School History of North Carolina Part 17

3. What proclamation did the Governor send to Samuel Johnston?

What reply was returned?

4. What view was taken of the Governor's flight?

Who was placed at the head of the provisional government?

5. Mention some laws which were pa.s.sed concerning the Congress?

6. Mention some further acts of the Hillsboro Congress.

7. What about the issue of money?

8. What is said of the men who composed the Congress?

9. In what scheme was Governor Martin found engaged?

What force was sent to Virginia?

10. Who were sent to South Carolina?

11. Define the terms "Tory" and "Whig."

CHAPTER XXVI.

THE BATTLE OF MOORES CREEK BRIDGE.

A. D. 1776.

1776. The new year, 1776, found Governor Martin still lingering on board the Cruiser in the Cape Fear River. He was closely watched by Colonel James Moore, who kept his Command (the First North Carolina Regiment) in that vicinity. In February came the news that the Scotch Highlanders and Regulators were gathering at a place called, at that day, "Cross Creek," and now the town of Fayetteville. This place and in this connection will be remembered as the home of the beautiful heroine, Flora McDonald, and her husband. Like her husband, she was a staunch Tory, and did all she could to promote the insurrection.

[This famous woman had won the world's admiration by her heroic efforts to aid the unfortunate Prince Charles Edward after his defeat at Culloden. He was being hunted like a wild beast by the troops of the king, but Flora McDonald bravely left her home and went off with the disguised Prince, until, after many perils, he reached a vessel on the coast end thus escaped to his friends in France. ]

2. A large fleet and army were said to be on their way from England to take the town of Wilmington. These Scotchmen, a.s.sembling at Cross Creek by Governor Martin's orders, were in arms to force their way across the country and join the expected British army, Colonel Moore at once met them at Rockfish Creek, where he fortified his camp and awaited an attack. But he soon found this would not occur, so he sent Colonel Lillington and Captain Ashe with two hundred and fifty then to occupy a bridge over Moore's Creek that he supposed would intercept General Donald McDonald, who commanded the Tories.

3. Whigs in arms were a.s.sembling from different directions, and the Tories soon saw that unless they pa.s.sed Colonel Moore they would be surrounded and captured. McDonald was an old and skillful officer, and he moved across the Cape Fear River to meet Colonel Caswell, who was coming up from New Bern with a command of eight hundred men which had been raised in that section.

4. Caswell made haste to join Lillington on Moore's Creek, and artfully led the enemy to believe that he was camping, on the evening of February 26, 1776, on the same side of the stream with him. He left his fires burning, and in the darkness crossed the bridge, removed the timbers except two log girders, and took up a position supporting Lillington and Ashe, who had already put themselves in the best place to prevent the pa.s.sage of the Tories.

5. In the darkness of early dawn, on the 27th, Colonel Donald McLeod took the place of his sick commander, General McDonald, and fell upon what he had been led to believe was Colonel Caswell's camp; but his spies had been misled, and his foes were to be reached only by crossing the bridge before him. The prospect was appalling, but McLeod was brave, and putting himself at the head of a picked band of broadswordsmen, he charged across the remaining two logs of the bridge. It was a terrible moment when the Whigs saw these dauntless Highlanders, who had so often broken the strongest lines of troops in Europe, rushing furiously upon them. But they were cool, and plied the deadly rifles upon the Scotchmen as fast as they came.

6. Colonel McLeod fell dead in his headlong charge, being pierced by twenty-six b.a.l.l.s. The carnage was so frightful that the onset was stayed, and then, as the a.s.sailants wavered, Captain Ezekiel Sloc.u.mb, having crossed the creek with his company, rushed from the woods and charged their flank. A wild panic ensued, and the Tories fled in disorder from the fatal bridge.

7. The Whigs followed in hot pursuit, and the victory was overwhelming. Nearly two thousand Royalists were thus defeated by eleven hundred undisciplined Whigs. Eight hundred prisoners, including General McDonald, with all the camp stores, were taken.

