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 The British launched its Southern strategy by beginning a siege of Charlestown, South Carolina on March 28th. The siege lasted until May 9th when British artillery fire was close enough to set the town on fire and force a surrender soon thereafter, on May 12th. A perception continued among the British that the South was full of Loyalists just awaiting the call from the British, who were now here. At the end of December in 1779, General Sir Henry Clinton succumbed to this view and headed south with a small army. His goal was to capture Charlestown, South Carolina - now that Savannah had been successfully taken by the British of East Florida. General Clinton approached steadily, personally arriving opposite Charlestown on April 1st. Three days earlier, on March 28th, his army began a classic European siege. The British dug siege trenches ever closer to the wall of the city. Day-by-day, week-by-week, the British got ever closer to the walls of the city. In the meantime, both sides exchanged artillery fire, the Patriots trying to make the British task as difficult as possible, while the British hoped to terrify the Americans into submission. By the beginning of May, the British had advanced within a few feet of the Patriot lines. Their artillery fire was soon becoming deadly and on May 9th many of the wooden houses in Charlestown were set on fire by the galling artillery fire. The city elders had enough and requested that the Patriot commander Major General Benjamin Lincoln surrender, which he did. The British victory in Charlestown was pyrrhic. There was no popular uprising and instead South Carolina degenerated into a period of chaos with guerilla-style combat in the outlying areas. The first "civil war" in American began. The British captured more than 5,500 Patriots and themselves lost about 250 killed and wounded. Carelessness caused a massive explosion of 180 barrels of captured powder and somewhat marred the victory. Neither General Clinton nor the American commander, Major General Benjamin Lincoln, displayed any inspiring leadership. When General Clinton learned of an impending French expedition, he determined that he should be in New York, and Lt. General Charles, Lord Cornwallis assumed command of British forces in the South. Major General Benjamin Lincoln was sent to Philadelphia on parole to await a formal exchange. On April 2nd, siege works were begun about 800 yards from the American fortifications. During the first few days of the siege, the British operations were under heavy artillery fire. On April 4th, they built redoubts near the Ashley and Cooper Rivers to protect their flanks. On April 6th, a warship was hauled overland from the Ashley River to the Cooper River to harass crossings by the besieged to the mainland. On April 8th, the British fleet moved into the Harbor under fire only from Fort Moultrie.  On April 12th, General Sir Henry Clinton ordered Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton and Major Patrick Ferguson to capture Moncks Corner, which was a crossroads just south of Biggins Bridge near the Santee River. SC Brigadier General Isaac Huger was stationed there with 500 men under orders from Major General Benjamin Lincoln to hold the crossroads so that communications with Charlestown would remain open. On the evening of April 13, 1780, Lt. Col. Tarleton gave orders for a silent march. Later that night, they intercepted a messenger with a letter from Brigadier General Isaac Huger to Major General Benjamin Lincoln and thus learned how the Patriots were deployed at Moncks Corner. At three o'clock in the morning on the 14th, the British reached the American post, catching them completely by surprise and quickly routing them. Following the skirmish, the British fanned out across the countryside and effectively cut off Charlestown from outside support. South Carolina Governor John Rutledge left Charlestown on April 13th (some sources say he didn't leave until May 10th). On the 21st, a parlay was made between Lincoln and Clinton, with Lincoln offering to surrender with honor. That is, with colors flying and marching out fully armed, but General Clinton was sure of his position and quickly refused the terms. A heavy artillery exchange followed. On April 23rd, Lt. Gen. Charles, Lord Cornwallis crossed the Cooper River and assumed command of the British forces blocking escape by land. Finally on April 24th, the Americans ventured out to harass the siege works. The lone American casualty was Thomas Moultrie, brother of Brigadier General William Moultrie. On April 29th, the British advanced on the left end of the canal that fronted the city's fortifications with the purpose of destorying the dam and draining the canal. The Patriots knew the importance of that canal to the city's defenses and responded with steady and fierce artillery and small arms fire. By the following night, the British had succeeded in draining some water. By May 4th, several casualties had been sustained and the fire had been so heavy that work was often suspended. On the 5th, the Patriots made a counter-move from their side, but by the 6th, almost all of the water had drained out of the heavily damaged dam and plans for an assault began. On that same day, May 6th, Fort Moultrie surrendered. On May 8th, General Clinton called for unconditional surrender from Major General Lincoln, but Lincoln again tried to negotiate for honors of war. On May 11th, the British fired red-hot shot that burned several homes before Lincoln finally called for parlay and to negotiate terms for surrender. The final terms dictated that the entire Continental force captured were prisoners of war. On May 12th, the actual surrender took place with Major General Lincoln leading a ragged bunch of soldiers out of the city. When word reached the backcountry, Brigadier General Andrew Williamson and Col. Andrew Pickens at Ninety-Six and Col. Joseph Kershaw at Camden, all surrendered themselves to the British. Williamson and Pickens were given parole, but Kershaw was seized and later taken to Honduras. The British acaptured 311 artillery pieces, 9,178 artillery rounds, 5,916 muskets, 33,000 rounds of small arms ammunition, 212 hand grenades, 15 Regimental Colors, 49 ships, and 120 boats, plus 376 barrels of flour and large magazines of rum, rice, and indigo in the surrender of Charlestown. The captured Patriot muskets were brought to the powder magazine inside the city. A Hessian officer warned that some of the muskets may be loaded, but he was ignored. One went off and 180 barrels of powder exploded. Almost immediately, an estimated 5,000 muskets in the magazine discharged simultaneously. About 200 people were killed and six houses were destroyed, including a poorhouse and a brothel. Thirty British soldiers, including Capt. Collins and Lt. Gorder of the Royal Artillery and Lt. Alexander McLeod of the 42nd Regiment of Foot were killed in the blast. A Hessian artillery officer was also killed. The senior officers including Major General Benjamin Lincoln were eventually exchanged for British officers in Patriot hands. For all others in the Continental army, a long stay on prison boats in Charlestown Harbor was the result, where sickness and disease would ravage them. The defeat left no Continental Army in the South and the country wide open for British taking. Even before Lincoln surrendered, the Continental Congress had already appointed Major General Horatio Gates to replace him and Gates was soon marching southward. The British quickly established outposts in a semi-circle from Georgetown to Augusta, Georgia, with positions at Camden, Ninety-Six, Cheraw, Rocky Mount, and Hanging Rock in between. Parole was offered to backcountry Patriots and many accepted. Soon after securing Charlestown, General Sir Henry Clinton gave command of the Southern Theater to Lt. Gen. Charles, Lord Cornwallis and on June 5th, General Clinton sailed north back to New York. General Clinton's one order to Lord Cornwallis before he left, was to maintain possession of Charlestown above all else. Lord Cornwallis was not to move into North Carolina if it would jeopordize this holding. General Clinton also ordered that all militia and civilians be released from their parole. But in addition, they must take an oath to the Crown and be at ready to serve when called upon by His Majesty's government. This addition angered many of the locals and led to many deserting or ignoring the order and terms of their original parole. Charlestown was now "pacified" by the British. It would be over one year before many Patriots would venture into what is now Charlestown County to irritate the British forces that had complete control of the town and surrounding area. With such a presence in and around the Charlestown area, the armed conflict was taken elsewhere, and the locals remained quite passive under British rule, which was not all that onerous. With its great port facilities, the British could readily re-supply its commanders in the field from Charlestown - but, the outlying sections of the State were quickly becoming not all that friendly to the wagon trains heading out of town. Over the next year and a half, the Patriots turned the tide and brought the fight back to the British in Charlestown. With the tide turning all over the thirteen states, the British finally realized that the colonies were lost, and even the fighting in and around Charlestown subsided. As expected, Charlestown was the last location to be surrendered in South Carolina and the British left quietly on December 14, 1782. The surviving Patriots entered right behind them, and began building a new nation. Click Here for a plan depicting the defenses of Charlestown in early 1780 prepared by the French. |
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Major General Benjamin Lincoln - Commander SC Continental Brigade led by Brigadier General William Moultrie, Lt. Col. William Massey - Deputy QM General. Major Andrew Dellient, Capt. Richard Beresford (Aide-de-Camp) SC 1st Regiment led by Col. Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, Lt.
Col. William Scott, Major Edmund Massinbird Hyrne, Major William
Jackson, Major Thomas Pinckney, with 231 men in the following
twelve (12) known companies, led by: Pulaski's Legion of Infantry led by Major Chevalier Pierre-Francois
Vernier with the following four (4) known companies, led by: SC 2nd Regiment led by Lt. Col. Francis Marion (injured before
city surrendered), then led by Col. Isaac Motte, Major Isaac
Child Harleston, Major John Vanderhorst with 266 men in the following
fourteen (14) known companies, led by: SC 3rd Regiment (Rangers) led by Lt. Col. William Henderson,
Lt. Col. William Cattell, with 302 men in the following eighteen
(18) known companies, led by: NC Continental Brigade led by Brigadier General James Hogun with the following three (3) known regiments: 1st NC Regiment led by Col. Thomas Clark and Major John Nelson
with 260 men in the following eleven (11) known companies: 2nd NC Regiment led by Col. John Patten, and Lt. Colonel Selby
Harney, with 244 men in the following eight (8) known companies: 3rd NC Regiment led by Lt. Col. Robert Mebane and Major Thomas
Hogg, with the following five (5) known companies, led by: SC Corps of Light Infantry led by Lt. Col. John Laurens, Major
William Hazzard Wigg, Major Hardy Murfee (NC), with 175 men and
the following one (1) known company, led by: 2nd VA Brigade led by Col. Richard Parker in the following detachments: 1st VA Detachment led by Lt. Col. Samuel Hopkins with 258
men in the following four (4) known companies, led by: 2nd VA Detachment led by Col. William Heth and Lt. Col. Gustavus
Wallace with 323 men in the following four (4) known companies,
led by: Detachment of the 1st and 3rd Continental Dragoons led by Capt. Robert Yancey with 31 men Armand's Legion of Horse and Foot led by "Unknown Captain" with 4 men GA Regiment of Horse Rangers led by Col. Leonard Marbury with 41 men GA Continental Officers led by Col. John White with 6 officers NC Light Infantry led by Lt. Col. Archibald
Lytle with 202 men in the following seven (7) known companies,
led by: NC Light Dragoons Regiment detachment led by Col. Francois
DeMalmedy (sent on special mission, not captured), Major Cosmo
Medici, Major Thomas Harris, and the following four (4) known
companies, led by: Brigade of Artillery led by Col. Barnard Beeckman with 391 guns in the following breakdown: SC 4th Regiment (Artillery) led by Lt. Col. John Faucheraud Grimke with 93 men in the following batteries: Number 1 Battery - Capt. James Wilson with 10 guns Number 2 Battery - Capt. Harman Davis with 6 guns Number 3 Battery - Capt. John Francis DeTreville with 3 guns,
along with a detachment of the SC 2nd Regiment consisting of
three (3) known companies, led by: Number 4 Battery - Capt. Barnard Elliott with 2 guns along
with a detachment of the SC 2nd Regiment of one (1) known company,
led by: Number 5 Battery - Capt. John Wickly with 6 guns Number 6 Battery - Capt. Richard Brooke Roberts with 4 guns Number 7 Battery - Capt. Andrew Templeton with 4 guns Number 8 Battery, Number 9 Battery, Number 15 Battery - Major Ephraim Mitchell with 8 guns Number 10, 11, 12 13, 14 Batteries led by Major Thomas Grimball Capt.-Lt. John Shivers Budd - location unknown Capt.-Lt. James Fields - location unknown Capt.-Lt. John Francis Gorget - location unknown Capt. James Mitchell - location unknown Capt. William Mitchell - location unknown Capt. James Wilson - location unknown Charlestown Battalion of Artillery, Hornwork Battery - Capt. Thomas Heyward, Jr. with 26 men Charlestown Battalion of Artillery, 2nd Independent SC Artillery Company - Capt. Edward Rutledge Charlestown Battalion of Artillery, 6th Independent SC Artillery Company, Gibbes Wharf Battery - Capt.-Lt. William Hassell Gibbes with 7 guns and with Capt. Edmund Arrowsmith and Continental Marines Charleston Bombardiers, Mortar Battery - Capt. Francis Troin NC Artillery, Capt. John Kingsbury and Capt.-Lt. Philip Jones, with 64 men VA State Artillery Regiment, Half Moon Battery - Col. Thomas Marshall with 100 men Cambray's Battery - Lt. Col. Louis Jean Baptiste Cambray (Continental Army) with 2 guns Continental Frigate Boston, Broughton's Battery - Capt. Samuel Tucker with 20 guns. Continental Sloop Providence, Exchange Battery - "Unknown Captain" with 14 guns Charles Town District Regiment detachment, James Island Company, Hornwork Battery - Capt. Benjamin Stiles with Lt. John Garden Charles Town District Regiment detachment, Company of Cannoneers led by Major Joseph Darrell with 167 men in the following batteries: Liberty Battery - "Unknown Captain" with 6 guns Lauren's Wharf Battery - "Unknown Captain" with 10 guns Craven's Governor Bridge Battery - "Unknown Captain" with 7 guns Lyttleton's Battery - "Unknown Captain" with 12 guns Continental Marines' Grenville Battery - Capt. Richard Palmes with 8 guns American Engineer Corps led by Brigadier General Louis le Begue de Presle Duportail with 7 men and Col. Jean Baptiste Joseph de Laumoy, Lt. Col. Chevalier Luigi de Cambray-Digny, Major J. Ferdinand Debraham, Capt. Jacob Shriver, and 600 slaves used in digging earthworks 1st Brigade of SC Militia, led by Brigadier General Stephen Bull with the following units: Beaufort District Regiment of Militia detachment led by Lt.
Col. Robert Barnwell, Major John Barnwell, with two (2) known
companies, led by: Charles Town District Regiment of Militia led by Col. Maurice Simons, Lt. Col. John Harleston, Major Joseph Parker, with two battalions: 1st Battalion, led by Lt. Col. Agers, Lt. Col. Roger Moore
Smith, Major John Baddeley, Major James Bentham, with 302 men
in the following nine (9) known companies, led by: 2nd Battalion, led by Lt. Col. John Huger, Lt. Col. Abel Kolb,
Major John Gilbank, Major Thomas Grimball, Jr., with 485 men
in the following ten (10) known companies, led by: Granville County Regiment of Militia (SC) detachment, led
by Col. Benjamin Gardin, with two (2) known companies, led by: Colleton County Regiment of Militia (SC) detachment, led by
Col. William Skirving, Lt. Col. Isaac Hayne, with one (1) known
company. led by: Berkeley County Regiment of Militia (SC) detachment, led by
Col. Thomas Skirving, Lt. Col. Hugh Horry, with two (2) known
companies, led by: 2nd Brigade of SC Militia, led by Brigadier General Richard Richardson, Capt. Alexander Colcoclough, with the following units: Camden District Regiment of Militia detachment led by Lt.
Col. Eli Kershaw, Lt. Col. Robert Goodwin, Lt. Col. James Postell,
Lt. Col. Richard Singleton, Major Robert Crawford, with the following
eight (8) known companies, led by: Fairfield Regiment of Militia detachment of four (4) known
companies, led by: 1st Spartan Regiment of Militia detachment led by Col. John
Thomas, Jr., with two (2) known companies, led by: 2nd Spartan Regiment of Militia detachment of three (3) known
companies, led by: New Acquisition District Regiment of Militia detachment led
by Col. Samuel Watson, with three (3) known companies. led by: 3rd Brigade of SC Militia, led by Col. Andrew Pickens with the following units: Upper Ninety-Six District Regiment of Militia detachment,
led by Col. Andrew Pickens, Lt. Col. Robert McCreery, with three
(3) known companies, led by: Lower Ninety-Six District Regiment of Militia detachment of
four (4) known companies, led by: Lower District Regiment of Militia detachment led by Col.
Robert Starke, with one (1) known company, led by: Little River District Regiment of Militia detachment led by
Col. James Williams, with three (3) known companies, led by: Orangeburgh District Regiment of Militia detachment of one
(1) known company, led by: 4th Brigade of SC Militia, led by Brigadier General Alexander McIntosh, with the following units: Cheraws District Regiment of Militia detachment of two (2)
known companies, led by: Georgetown District Regiment of Militia detachment led by
Col. Robert Herriott, Major Alexander Swinton, with one (1) known
company, led by: Lower Craven County Regiment of Militia detachment led by
Col. Hugh Giles, with three (3) known companies, led by: Upper Craven County Regiment of Militia detachment led by
Col. George Hicks, Major Tristram Thomas, with six (6) known
companies, led by: Kingstree Regiment of Militia detachment led by Col. Archibald
McDonald, with five (5) known companies, led by: NC Brigade of Militia commanded by Col. Henry William Harrington and Lt. Col. John Donaldson with the following units: NC 1st Regiment of Militia [name for convenience only] led
by Col. John Hinton, Jr., Lt. Col. Thomas Wooten, Major Philip
Love, and Major Jonathan Dunbibin, with the following nine (9)
known companies, led by: NC 2nd Regiment of Militia [name for convenience only] led
by Col. John Sheppard, Lt. Col. John Lowry, and Major James Shepherd,
with the following nine (9) known companies, led by: NC 3rd Regiment of Militia [name for convenience only] led
by Col. Andrew Hampton, Lt. Col. Frederick Hambright, Lt. Col.
Robert Lanier, and Major Ben Heannis, with the following eighteen
(18) known companies, led by: NC 4th Regiment of Militia [name for convenience only] led
by Col. Hugh Tinnen, Lt. Col. Thornton Yancey, and Lt. Col. Stephen
Moore, with the following seven (7) known companies, led by: VA Militia led by "Unknown Commander" in the following units: Amelia County (VA) Militia with four (4) known companies,
led by: Capt. Louis-Antoine Magallon de le Morliere led a French Company with 43 men, and a Spanish Company with 42 men. Capt. Joseph Gardon claims he led the 2nd Company of Foreign Residents. Continental Navy led by Commodore Abraham Whipple Sloop Ranger with 20 guns - Capt. Thomas Simpson with Lt. William Morris and 35 Continental Marines Frigate Queen of France with 28 guns - Capt. John Peck Rathbun with Capt. Edmund Arrowsmith and 50 Continental Marines Sloop Providence with 32 guns - Capt. Hoysteed Hacker with Lt. Robert Davis and 16 Continental Marines. Frigate Boston with 30 guns - Capt. Samuel Tucker with Capt. Richard Palmes and 50 Continental Marines French Navy Ships: Sloop L'Aventure with 26 guns - Capt. J. Courannat Sloop