Battle of Stono Ferry: A Needless Clash of Arms

Steno Ferry was fought on June 20, 1779 just southwest of Charleston, South Carolina, between the British and a slightly larger American force. It was a battle ill-conceived and did nothing to alter the situation of the two opposing armies. England’s troops were completing their retreat from ‘rebel’ defenses outside Charleston, South Carolina, when American General Benjamin Lincoln decided, with only poorly trained militia and a scattering of light infantry on hand, to assault the British rear-guard; among them the 71^st Regiment, fierce and hardened veteran Highlanders. Though the goal to force a British retreat had already been achieved by Lincoln’s approach with superior numbers, he ordered a hastily ordered attack solely to increase his troop’s moral. The result was a standoff in which a smaller British detachment forced the rebel militia to pull back, before continuing their planned retreat.  This action did nothing for American moral. Had no negative impact on British strategy to shift the war to the south. And in fact, most likely suggested the reverse to British higher command.

Background

Soon after British General Henry Clinton replaced General William Howe as Commander-in-Chief of American Forces on March 21, 1778, he set in motion plans to abandon Philadelphia. As the British approached New York City, a pitched battle was fought at Monmouth, New Jersey on June 28, 1778. This would prove to be the war’s last major action in the northern colonies. Lord George Germain, British Secretary of State for the American Department, believed that the war in the north had reached a stalemate and turned his attention to the south. He’d hoped to sever the rebellion by preventing southern colonies’ stores and revenue from supplying the north. So too, he was convinced that a strong Loyalist sentiment would rise up and help turn the war in England’s favor, particularly among the large Scottish immigrant population.

Lt. Colonel Archibald Campbell struck the first blow. He sailed from New York City on November 26, 1778 with 3,100 regulars to capture Savannah, Georgia. He was to be assisted by troops under the command of Swiss born Brigadier General Augustine Prevost who was marching his detachment of the 60^th Royal American Regiment up from Saint Augustine, East Florida. Campbell landed near Savannah on December 23^rd and without waiting for Provost, decided for an immediate assault. On the 29^th, he flanked the American position outside the city and captured a large portion of Major General Robert Howe’s army, driving the remnants into South Carolina. When Brigadier Prevost arrived, he sent Campbell and his 71st Highlanders, plus a detachment of Florida Rangers under the command Lt. Col Thomas Brown, to Augusta, Georgia. The city was secured on January 31, 1779. However, after American General Lincoln built up forces along the Savannah River, and a pair of patriot militia victories, Campbell gave up Augusta and by mid-March, British regular forces returned to Savannah.

Faceoff Along the Savannah River

Earlier, on September 25, 1778, Congress had appointed Major General Benjamin Lincoln to command the Southern Department. Lincoln arrived at Charleston (then Charlestown), South Carolina, on December 4, 1778. After the British took Savannah, he moved his headquarters of the Southern Continental Army south to Purrysburg, South Carolina; twenty miles north of Savannah, to counter British incursions into the interior. He discovered his command, mainly militia, equaled that of the British regulars and therefore he had not the numbers or experienced troops for a general assault. He spent the winter of 1778-1779 recruiting and organizing the various militia units of Georgia and North and South Carolina while keeping an eye on Campbell’s and Prevost’s forces in Savannah. During this period, large detachments from the two opposing forces brushed up against each other; a loyalist force was defeated at the Battle of Kettle Creek, February, 15, 1779, and the following month, March 3^rd, a North Carolina militia was defeated in the Battle of Brier Creek.

By spring, Lincoln beefed up his numbers through recruitment of local patriots while reinforced with additional militia units from North Carolina and Georgia. He became confident that he finally had enough men for a successful attack on Savannah. On April 20, 1779, he marched most of his forces from Purrysburg, South Carolina to Augusta, Georgia. There he would organize his command and join up with local state militia to stage an assault on the city. So too, he wished to tighten the cordon around Savannah and cut the British off from loyalists and local resources. To guard against any British troop movement, Lincoln ordered Brigadier General William Moultrie to remain at Black Swamp, South Carolina, about twenty-five miles further north of Purrysburg, forty miles from Savannah, and ninety miles west of Charleston, South Carolina. Moultrie, the hero who in 1776 had driven off a British invasion of Charleston, commanded 1,200 militiamen, mainly of the 2^nd North Carolina Brigade and the 1^st and 2^nd South Carolina Brigades.

British Cross the Savannah into South Carolina

Lincoln’s decision to consolidate his forces in Augusta, 135 miles northwest of Savannah and 150 miles west of Charleston, South Carolina, did not go unnoticed by the British.  General Prevost, who had superseded Campbell in overall command, had set up his headquarters at Ebenezer on the Georgia side of the Savannah River. He saw an opportunity in Lincoln’s shift of forces and decided the time was right to move against Charleston. So too, American privateers had been effective in attacking and diverting British supply ships bound for Savannah. This created a critical shortage. With Lincoln’s main army marching to Augusta, the rich lands of coastal South Carolina were left guarded by an inferior force. On April 29^th, Prevost crossed the Savannah River with 2,500 regulars and marched towards Charlestown.     

