During the Battle of Moores Creek, the Patriots had a distinct advantage over the Loyalists. The Patriots had at least two pieces of artillery that they called "Old Mother Covington and her daughter". Old Mother Covington was a 2 ½ pound cannon mounted on a galloper carriage. The Daughter was a ½ pound swivel gun. Swivel guns were usually mounted on tree stumps. The swivel gun was easy to move and set up.

Both pieces of artillery were loaded with swan shot. Swan shot was a canvas bag filled with 20 to 25 small pieces of shot (about 1/8-inch diameter lead pellets). When fired, swan shot spreads over a wide area, much like a shot-gun. The Loyalists had little chance for victory with the Patriots' artillery aimed directly at the bridge.

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Web Manager: Timothy Boyd
Last Updated: Wednesday, 22-Dec-2004 09:42:16 Eastern Standard Time
http://www.nps.gov /archive/mocr/guide/covington.htm