Truite with 26 guns - Capt. James Pyne Poleacre Zephyr with 18 guns - Lt. de Vaisseau SC State Navy Ships: Frigate Bricole with 44 guns - Capt. Thomas Curling and an unknown number of the Charles Town militia Schooner General Moultrie with 20 guns - Capt. George Melvin Brig Notre Dame with 16 guns - Capt. William Sisk Galley Marquis de Britigney with 7 guns - Capt. Charles Crawley Galley Lee with 4 guns - Capt. Marshall Boetis Galley Revenge with 7 guns - Capt. George Farragut Patriot Reinforcements that arrived on April 8, 1780: 1st VA Brigade, led by Brigadier General William Woodford, with the following three (3) known regiments: VA 1st Regiment led by Col. William Russell and Lt. Col. Burgess
Ball, with 336 men in nine (9) known companies, led by: VA 2nd Regiment led by Col. John Neville, Lt. Col. Nicholas
Cabell, and Major David Stephenson, with 306 men in four (4)
known companies, led by: VA 3rd Regiment led by Col. Nathaniel Gist with 252 men in
six (6) known companies, led by: Total Patriots Engaged - 6,577 Capt. Hugh Godwin - POW, Regiment Unknown Capt. William Richardson - POW, Regiment Unk |
General Sir Henry Clinton - Commander Lt. Gen. Charles, Lord Cornwallis - 2nd in Command British Regulars led by Brigadier General Alexander Leslie with the following breakdown: Light Infantry and Grenadiers: 1st Battalion of Light Infantry led by Lt. Col. Robert Abercromby with 640 men in the following companies: 7th Regiment of Foot (Royal Fusiliers) Light Infantry Company - Capt. James W. Baille 22nd Regiment of Foot Light Infantry Company - Capt. William Raymond 33rd Regiment of Foot Light Infantry Company - Capt. William Gore 37th Regiment of Foot Light Infantry Company - Capt. Eyre Coote 42nd Regiment of Foot (Royal Highlanders) Light Infantry Company - Capt. George Dalrymple 54th Regiment of Foot Light Infantry Company - Capt. Eyre Power Trench 63rd Regiment of Foot Light Infantry Company - Capt. Bent Ball 70th Regiment of Foot Light Infantry Company - "Captain Unknown" 74th Regiment of Foot (Argyll Highlanders) Light Infantry Company - Capt. Campbell of Balnabie 2nd Battalion of Light Infantry led by Lt. Col. Thomas Dundas with 637 men in the following companies: 23rd Regiment of Foot Light Infantry Company - Capt. Lionel Smythe 38th Regiment of Foot Light Infantry Company - Capt. St. Lawrence Boyd 43rd Regiment of Foot Light Infantry Company - Capt. Charles MacLean 57th Regiment of Foot Light Infantry Company - Capt. James Graham 64th Regiment of Foot Light Infantry Company - Capt. William Snow 76th Regiment of Foot Light Infantry Company - Capt. James Fraser 80th Regiment of Foot Light Infantry Company - Capt. John Hathorne 84th Regiment of Foot Light Infantry Company - Capt. Ronald MacKinnon 1st Battalion of Grenadiers led by Lt. Col. Henry Hope with 611 men in the following companies: 7th Regiment of Foot (Royal Fusiliers) Grenadier Company - Capt. Walter Home 17th Regiment of Foot Grenadier Company - Capt. George Phillip Hooke 23rd Regiment of Foot Grenadier Company - Capt. Thomas Peter 33rd Regiment of Foot Grenadier Company - Capt. Hildebrand Oakes 37th Regiment of Foot Grenadier Company - Capt. Kenneth McKenzie 38th Regiment of Foot Grenadier Company - Capt. Matthew Millet 42nd Regiment of Foot Grenadier Company - Capt. John Peebles 43rd Regiment of Foot Grenadier Company - Capt. John Hatfield 2nd Battalion of Grenadiers led by Lt. Col. John Yorke with 526 men in the following companies: 22nd Regiment of Foot Grenadier Company - Capt. Henry Elwes 54th Regiment of Foot Grenadier Company - Capt. Stephen Broomfield 57th Regiment of Foot Grenadier Company - Capt. James Dalrymple 63rd Regiment of Foot Grenadier Company - "Captain Unknown" 64th Regiment of Foot Grenadier Company - Capt. Thomas Freeman 70th Regiment of Foot Grenadier Company - Capt. Thomas Dunbar 74th Regiment of Foot (Argyll Highlanders) Grenadier Company - Capt. Ludovick Colquhoun Royal Regiment of Artillery led by Major Peter Traille with
