The privateer Polly, commanded by Capt. Francis Morgan, tried to run the gauntlet of British ships and make it into Charleston Harbor. The Polly was carrying a cargo of 300 barrels of gunpowder, 20 chests of cartridges, several hundred stands of arms, 90 barrels of rum, sugar, and gin from St. Eustatia.

The Polly ran aground near Stono Creek and that night the Patriots scuttled and abandoned her. The HMS Bristol sent eight boats under the command of Lt. Molloy to investigate and attempt to refloat the Polly, but she had five feet of water in her hold. So, they set her on fire, and she "blew up with a great Explosion... It would have been much greater but she had five feet of water in her hold, which had damaged a great deal of the Powder."