The North Carolina Line refers to North Carolina units within the Continental Army. The term "North Carolina Line" referred to the quota of infantry regiments assigned to North Carolina at various times by the Continental Congress. These, together with similar contingents from the other twelve states, formed the Continental Line. The concept was particularly important in relation to the promotion of commissioned officers. Officers of the Continental Army below the rank of brigadier general were ordinarily ineligible for promotion except in the line of their own state.
History
On June 26, 1775, less than ten weeks after the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the Continental Congress voted to support 1,000 Continental troops in North Carolina. This force was organized in September of that year as two regiments of 500 men each. Not all Continental infantry regiments raised in a state were part of a state quota, however. On December 27, 1776, the Continental Congress gave Washington temporary control over certain military decisions that the Congress ordinarily regarded as its own prerogative. These "dictatorial powers" included the authority to raise sixteen additional Continental infantry regiments at large.Wright, Continental Army, 71-72. On November 28, 1775 the Continental Congress ordered both North Carolina and South Carolina to provide sufficient numbers of men to help the Continental Army, to be paid by the Continental Congress and not the states. Both states rose to the occasion and North Carolina provided the regiments identified above over a period of two years. These regiments fought in both theaters of the American Revolution, the Northern Department and the Southern Department.Wright, Continental Army, Chapter 4, page 71Lewis, J.D., The American Revolution in North Carolina, North Carolina Continental Line, accessed Jan 30, 2019 On March 7, 1777, the Continental Congress approved placing three companies of North Carolina Light Dragoons onto the Continental Line, not to be assigned to any existing regiment. On July 10, 1777, the Continental Congress approved placing the two companies of NC Artillery onto the Continental Line. On June 17, 1777, the Continental Congress accepted the offer of North Carolina to furnish another regiment for the Continental Army. This regiment, under the command of Colonel Abraham Sheppard, was unofficially designated the "10th North Carolina Regiment."
Regiments
The North Carolina Continental units included the following (original commander and date established are indicated): 1st North Carolina Regiment, (Colonel James Moore) 1775 2nd North Carolina Regiment, (Colonel Robert Howe) 1775 3rd North Carolina Regiment, (Colonel Jethro Sumner) 1776 4th North Carolina Regiment, (Colonel Thomas Polk) 1776 5th North Carolina Regiment, (Colonel Edward Buncombe 1776 6th North Carolina Regiment, (Colonel John Alexander Lillington) 1776 7th North Carolina Regiment, (Colonel James Hogun) 1776 8th North Carolina Regiment, (Colonel James Armstrong) 1776 9th North Carolina Regiment, (Colonel John Williams) 1776 10th North Carolina Regiment, (Colonel Abraham Sheppard) 1777
The North Carolina Regiments were for a time organized into a 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalions (sometimes referred to as Brigades) early in the war and then consolidated as a North Carolina Battalion before October 1777. The 1st Battalion consisted of the 4th, 5th, and 6th Regiments and was under Brigadier General James Moore on April 10, 1776. He reported to Major General John Armstrong of the Southern Department. The 1st Brigade was commanded by Brigadier General James Hogun on January 9, 1779 and consisted of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd regiments, and two companies of North Carolina Artillery. It was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 1st Brigade was part of Major General Benjamin Lincoln's surrender of Patriot forces at Charleston on May 12, 1780. General James Hogun was taken prisoner and imprisoned with his troops at Haddrell's Point, South Carolina. The 2nd Brigade was commanded by Brigadier General James Moore in 1776. The 2nd Brigade was commanded by Brigadier Jethro Sumner on January 9, 1779 The North Carolina Brigade was commanded by Brigadier General Francis Nash on October 4, 1777 in the Philadelphia Campaign at the Battle of Germantown, where he was mortally wounded. (Note: The term North Carolina Line may refer to this North Carolina Battalion.) The North Carolina Brigade was commanded by Brigadier General Jethro Sumner on September 8, 1781 at the Battle of Eutaw Springs
Dragoons The Corps of North Carolina Light Dragoons consisted of four companies: 1st Company (Captain Samuel Ashe, Jr.), 2nd Company (Captain Martin Phifer), 3rd Company (Captain Cosmo Medici); 1777; 4th Company (Captain John Brown), 1778.
