The battle of Cox's Mill was fought between Patriot and Loyalist militias in Randolph County, North Carolina on June 8, 1781.
Cox's Mill was the site of a base of operations for the Loyalists under the command of David Fanning. Loyalist scouts informed Fanning of a large force of 160 Patriots under John Collier who were about 10 miles away in pursuit of him. Fanning had decided to make a preemptive strike on the Patriot forces under the cover of darkness that night. Fanning's guide was captured and the Loyalists were discovered and fired upon by the Patriots. An exchange of fire was made between the two forces that lasted for 4 hours until the Loyalists withdrew to Deep River at dawn. Today a state historical marker can be seen along NC 22 denoting the Mill
The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) grew from colonial resistance to British taxation without parliamentary representation — a dispute that radicalized through the Stamp Act (1765), the Townshend Acts (1767), and the Boston Massacre (1770). Fighting began at Lexington and Concord in April 1775; the Continental Congress declared independence on July 4, 1776. The Continental Army under George Washington faced severe shortages of supplies and troops, enduring the brutal winter at Valley Forge (1777–1778) before French alliance and French financing turned the military balance. Major engagements included Bunker Hill (1775), Trenton (1776), Saratoga (1777) — which secured French intervention — and Yorktown (1781), where British General Cornwallis surrendered to Washington. An estimated 25,000 American soldiers died in service, from combat, disease, and captivity. The Treaty of Paris (1783) recognized American independence and ceded British territory east of the Mississippi, though it left unresolved questions about Indigenous land rights and the status of Loyalists.
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