By July 1st, Gen. Augustine Prevost had only evacuated a small part of his forces to Beaufort and did not have enough men to occupy the town. Two hundred British troops constructed a crude defensive position on Edisto Island to thwart any attack of the retreating men.

Col. Daniel Horry (SC Light Dragoons) kept an eye on the enemy at Port Royal Island but he did not have enough men to attack either. By July 6th, the remainder of Gen. Prevost's army arrived in Beaufort. Most of the troops were kept on board ships in the harbor and the only men allowed to go ashore were to get water and wood. They kept the ships well offshore after dark to avoid the possibility of snipers.

On July 7th, the SC 1st Regiment under Col. Charles Cotesworth Pinckney was ordered to Port Royal Ferry to reinforce Col. Horry. Gen. Prevost's ships began shuttling troops to St. Helena Island. Maj. Gen. Benjamin Lincoln thought that there was still a chance that the British would attempt to take Beaufort or sail around and attack Fort Moultrie at Charleston Harbor.

By July 17th, only the 71st Regiment of Foot were left near Beaufort. The Hessians were located further down at Mile End, a narrow neck of land located at present-day Parris Island. In mid-July, Lt. Lewis Ogier of Col. Horry's light dragoons met a party of Loyalists driving 300 head of cattle to Prevost's army. Lt. Ogier attacked and drove them into the river, and captured most of the cattle.

Not long afterwards, a British sloop carrying 216 stolen slaves from Charleston ran aground on Hunting Island, near Port Royal. Most of the supplies and guns from the sloop were taken ashore before the local militia attacked. The sloop commander scattered the slaves and set the boat on fire.

SC Light Dragoons led by Col. Daniel Horry

Lt. Lewis Ogier

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