The American Revolution in South Carolina

Mud Lick Creek

March 2, 1781


Patriot Cdr:

Col. Benjamin Roebuck
Loyalist Cdr:

Unknown
Killed:

Unknown
Killed:

Unknown
Wounded:

2
Wounded:

Unknown
Captured:

1
Captured:

0
Old District: 

Ninety-Six District
Present County:

Newberry County

aka Mudlick Creek, aka Williams Fort.


On March 2nd, a small Patriot force, commanded by Col. Benjamin Roebuck, who devised a plan to lure the Loyalists out of Williams Fort, the same fort attacked by Col. Joseph Hayes and Cornet James Simons on December 30, 1780. He sent 150 SC militia riflemen, led by Lt. Col. Henry White, in front of the fort. This would hopefully cause the Loyalists to come out of the fort and give chase.

The plan worked, and Lt. Col. White led the Loyalists into an ambush that had been set up by Col. Roebuck, the fort was then easily entered and taken. Once inside the ambush, the Patriots fired upon the Loyalists.

The battle see-sawed back and forth for about an hour. The Loyalists finally fled back in panic to the fort. Col. Roebuck was wounded in the shoulder and captured, and Lt. Col. White was badly wounded.

Ripley speaks of it being burned, but in a letter from Brigadier General Andrew Pickens to Major General Nathanael Greene on 8 April, Pickens mentioned a force under Loyalist Lt. Col. John Harris Cruger retreating to it for safety.

Known Patriot Participants

Known British/Loyalist Participants
Roebuck's Battalion of Spartan Regiment of Militia led by Col. Benjamin Roebuck (POW), Lt. Col. Henry White (wounded), with two (2) known companies, led by:
- Capt. John Lawson
- Capt. Robert Thomas (mortally wounded)

Unknown number of Loyalists led by Unknown Commanding Officer

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