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 After regrouping from their recent defeat at Pocataligo Road the small detachment of Brig. Gen. Marion’s Patriots under the command of Col. William Harden laid siege to the fort. The Patriots captured all of the fort's officers who had been found at VanBibber's Tavern nearby. These included Capt. Edward Fenwick and Col. Nicholas Lechmere. Next they demanded the fort to surrender for if they did not they told the Loyalists that they would spare no one once they stormed the walls. The Loyalists gave up without firing a shot. These included Lt. Col. Kelsall and Maj. DeVeaux. Col. Harden's men worked all night and the next day paroling the prisoners, arranging transportation for them, and destroying the fort. They threw the 6-pounder into a nearby creek. One source asserts that this engagement happened on April 13th. Fort Balfour overlooked the Pocotaligo River Bridge, halfway between Charlestown and Savannah. Col. Harden with about 80 men crept into position around the fort. He sent Capt. Tarleton Brown, Jr. with thireen men on horseback to lure the garrison out of the fort. In the meantime, Capt. Edward Fenwick and Col. Nicholas Lechmere were visiting their troops at the hospital, a house that was a short distance outside the gates of the small fort, at Vanbibber's Tavern. Col. Harden's hidden men spotted the two officers riding towards the fort with seven dragoons, and within minutes all nine were captured. The command of Fort Balfour now fell to Lt. Col. William Kelsall. As expected, Col. Harden demanded that the fort surrender, and as expected, Maj. Kelsall refused. After much posturing and two more hours, Maj. Kelsall finally agreed to surrender the fort. He and his men all marched out, tied their horses to the nearby Abatis, advanced a little further from the fort, and formed a line - 110 of them. After several crucial losses, Col. Harden finally had his first "win." By May of 1781, the British in Charlestown reported up their chain of command that their land communications between Charlestown and Savannah had now ceased thanks to Col. William Harden. |
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Col. William Harden - Commanding Officer Upper Granville County Regiment detachment led by Col. William
Harden, Maj. John Cooper with 80 men and the following two (2)
known companies, led by: - - |
Col. Nicholas Lechmere - Commanding Officer SC Light Dragoons Loyalist Militia detachment led by Capt. Capt. Edward Fenwick, with Lt. Thomas Burn and Cornet Robert Gregory and 25 men Granville County Loyalist Militia led by Col. Nicholas Lechmere,
with 92 men and the following known officers: Artilllery - One 6-pound cannon |
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© 2009 - J.D. Lewis - PO Box 1188 - Little River, SC 29566 - All Rights Reserved