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 aka Battle of Beaufort. British Maj. Valentine Gardiner was ordered to conduct a naval landing and occupy Port Royal Island. They landed first at Hilton Head Island on February 1st and was immediately fired upon by Capt. James Doharty's militia. The British pursued the militia. The British ships that had been accompanying the landing force continued up the Broad River and anchored opposite Bull's Plantation on Port Royal Island. Capt. Patrick Murray was ordered to go ashore and burn the plantations of the owners who had fled. The first plantation he burned belonged to Capt. Thomas Heyward, Jr. On February 2, the armed brig HMS Lord George Germaine bombarded the house of Gen. Bull, chasing the militia out into the open. A British landing force chased them into the nearby woods and kept them away from the area. The British force that had attacked Hilton Head and Bulls Plantation during the past two days found out about the patriots destroying their own garrison at Fort Lyttleton and decided that the time was right to seize all of Port Royal Island and thereby gain the largest deep-water harbor on the Atlantic coast south of New York. If this could be done it would give the British a harbor deep enough and large enough for a fleet that could then easily move on Charleston. After making a successful amphibious landing and securing a nearby ferry British light infantry and sailors were engaged in battle outside the town of Beaufort by Patriot militia forces under command of Brig. Gen. William Moultrie. After a long fight both sides ran out of powder and the British troops withdrew to their ships. The capture of Beaufort and Port Royal Island would have to wait for another day. At daybreak of February 3rd, three British companies were taken ashore, with a howitzer manned by two artillerymen and six sailors. After marching about two miles, they exchanged shots with some Patriots, firing the howitzer and the retreating cavalry, to no effect. Maj. Gardiner organized the troops into nine platoons and continued to Roupelle's Ferry. What he didn't know was that Brig. Gen. William Moultrie and Brig. Gen. Stephen Bull had arrived in Beaufort the day before - they were conducting a reconnaissance of the town and Fort Lyttleton when they received word that Maj. Gardiner was within five miles of their location. BG Moultrie attempted to deply his forces in a wooded swamp but discovered that Maj. Gardiner had beaten him to the wooded terrain. The SC Militia lined up across the road in the open near the Halfway House, two hundred yards from the British forces. BG Moultrie placed two 6-pounders in the middle of the road and a 2-pounder on the right in some woods. His artillery only had forty rounds. Maj. Gardiner rode forward to the Patriot lines with a white handkerchief on his drawn sword. He told the Patriots to lay down their arms and send him an officer. Capt. Francis Kinlock came forward and informed Maj. Gardiner that he was outnumbered and that he was the one who should surrender. The British howitzer fired upon Heyward's artillery and killed Lt. Benjamin Wilkins. Heyward's artillery returned fire and the SC Militia advanced. On Heyward's second shot, he disabled the howitzer, killing Lt. Calderwood and Lt. Finlay, and hitting Maj. Gardiner's horse. After BG Moultrie's forces began to take casualties, he ordered them into the trees on the side of the road. The two opposing forces attempted to flank each other, with no success. British officers - Maj. Graham, Capt. Bruere, and Capt. Murray - were all wounded in the fight. After about 45 minutes, both sides started to run out of ammunition, and the Patriots used this opportunity to start their withdrawal. Later, BG Moultrie ordered Capt. John Barnwell to pursue the retreating British and to make sure that they did not return. Capt. Barnwell was able to capture fifteen men, including the wounded Capt. Bruere. But, the British regrouped and were able to rescue Capt. Bruere and seven of the prisoners. The British marched in the darkness back to their landing point, where forty Loyalist marines had set up a defensive perimeter. |
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Brig. Gen. William Moultrie - Commanding Officer SC 3rd Regiment (Rangers) detachment led by Capt. Edward Richardson SC 4th Regiment of Artillery detachment led by Capt. John Francis DeTreville, with Lt. John Brown and Lt. Richard Brown and nine men, one 2-pounder SC 5th Regiment (Riflemen) detachment led by Capt. George Jervey 1st Brigade of SC Militia led by Brig. Gen. Stephen Bull with 300 men in the following units: Charles Town District Regiment detachment of five (5) known
companies, led by: Beaufort District Regiment detachment of two (2) known companies,
led by: Colleton County Regiment detachment led by Capt. Thomas McLaughlin Upper Craven County Regiment detachment led by Capt. Henry Council Known Casualties: - S. Wilkins - Mortally wounded - John Fraser - Mortally wounded - John Anthony (Charles Town District Regiment) - Wounded - John Calvert - Wounded - Anthony Watts - Wounded - John Green - Wounded - John Laurence - Wounded - John Collins - Wounded - John Righton - Wounded - John D. Miller - Wounded |
Maj. Valentine Gardiner 60th Regiment of Foot (Royal Americans), two companies: 3rd Battalion of Light Infantry - Capt. George Bruere 4th Battalion of Light Infantry - Capt. Patrick Murray 16th Regiment of Foot Light Infantry - one company led by Maj. Colin Graham Royal Regiment of Artillery led by "Unknown" Sergeant with two men and six Royal Navy seamen and one howitzer - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
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© 2008 - J.D. Lewis - PO Box 1188 - Little River, SC 29566 - All Rights Reserved