Wilmington, North Carolina, was the only deep-water port in the state. That single geographic fact made it the fulcrum of British strategy in North Carolina and the place where Cornwallis paused before making the decision that ended his army.
PEOPLE
Major General Robert Howe
Continental Army General, North Carolina Patriot Officer
Colonel Alexander Lillington
North Carolina Militia Officer, Moore's Creek Bridge Commander
Major James Henry Craig
British Army Officer, Wilmington NC Occupation Commander
General Lord Charles Cornwallis
British Commander, Southern Army, Guilford Courthouse Campaign Commander
KEY EVENTS
Cornwallis Departs Wilmington for Virginia
Apr 1781
Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge
Feb 1776
Battle of Guilford Courthouse — Cornwallis's Pyrrhic Victory
Mar 1781
Greene Turns South — Dismantling British Interior
Apr 1781
Cornwallis Arrives at Wilmington — Army at Half Strength
Apr 1781
Major Craig Occupies Wilmington
Jan 1781
STORIES
MODERN VOICE
The Decision at Wilmington
Cornwallis arrived at Wilmington in April 1781 with an army that had won its last battle by losing a quarter of itself. Guilford Courthouse was technically a victory — Greene retreated, the British he...
HISTORICAL VOICE
The Oath That Cost Everything
The Highlanders who marched toward Wilmington in February 1776 had arrived in North Carolina with a specific understanding: they swore loyalty to the king and received land grants in return. This was ...