The third of five scheduled NC
MRF History Tours was held on June 25th. 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.
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
20 minute 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. Tim gave us a 30 minute informative demonstration of period
weapons and even allowed us to handle some of the weapons used during
the time of the Moore's Creek battle.
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 2:00 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 245 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 David Williams to the MRF. David attended his
third NC MRF History Tour today and also joined the MRF.
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. 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 fourth NC
MRF History Tour will ride to the The
House in the Horseshoe on Saturday, July 22rd. There will be a
total of five NC
MRF History Tours during 2005.
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, alternate 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 worth more than $1 million by today's value 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.
