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| Patriot Cdr: |
Francis Marion |
British Cdr: |
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 aka Wright's Bluff. William Dobein James asserted that this siege began on April 15th. Brigadier General Francis Marion and his Patriots joined with Continentals under Lt. Col. Henry Lee and laid siege to the fort. A Maham Tower (designed and constructed by Major Hezekiah Maham) was constructed and used successfully for the first time by the Patriots. On April 14th, Lt. Col. Henry Lee, reinforced with a detachment of North Carolina Continentals, met up with Brigadier General Francis Marion along the Black River, and the next day they marched to Wright's Bluff. The following morning they laid siege to the British post by cutting off access to Scott Lake. Brigadier General Marion placed Capt. Robert McCottry (might've been William McCottry) and his riflemen to watch over the water supply, and Major Michael Rudolph was detached with Lee's Legion Cavalry to watch for any movements of the enemy, perhaps Lt. Col. John Watson Tadwell-Watson, who might be coming from Georgetown. Lt. James McKay had plenty of food and ammunition and the morale of his men was very high. He had men to dig a well inside the stockade for water, then dug a trench from the lake to fill it. Since the fort was so well built and protected, he refused all offers to surrender, waiting for reinforcements, which had to be coming sooner or later. Brigadier General Marion had problems from the onset - some of his men came down with Smallpox, which severely tainted his men's morale, those who didn't get it. Then, bickering arose among his officers and morale plunged even further. Since they had no artillery, Major Hezekiah Maham suggested a way to take the fort, and his dragoons began construction of his idea - soon to be known throughout the American continent as the Maham Tower. For five days, his men felled and notched many trees out of sight from the fort. On the night of April 22nd, his men assembled a 40-foot tall, oblong tower, which was higher than Fort Watson's rampart. The front of the tower was reinforced with a shield of timber. At daylight of April 23rd, Capt. McCottry's riflemen climbed the tower and began firing into the fort through loopholes in the walls. The men inside the fort crawled around attempting to avoid being shot. With the fort's men thus occupied, Patriot volunteers ran around outside to clear the abatis surrounding the fort. When Lt. McKay saw the results of this and the Patriots readying to charge the fort, Lt. McKay raised the white flag. The terms of surrender were quite generous for the times. The officers were granted paroles, kept their swords, and were able to take their baggage with them to Charlestown, where they were to await a regular exchange. Brigadier General Francis Marion then destroyed the fort that had been a thorn in the side of all Patriots since Lt Col. John Watson Tadwell-Watson had built it in December of last year. He and Lt. Col. Henry Lee then marched their men to the High Hills of the Santee for a much-needed rest. They camped at Bloom Hill, the plantation of Capt. William Richardson. |
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Brigadier General Francis Marion - Commanding Officer Berkeley County Regiment of Militia detachment led by Col.
Richard Richardson, Jr., with six (6) known companies, led by: Horry's Light Dragoons (Militia) led by Lt. Col. Peter Horry,
with four (4) known companies, led by: Kershaw Regiment of Militia detachment led by Col. James Postell,
with two (2) known companies, led by: Lower Craven County Regiment of Militia detachment led by
Col. Hugh Giles, with one (1) known company, led by: Cheraws District Regiment of Militia detachment led by Lt.
Col. Lemuel Benton, with one (1) known company, led by: Georgetown District Regiment of Militia detachment led by
Lt. Col. Alexander Swinton, with one (1) known company, led by: Kingstree Regiment of Militia detachment led by Col. Archibald McDonald with unknown number of men Maham's Light Dragoons (Militia) detachment led by Maj. Hezekiah Maham, with unknown number of men Nottoway County Volunteers (VA Militia) detachment led by Capt. Charles Troy Lee's Legion of Continentals led by Lt. Col. Henry Lee with
200 men in the following known infantry companies: 1st NC Regiment of Continentals detachment led by Major Pinketham Eaton, with 115 men Maryland Light Company led by Capt. Edward Oldham Total Patriot Forces - 400 |
Lt. James McKay - Commanding Officer 64th Regiment of Foot - 78 men Provincial Light Infantry - 36 men Total British/Loyalist Forces - 114 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |
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© 2011 - J.D. Lewis - PO Box 1188 - Little River, SC 29566 - All Rights Reserved