The American Revolution in South Carolina

Mud Lick Creek

March 2, 1781


Patriot Cdr:

Col. Benjamin Roebuck
Loyalist Cdr:

Unk
Killed:

Unk
Killed:

Unk
Wounded:

2
Wounded:

Unk
Captured:

1
Captured:

0
Old District: 

Ninety-Six District
Present County:

Newberry County

aka Mudlick Creek, aka Williams Fort.

On March 2, a small Patriot force, commanded by Col. Benjamin Roebuck, who devised a plan to lure the Loyalists out of Williams Fort, the same fort attacked by Col. Joseph Hayes and Cornet James Simons on December 30, 1780. He sent 150 SC militia riflemen, led by Lt. Col. Henry White, in front of the fort. This would hopefully cause the Loyalists to come out of the fort and give chase.

The plan worked, and Lt. Col. White led the Loyalists into an ambush that had been set up by Col. Roebuck, the fort was then easily entered and taken. Once inside the ambush, the Patriots fired upon the Loyalists.

The battle see-sawed back and forth for about an hour. The Loyalists finally fled back in panic to the fort. Col. Roebuck was wounded in the shoulder and captured, and Lt. Col. White was badly wounded. Ripley speaks of it being burned, but in a letter from Pickens to Greene of 8 April, Pickens mentions a force under Loyalist Col. Cruger retreating to it for safety.

Known Patriot Participants

Known British/Loyalist Participants

Roebuck's Battalion of Spartan Regiment led by Col. Benjamin Roebuck (POW), Lt. Col. Henry White (wounded), with two (2) known companies, led by:
- Capt. John Lawson
- Capt. Robert Thomas (mortally wounded)

2nd Spartan Regiment detachment of one (1) known company, led by:
- Maj. Joseph McJunkin, with unknown number of men

Unknown number of Loyalists led by Unknown Commanding Officer

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