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 After their engagement that morning at Quinby's Bridge with Patriot troops, the British had fortified their site at Shubrick's Plantation and awaited another attack by the Patriots. Late in the afternoon a large enemy force, including troops from Sumter’s and Marion’s brigades, as well as Lt. Col. Henry Lee’s Legion, attacked. The attack went well at first until Brig. Gen. Sumter’s troops ran out of ammunition and were about to be overrun by counterattacking British troops. Brig. Gen. Marion seeing this ordered his men to halt their advance and go to the aid of Brig. Gen. Sumter’s men. Feeling the sting from Brig. Gen. Marion’s Patriots, the British withdrew back to their fortified position thereby allowing Brig. Gen. Sumter’s men to retreat in safety. Without ammunition reserves most of the Patriots returned to their homes allowing the British to safely fall back on Charlestown. At Shubrick's Plantation, British Lt. Col. James Coates formed his men into a square, using the buildings as part of his defense. His sole howitzer was placed in the center. Since they did not have many bayonets, Lt. Col. Henry Lee and Brig. Gen. Francis Marion decided not to attack this position and to wait for Brig. Gen. Sumter to arrive with his artillery. Brig. Gen. Sumter did not arrive until after 3 p.m., allowing the British more time to prepare their defense. He also did not bring along his artillery. Brig. Gen. Sumter decided to divide his force into three sections and attack the plantation from different angles. He placed his own brigade in the center, where they had some protection from the plantation's slave buildings. Brig. Gen. Marion's brigade was ordered to advance on the right, across open fields with no cover except for a fence about fifty yards in front of the plantation. He protested, but Brig. Gen. Sumter told him to engage immediately. The cavalry was placed in reserve. Col. Thomas Taylor's riflemen reached the slave quarters and fired around the corners driving the British into the house. They only had seven rounds each at the beginning of the fight. Col. Taylor and 45 men rushed up to a fence enclosure on the left side of the house, not more than fifteen paces off the house. Each man screened himself behind a stout fencepost and as the British fired out a window they would fire at the enemy. Sometimes a ball would hit a man who would bound up in his death agony and fall out the window. When they exhausted their seven rounds, they were pushed away by Capt. John Skerret of the 19th Regiment of Foot, whose men had bayonets, while the Patriots did not. Brig. Gen. Marion's men rushed in to help them withdraw. Lt. Bates of the Camden Company of Mounted Militia was hit by five balls and killed. Brig. Gen. Marion's men suffered heavily. Maj. John Baxter was knocked from his horse by a musket ball. He shouted to Lt. Col. Peter Horry, "I am wounded, colonel." Horry replied, "Think no more of it, Baxter, but stand to your post." Baxter shouted, "But I can't stand, I am wounded a second time!" Horry shot back, "Lie down then, Baxter, but quit not your post." Baxter was hit a third time and said, "They have shot me again, colonel, and if I stay any longer here, I shall be shot to pieces." Horry then said, "Be it so, Baxter, but stir not." Baxter obeyed, but he was hit a fourth time. Fifty of Brig. Gen. Marion's men were killed or wounded in this assault. Col. Thomas Taylor found Brig. Gen. Sumter "sitting cooly under the shade of a tree. He said, "Sir, I don't know why you sent me forward on a forlorn hope, promising to sustain me and failed to do so, unless you designed to sacrifice me. I will never serve a single hour under you," and then retired from Brig. Gen. Sumter's command. The battle lasted for three hours and only ended when it was too dark to shoot. The darkness was a welcome relief to Brig. Gen. Marion's men since they too had run out of ammunition. Brig. Gen. Sumter had the men retreat three miles and to wait for Capt. Singleton and the artillery piece to arrive. That night, all but one hundred of Brig. Gen. Marion's men deserted. The next day, Brig. Gen. Marion and Lt. Col. Henry Lee left Brig. Gen. Sumter's command, resolved never to fight under him again. Brig. Gen. Sumter had to withdraw when Lord Rawdon's column from Orangeburgh landed at Bonneau's Ferry four miles away. The Patriot's casualties for both Quinby's Bridge and Shubrick's Plantation were 30 killed and 30 wounded. The British casualties were six killed, 38 wounded, and 100 captured. The British also lost several wagons, a load of ammunition, and the baggage of the 19th Regiment of Foot. In the baggage was a chest containing 720 guineas, which Brig. Gen. Sumter divided up amongst his men. Of course, the rest of the South Carolina regiments learned of this and they were even more furious at Sumter, whose popularity was now at an all-time low. * Casualty numbers include the battle at Quinby's Bridge and the battle at Shubrick's Plantation. |
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Brig. Gen. Thomas Sumter - Commanding Officer Lee's Legion led by Lt. Col. Henry Lee with 300 men in the
following known units: SC 1st Brigade of Militia/State Troops led by Brig. Gen. Thomas Sumter with 225 men in the following known units: SC 1st Regiment of State Dragoons led by Col. Wade Hampton
with four (4) known companies, led by: SC 2nd Regiment of State Dragoons led by Col. Charles S. Myddleton
with four (4) known companies, led by: Hampton's Regiment of Light Dragoons led by Lt. Col. Henry
Hampton, with three (3) known companies, led by: Polk's Regiment of Light Dragoons led by Lt. Col. William
Polk with two (2) known companies, led by: 1st Spartan Regiment detachment led by Col. John Thomas, Jr.,
Maj. William Smith, with one (1) known company, led by: Hill's Regiment of Light Dragoons detachment led by Col. William
Hill, with one (1) known company, led by: SC 2nd Brigade of Militia/State Troops led by Brig. Gen. Francis Marion with 180 men in the following known units: Berkeley County Regiment led by Col. Richard Richardson, Jr.,
Lt. Col. Hugh Horry, Maj. John Gamble, with seven (6) known companies,
led by: Horry's Light Dragoons led by Lt. Col. Peter Horry, with five
(5) known companies, led by: Maham's Light Dragoons detachment led by Lt. Col. Hezekiah
Maham, with two (2) known companies, led by: Georgetown District Regiment detachment led by Col. John Ervin,
Lt. Col. Alexander Swinton, with two (2) known companies, led
by: Cheraws District Regiment detachment led by Col. Lemuel Benton,
Maj. Tristram Thomas, with one (1) known company, led by: Kershaw Regiment detachment led by Lt. Col. James Postell,
Lt. Col. Frederick Kimball, with one (1) known company, led by: Kingstree Regiment detachment led by Col. Archibald McDonald, Maj. John James, with unknown number of men Upper Craven County Regiment detachment led by Lt. Col. Maurice Murphy, Maj. John Baxter, with unknown number of men SC 3rd Brigade of Militia/State Troops detachments led by "Unknown" with the following units: Camden District Regiment detachment led by Col. Thomas Taylor with unknown number of men Turkey Creek Regiment detachment led by Col. Edward Lacey,
with three (3) known companies, led by: Total Patriot Forces - 554 |
Lt. Col. James Coates - Commanding Officer 19th Regiment of Foot with 600 men and the following known
officers: Royal Regiment of Artillery - 1 Field Howitzer - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
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© 2011 - J.D. Lewis - PO Box 1188 - Little River, SC 29566 - All Rights Reserved