8. There was not a more complete victory during the war. General Moore's strategy was brilliant in conception and daring in execution; but no strategy, however brilliant, and no courage however daring, would have availed anything had not North Carolina been prepared to put promptly in the field troops with the necessary munitions of war. These troops that took part in the campaign came some from above Greensboro in the west and others below New Bern in the east. Infantry, artillery and mounted troops were all engaged, and everything went on as smoothly as if the province had never known anything about war.

9. The successful conduct of the campaign, requiring as it did the rapid concentration of troops without railroad, steamboat or telegraph, and the readiness with which, ninety days previous, we had sent troops both to South Carolina and to Virginia, demonstrated beyond question the wisdom of the Congress in its work at Hillsboro during the summer and autumn before.

10. The defeat of the Tories thwarted the schemes of Governor Martin, and so dispirited the Scotch and Regulators that years elapsed before they gave further trouble. Lord Cornwallis came into the Cape Fear River with his army, but hearing of the disaster, sailed away, having effected nothing but an inglorious descent upon the farm of General Robert Howe.

11. Thus began and ended the first British invasion of North Carolina. Colonel Moore was made a General for his skill in planning the campaign, and Caswell, Lillington and Ashe, with their gallant commands, were everywhere honored for their bravery and success.

[NOTE--A proclamation was issued soon after this, giving pardon to all who would submit to the government of the King, except General Robert Rowe and Cornelius Harnett.]

QUESTIONS.

1. What was the situation in Wilmington in 1776? What important news was received?

2. What expedition was coming to Wilmington? How was it to be reinforced? How was Colonel Moore preparing to meet these men from Cross Creek?

3. Mention other preparations for a fight.

4. Give an account of Colonel Caswell's position on Moore's Creek.

5. Who commanded the Tories? Describe his charge upon the Whigs.

6. Give an account of the battle of Moore's Creek. When did this occur? Locate the scene of this battle on the map.

7. What was the result?

8. What is said of the victory at Moore's Creek? What was promptly done by North Carolina?

9. What is said of this campaign?

10. What distinguished British officer entered the Cape Fear?

11. How did the people feel towards Colonel Moore and other commanding officers?

CHAPTER XXVII.

FOURTH PROVINCIAL CONGRESS DECLARES INDEPENDENCE.

A. D. 1776.

The Hillsboro Congress of August, 1775, formally inaugurated a war of resistance to British oppressions, but to the Halifax Congress of April, 1776, was left the crowning glory of being the first in all the colonies to declare for absolute independence of the mother country and for foreign alliances.

2. It was quickly seen when the new Congress met at Halifax, on the 4th of April, 1776, that great progress had been made in public sentiment. At Hillsboro professions of loyalty and of a desire for continued connection with Great Britain, some honest, but many of questionable sincerity doubtless, were still to be heard. At Halifax there was neither halting nor hesitation in avowing that absolute independence from the mother country was the real aim of the people of the province.

3. The time for the final plunge had come, and North Carolina was quite ready for it. Accordingly, on the fourth day of the session, a committee was appointed to take into consideration the usurpations and violences attempted and committed by the King and Parliament of Britain against America, and the further measures to be taken for frustrating the same, and for the better defence of the province. Four days later, that is to say, on the 12th day of April, 1776, a day ever to be remembered in the annals of America, the committee reported as follows:

"It appears to your committee that pursuant to the plan concerted by the British Ministry for subjugating America, the King and Parliament of Great Britain have usurped a power over the persons and properties of the people unlimited and uncontrolled, and disregarding their humble pet.i.tions for peace, liberty and safety, have made divers legislative acts denouncing war, famine and every species of calamity against the continent in general.

That British fleets and armies have been, and still are, daily employed in destroying the people and committing the most horrid devastations on the country. That Governors in different colonies have declared protection to slaves who should imbrue their hands in the blood of their masters; that the ships belonging to America are declared prizes of war, and many of them have been violently seized and confiscated, in consequence of which mult.i.tudes of the people have been destroyed or from easy circ.u.mstances reduced to the most lamentable distress.

"AND WHEREAS, the moderation hitherto manifested by the united colonies and their sincere desire to be reconciled to the mother country on const.i.tutional principles have procured no mitigation of the aforesaid wrongs and usurpations, and no hopes remain of obtaining redress by those means alone, which have been hitherto tried, your committee are of opinion that the house should enter into the following resolve, to wit: