Battle of Fort Moultrie
And
Occupation of Charles Towne
And
People & Battles
 The British wanted to use Charles
Towne as a base so they could plan
attacks on other colonies.
 The British believed that they would
find significant support from Loyalists
in the South Carolina colony.
 South Carolina troops were under
the leadership of Colonel
William Moultrie. (1776)
 The British planned a sneak attack
on Fort Sullivan (located on
Sullivan’s island) to capture
Charles Towne.
 Colonel William Moultrie ‘s troops were able to repel
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British attempts to capture Charles Towne.
The troops had a successful defense in Fort Sullivan.
The fort was made of palmetto logs and sand.
The logs and sand were able to absorb the
bombardment form British navel vessels and remained
undamaged.
The British ships became stuck on a sandbar and had
significant damage.
 During the fighting, the fort’s flag was
shot down.
 Risking his own life, Sergeant William
Jasper retrieved the flag.
 Sergeant Jasper returned the flag to its
position above the fort.
 He became a hero of South Carolina!
 If you were Sergeant William Jasper,
how would you feel returning the flag
to the fort? Why?
 If you were the British, how would you
feel knowing you were stuck on a
sandbar and your life was in danger?
Why?
 The British were unsuccessful in their
attempt to invade Charles Towne in 1776.
 They adjusted their campaign to focus on
New England colonies.
 The fort would later be named after Colonel
William Moultrie in honor of the battle.
 After 4 years of trying to defeat the American forces in
New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, the British
returned to Charles Towne in 1780.
 There were still many Loyalists in South Carolina and
many people who did not want to be involved in the
war at all….for either side.
 The British began a siege (siege-the act or process
of surrounding and attacking a fortified place in
such a way as to isolate it from help and supplies)
on Charles Towne.
 The British blockaded the city by land and sea.
 Blockade-a group of ships that block other
ships from sailing in and out of a harbor.
 The city fell to the British after 42 days and city of
Charles Towne surrendered to the British.
 The British forced the men to sign an oath-an
agreement, of loyalty to England.
 The people thought that with the fall of the city,
the war was over, so they signed the oath.
 Then the British required the South Carolinians to
sign a second oath.
 The oath stated that the men would fight for the
British against the Americans.
 Many men refused to sign the oath, and escaped
from the city , and joined the Patriot forces.
 Think about….Would you sign the second oath?
Why
 Because of the harsh tactics of the British occupiers,
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South Carolinians formed militias-a group of men
who fight together.
The militias aided the Continental Army in defeating
the British in South Carolina.
The militia used hit and run tactics referred to as
partisan warfare
engaged in harassing an enemy, engaged in fighting or
sabotage against an occupying army.
Now known as “guerrilla” warfare.
His home was burned by the British made him
mad and he decided to fight in retaliation.
 He led a militia against the British in the
backcountry.
 Sumter was gifted at surprise attacks. After the
attacks, he would disappear into the woods.
 Became known as “The Gamecock”-a fighting
rooster.
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 USC’s mascot (The Gamecock), the city of Sumter, and
Fort Sumter (beginning of the Civil War) are named
after Thomas Sumter- “The Fighting Gamecock”.
 Andrew Pickens was very quiet, serious,
and rarely smiled.
 The Native American of the upcountry
nicknamed him “The Wizard Owl” because
he was wise like an owl.
 He was a backcountry farmer who joined
the militia when the British burned his
farm.
 Helped win the Battle of Cowpens led by
Daniel Morgan.
 Francis Marion grew up in the Outer Coastal Plain (Low
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Country) and knew the swamps well.
Brave Patriot-was at the Battle of Fort Sullivan (Ft.
Moultrie).
Marion’s militia was made up of both white and AfricanAmerican men.
They lived off the land and traveled through the swamps.
He made his men drink vinegar to keep away bugs and
mosquitoes!
Marion and his men attacked the British by surprise during
the night. Then they disappeared into the swamps.
 The British marched up from Charles Town and
threatened the backcountry people to try to force them
into being loyal to the crown.
 Most of the men were not afraid and escaped to North
Carolina and Tennessee to gather other patriots to
fight against the British.
 They re-entered South Carolina and fought the British
at the Battle of King's Mountain.
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October 7th, 1780
 At King’s Mountain , the Patriots surrounded and defeated
a force of Loyalists.
 The Loyalists were led by Major Patrick Ferguson, the
only British soldier on the field.
 The Loyalists tried to surrender.
 The Patriots remembered a time when the British had not
honored the Patriots’ request to surrender ( a request for
‘quarter’) and had slaughtered the Patriot troops.
 So the Patriots repaid the British actions by ignoring the
British request to surrender.
 Most of the Loyalist force was killed, including Major
Patrick Ferguson.
 Kings Mountain was a significant defeat for the British
and a turning point of the war.
 After the Battle of Kings Mountain, the remaining
British soldiers kept chasing the Patriots around the
backcountry.
 Andrew Pickens, fooled the British into thinking that they
were retreating because they were afraid of the British
army.
 However, when the British chased the fleeing American
militia they were led into the guns of the Continental
Army, commanded by General Daniel Morgan.
 Surrounded, the British suffered a major defeat. This battle
forced the British to abandon their backcountry efforts.
 January 17, 1781
 Nine months later, American General
Nathaniel Greene, defeated the
British at Eutaw Springs.
 Eutaw Springs was the last major battle
of the American Revolution in South
Carolina.
 September 8, 1781
 Soon the British marched out of South Carolina to the
Virginia coast to await rescue by the British navy.
 There they were surrounded by the Continental Army at
Yorktown (Virginia).
 The American’s French allies used their navy to block the
British escape by sea.
 Soon the British were forced to surrender and the
Revolution was over.
 The British had attacked Charles Towne hoping to find
a large number of Loyalists to support them.
 However, the harsh tactics of the British Army and the
loyalists allies soon turned South Carolinians into
Patriots willing to fight for independence.
 The British met defeat in South Carolina and in the
American Revolution.