Early in the morning on this day 250 years ago on Bald Head Island at the mouth of the Cape Fear River in North Carolina, 150 men of the 4th North Carolina Regiment commanded by Col. Thomas Polk and Capts. Thomas Harris and Robert Smith battled Royal Navy sailors manning Fort George on the island and the guns of the HMS Falcon, Cruizer, and Defiance. The night before Col. Polk had rowed with his men across the Cape Fear River from their camp at the ruins of Fort Johnston to try and capture the 30-man Royal Navy garrison of Fort George on Bald Head Island. Although they captured 5 British sailors they had to retreat when the Royal Navy ships arrived to relieve the fort’s defenders. The Americans outnumbered the British on the island but they had only 2 three-pounder cannons and were outgunned by the 25 cannon on board the Royal Navy ships. The Americans lost one man killed and one wounded but in addition to capturing five British sailors were able to destroy a British cutter.

I am always troubled to read about unnamed casualties from the Revolution. Hopefully the wounded soldier recovered and was able to show off his wounds after the War to prove his valor, but wounds would often prove lethal or crippling. Even though the sources I have found do not name the casualties, I hope someone has researched the 100+ men listed on the muster rolls of the two companies of the 4th North Carolina who fought in the battle to try and identify the two casualties in the battle. Hopefully these men were named in the commemoration of the Battle of Fort George held yesterday, September 6, 2026, but if not we should all honor these unnamed men who made themselves sacrifices for American liberty 250 years ago.

Sources: https://www.carolana.com/NC/Revolution/revolution_ft_george_bald_head_island.html; https://www.oldbaldy.org/fortgeorge; https://www.carolana.com/NC/Revolution/patriots_nc_capt_thomas_harris_4th.html; https://www.carolana.com/NC/Revolution/patriots_nc_capt_robert_smith_mecklenburg.html; https://revwarapps.org/b76.pdf;