Maj. Gen. Nathanael Greene attacked the defending British force even though he was outnumbered 2 to 1. He forced the British to withdraw to Charlestown.

With the approach of new Continental reinforcements, Maj. Gen. Greene broke camp and drove the British into Charlestown.

British Col. Alexander Stewart was recovering from his wounds at Eutaw Springs and his command was turned over to Maj. John Doyles. Maj. Doyles was ordered to fall back to Goose Creek Bridge, which left Fort Dorchester exposed. It contained a garrison of 350 men, and its commander prepared for attack.

Maj. Gen. Greene approached the fort with a "flying party" made up of Col. Wade Hampton, the Legion Infantry, and the Maryland and Virginia Continentals. A reconnaissance party of fifty SC Royalists from the fort ran into Col. Hampton, which drove them back across the bridge with ten killed and twenty wounded.

The fort's commander saw Maj. Gen. Greene and thought that this was the entire Patriot army. He ordered the stores destroyed and the guns thrown into the Ashley River, then made his escape under the cover of darkness. The Patriots entered the abandoned fort and found two iron artillery pices left behind.

Col. Stewart returned and met the fort's garrison at the Quarter House, then prepared the combined force to do battle with Greene.

However, on December 7th, Maj. Gen. Greene withdrew his army and returned to Round O. His men had no cloaks or blankets and all the ammunition he received for that month was sent to Brig. Gen. Francis Marion. Marion had stayed on the Cooper River watching the enemy's right flank.

Col. William Harden and Wilkinson (?) watched the British movements between Charlestown and Savannah. Brig. Gen. Thomas Sumter had taken Orangeburgh and the bridge at Four Holes, and Col. Wade Hampton and a troop of fifty dragoons kept the lines of communications open between Maj. Gen. Greene and Brig. Gen. Marion.

Lt. Col. Henry Lee with a light detachment kept any British reconnaissance parties from finding out how weak Maj. Gen. Greene's army really was. Not known to the British was that Maj. Gen. Greene only had about 800 men with just four rounds of ammunition per man.

Maj. Gen. Nathanael Greene - Commanding Officer

MD Continentals, with unknown number of men

VA Continentals, with unknown number of men

Lee's Legion of Infantry, with unknown number of men

SC 1st Regiment of State Dragoons led by Col. Wade Hampton, with unknown number of men

SC Militia:

Lower Ninety-Six District Regiment detachment of one (1) known compan,y led by:
- Capt. William Butler

Kershaw Regiment detachment of one (1) known company, led by:
- Capt. Luke Petty

Polk's Regiment of Light Dragoons detachment of one (1) known company, led by:
- Capt. Nathaniel Marshall Martin

Fort Dorchester Garrison led by "Unknown," with 350 men

SC Royalists detachment of 50 men

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