General William Moultrie did not have the numbers to confront Prevost in a pitched battle and fell back towards Charleston. As he did so, local militiamen deserted to protect and or evacuate their homes and plantations from the approaching British. At first, Lincoln assumed that Prevost’s crossing into South Carolina was but a maneuver to draw him out of Augusta. But as Moultrie’s forces continued to fall back, Lincoln realized the city was under threat of falling and rushed forces to Moultrie’s aide. Provost chased Moultrie to the very gates of Charleston and on May 10^th, detachments from the two forces skirmished near Ashley Ferry, only seven miles from Charleston. Two days later, Prevost intercepted a message from Lincoln to Moultre. He learned that the American general was rapidly approaching Charleston. Laden down with necessary supplies, his inferior force could not confront the American army. Prevost therefore decided to retreat.

British Retreat Established Rearguard Outpost

With Lincoln’s main army rapidly approaching to cut the British off, Prevost could not return to Georgia via the same route as he had arrived. He chose to withdraw through the Sea Islands just south of Charleston. There, British Navy boats could transport his army to Port Royal, about seventy miles south of Charleston, from which he could continue his march to Savannah unmolested. Prevost’s army was slowed by the many wagons of supplies they had commandeered during their drive north along the coast. By May 21^st, British troops were distributed through John’s Island and James Island awaiting the passage by boats. This necessitated that Prevost establish a defensive position to hold off any pursuing American forces.

Prevost left a strong and experienced rearguard of approximately 900 men at Stono’s Ferry, between John’s Island and the mainland. This detachment was commanded by Scotsman Lt. Colonel John Maitland; previously a commander of marines against rebel vessels in the Delaware River. Under his command were:

• 500 men of the 1^st Battalion of 71^st Regiment of Foot, also known as Fraser’s Highlanders.
• 7 guns from the Royal Regiment of Artillery, 4^th Battalion, 7^th Company.
• 200 Hessian-Kassel Grenadiers from the Regiment von Trumbach and Garrison detachment from the Regiment von Wissenbach.
• Royal Engineers.
• Royal North Carolina Loyalist Regiment led by Lt. Col. John Hamilton
• Armed Row Galley Thunder.

A bridgehead was established across from John’s Island on the north side of a causeway and mainland landing at Stono Ferry known as New Cut Church Flats. Here Maitland erected three redoubts circled by an abatis (sharpened tree limbs pointing outward) and supported by seven cannon. The row galley Thunder provided additional support from the Stono River. Two companies of Highlanders were thrown out from camp as pickets and skirmishers. Their stubborn resistance during the initial American attack would help to slow the rebel advance.

Lincoln Arrives Charlestown and Decides to Attack Stono Ferry

While British Lt. Colonel Maitland was busy erecting his defenses at Stono Ferry, General Lincoln, at the vanguard of his forces, arrived at Charleston. Though he had over five thousand men under his command, most of his army was spread out over a hundred and fifty miles of Georgia countryside. Lincoln sought intelligence on the British position. On May 31^st, a reconnaissance mission of one thousand men, commanded by Brigadier General Isaac Huger that included Polish cavalryman General Casimir Pulaski, was detached to Maitland’s defenses. As Huger approached, he reported back that the post was too strong to attack and withdrew.

Lincoln’s approach had saved Charleston by forcing British General Provost to retreat. He knew that Provost’s troops were dispersed over the Sea Islands while waiting for transport south. He also knew he had yet to gather enough troops for a successful attack against their defenses and to reclaim the supplies and stores the British had commandeered. Therefore, with no military imperative to attack Maitland’s redoubts, Lincoln decided to do so. Two factors swayed his decision: he had spent the winter organizing and raising troops and thought a military victory would raise moral for both soldiers and local citizenry, also, any action would need to be soon for the enlistments for many Virginia and North Carolina militiamen were about to expire.

On June 17th, Lincoln instructed General Moultrie “to throw over on James Island all the troops which can be spared from town.” By the morning of June 20^th, Moultrie had 700 men on James Island with orders to advance on to Johns Island. He was to draw the attention of Provost’s main forces and detain them from reinforcing the rear guard drawn up in the redoubts at Stono Ferry. Lincoln had secured 1,200 men for the principal assault on the redoubts, mostly poorly trained local militia with Continental cavalry under Pulaski. On the 19^th, he assembled them at Ashley Ferry, about eight miles northeast of the British camp at Stono Ferry. After a council of war, he decided to attack early the next morning on the 20^th.