200 men in the following three (3) battalions: Hesse-Kassel Artillery - Unknown Captain Slaves Employed in the Artillery - 154 Royal Navy Artillery led by Capt. George Keith Elphinstone in the following batteries: Fort Johnson Battery with 3 guns Fenwick Point Battery with 10 guns Number 2 Battery with 13 guns - Capt. Evans Number 6 Battery with hot shot - Capt. Lawson Number 7 Battery with 21 guns - Ensign Abbot Corps of Guides and Pioneers led by Col. Beverly Robinson
with the following four (4) known companies, led by: Brigade of Engineers led by Major James Moncrieff Lt. Wilson Black Pioneers - Capt. Allen Stewart Clarke's Brigade led by Lt. Col. Alured Clarke with the following breakdown: 7th Regiment of Foot (Royal Fusiliers) - Lt. Col. Alured Clarke with 463 men 23rd Regiment of Foot (Royal Welsh Fusiliers) - Lt. Col. Nisbet Balfour and Major Thomas Mecan with 400 men Webster's Corps led by Lt. Col. James Webster with the following breakdown: 33rd Regiment of Foot - Major William Dansey with 450 men Hesse-Kassel Feld Jäeger Korps - Lt. Col. Ludwig Johan Adolph von Wurmb with 224 men, including Major Phillip von Wurmb and Capt. von Rau. 2nd Company - Capt. Johann Ewald with 80 men Capt. Moritz von Donop Lawson Swivel Guns - Capt. Johann Hinrichs with 2 men III Feld Jäeger Regiment Anspach-Beyreuyth - Capt. Friedrich Wilhelm von Röder with 46 men Huyn's Brigade led by Major General Johann Christoph von Huyn in the following breakdown: 63rd Regiment of Foot - Major James Wemyss with 400 men 64th Regiment of Foot - Major Robert McLeroth with 350 men, including Capt. Peter Russell Hesse-Kassel Garrison Regiment von Benning led by Col. Friedrich
von Benning and Lt. Col. Franz Kurtz, with the following officers: 60th Regiment of Foot (Royal Americans), 2nd Battalion - Capt. Benjamin Wickham with 45 men German Auxiliaries: Hesse-Kassel Garrision Regiment von Wissenbach led by Lt. Col. Fredrich von Porbeck. Hessian Grenadiers led by Major General Henrich Julius von Kospoth with the following battalions: 1st Battalion - Lt. Col. Otto Wilhelm von Linsingen with 350 men 2nd Battalion - Col. Von Lengercke with 360 men 3rd Battalion - Col. Friedrich Heinrich von Schuter with 365 men 4th Battalion - Major Wilhelm Graff with 450 men Provincials (Loyalist Militia) led by Col. Edmund Fanning
of the King's American Regiment with ~167 men, including the
following officers: British Reinforcements from Georgia led by Brigadier General James Patterson - totalling 1,750 men: British Regulars led by Lt. Col. Alexander McDonald of the 71st Regiment of Foot (Fraser's Highlanders) in two battalions: 1st Battalion - Unknown commander, with Capt. Norman McLeod and 378 men 2nd Battalion - Major Archibald McArthur with 491 men Light Infantry led by Major Colin Graham in the following companies: 16th Regiment of Foot Light Infantry Company - Major Colin Graham with 126 men 71st Regiment of Foot Light (Fraser's Highlanders) Infantry Company - Capt. Hutchinson with 117 men New Jersey Volunteers, 3rd Battalion Light Company - Capt. Peter Campbell 17th Regiment of Light Dragoons - Capt. William Henry Talbot with 73 men. Brigade of Engineers - Black Pioneers led by Capt. Angus Campbell with 20 men plus 186 slaves Provincials led by Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton with the following companies: British Legion Infantry - Major Charles Cochrane with 287 men British Legion Cavalry - Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton with 211 men American Volunteers led by Major Patrick Ferguson with 335
