247th anniversary of the Battle of Moores Creek Bridge happening this weekend

CURRIE, N.C. (WECT) - Gettysburg, Valley Forge and Manassas are all national battlefields that you are likely familiar with. But, did you know southeastern North Carolina has its own national battlefield?

Thousands of historians will be gathering for the 247th anniversary of the Battle of Moores Creek Bridge on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 25 and 26, for one of the most significant Patriot victories in the south.

During the event, historians take you back to what it was like during the battle in 1776, with a variety of living history demonstrators, guided tours, candle making, blacksmithing and much more. Plus, there are cannon firings and small reenactments of the battle to put you front and center to the action.

It’s a weekend that history buffs look forward to and promises to be a different experience than simply visiting the park.

“You get a lot of folks coming out here to walk around. And you may not really truly get the feel of what took place here 247 years ago, but you come out here and you see all the living historian. So you see all the reenactors out here, can hear the roar of the cannons, firing of the muskets, and almost feels like it can be transported back to that cold February morning,” said Chief of Interpretation Jason Collins, Moores Creek National Battlefield.

They expect this year to draw between 5,000 and 7,000 people, but when they celebrate the 250th anniversary, it could be double that.

So what exactly happened 247 years ago? The National Park Service’s website includes a description of the battle:

The Patriots delivered a crushing defeat to the Loyalists at Moores Creek, and only lost one life in doing so, Private John Grady. His monument still stands on the battlefield, originally placed 1857.

“Being in the place where it actually happened is really the best part about this anniversary is to be able to hear all those noises, similar to what they would have heard back then. And to really get that power of place,” said Collins.

Events on both Saturday and Sunday will run from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and a full hour by hour schedule can be found here.

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