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July 30, 1780: American Victory. One week prior to the main Battle of Hanging Rock, a rebel reconnaissance mission surprised and butchered a loyalist force within view of a large British garrison. In July, 1780, militiamen of North and South Carolina flocked to the patriot banner of rebel leader Colonel Thomas Sumter after the July …
My Lord Hook was shot from his horse –James Collins sixteen-year-old rebel militiaman July 12, 1780, Huck’s Defeat, or the Battle of Williamson’s Plantation, was a vengeful sudden strike by patriot backcountry militiamen against a strong, well-trained foe. Though small in scale by comparison, it was considered a gamechanger for patriot militia. It was the …
This battle or large skirmish between partisan militia forces occurred on July 12, 1780. A rebel victory, though small in comparison, it gains importance when considered the first of many skirmishes and battles between loyalist and patriot forces that lead to the all-decisive Battle of King’s Mountain, October 7, 1780. On May 12, 1780, two …
August 18, 1780 American victory. Whenever large partisan militia forces collided, the struggle tended to be brutal and vicious. It had to be. It was personal. By 1780 the patriot and crown factions morphed into a bloody civil war. Mostly the antagonists formed into small raiding parties that attacked without warning. They killed and destroyed …
By Nathaniel Parry: Nathaniel is author of Samuel Adams and the Vagabond Henry Tufts: Virtue Meets Vice in the Revolutionary Era, just published by McFarland Books. When redcoats arrived in Flatbush as part of a campaign to regain control of New York City in mid-August 1776, they marveled at the magnificence of the colonists’ homes …
Hobkirk’s Hill: April 25, 1781. American General Nathanael Greene had yet to achieve a personal victory since he took over command of the American Southern Army in December of 1780. But he did not need to. Either planned, by accident, or a twist of fate, Greene was able to get rid of General Lord Charles …
The nine-day Siege of Fort Watson by American Continentals under Colonel Henry ‘Light-Horse Harry’ Lee and militia under Colonel Francis ‘Swamp Fox’ Marion, April 14 – 23, 1781, ended in the destruction of the first of many British forts and stockades that formed the chain of communication and supply depots across the deep south. It …
Colonel Otho Williams (March 1, 1749 – July 15, 1794) Intelligent, diligent to duty, and honest; his was somewhat a ‘rags to riches’ life. An orphan who apprenticed as a clerk, he rose in the ranks of the rebellious army to lead Continental troops during the American Revolution’s most critical period in the south. He …
Every general knows a battle plan lasts until the first shots erupt. And as such, grit and experience of soldiers standing fast when faced with war’s horrors decides the day; who will be the victor, and who accepts defeat. Yet one other factor is in play. Improvise. Call it misfortune, opportunity, or just plain luck, …
Coming on the heels of the American disastrous defeat at Camden, August 16, 1780, The Battle of Fishing Creek, August 18, 1780, was but another feather in the cap of British Legion’s commander Banastre “Bloody Ben” Tarleton. And another depressing loss for the Americans. Tarleton led a fast moving, hard striking, ruthless corps of dragoons …
By Kelly Bell. Author of Title Quests: A Complete History of the National Football League’s Championship Series; Austin-MacAuley Publishing. Kelly calls Tyler, Texas his home. He is a freelance writer, newspaper staff writer and proofreader, and an avid contributor to military history publications. September 6, 1781 dawned clear and crisp for the people of New …
By early 1777, Danbury, Connecticut served as a major supply depot that included food, clothing, dry goods, and necessary materials for the Continental Army’s survival. Washington’s main army was at winter quarters in and around Morristown, New Jersey. A large contingency of men were also stationed in the Lower Hudson Valley, at Peekskill, New York, …
Early Life Button Gwinnet was born in England circa 1732 to 1735 in the parish of Down Hatherley in county Gloucestershire to Welsh parents; Reverend Samuel Gwinnett and his wife Anne. He was named Button after his godmother Barbara Button. It is believed that he attended the College School at Gloucester Cathedral (presently the King’s …
The Battle of White Marsh, December 5 – 8, 1777, also known as the White Marsh Affair or Battle of Edge Hill, was a series of large, heated skirmishes that occurred over three days between the main armies of General George Washington and British General William Howe. This series of clashes between opposing forces was …
The Battle of Longue Pointe, September 25, 1775, was a dismal attempt by the Americans to take Montreal on September 25, 1775. From beginning to end, the defeat was a total fiasco. A small force of Canadian militia and Continental troops were organized and lead by a civilian adviser, future Vermont hero Ethan Allen. He …