The second of five scheduled NC
MRF History Tours was held on May 13th in North Carolina. The
tour started in Garner, NC at Team
PowerSports and traveled to the Moore's
Creek National Battlefield in Currie, NC which is twenty (20)
miles northwest of Wilmington, NC. 21 bikes, and 24
riders attended this tour.
At the start, Bruce Harris, our Tour Director told the riders about
the Battle of Moore's
Creek, handed out detailed maps of the route, reviewed the proposed
route and held a brief safety meeting. We left at 9:30 AM and stopped
for a gas/comfort break outside of Wallace, NC at I-40 Exit 385.
During that stop, Bruce further enlightened the riders about the
logistics of moving an Army across North Carolina in 1776. He then
reviewed the next leg of the route and had another brief safety
meeting. Once at Moore's Creek, we watched an entertaining audiovisual
presentation and then we were lucky enough to get a personalized
lecture from local historian Tim Boyd. Tim is the Educational Technician
at Moore's Creek and was dressed in period clothing.
After the tour was over, we all headed to a special BBQ spot. Our
tour guide Bruce purchased a book that contained the ratings of
just about every BBQ joint in NC. At the top of the list was a little
place that only serves meals from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM on Saturdays
ONLY. The "Pink Supper House" is a Ruritan club in Wallace,
NC that cooks pigs every Saturday morning and serves them on Saturday
afternoons. The eastern NC BBQ was delicious, and the service was
excellent. We had a 250+ mile day and enjoyed a good meal and learned
more about North Carolina's history.
We would like to thank the riders who came out for this tour. We
would also like to welcome Andy Malinowski and David Harry to the
MRF. They both joined today during the History Tour.
These riders understand the importance of protecting the things
they love. Riding our motorcycles is important to all of us and
these riders have shown their love for motorcycling by financially
supporting the MRF on this history tour. Between the $50 in new
memberships and $170 in donations, the riders raised a total of
$220 for the MRF today. All current MRF members ride for free on
these tours. However, many of the MRF member also made donations
today. A Freedom Fighter donation was made to the MRF with the tour
donations and that donation will go directly towards our fight at
the federal level for fair motorcycle related legislation. To view
the MRF's legislative agenda go HERE.
If you are not already an MRF member, please consider joining. The
MRF is completely focused on supporting street motorcycling. Join
online HERE
The next NC
MRF History Tour will ride to the The House in the Horseshoe
on Saturday, June 17th. There will be a total of five NC
MRF History Tours during 2006.
We would like to thank long-time MRF Individual Sustaining Member
Bruce Harris for his dedication to the MRF, his time and effort
in organizing and planning this History Tour, and his enthusiasm
for creating fun, alternative riding opportunities for North Carolina's
riders.
The
Battle of Moore's Creek
"King George and Broadswords!" shouted British
loyalists as they charged across partially dismantled Moore's Creek
bridge on February 27, 1776. Just beyond the bridge nearly a thousand
North Carolina patriots waited quietly with cannons and muskets
poised to fire.
The loyalists, mostly Scottish Highlanders wielding broadswords,
expected to find only a small patriot force. As the loyalists advanced
across the bridge, patriot shots rang out and dozens of loyalists
fell, including their commanders.
Stunned, outgunned and leaderless, the British loyalists
surrendered, retreating in confusion. Wagons, weapons and British
sterling were seized by the patriots in the days following the battle.
This dramatic victory ended British authority in the colony
and greatly influenced North Carolina to be the first colony
to vote for independence. The Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge,
coupled with the Battle of Sullivan's Island near Charleston, SC
a few months later, ultimately led the 13 colonies to declare independence
on July 4, 1776.
