The Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge was a battle of the American Revolutionary War fought near Wilmington, North Carolina on February 27, 1776. Loyalist recruitment efforts in North Carolina began with news of the Battles of Lexington and Concord. When word arrived in January 1776 of a planned British Army expedition to the area, Josiah Martin, the royal governor, ordered the Loyalist to muster in anticipation of their arrival. Revolutionary militia and Continental units mobilized to prevent the junction, blockading several routes until the poorly armed Loyalists were forced to confront them at Moore's Creek Bridge, about 18 miles north of Wilmington. In a brief early-morning encounter, a charge across the bridge by sword-wielding Loyalist Scotsmen was met by a barrage of musket fire. One Loyalist leader was killed, another captured, and the whole force was scattered. Many Loyalists were arrested, making further recruiting efforts harder. North Carolina was not militarily threatened again until 1780, and memories of the battle and its aftermath negated efforts by Charles Cornwallis to recruit Loyalists in the area in 1781.