American Forces Form Battlelines

Lincoln’s troops began their eight-mile march just before midnight on the 19^th and about an hour after daybreak, he formed his lines about three quarters of a mile from the British encampment. They were dispatched in two wings with reserves:

• RIGHT WING – Commanded by Brigadier General Jethro Sumner
  • 2^nd North Carolina Militia Brigade of 749 men consisting of the 4^th (Col. James Armstrong), 5^th (Col. Thomas Clark), and 6^th “New Levies” (Lt. Col. Archibald Lytle – wounded) North Carolina State Regiments.
  • South Carolina 4^th Militia Regiment of Artillery led by Capt. John Wickly two field pieces.
  • Additional North Carolina Militia led by Brigadier General John Butler.
• LEFT WING – Commanded by Brigadier General Isaac Huger
  • S. Carolina 6^th Regiment of Riflemen led by Lt. Col. William Henderson.
  • S. Carolina 3^rd Regiment of Rangers led by Col. William Thomson.
  • South Carolina 4^th Regiment of Artillery with four field pieces led by Col. Owen Roberts (killed)
  • South Carolina 1^st Regiment led by major Thomas Pinckney.
  • 1^st and 2^nd Militia Brigades of S. Carolina
  • Additional Militia detachments: Nine battalions from S. Carolina, 1^st – 4^th Regiments of Georgia, and North Carolina Light Dragoons under Col. Francois DeMalmedy
• RESERVES – Commanded by Brigadier General Count Kasimir Pulaski
  • Pulaski’s Legion of Horse (Maj. Chevalier Pierre-Francois Vernier) and Legion of Foot (Lt. Col. Charles Frederick de Bedaulx)
  • S. Carolina Light Dragoons led by Col. Daniel Horry
  • Catawba Indian Company of Rovers commanded by Capt. Samuel Boykin
  • Lower Ninety-Six Dist. Regiment of Militia
  • Virginia Militia commanded by Col. David Mason – seven detached units
  • Virginia Militia Artillery with two field pieces.

Battle of Stono Ferry

As soon as the two American wings were formed, they began to struggle through dense woods. The North Carolina militia under Brigadier Sumner, forming the right wing, advanced with two guns; their flank was covered by a company of N. Carolina Light Dragoons under Col. DeMalmedy. They would approach the camp and redoubt manned by the Hessians.  Brigadier Huger’s left wing also grappled with thick woods, forcing his four field pieces forward. They would approach the British encampment and redoubts and would be the first to cross path with the enemy.

Lt. Col. Henderson’s S. Carolina riflemen in the left wing first made contact with British pickets at 7:00 am and drove them back. Henderson’s regiment then encountered two companies of the 71^st “Fraser’s” Highlanders who had deployed outside the British camp. True to their reputation, these men put up a stubborn resistance. Outnumbered, they suffered heavy casualties in which all their officers were either killed or wounded. When they fell back to camp, only twelve men remained standing to continue the fight. As the rest of the left wing of mainly S. Carolina troops approached the British redoubts, they came up against a creek and marsh which they found unexpectedly difficult to cross. As Huger’s men labored across the swamp, they came within sixty yards of the abatis and the British opened fire, stalling their advance. Over the next fifty or so minutes they engaged the British with small arms fire and cannon.

Meanwhile, on the right, Sumner had more success against the Hessians. His 2^nd North Carolina Brigade charged, but found the abatis impenetrable, with a deep ravine preventing their getting around it. The cannon they brought to bear had little effect on the fortifications protecting the Hessians and the Royal N. Carolina Regiment. At this stage, fire from the British row galley Thunder drove back some of the attacking rebels. As the Hessians began to break and pull back, Maitland was on the spot to rally them to return to the fight, halting Sumner’s militia’s progress.

Maitland’s handling of troops that day proved exceptional. With the Hessians successfully regrouped and holding Sumner’s militia at bay, he shifted men towards the larger threat posed by Huger’s North Carolinians. Here too, facing the deep ravine and sharpened stakes, Huger’s left wing was drawn to a standstill as they continued to fire upon the British position with small arms and their four field pieces which proved ineffective.

At this stage, fifty-six minutes into the battle, British reinforcements could be seen on John’s Island approaching the causeway. Moultrie had failed in his assignment to attract and detain the British on Johns Island. Historians to this day debate whether this negligence lay with poor weather conditions or his own incompetence. General Lincoln, informed that his men were running low on powder and shot and that the attack had stalled, watched the advance of redcoats and subsequently ordered a retreat.   

On seeing the American draw back, Maitland advanced his line in pursuit. According to Lincoln: “The retreat was conducted in an orderly and regular manner, our platoons frequently facing about and firing by the word of command upon their pursuers, who, however, very soon gave over the chase.” American Brigadier Pulaski’s quick action drove his cavalry forward and engaged the British. This halted their advance, turning back to their camp and entrenchments.

