hugh, rankin. "north carolina continentials." 1(1952): 1-5.

Among other disabilities, the state was poor, while its population was more divided in loyalists than is generally realized. There was also the lack of strong executive leader ship, a characteristic sorely needed in periods of great stress. This is not intended to damn the wartime governors of North Carolina, but to admit that they were handicapped by constitutional and legislative restrictions. And the legislature did not always seem so cooperative as it might have been in the war effort, for too often it appeared more interested in present military matters. Such considerations were not wrong, but only poorly timed.
In North Carolina, this struggle ws particulary venomous for, its has been said, the colony contained a greater number of loyalists in perportion to its population than any other. Some Carolinians [patriots] seemed to take the actions of Great Brittian as a personal affront. hugh, rankin. "north carolina continentials." 1(1952): 1-5.