Lenoir County, NC - Col. Richard Caswell & Moore's Creek, 1776 Extract of a letter from Col. Richard Caswell, late a Delegate for the province of North Carolina in the Continental Congress, and now Commander of a body of troops in that province, to the Hon. Cornelius Harnet, Esq, President of the Provincial Council of North Carolina, dated from his Camp at Long-Creek Feb. 29, 1776. "Sir, I have the pleasure to acquaint you that we had an engagement with the Tories at Widow Moore's Creek bridge on the 27th current. Our army was about 1000 strong, consisting of the Newbern battalion of minutemen, the militia from Craven, Johnston, Dobbs and Wake, and a detachment of the Wilmington battalion of minutemen which we found encamped at Moore's creek the night before the battle under the command of Col. Lillington. The Tories by common report were 3000 but Gen. M'Donald, whom we have a prisoner says there were about 15 or 1600; he was unwell that day, and not in the battle. Capt. M'Cleod, who seemed to be the principal commander with Capt. John Campbell, are among the slain. The number of killed and mortally wounded, from the best accounts I was able to collect, was about 30, most of them were shot on their passing the bridge. Several had fallen into the water, some of whom, I am pretty certain, had not risen yesterday evening when I left the camp; such prisoners as we have made, say, there were at least 50 of their men missing. The Tories were totally put to rout, and will certainly disperse. Col. Moore arrived at our camp a few hours after the engagement was over; his troops came up that evening and are now encamped on the ground where the battle was fought; and Col. Martin is at or near Cross creek, with a large body of men; those, I presume, will be sufficient effectually to put a stop to any attempt to embody again. I therefore (with Col. Moore's consent) am returning to Newbern with the troops under my command, where I hope to receive your orders to dismiss them. There I intend carrying the general. If the council should rise before my arrival, be pleased to give order in what manner he shall be disposed of. Our officers and men behaved with the spirit and intrepidity becoming freemen, contending for their dearest privileges." Source: General Advertiser - March 25, 1776 Newbern, NC - March 8 Last night in town from camp, Colonel Richard Caswell. The signal services he had rendered his country by the total defeat of the Scotch army under the command of General M'Donald, induced the committee of the town of Newbern to present him with an address, which was this day done, by the principal gentlemen of the town. ______________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Guy Potts - gpotts1@nc.rr.com ______________________________________________________________________