After Fort Grierson near Augusta had been captured a company of South Carolina militia deserted and slipped down the Savannah River, led by a man named Rutherford. They hoped to elude any and all patrols, but at sunrise of May 24th they ran into a Patriot horse guard camped on the South Carolina side just opposite Beech Island.

The Patriot cavalry tried to stop the fleeing deserters, but were unable to do so. A few of the deserters fought back and killed several of the cavaly. Capt. Tarleton Brown, Jr. (Upper Granville County Regiment) heard the alarm and quickly mounted his men to cut off the deserters, but they managed to get across to the other side and escape.