Nestled on the banks of the Cape Fear River, Wilmington, North Carolina, remains famous as a blockade-running port during the Civil War. Not as renowned is the city’s equally vital role during the Revolution. Through the port came news, essential supplies, and critical materials for the Continental Army. Both sides contended for the city and both sides occupied it at different times. Its merchant-based economy created a hotbed of dissension over issues of trade and taxes before the Revolution, and the presence of numerous Loyalists among Whigs vying for independence generated considerable tension among civilians. Based on more than 100 eyewitness accounts and other primary sources, this volume chronicles the fascinating story of Wilmington and the Lower Cape Fear during the Revolution.

Robert M. Dunkerly, a park ranger at Richmond National Battlefield Park, is an historian, author, and speaker involved in historic preservation and research.

Robert M. Dunkerly

Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 215
Bibliographic Info: 22 photos, 6 maps, appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2012
pISBN: 978-0-7864-6958-1
eISBN: 978-0-7864-9024-0
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      v
Preface to the Revised Edition      1
Introduction      3

1. The People and the Land      5
2. The Road to War      21
3. Wilmington Prepares      38
4. Moores Creek      50
5. British on the Cape Fear      75
6. The War Broadens, 1777–1780      83
7. The British Return      94
8. British Occupation      108
9. Civil War      122
10. Evacuation and Revenge      153
11. Aftermath      167

Epilogue      171
Appendix A: Historic Sites      173
Appendix B: Prisoners on the British Forbay      176
Appendix C: Halifax Resolves      177
Appendix D: Order of Battle, Moores Creek, 1776      178
Appendix E: British Order of Battle, 1781      178
Appendix F: Revolutionary War Battles and Military Actions in North Carolina      179
Chapter Notes      181
Bibliography      195
Index      203

“Dunkerly, draws on firsthand accounts and other primary sources to shed light on the town’s preparations for war”—Reference & Research Book News.