Battle of Beaufort
| Battle of Beaufort | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the American Revolutionary War | |||||||
 General William Moultrie, portrait by Charles Willson Peale | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Great Britain |
 United States | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| William Gardner[1] | William Moultrie | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
200 infantry 1 artillery piece |
300 militia 20 infantry 3 artillery pieces | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
40 killed or wounded 7–12 captured[2][3] |
8 killed 22 wounded[2] | ||||||
The Battle of Beaufort, also known as the Battle of Port Royal Island, was fought on February 3, 1779, near Beaufort, South Carolina, during the American Revolutionary War. The battle took place not long after British forces consolidated control around Savannah, Georgia, which they had captured in December 1778.
Background
The British began their
When
The only major defense establishment on Port Royal Island was Fort Lyttelton, which was garrisoned by a company of Continental Army troops under Captain John DeTreville.
Battle
Gardner's men landed on Port Royal Island at the plantation of Andrew Deveaux (present-day Laurel Bay), a Loyalist who may have guided them, on February 2. Gardner sent a detachment to secure the island side of the ferry. These men retreated when they encountered Patriot troops, and Gardner began to move his main force toward Beaufort to face the Americans. Early on February 3 General Moultrie was alerted to the British presence, and moved his forces out of town.[11] The two forces met near the highest ground on Port Royal Island, a rise called Gray's Hill that was about 3 miles (4.8 km) south of the ferry and in the middle of the island.[12]
Gardner lined his men up at the edge of some woods near the top of the hill and advanced with bayonets fixed. The Americans approached and lined up in an open field outside musket range. General Moultrie positioned two six-pound field cannons in the center of his line, with a smaller two-pounder on the right. The Americans then advanced on the British, Moultrie observing that the action was "reversed from the usual way of fighting between British and Americans; they taking the bushes and we taking the open ground."[11] The Americans opened fire first with the artillery, and then with musket volleys. The battle continued for about 45 minutes, at which point the Americans were running low on ammunition. Moultrie had begun a withdrawal when the British were also observed to retreat, leaving the field to the Americans.[13] A company of light horse militia chased after the British, very nearly cutting them off from their boats. They captured 26 men, but were unable to hold all of them due to their small numbers.[13]
Aftermath
In addition to the prisoners taken (sources cite either seven or twelve were retained), the British reportedly suffered 40 killed or wounded,[2][3] although deserters reported that nearly half of Gardner's men had been hit by American fire.[13] The Americans, in contrast, suffered only 8 killed and 22 wounded.[2]
Gardner was criticized by Prevost for the mauling his detachment received because he strayed too far from his boats. It was not Gardner's fault, however, that he had no Loyalist support.[14] The victory of a largely militia force over British regulars was a boost to the Americans' morale. However, severe losses incurred in early March at Brier Creek delayed American plans to move against Prevost's forces in Georgia.[14] When Lincoln began moving troops toward Augusta in April, Prevost moved in force toward Charleston, but was able to do little more than briefly blockade the city before retreating back to Savannah. Port Royal Island was again occupied by the British during this campaign.[15]
The battle is commemorated by a highway marker on
Footnotes
- ^ a b The British commander is sometimes misidentified as Major Valentine Gardner of the 16th Foot, who was also on the expedition. William Gardner was a major in the 60th Foot. (Wilson, p. 199) Gardner's name is also sometimes spelled "Gardiner".
- ^ a b c d O'Kelley, p.235
- ^ a b Wilson, p. 100
- ^ Russell, pp. 100–103
- ^ Wilson, p. 82
- ^ a b Russell, p. 104
- ^ a b c Rowland et al, p. 216
- ^ Rowland et al, p. 215
- ^ Wilson, pp. 52–53, 97
- ^ Rowland et al, pp. 216–217
- ^ a b c Rowland et al, p. 217
- ^ Gordon, p. 64
- ^ a b c Rowland et al, p. 218
- ^ a b Wilson, p. 101
- ^ Wilson, pp. 101–112
- ^ "Battle of Port Royal Island Marker". HMDB.org. Retrieved 2012-01-05.
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ "Port Royal Island Battlefield". American Battlefield Trust. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
References
- Gordon, John W (2003). South Carolina and the American Revolution: a Battlefield History. ISBN 978-1-57003-480-0.
- O'Kelley, Patrick (2004). Nothing but Blood and Slaughter: Military Operations and Order of Battle of the Revolutionary War in the Carolinas, Volume One, 1771–1779. Press. ISBN 1-59113-458-7.
- Rowland, Lawrence; Moore, Alexander; Rogers, George (1996). The History of Beaufort County, South Carolina: 1514–1861. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press. OCLC 194626437.
- Russell, David Lee (2000). The American Revolution in the Southern Colonies. Jefferson, NC: McFarland. OCLC 248087936.
- Wilson, David K (2005). The Southern Strategy: Britain's Conquest of South Carolina and Georgia, 1775–1780. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press. OCLC 232001108.
