On this day 250 years ago at his headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, General George Washington wrote to the Massachusetts General Court to request badly-needed arms for the Continental Army besieging Boston:

Notwithstanding I have taken every method my Judgement could Suggest to procure a Sufficient Number of Firelocks for the Soldiers of this Army, by Applications to the Assemblies & Conventions of these Governments, as well as by sending Officers out with Money to purchase, I am constrained by necessity to Inform you, that the deficiency is amazingly great, and that there are not nigh enough to Arm the Troops already here—It is true that All the Officers gone upon the business are not yet returned, but from the small success of those who have made report, I cannot promise myself many more—I must therefore beg leave to sollicit your kind attention to this very Interesting and important concern, and would Submit It to your consideration, whether If your Honourable Court were to depute some of their Members to make applications to the different Towns, they might not procure a considerable Quantity—I will most cheerfully furnish them with Money for the purpose, or pay for them on their delivery here, as you shall think most advisable—I shall only add that I hope the Exigency of our Affairs at this critical crisis, will excuse this request, and my confidence of your readiness & zeal to do every thing in your power for promoting the public Good . . .

P.S. I have heard that there are Several King’s Muskets in the Country—for each with a Bayonet, that are good & have not been abused, I will readily give 12 Dollars—& in proportion for Other Guns fit for service.

Source: “George Washington to the Massachusetts General Court, 10 February 1776,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-03-02-0207. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War Series, vol. 3, 1 January 1776 – 31 March 1776, ed. Philander D. Chase. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1988, pp. 284–285.]

On this day 250 years ago in North Carolina, the Wilmington Committee of Safety called up the Wilmington Militia under Col. Alexander Lillington and the New Bern Committee of Safety ordered the New Bern Militia to assemble under Col. Richard Caswell. The militias of Johnston, Craven, Dobbs and Pitt Counties were ordered to join Caswell’s command. Col. James Moore was also in the field with the 1st North Carolina Regiment of the Continental Line. These units were gathering to block Loyalists then assembling at Cross Creek (now Fayetteville), North Carolina, to march on Wilmington to join a British fleet and British Army that was heading there. The British had earlier sent two British officers — Lt. Col. Donald MacDonald (temporarily promoted to Brigadier General) and Capt. Donald McLeod (temporarily promoted to Lieutenant Colonel) — to recruit a “Royal Highland Emigrant Regiment” from newly arrived Scottish Highlanders living in North Carolina. With this regiment plus Loyalists recruits, MacDonald was commanding more than a thousand men in total.

Around this time Loyalists from Guilford County marching to Cross Creek fought a militia force commanded by Captain William Dent, and had killed Dent, making him one of the first North Carolinians to give his life for American Liberty in the Revolution.

Source: Rankin, Hugh F., The Moore’s Creek Bridge Campaign, 1776, Currie, North Carolina: Eastern National, 1986 at pp. 13 & 18