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July 30, 1780. British Partisan Victory. A force of approximately 600 militia under Colonel Thomas Sumter attacked a fortified British outpost garrisoned by around 300 partisan regular troops and loyalist militia under Lt. Colonel George Turnbull. This was the first battle under the leadership of celebrated rebel leader Thomas Sumter since the fall of Charleston, …
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 …
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 …
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, …
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 …
The raid and capture of Turtle Bay Depot, New York City, on July 20, 1775, a British military storehouse and magazine, was another cog in the wheel that churned towards a war upon which there was no going back. It was a bold and decisive move by leaders of the militant branch of the New …
Fought between May 27 and 28, 1775, on the islands off northeastern Boston, it is also known as the Battle of Noodle’s Island or Battle of Hog Island. It was the American Revolution’s second military action of open warfare within the region; the Battle of Lexington and Concord being the first on April 19th. It …
The Siege of Fort Vincennes, February 22 – 24, 1779, was a desperate attack by approximately 200 Virginia militia and French Volunteers to maintain the American momentum established in 1778; capturing British forts and settlements in the far western regions from Kentucky to the upper Mississippi River Valley. Colonel George Rogers Clark, older brother of …
BY MARK MALOY FIRST POSTED ON EMERGING REVOLUTIONARY ERA ON APRIL 7, 2021 It is a pleasure to feature Mark Maloy;s scholarly work on Revolutionary War Journal. Mark is a historian currently working for the National Park Service in Virginia. He is the author of Victory or Death: The Battles of Trenton and Princeton, December 25, 1776 …
In the predawn fog of February 27, 1776, battle-crazed Scots, like warrior clad berserks of old, shattered the night in a sudden roar. As many had done at Culloden, they charged with claymores (35-inch double-edged broadswords) and dirks. The Battle of Moores Creek Bridge, 18 miles northwest of Wilmington, North Carolina, had begun. Scot Tories, …