The 1st North Carolina Regiment of the Continental Army was raised on September 1, 1775, at Wilmington, North Carolina (originally authorized by the North Carolina Provincial Congress as state troops but on November 28, 1775, it became part of the Continental Army per direction of the Continental Congress). In January 1776 the organization contained eight companies. Francis Nash was appointed colonel in April 1776. The regiment was present at the defense of Charleston in 1776. It transferred from the Southern Department to George Washington's main army in February 1777. At that time, Thomas Clark became colonel of the 1st Regiment. The regiment became part of General Francis Nash's North Carolina Brigade in July.[1]
Commanders
The commanders were full colonels and included:[1][2]
Col. James Moore: He was commissioned as colonel/commandant on August 21, 1775, and served until April 10, 1776, when he was commissioned as Brigadier General of the 1st Brigade of the North Carolina line. This brigade included the 4th, 5th and 6th Regiments.
Col. Francis Nash: He was commissioned as colonel/commandant on April 10, 1776. He served until February 5, 1777, when he was promoted to Brigadier General of the 3rd North Carolina Brigade commanded by General James Moore until his death.
Col. Thomas Clark: The Continental Congress promoted him to colonel/commandant of the 1st North Carolina Regiment on February 5, 1777, upon General Nash's promotion. He was promoted to brigadier general of the North Carolina Brigade on May 15, 1778. In early 1780, he was again given command of the 1st North Carolina Regiment. He was captured at the siege of Charleston on May 12, 1780, and was not released until November 26, 1782. He retired on January 1, 1783.
Lt. Col. William Lee Davidson: He served as the colonel/commandant of the 1st North Carolina Regiment from January 9, 1779, until 1780.
In 1777 the 1st North Carolina saw action at the battles of Brandywine and Germantown and it was present at White Marsh. Still led by Clark, it fought at Monmouth in June 1778. The North Carolina Brigade marched south under the command of James Hogun and arrived at Charlestown, South Carolina in March 1780. The 1st Regiment was captured by the British army at the Siege of Charleston on May 12, 1780. Clark and 287 men became prisoners. The regiment was reformed in the summer of 1781 and fought well in Jethro Sumner's brigade at Eutaw Springs in September that year. The 1st North Carolina was furloughed on April 23, 1783, at James Island, South Carolina and disbanded on November 15, 1783.[1]
The complete list of engagements (battles and skirmishes) of the regiment include the following:[1]
Battle of Germantown where General Nash was mortally wounded
September 12, 1781, Hillsborough in North Carolina
Other Officers
Other officers included the surgeon, surgeon's mater, quartermaster, commissary, chaplain, muster master, deputy muster master, paymaster, and captains. The captains led a company that included a lieutenant, ensign, sergeant, corporal, fifers, drummers, and privates. The original captains of the 1st North Carolina Regiment included:[2][1]
Boatner, Mark M. III (1994). Encyclopedia of the American Revolution. Mechanicsburg, Pa.: Stackpole Books. ISBN0-8117-0578-1.
Morrissey, Brendan (2008). Monmouth Courthouse 1778: The last great battle in the North. Long Island City, N.Y.: Osprey Publishing. ISBN978-1-84176-772-7.
Wright, Robert K. Jr. (1989). The Continental Army. Washington, D.C.: US Army Center of Military History. CMH Pub 60-4.
Continental Congress
