Topic 2.5: Battles during the Revolution
South Carolina Battles
Key conflicts of the American Revolution took place in South Carolina and affected the state and the outcome of the Revolutionary War.
The Battle of Saratoga
American forces crushed the British attempt to split the colonies and won a victory at Saratoga, New York. This victory was a turning point in the war because it led to an American alliance with France.
First and Second Battles of Charleston
The British then turned their attention to South Carolina, where they hoped to find a large number of Loyalists. The first attempt by the British to capture Charleston had been stopped by the tides and resilience of the palmetto log fort that became known as Fort Moultrie. But, the British were successful the second time around. Charleston was under siege by the British land forces for many days. Charleston harbor was blockaded and supply lines were cut off. Patriot troops, trapped on the peninsula, were forced to surrender to the British [May 1781]. Other Patriot forces in South Carolina also surrendered and were paroled (let go - but must follow certain rules). The British hoped South Carolina Loyalists and the large numbers of South Carolinians who remained neutral would help them control the state and win the war.
Bad British / Partisan Bands
However, the British soon changed the terms of the parole, requiring Patriots on parole to fight against their countrymen (other Patriots). Also, the British and Tory forces treated South Carolina harshly- burning churches, looting or confiscating homes and harassing and exiling citizens. This behavior turned many South Carolinians against the British and they formed partisan bands. Soon Patriot partisans led by Francis Marion, Thomas Sumter, Andrew Pickens and William Harden were fighting both the British regular troops and Loyalist forces using hit and run tactics all over the state.
The Battle of Camden
The Battle of Camden was a major defeat for the regular Continental Army because it signified that almost all of South Carolina was still controlled by the British. The South Carolina militia was not prepared and turned and fled the regular British forces. Horatio Gates’ command of the southern arm of the Continental Army was then transferred to Nathaniel Greene. Greene understood the need to coordinate with the state’s partisan bands in order to fight a war of attrition [termed today a “mobile war”] that would unbalance and destroy the British war effort.
The Battle of King’s Mountain
Loyalist forces and British regulars that had been rampaging through the backcountry were stopped at the Battle of King’s Mountain. Mountain men from both North and South Carolina were tired of the British/Tories and determined to stop them by attacking the mostly-Tory forces from behind rocks and trees, inflicting heavy casualties. Although the British tried to surrender, they were offered no quarter by the Patriots in retaliation for harsh treatment of Patriots by the British. King’s Mountain is considered a turning point because the British began to retreat from the Upcountry.
The Battle of Cowpens
Soon after, the Battle of Cowpens (January 1781) showed the cooperation of the regular Continental Army, partisan forces and militia. Militia had a reputation among the British regular forces of turning tail and running (think Camden cowards). The American commander counted on this reputation for his battle plan. The militia, under the leadership of partisan leader Andrew Pickens, led the attack and then fled the field, tricking the British regulars into thinking that the Americans were retreating. Instead, the partisans lured the British forces into the guns of the regular American Continental Army. The British, led by Banastre Tarleton, were soundly defeated. This was the first time in the war that an American army defeated a force consisting of mostly British regulars. British General Lord Charles Cornwallis abandoned his plans and most of the British retreated northward into North Carolina to fight, and then wait for supplies, eventually moving on toward Virginia. Cornwallis left some forces posted in the SC backcountry. Other British regulars were still in the Charleston area.
Colonel Isaac Hayne
In July 1781, a partisan parolee Colonel Isaac Hayne was captured by British forces near Charleston. The British decided to stem the tide of Patriot progress by making his fate an example. After a brief trial, Hayne was hanged as a traitor to Britain. Greene immediately issued a proclamation stating he would retaliate. He got his chance in the Battle of Eutaw Springs.
The Battle of Eutaw Springs and the Conclusion of the American Revolution
The Battle of Eutaw Springs was not a technical victory because of the unsoldierly plundering behavior of the hungry and nearly naked Continentals. But its importance is that the Continental Army won and Greene captured enough British officers as prisoners during the fight to insure that no more executions, like that of Hayne, would take place again. Of the 137 revolutionary battles fought in South Carolina, Eutaw Springs was the final major one (a few small fights still took place afterward). The Battle of Eutaw Springs marked the clearance of the British from the battleground state and region (with the exception of a few coastal areas that were finally evacuated after Yorktown and during the peace proceedings in 1782). Eutaw Springs led to the demise of the British southern campaign.
In June 1781, representatives from the Continental Congress began peace negotiations with the British. American delegates that participated were John Jay, John Adams, Henry Laurens, and Benjamin Franklin. These negotiations lasted for two years and the result was the Treaty of Paris. The Treaty, signed in 1783, established British recognition of the United States of America. It established the borders as north to the Great Lakes, west to the Mississippi River, and south to Spanish Florida. It also allowed for Americans to settle west of the original thirteen colonies. The Treaty of Paris was the official end of the American Revolution.
Key conflicts of the American Revolution took place in South Carolina and affected the state and the outcome of the Revolutionary War.
