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down the river, burning the homes
of known and suspected Patriots. At
Brunswick Town, in addition to the
Patriots’ homes, they burned William
Dry’s home, Bellfont, formerly
Russellborough, the Royal Governor’s
residence.
In April, the fleet arrived late and with
a smaller force than expected. They joined
Martin and Captain Collett in their
raids, and, in May, Generals Clinton and
Cornwallis burned much of Brunswick
Town, including, it is believed, St. Philip’s
Church. despite the raids, Patriots put up
stiff resistance, and the decision
was made to change strategies
and instead attack Charleston, South
Carolina before Fort Moultrie could
be completed. Clinton and Cornwallis
would then send armies north from
Charleston and south from Virginia to
rid the Carolinas of the Patriot insurrec-tion.
Before they left, they burned every
home and building within rifle shot of
the river from just south of Wilmington
to the ocean. Ultimately, their plan to
rout the Patriots was unsuccessful.
Later that year, the North Carolina
Congress revoked Brunswick Town’s
charter due to the dwindling popula-tion
and the rising prominence of
Wilmington. In the late 1780s or early
1790s, technology made it possible to
dredge the shoals at the mouth of Town
Creek, which made Wilmington’s port
the maritime center and signaled the end
of 18th century Brunswick Town, where
only a handful of people remained.
But the story of Brunswick Town
doesn’t end there. In the coming cen-tury,
Brunswick Town would once more
find itself in the midst of war and rebel-lion
as it started a new life as part of the
Confederacy’s defensive network guard-ing
the Cape Fear River and key port of
Wilmington. And, after that, it would
become a player in one of the darkest
hours of 19th century America.
Don’t miss The Forgotten Tale of
Brunswick Town Part II in the
March issue!