Counting Battles is Complex Task The State Newspaper, Columbia, SC, March 21,  1976

South Carolina historians, both amateur and professional, have long contended that the Palmetto State was the scene of more Revolutionary War engagements than any other state of the union. Edward McCrady’s History of the Revolution in South Carolina lists 137 “battles, actions and engagements” which took place in the state from 1775 through 1782, inclusive.  But McCrady’s works were published in1901-02.  Since then, the list has grown to more than 180 as subsequent research has pinned down Revolutionary incidents worthy of being included in such a list. The current roster, published by the state’s American Revolution Bicentennial Commission, has been prepared by Terry W. Lipscomb of the S. C. Department of Archives and History.  As of mid-January of this year [1976], the list stood at 184, including nine engagements for which no precise location can be determined and 16 incidents which do not reflect an exchange of armed hostilities. The problem with any such listing, of course, is determining precisely what constitutes a battle, skirmish, or action worthy of inclusion.  Since there were numerous incidents which accurately could be described as ambushes, kidnappings, and even downright murders, a measure of common sense as well as historic research must be applied in the process of compilation. But while South Carolina’s list has grown in number, other claimants to the greatest number of Revolutionary battles have appeared.  For example, Howard H. Peckham’s 1974 book, The Toll of Independence, credits New Jersey with first place (238 engagements) and places New York second with 228. A point of distinction between South Carolina and the two Northern states has been made, however, by Dr. Charles H. Lesser, a co-worker on Dr. Peckham’s book and now assistant director [1976] for Archives and Publications with the S.C. Department of Archives and History.  He points out that the vast majority (107) of the battles in South Carolina were crammed into a two-year period (1780-1781), during which they averaged almost one a week.  Furthermore, the South Carolina engagements were scattered throughout the entire state, rather than being restricted to certain corridors or other limited areas of conflict as in New Jersey and New York. In any event, enough fighting was done in South Carolina to warrant the statement of historian Benjamin Rush that “the sands of Carolina have been well watered with the blood of heroes.”   DATE BATTLE COUNTY November 11-12,1775 Naval Battle, Charleston Harbor Charleston November 19-21, 1775 Ninety Six I Greenwood December 22, 1775 Great Cane Brake Greenville June 26,1776 Capture of McCall's Party Pickens June 28, 1776 Sullivan's Island Charleston July 15, 1776 Lynd ley's Fort Laurens August 01, 1776 Seneca Pickens August 10, 1776 Tugabo River Oconee August 12, 1776 Tamassee Oconee August 1776 The Ring Fight Oconee June 19, 1778 Capture of Privateers Charleston February 3,1779 Port Royal Island Beaufort May 03, 1779 Coosawhatchie Jasper May 11-13, 1779 Prevost's Siege of Charleston Charleston May 20, 1779 Mathevv's Plantation Charleston June 20,1779 Stono Charleston June 22-23, 1779 Stono River Galley Fight Charleston June 1779 Attack on British Supply Ships Charleston June 1779 Schooner Rattlesnake Charleston March 1780 McPherson's Plantation Hampton? March 18, 1780 Salkehatchie Bridge Colleton-Hampton March 23, 1780 Bee's Plantation Charleston March 27, 1780 Rutledge's Plantation (Rantowle's) Charleston March-May, 1780 Siege of Charleston Charleston April 14, 1780 Monck's Corner Berkeley May 06 ,1780 Lenud's Ferry Berkeley May 29, 1780 Buford's Massacre Lancaster May 1780 Morris Ford Barnwell June 06, 1780 Beckham ville Chester June 10,1780 Brandon's Defeat Union June 1780 Mobley's Meeting House Fairfield June 1780 Stallion's (Stalling's) York June 18, 1780 Hill's Iron Works York July 12, 1780 Williamson's Plantation York July 1780 Lawson's Fork Spartanburg July 12, 1780 Cedar Springs Spartanburg July 13, 1780 Govven's Old Fort Greenville July 15, 1780 Earle's Ford Spartanburg July 15, 1780 Fort Prince Spartanburg July 20, 1780 Flat Rock Kershaw July 20-21, 1780 Beaver Creek Kershaw July 25, 1780 Hunt's Bluff Marlboro July 30, 1780 Hanging Rock I Lancaster July 30, 1780 Rocky Mount Fairfield August 06, 1780 Hanging Rock Kershaw-Lancaster August 08, 1780 Wofford's Iron Works Spartanburg August 08, 1780 Retreat from the Iron Works Spartanburg August 15, 1780 Carey's Fort Kershaw August 15, 1780 Capture of British Convoy Kershaw August 16, 1780 Battle of Camden Kershaw August 18, 1780 Fishing Creek Chester August 18, 1780 Musgrove's Mill Union-Laurens August 25, 1780 Nelson's Ferry Clarendon