List of North Carolina militia units in the American Revolution

The following is a comprehensive list of known North Carolina militia units in the American Revolution that fought against the British, Loyalists, and Cherokee Native Americans that aligned themselves with British forces. The units included district brigades, county regiments, some battalions, and a special unit of volunteers from North Carolina counties that became Tennessee after the war. North Carolina was organized in counties in the colonial era and military districts as the state began to exercise its independence from British rule. These districts were used to organize the initial brigades. The size of brigades could be up to a few thousand volunteers and were commanded by a brigadier general. Regiments were commanded by a colonel and made up of a number of companies commanded by captains with about 50 men in each company. During engagements, one or more companies of regiments may have been involved in actions and commanded by the regimental or brigade commander.

Background
In August 1775, the Third Provincial Congress of North Carolina delegates appointed Cornelius Harnett the head of the Council of Safety which oversaw resistance to British rule. They also divided the colony into six military districts for the purpose of organizing militia and arranging representation in the executive body. At the county level, there were Committees of Safety, including the Rowan, Anson, Mecklenburg, Surry, and Tryon counties. Many members of these committees of safety became the officers of the regiments of militia.

The North Carolina Provincial Congress authorized thirty-five existing county militias to be organized on September 9, 1775. Some counties had already established their militias earlier in 1775. In 1775, the Rowan County regiment was split on October 22, 1775 into two distinct regiment, the 1st Rowan County Regiment and the 2nd Rowan County Regiment. On December 22 that same year, the North Carolina Provincial Council split the Pasquotank County Regiment into two separate and distinct regiments, the 1st and 2nd Pasquotank County regiments. This resulted in a total of 37 county regiments by the end of 1775.

Units
The following are the North Carolina militia brigades and regiments, along with the dates established and disestablished, as well as the original commander when the unit was established.