Aftermath

Reports of the length of the battle varied from fifty-six minutes to just over an hour. Of casualties, the Americans suffered 34 killed, 113 wounded, and 155 missing. The British lost 26 killed and 93 wounded – many were from the 71^st Highlanders, and one missing. Among the Americans, of note was the death of Colonel Owen Roberts of the 4^th S. Carolina Regiment of Artillery, who suffered a shattered leg from a British artillery shell, succumbing later to his wound. Also, notable wounded were Brigadier General Isaac Huger, Colonel William Richardson Davie (future “Father of the Univ. of N. Carolina having written the act that established the nation’s first public university in 1789), Lt. Col. Archibald Lytle, and Colonel Jean Baptiste Laumoy, a French engineer who would later use his influence to help persuade Lincoln to surrender Charleston to British General Henry Clinton. Hugh Jackson, of Colonel Davie’s regiment, the older brother of future President Andrew Jackson by five years, died shortly after the battle from heat and fatigue; he was 17 years old. 

A week prior to the battle, Colonel Maitland had already planned to abandon the redoubts at Stono Ferry, however he was delayed by lack of water transportation. On June 23^rd, his rearguard deserted the fortifications and retreated down the coast to Beaufort, approximately 60 miles south of Charleston. General Provost’s main force had acquired the necessary boats and continued their trek to Savannah. The Battle of Stono Ferry had little, if any, impact on British Secretary of State Germain’s southern strategy or the Revolutionary War. Though considered a loss, Lincoln took comfort that his militiamen had advanced and held themselves well under fire. The site of the battle can be viewed at the end of South Carolina Route 318 near Rantowles and Stono swamp.

Lincoln’s southern army would later become hemmed in at Charleston and after a seven-week siege, forced to surrender to British Commander-in-Chief General Henry Clinton on May 12, 1780; the surrender of Lincoln’s army, nearly 5,000 troops, was the largest American loss in the war.

Legend of a Decapitation

There is an interesting anecdote to the battle, that of a British officer whose head was lobbed off by a sword. It was related to in Patrick O’Kelley’s volume one of his three volume extensive account of the American Revolution in the Carolinas titled Nothing but Blood and Slaughter (details of the book and how to acquire it on Amazon are listed at the end of this article). A cavalry private in a S. Carolina volunteer militia named William Brotherton (also Brothertin) came up against a British officer. He fought the man with sword and accordingly severed the officer’s head, retrieving the officer’s tricorn hat for posterity, eventually becoming part of his estate in legacy.

According to Brotherton’s pension application, he was a member in Captain John Reed’s Company, 1^st Regiment of S. Carolina State Dragoons.  Checking the register’s roster records finds William Brotherton listed as a private of the fifty odd man unit. The first through fourth S. Carolina Militia Regiments were among Brigadier Huger’s left wing. As Brotherton reported in his pension application, he was often chosen among his officers to accompany the advance guard. As such, he could have been with Henderson’s riflemen when they first made contact with the 71^st Highlanders, resulting in a fierce clash of arms. All of the Highlander officers were either wounded or killed.

There is no reason to doubt Brotherton’s claim that he fought with an officer, however in his declaration to the pension officer, he gives no detail but that he “attacked in single combat one of the British Officers…”. And that he “bore off his hat and feathers…”.  There is no mention of severing the man’s head with his sword. He also states that he was in Colonel Wade Hampton’s regiment. Hampton was first a captain of S. Carolina volunteer cavalry and may have held that rank during the battle, retaining his commission as colonel towards the end of the war. Hampton went on to become the largest slave holder in South Carolina. Here is a portion of Brotherton’ pension declaration:

“…He was generally in the advance guard being young strong and active with a good horse & being a good swordsman was almost always chosen by his officers for the advance guard which was the reason why he was in such a number of skirmishes & Battles during the War of the Revolution. He states further that in one of the Skirmishes with the British he attacked in single combat one of the British Officers who wore a three crooked hat, over threw him and bore off his hat and feathers which he has to this day.  Brothertin states that he served under Captain John Reed and Colonel Wade Hampton.”

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SIMILAR ARTICLES OF INTEREST ON REVOLUTIONARY WAR JOURNAL

RESOURCE

The American Revolution in South Carolina.  “Captain John Reed” 

Bostick, Doug.  “The Battle of Stono Ferry.” American Battlefield Trust. 

Sayen, John J. Jr.  “Oared Fighting Ships of the South Carolina Navy, 1776-1780.”  The South Carolina Historical Magazine. Vol. 87, No. 4 (Oct. 1986). Pp 213-237.

Southern Campaigns American Revolution Pension Statements and Rosters.  “Pension Application of William Brothertin” 

South Carolina Historical Society, Charleston, SC. Archives.

“Stono Ferry” The American Revolution in South Carolina