page_title: Alexander Lillington
section_title: Service in the Revolutionary War
hierarchical_section_title: Alexander Lillington / Service in the Revolutionary War
caption_attribution_description: English: Map depicting marching leading up to the 1776 Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge. Letter key: A: Richard Caswell's North Carolina militia retreat to Moore's Creek Bridge B: Loyalist force crosses branch of Black River above Corbett's Ferry and moves to Moore's Creek Bridge C: Militia of John Ashe and Alexander Lillington move by forced marches from Rockfish Creek to Moore's Creek Bridge D: Continentay Army units under James Moore follow behind Ashe and Lillington
context_page_description: John Alexander Lillington, also known as Alexander John Lillington, was a planter, politician and Patriot officer from North Carolina in the American Revolutionary War. He fought in the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge in 1776 as Colonel of the Wilmington District Minutemen. He was afterwards commissioned as colonel of the 6th North Carolina Regiment of the Continental Army, but resigned after a month to instead serve as brigadier general of the Wilmington District Brigade of the North Carolina militia. At the Battle of Camden his troops were among the militia who fled the field. His son John Lillington also served in the North Carolina militia.
context_section_description: He was commissioned as a colonel/commandant over the Wilmington District Minutemen battalion in August 1775.  He led this battalion at the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge on February 27, 1776. All North Carolina minutemen battalions were disbanded on April 10, 1776. 
  On April 15, 1776, he was commissioned as colonel/commandant over the newly created 6th North Carolina Regiment of the North Carolina Line.  He resigned his commission on December 31, 1776 due to ill health.
  On February 12, 1779, he was assigned as brigadier general over the Wilmington District Brigade of the North Carolina militia.  He replaced General John Ashe (general).   He led the brigade at the Battle of Briar Creek on March 3, 1779, Battle of Heron's Bridge on January 30, 1780, and Battle of Webber's Bridge on August 17, 1780.  In January 1780, he was responsible for building breastworks in defense of Charleston, South Carolina. He and his troops were discharged from these duties well before the surrender of the city in March of 1780.  Except for a period where he took a leave of absence in the summer of 1781, he retained the command of the Brigade until the end of the war.
caption: Map depicting movements toward Moore's Creek Bridge:
   A: Caswell's movement
   B: MacDonald's movement
   C: Lillington and Ashe's movement
   D: Moore's movement
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