Septembers 1780 Blue Savannah Marbn September 28-29, 1780 Black Mingo Georgetown -Williamsburg October 07, 1780 King's Mountain York October 25, 1780 Tearcoat Swamp Clarendon October 30, 1780 Attack on Brown's Regiment Dilbon ca. November 8,1780 Murphy's Defeat Marbn November 9,1780 Fish dam Ford Chester November 20,1780 Blackstock's Union ca. December 1,1780 Rutledge's Ford Abbeville-Laurens December 11,1780 Long Cane McCormick December 13,1780 Halfway Swamp & Singleton's Mill Sumter-Clarendon December 28,1780 Sampit Road Georgetown December 30,1780 Hammond's Storehouse Laurens January 1781 Waccamaw Neck Georgetown January 1781 Mathew's Bluff Allendale or Screven Co., Ga. January 17,1781 Cowpens Cherokee ca. January 25,1781 Wiggin's Hill Allendale January 25,1781 Georgetown Georgetown January 1781 Keithfield Berkeley February 19-21,1781 Fort Granby I Lexington February 21,1781 De Peyster's Capture Georgetown February 22,1781 Thomson's Plantation Calhoun February 23,1781 Manigault's Ferry Calhoun February 28,1781 Fort Watson I Clarendon March 02, 1781 Mud Lick Newberry March 06, 1781 Ratcliff's Bridge Lee March 06, 1781 Wiboo Swamp Clarendon March 1781 Mount Hope Swamp Williamsburg March 1781 Lower Bridge Williamsburg March 1781 Sampit Bridge Georgetown March 1781 Snow's Island Florence March 1781 Witherspoon Ferry Florence March 1781 Dutchman's Creek Fairfield March 21, 1781 Beattie's Mill Abbeville April 01, 1781 Bear Bluff Horry April 07, 1781 Four Holes Dorchester April 08, 1781 Red Hill (Barton's Post) Colleton April 08, 1781 Pocotaligo Road Colleton April 11, 1781 Fort Balfour Beaufort April 1781 Cashua Ferry Marlboro April 15-23, 1781 Fort Watson n Clarendon April 1781 Mathevv's Bluff Allendale or Screven Co., Ga. April 1781 Wiggin's Hill Allendale April 1781 Horn's Creek Edgefield April 1781 Hammond's Mill Aiken April 25, 1781 Hobkirk Hill Kershaw May 1781 Bush River Newberry May 1781 Friday's Ferry Richland May 11, 1781 Orangeburg Orangeburg May 6-12, 1781 Fort Motte Calhoun May 15,1781 Fort Granbyn Lexington May 1781 Beech Island Aiken May 21, 1781 Fort Galphin Aiken June 1781 Burning of Georgetown Georgetown ca. June 18,1781 Juniper Spring Lexington May 22-June 19, 1781 Ninety Six Greenwood July 07, 1781 Horse Shoe Colleton ca. July 8, 1781 Eggleston's Capture Lexington July 1781 Capture of Rawdon's Baggage Train Orangeburg July 1781 Dorchester Mutiny Dorchester July 15, 1781 Quarter House Charleston July 16, 1781 Wadboo Bridge Berkeley July17, 1781 Quinby Bridge Berkeley July17, 1781 Shubrick's Plantation Berkeley August 1781 Washington's Raid (South of Santee River) August 1781 Lee's Raid Orangeburg August 7,1781 Combahee Swamp Colleton August 15, 1781 Fork of Edisto Orangeburg August 24, 1781 Bull Head Berkeley August 1781 Bass's Mill Dillon or Marlboro August 1781 Cypress Swamp Dorchester August 1781 Brick Church Charleston August 30, 1781 Parker's Ferry Colleton September 5,1781 Steven's Creek or Turkey Creek Edgefield or McCormick September 5,1781 Reedy River Greenville September 8,1781 Eutavv Springs Orangeburg October 03, 1781 Pratt's Mill Abbeville October 1781 Picken's Militia Defeated (Ninety Six District) November 13,1781 Rovve's Plantation Orangeburg November 1781 Hampton's Surprise Orangeburg November 16,1781 Tarrar's Spring Lexington November 17,1781 Cloud's Creek Lexington November 1781 Hayes's Station Laurens November 1781 Thomson's Fort (Govven's Fort?) Greenville or Spartanburg November 1781 Headwaters of Tyger Greenville December 1781 Whitehall Greenwood December 1,1781 Dorchester I Dorchester December 30, 1781 Garden's Plantation Berkeley or Charleston January 3,1782 Videau's Bridge Berkeley January 1782 Cherokee Indian Towns Oconee February 24,1782 Wambaw Creek Berkeley February 25,1782 Tydiman's Plantation Berkeley ca. March 7, 1782 Chowan Creek Beaufort March 19, 1782 Galley Captured, Ashley River Charleston April 21, 1782 Dorchestern Dorchester May 04, 1782 Dean Swamp Aiken ca. May 8, 1782 Ordnance Convoy Destroyed Orangeburg May 1782 Lorick's Ferry Newberry ca. June 1,1782 Sharp's Skirmish Calhoun June 1782 Black Lake Horry July or August 1782 Caper's Scouting Party Berkeley August 27, 1782 Tar Bluff (Page's Point) Colleton August 27, 1782 Combahee Colleton August 29, 1782 Wadboo Berkeley September 2,1782 Port Royal Ferry Beaufort November 14,1782 James Island Charleston

Back to South Carolina State Data page

Return to South Carolina Genealogy Trails
 This is a FREE website.
If you were directed here through a link for which you paid $ for, you can access much more FREE data via our main Genealogy Trails History Group website at
http://genealogytrails.com
for much more nationwide historical/genealogical data and access to our other state/county websites.