriots were North Carolina riflemen: 160 brought by Col. Charles McDowell and 350 brought by Col. Benjamin Cleveland. The Loyalist commander, Maj. Patrick Ferguson, was killed.ncpedia.org
1780The Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail follows the route the Patriot militia took to Kings Mountain. It runs about 330 miles through Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina.nps.gov
January 17, 1781Brig. Gen. Daniel Morgan defeated Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton at Cowpens, South Carolina. The loss cost Lord Cornwallis his best light infantry and cavalry, the force he meant to use to invade North Carolina.ncpedia.org
March 15, 1781At Guilford Courthouse, near present-day Greensboro, Gen. Nathanael Greene led about 4,400 men, including about 1,500 Continental regulars, against Lord Cornwallis.ncpedia.org
March 15, 1781The British held the field, but Cornwallis lost nearly one quarter of his army. Greene pulled back, and Cornwallis later moved his campaign to Virginia.ncpedia.org
Seven months after March 15, 1781Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, Virginia, about seven months after Guilford Courthouse.ncpedia.org
March 2, 1917Congress authorized Guilford Courthouse National Military Park. The National Park Service took it over under Executive Order 6166, signed in summer 1933.nps.gov
1926The federal government began running the Moores Creek battlefield, which covers 86 acres one mile southwest of Currie.ncpedia.org

Winter and Spring 1776: The First Fight and The First Call for Independence

The first Revolutionary War battle in North Carolina came on February 27, 1776, at Moores Creek Bridge. A Loyalist army of about 1,500 was marching toward the coast to meet British forces. Patriot militia were waiting on the far side of the creek, and the attack was over in about three minutes. (source)

The Patriot victory ended royal authority in North Carolina. Six weeks later, on April 12, 1776, the Provincial Congress meeting at Halifax adopted the Halifax Resolves. Those resolves told North Carolina's delegates to the Continental Congress they could vote for independence. The state sites call it the first official action by a whole colony. (source)

Autumn 1780: The Overmountain Men and Kings Mountain

After the British captured Charleston in May 1780, the war moved into the Carolina backcountry. On October 7, 1780, about 1,800 frontier militia, many of them called Overmountain Men, attacked Maj. Patrick Ferguson's Loyalists on Kings Mountain. Hundreds of North Carolinians were among them. (source)

The battle took place in South Carolina, but the story is shared with North Carolina. Today the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail follows the militia's route across four states, and visitors can drive or walk parts of it. (source)

Winter and Spring 1781: From Cowpens to Guilford Courthouse

On January 17, 1781, Daniel Morgan's Americans beat Banastre Tarleton at Cowpens, South Carolina. That defeat weakened the force Lord Cornwallis wanted for his invasion of North Carolina. (source)

Cornwallis and Gen. Nathanael Greene met on March 15, 1781, at Guilford Courthouse. Greene placed his men in three lines. The British took the field, but they lost nearly a quarter of their army. Greene regrouped, Cornwallis soon left for Virginia, and the war ended at Yorktown about seven months later. (source)

Remembering The Battlefields

A private group began saving the Guilford battlefield in 1887. Congress made it a national military park by an act dated March 2, 1917. The National Park Service took it over in 1933. (source)

Moores Creek is a quiet, rural battlefield run by the National Park Service. Historic Halifax, on the Roanoke River, is the state historic site where the Resolves were adopted. (source)

Stories and Legends Tied to This

Where to Visit

On this site: Winston-Salem and the Triad, Historic Sites.

Still Unconfirmed

  • The sources differ on the size of the British force at Guilford Courthouse: North Carolina's encyclopedia gives about 2,000 and the National Park Service about 2,500, so both are shown.
  • Forces and the Loyalist commander at Moores Creek vary by source; the figures here follow the state encyclopedia.
  • The park page gives both 8:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. as Guilford Courthouse opening times, and fees were not on the pages we read. Check with each park before you go.
  • The Overmountain Victory Trail page gives only the year 1780, and the Cowpens battle date comes from the state encyclopedia because the park page we read did not state it.

Frequently Asked Questions

When was the Battle of Moores Creek Bridge?

February 27, 1776. It lasted about three minutes and ended with a Patriot victory.

What were the Halifax Resolves?

On April 12, 1776, North Carolina's Provincial Congress at Halifax unanimously told its delegates to the Continental Congress they could join other colonies in declaring independence. State sites call it the first official action by a whole colony.

Who won the Battle of Guilford Courthouse?

The British held the field on March 15, 1781, but Lord Cornwallis lost nearly a quarter of his army. Cornwallis moved to Virginia and surrendered at Yorktown about seven months later.

Was Kings Mountain fought in North Carolina?

No. The battle on October 7, 1780, was in South Carolina, but hundreds of North Carolina riflemen took part and the Overmountain Victory Trail crosses North Carolina.

Can I visit the Guilford Courthouse battlefield?

Yes. Guilford Courthouse National Military Park is at 2332 New Garden Road in Greensboro. Park gates close at 5:00 p.m., and the park is open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.

More North Carolina History

Sources

  1. NCpedia: Moores Creek Bridge, Battle Of
  2. NPS: Timeline of the Moores Creek Bridge Campaign
  3. NPS: Moores Creek National Battlefield, Plan Your Visit
  4. NCpedia: Halifax Resolves
  5. NC Historic Sites: Historic Halifax
  6. NCpedia: Kings Mountain, Battle Of
  7. NPS: Kings Mountain National Military Park
  8. NPS: Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail
  9. NCpedia: Cowpens, Battle Of
  10. NPS: Cowpens National Battlefield
  11. NCpedia: Guilford Courthouse, Battle Of
  12. NPS: Guilford Courthouse National Military Park (History)
  13. NPS: Guilford Courthouse, Plan Your Visit
  14. NPS: Guilford Courthouse, Basic Information

Read on October 27, 2026. Secondary sources are labelled in their titles. How we check: editorial standards; spot a mistake? tell us.

Cite this page: It's North Carolina, “The Revolutionary War in North Carolina”, itsnorthcarolina.com/history/revolutionary-war/ (updated ). By the It's North Carolina editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.