Artillery On May 9, 1776, the North Carolina General Assembly authorized the creation of one company of artillery, the 1st North Carolina Company of artillery, headed by Captain John Vance. Captain Vance resigned in November 1777 and he was replaced by Captain John Kingsbury on November 16, 1777. A second company, the 2nd North Carolina Company of Artillery was authorized by the North Carolina General Assembly on January 7, 1777 and was headed by Captain Thomas Clark. The 2nd company was disbanded in June 1779. While both companies were originally part of the North Carolina State troops, both companies were place under the Continental Line on July 10, 1777.
Quartermaster General See also Quartermaster General of the United States Army
On May 7, 1776, the Deputy Quarter Master General's Department was created for the Southern Department and Colonel Nicholas Long, former commander of the Halifax District Minutemen, was selected to head the department. Camp Quankey, near the town of Halifax, North Carolina was established as a depot and it remained until the end of the war with Colonel Long as commander.
Engagements The regiments of the North Carolina Line are known to have been involved in 36 engagements from December 1775 to August 1782. OrderDateKnown Battles / SkirmishesState/Province1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th9th10th1December 22, 1775Battle of Great Cane BrakeSCxx 2December 23–30, 1775Snow CampaignSCxx x 3January 1, 1776Burning of NorfolkVA x 4February 27, 1776Battle of Moore's Creek BridgeNCxx 5March 8–12, 1776Fort Johnston #4NCx 6April 6, 1776Brunswick Town #1NCxx 7May 1–3, 1776Fort Johnston #5NCx 8May 11, 1776Orton Mill & Kendal PlantationNCx 9June 28, 1776Breach Inlet Naval BattleSCx 10June 28, 1776Fort Moultrie #1SCxxxx 11September 1, 1776Florida ExpeditionFLxxx 12September 6, 1776Fort George/Bald Head IslandNC x 13September 11, 1777Battle of BrandywinePAxxxxxxxxxx14October 4, 1777Battle of GermantownPAxxxxxxxxxx15June 28, 1778Battle of MonmouthNJxxx 16March 3, 1779Battle of Brier CreekGA xxx 17May 16, 1779Near West Point (NY)NYxx 18May 31, 1779Fort LafayetteNY x 19June 20, 1779Battle of Stono FerrySC xx 20July 15, 1779Battle of Stony PointNYxx 21September 16, 1779 – October 18, 1779Siege of SavannahGA xx 22December 9, 1779Battle of Great BridgeVA x 23March 28 to May 12, 1780Siege of Charleston 1780SCxxx 24April 14, 1780Battle of Monck's Corner #1SCx 25May 6, 1780Battle of Lenud's FerrySCx 26May 7, 1780Fort Moultrie #2SCxx 27August 11, 1780Little Lynches Creek (1 unit)SC x 28August 16, 1780Battle of CamdenSCx 29March 15, 1781Battle of Guilford Court HouseNCx xx 30April 25, 1781Battle of Hobkirk's HillSCx x 31May 12, 1781Siege of Fort MotteSCx 32May 21 to June 19, 1781Siege of Ninety-Six 1781SCx 33May 24 to June 1, 1781Siege of AugustaGAx 34September 8, 1781Battle of Eutaw SpringsSCxxxx 35September 12, 1781Battle of Lindley's Mill (Hillsborough)NCx 36August 25, 1782Battle of the Combahee RiverSC x
Footnotes
Bibliography Journals of the Continental Congress. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office. On-Line at the Library of Congress , contains Pierce's Register, Heitman's Register, and Rosters of the Continental Line;
Berg, Fred Anderson, Encyclopedia of Continental Army Units: Battalions, Regiments, and Independent Corps. Harrisburg, Pa.: Stackpole Books, 1972. Fitzpatrick, John C. Editor. The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources. Available University of Virginia Virginia website. Heitman, Francis B. Historical Register of Officers of the Continental Army During the War of the Revolution, April 1775 to December 1783. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1967 (Originally published, 1914). Lesser, Charles H. Editor. The Sinews of Independence: Monthly Strength Reports of the Continental Army. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1976. Wright, Robert K. The Continental Army. Washington, D.C.: United States Army Center of Military History, 1983. Available online.