Battle at Parker's Ferry, 1781
On the Pon Pon (Edisto) River lies the river crossing of Parker's Ferry. General Francis Marion found that there were an estimated 100 Loyalist troops preparing to reconvene with a larger group of British and Loyalist soldiers but Marion decided that their defenses would be too strong to attack. With that decision he decided he would wait and monitor their movements. Then on August 29th, the British decided to move to the plantation is Isaac Hayne's so General Marion went and camped miles away. With this information he set up 445 Patriots in the woods to prepare for an ambush. Once the Patriots were prepared in the woods he sent some soldiers into the British and Loyalist encampment to be used as bait. Luckily, the British took the bait and sent over 600 troops blazing into the woods which resulted to receiving heavy fire from both sides and being in the middle of a deadly ambush. The British casualties resulted in 125 dead and over 80 wounded while the Patriots suffered only one casualty and three wounded. A spectacular win for the Patriots that directly impacted the battle at Eutaw Springs.
Account from General Francis Marion
"“The 30th I went below them and formed an Ambuscade in a thick wood Within a mile of Parkers Ferry within forty yards of the road which the Enemy must come, here I Informed of upwards of one hundred Tories under a Col. Cunningham from Dorchester & Stono Laying on the banks of the river at Parkers Ferry waiting for Lt Col De Benin [Fredrich von Benning] who Comman(d)ed the Enemy's force. My right Division of about Eighty men was Commanded by Maj [Harden] who I ordered to retire one hundred yards from the Line, & to march up when the firing began on the left; my Swordsmen of Sixty horse I sent under Maj [George] Cooper to fall in the rear of the Enemy to Draw their Attention that way & to follow them whenever they moved, & to keep in sight, with positive orders to charge their Enemies rear at all hazards, as soon the firing became Generall. Here I waited until sunset when part of the toreys from the ferry came on which I Intended should pass, but they discovered on of my men & Challenged, not Answering[,] they fired, & I could not restrain the men longer they returned in which made them immediately return back on the spur. I sent a few horse after them which rund them a Cross the river. The enemy hearing the fire & being on their way down Immediately sent their Cavalry to rescue them & came on full speed, & received the fire of the whole Line Runing The Gauntlet through them. The Infantry Immediately appeared before us & a heavy fire Insued which Continued for Some time, but unluckily some Villains Cried out they ware flankings on the right & penetrating the wood[;] they immediately broke & while We ware rallying them & forming the second[d] Line in front of the horses, which was picketed two hundred yards from the first line[,] the Enemy took that Opportunity, carry off their field p & wounded & retreated on a trott, Leaving twenty men & twenty three horses Dead on the spot.”
Wambaw Bridge, 1782
By this time Major William Benson has taken charge of the militia that General Marion left behind due to his role on the South Carolina General Assembly. Loyalist Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Thompson had caught wind of Major Benson new role and their encampment near Wambaw Creek. With this knowledge, Thompson formed an attack on February 23 to the Patriots stronghold. Thompson was residing at a neighboring plantation when a Patriot came to warn him that he spotted troops but oddly enough, Major Benson ignored the warning. This resulted in him and his men being ambushed which forced the Patriots to fall back across Wambaw Bridge. The loyalist forces kept pushing the Patriots back as they tried to use a higher position from across the bridge. Luckily, Major John James with the Patriot army arrived with reinforcements that stopped the advancement of Thompson's forces. Lt. Thompson conceded the battle and fell back to Drake's Plantation. Unfortunately, Major William Benson was killed in the line of duty.
Ambush: Francis Marion and the Art of Guerrilla Warfare
Famously known as the "Swamp Fox," Francis Marion had fighting tactics of his own. Referred to as Guerrilla Warfare, this unconventional way of fighting consisted of ambushes, sabotage, and raiding against larger groups. It primarily occurred as a hit-and-run style of war to throw off enemies and prevent large battles in open fields.
During the Battle of Parker's Ferry in 1781, Marion used this tactic against the British and Loyalists. His 400 Patriots were strategically positioned in the dense woods and swamp. This provided protection and camouflage against the enemy. After their attack there were 125 British killed and 80 wounded. Marion only lost one man while three were wounded.
His maneuver based warfare and hit-and-run tactics proved productive in many battles without engaging directly with the enemy. This eliminated many British and Loyalist troops as well as their horses.
Stono Ferry
June 1779 was the beginning of the end. It portrayed the end of British enemies trying to obtain Charleston, SC for this year. After capturing Savannah, General Augustine Prevost believed he had seen enough as he ran out of materials, supplies, and morale with his group to capture Charleston. He left 900 troops at Stono Ferry, led by Lieutenant Colonel John Maitland. The Americans launched an attack lead by General Benjamin Lincoln. Despite their success in the first half of the battle, the British fought back with stronger tactics and strongholds. The Americans resulted in retreating because of this rise in power from the Brits; although, it was not enough to capture Charleston. The British gained lots of knowledge from this attempt at conquering the city and used it to their advantage later on; but for now, they had to wait until it was their time.
Fort Motte
May 1781, British forces invited themselves onto the Motte family plantation. Sitting west of Charleston, this location was not too far from the vital southern city. However, lead by Rebecca Motte, the Americans took it upon themselves to win back the land. Rebecca supposedly did not care if the home burnt to the ground, as long as her family's land was repossessed. Joining her was the famous "Swamp Fox," Francis Marion alongside Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee. American soldiers shot down the roof of the estate, forcing the British to evacuate the fight. This siege shows the involvement of not only Generals, Lieutenants, and soldiers, but civilians fighting for what is rightfully theirs. Rebecca Motte showed incredible bravery and patriotism in these acts on her family's property. These actions across other members of American society shaped the war in tremendous fashion.
Combahee River
In late 1782, Combahee River had a significance in the war. Despite peace negotiations currently in the works between the Americans and British, the British were still eager for supplies in the lowcountry. General Nathanael Greene attempted to stop the British raids. Fellow American Lieutenant Colonel John Laurens launched an early assault against the strong British troops. This led to his unfortunate death; yet, stopped the British in their tracks. Laurens death was a hit to American leadership and guidance that was needed during the war. His ambition symbolized the importance of strategy and tactic.
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