men in the following five (5) known companies, led by: SC Royalists led by Col. Alexander Innes with: 1st Battalion led by Lt. Col. Joseph Robinson in the following
seven (7) known companies, led by: 2nd Battalion led by Lt. Col. Evan McLauren in the following
two (2) known companies, led by: Royal NC Regiment led by Lt. Col. John Hamilton with the following
three (3) known companies, led by: GA Loyalists led by Major James Wright with 32 men GA Dragoons led by Capt. Archibald Campbell with 40 men NY Volunteers led by Lt. Col. George Turnbull, with Major Henry Sheridan, Capt. William Johnston, and Capt. Bernard Kane Reinforcements from New York arriving on April 18, 1780: Col. Max von Westerhagen - Commanding Officer 42nd Regiment of Foot (Royal Highlanders) led by Lt. Col. Duncan McPherson with two battalions: 1st Battalion led by Major Charles Graham 2nd Battalion led by Lt. Col. Duncan McPherson Hesse-Kassel Fusiler Regiment von Dittfurth led by Col. Max von Westerhagen, with Major Ernst von Bork, Capt. Wilhelm von Malsburg, and Capt. Heinrich Hugo Scheffer Prince of Wales American Regiment led by Lt. Col. Thomas Pattinson with 334 men Queen's Rangers led by Lt. Col. John Graves Simcoe with 200
men in the following ten (10) known companies, led by: Volunteers of Ireland led by Col. Francis, Lord Rawdon, with
the following ten (10) known companies, led by: Royal Naval Forces commanded by Vice Admiral Mariot Arbuthnot: HMS Europe - Capt. Willaim Swiny, with 500 men and 64 guns. [Nominally Arbuthnot's flagship, probably reamined in Port Royal Sound until Charlestown was secured.] HMS Raisonable - Capt. Henry Francis Evans, with 500 men and 64 guns. HMS Renown - Capt. George Dawson, with 350 men and 50 guns. HMS Romulus - Capt. George Gayton, with 280 men and 44 guns. HMS Rainbow - Capt. John Kendall, with 350 men and 44 guns. HMS Roebuck - Capt. Sir Andrew Snape Hamond to 16 May 1780, then Capt. Andrew Snape Douglas (namesake and nephew of Hamond), with 280 men and 44 guns. [Flagship of Arbuthnot during the siege.] HMS Blonde - Capt. Andrew Barkley, with 220 men and 32 guns. HMS Perseus - Honorable Capt. George Keith Elphinstone, with 20 guns. HMS Camilla - Capt. John Collins, with 160 men and 20 guns. HMS Raleigh - Capt. James Gambier, with 220 men and 32 guns. HMS Virginia - Capt. John Orde, with 200 men and 28 guns. HMS Richmond - Capt. Charles Hudson, with 220 men and 32 guns. HMS New Vigilant - Capt. Thomas Goldesbrough, with 160 men and 22 guns HMS Germaine - Lt. John Mowbrary, with 125 men and 20 guns. HM Armed Galley Comet - Lt. John McKinley, with 7 guns and 40 men. HM Armed Galley Scourge, Lt. William Smith. HM Armed Galley Vindictive, Lt. Tylston Woollam. HM Armed Galley Viper, Acting Lt. Thomas Chambers. There were approximately ninety (90) transports in this expedition, not all of them currently known, except for: HMS Polly - Unknown Capt. HMS Apollo - Capt. John Adamson HMS Diana - Unknown Capt. HMS Silver Eel - Thomas Moore, Master HMS Aeolus - Anthony McFarlane, Master Total British Naval Forces - 4,500 [Royal Navy manpower identified above is the "established" or authorized manning. Most ships were undermanned, so the number is certainly the top end.] Total British Ground Forces - 12,847 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Updates and corrections to the British Naval forces provided by Bob Brooks of Maine in November of 2009. |
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