The Battle of Saratoga
American forces crushed the British attempt to split the colonies and won a victory at Saratoga, New York. This victory was a turning point in the war because it led to an American alliance with France.
First and Second Battles of Charleston
The British then turned their attention to South Carolina, where they hoped to find a large number of Loyalists. The first attempt by the British to capture Charleston had been stopped by the tides and resilience of the palmetto log fort that became known as Fort Moultrie. But, the British were successful the second time around. Charleston was under siege by the British land forces for many days. Charleston harbor was blockaded and supply lines were cut off. Patriot troops, trapped on the peninsula, were forced to surrender to the British [May 1781]. Other Patriot forces in South Carolina also surrendered and were paroled (let go - but must follow certain rules). The British hoped South Carolina Loyalists and the large numbers of South Carolinians who remained neutral would help them control the state and win the war.
Bad British / Partisan Bands
However, the British soon changed the terms of the parole, requiring Patriots on parole to fight against their countrymen (other Patriots). Also, the British and Tory forces treated South Carolina harshly- burning churches, looting or confiscating homes and harassing and exiling citizens. This behavior turned many South Carolinians against the British and they formed partisan bands. Soon Patriot partisans led by Francis Marion, Thomas Sumter, Andrew Pickens and William Harden were fighting both the British regular troops and Loyalist forces using hit and run tactics all over the state.
The Battle of Camden
The Battle of Camden was a major defeat for the regular Continental Army because it signified that almost all of South Carolina was still controlled by the British. The South Carolina militia was not prepared and turned and fled the regular British forces. Horatio Gates’ command of the southern arm of the Continental Army was then transferred to Nathaniel Greene. Greene understood the need to coordinate with the state’s partisan bands in order to fight a war of attrition [termed today a “mobile war”] that would unbalance and destroy the British war effort.
The Battle of King’s Mountain
Loyalist forces and British regulars that had been rampaging through the backcountry were stopped at the Battle of King’s Mountain. Mountain men from both North and South Carolina were tired of the British/Tories and determined to stop them by attacking the mostly-Tory forces from behind rocks and trees, inflicting heavy casualties. Although the British tried to surrender, they were offered no quarter by the Patriots in retaliation for harsh treatment of Patriots by the British. King’s Mountain is considered a turning point because the British began to retreat from the Upcountry.
The Battle of Cowpens
Soon after, the Battle of Cowpens (January 1781) showed the cooperation of the regular Continental Army, partisan forces and militia. Militia had a reputation among the British regular forces of turning tail and running (think Camden cowards). The American commander counted on this reputation for his battle plan. The militia, under the leadership of partisan leader Andrew Pickens, led the attack and then fled the field, tricking the British regulars into thinking that the Americans were retreating. Instead, the partisans lured the British forces into the guns of the regular American Continental Army. The British, led by Banastre Tarleton, were soundly defeated. This was the first time in the war that an American army defeated a force consisting of mostly British regulars. British General Lord Charles Cornwallis abandoned his plans and most of the British retreated northward into North Carolina to fight, and then wait for supplies, eventually moving on toward Virginia. Cornwallis left some forces posted in the SC backcountry. Other British regulars were still in the Charleston area.
Colonel Isaac Hayne
In July 1781, a partisan parolee Colonel Isaac Hayne was captured by British forces near Charleston. The British decided to stem the tide of Patriot progress by making his fate an example. After a brief trial, Hayne was hanged as a traitor to Britain. Greene immediately issued a proclamation stating he would retaliate. He got his chance in the Battle of Eutaw Springs.
The Battle of Eutaw Springs and the Conclusion of the American Revolution
The Battle of Eutaw Springs was not a technical victory because of the unsoldierly plundering behavior of the hungry and nearly naked Continentals. But its importance is that the Continental Army won and Greene captured enough British officers as prisoners during the fight to insure that no more executions, like that of Hayne, would take place again. Of the 137 revolutionary battles fought in South Carolina, Eutaw Springs was the final major one (a few small fights still took place afterward). The Battle of Eutaw Springs marked the clearance of the British from the battleground state and region (with the exception of a few coastal areas that were finally evacuated after Yorktown and during the peace proceedings in 1782). Eutaw Springs led to the demise of the British southern campaign.
In June 1781, representatives from the Continental Congress began peace negotiations with the British. American delegates that participated were John Jay, John Adams, Henry Laurens, and Benjamin Franklin. These negotiations lasted for two years and the result was the Treaty of Paris. The Treaty, signed in 1783, established British recognition of the United States of America. It established the borders as north to the Great Lakes, west to the Mississippi River, and south to Spanish Florida. It also allowed for Americans to settle west of the original thirteen colonies. The Treaty of Paris was the official end of the American Revolution.
Content information was obtained from the South Carolina state standards support document for eighth grade Social Studies. This document can be located at http://www.ed.sc.gov/agency/se/Instructional-Practices-and-Evaluations/documents/Grade8SupportDocument.pdf .All images were obtained from Google.com and were labeled as Free to Use or Share.