172:
63:
158:
696:), 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. 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.
716:
the bushes and we taking the open ground." 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. 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.
656:
1229:
700:
663:
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. When he learned that a comparatively large British force was moving in his direction, he spiked the fort's cannons and blew up its
715:
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
728:
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. The victory of a largely militia force over British regulars was a boost to the Americans' morale. However,
733:
delayed
American plans to move against Prevost's forces in Georgia. 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
724:
In addition to the prisoners taken (sources cite either seven or twelve were retained), the
British reportedly suffered 40 killed or wounded, although deserters reported that nearly half of Gardner's men had been hit by American fire. The Americans, in contrast, suffered only 8 killed and 22
672:, and 300 men to counter the move. Moultrie's force was composed mostly of South Carolina militia from the Beaufort area, but it was accompanied by a few Continental Army regulars, and two companies of artillery from Charleston, which were headed by former Congressmen
1480:
262:
255:
771:
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
248:
664:
main bastion in order to deny their use to the superior force. When
General Lincoln learned that communications with Port Royal Island had been cut off by the British advance, he sent South Carolina Brigadier General
1470:
1158:
680:
This force arrived at the main Port Royal ferry on the 31st, not long after DeTreville had finished destroying the fort. They crossed over to the island on
February 1 and occupied Beaufort.
1151:
1144:
543:
272:
1460:
594:
arrived from Saint
Augustine in mid-January 1779, he assumed command of the garrison there, and on the 22nd sent a force under Campbell to take control of
1167:
566:
1475:
1465:
534:
men, to meet the British advance. The battle was inconclusive, but the British withdrew first and suffered heavier casualties than the Americans.
105:
659:
A 1779 map of the area, annotated to show how forces reached Port Royal Island. British movements are shown in red, American movements in blue.
1092:
1065:
1027:
965:
746:
1039:
Nothing but Blood and Slaughter: Military Operations and Order of Battle of the Revolutionary War in the Carolinas, Volume One, 1771â1779
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1211:
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1490:
1119:
1046:
333:
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338:
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1319:
1304:
573:
the town on December 29, 1778. Remnants of Savannah's defenders combined with South Carolina militia under
1429:
1344:
1309:
640:
from the mainland. She was accompanied by a flotilla of smaller ships that carried 200 infantry from the
404:
365:
316:
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1329:
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645:
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72:
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1125:
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Gardner lined his men up at the edge of some woods near the top of the hill and advanced with
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591:
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191:
68:
31:
62:
17:
673:
655:
414:
176:
738:
689:
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508:
99:
610:, where he had been led to believe that Loyalist sentiment was strong. On January 29
1449:
1206:
1181:
574:
547:
512:
301:
555:
496:
1112:
The Southern Strategy: Britain's Conquest of South Carolina and Georgia, 1775â1780
618:
699:
939:
629:
1129:
1102:
1075:
518:, the American commander in the south, sent South Carolina Brigadier General
240:
120:
107:
209:
1481:
Battles in the Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War 1775â1779
648:
Regiments under Major William Gardner, who had orders to take control of
633:
602:
militia companies. Prevost decided thereafter to send a force to occupy
204:
753:
and its partners have preserved more than 12 acres of the battlefield.
711:
fixed. The Americans approached and lined up in an open field outside
708:
527:
712:
698:
654:
1016:
South Carolina and the American Revolution: a Battlefield History
960:
1140:
688:
Gardner's men landed on Port Royal Island at the plantation of
244:
562:
late in 1778. The New York expedition, under the command of
1056:
Rowland, Lawrence; Moore, Alexander; Rogers, George (1996).
703:
Movements after the British landing leading up to the battle
1471:
Battles of the American Revolutionary War in South Carolina
1058:
The History of Beaufort County, South Carolina: 1514â1861
1114:. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press.
1060:. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press.
1407:
1358:
1262:
1236:
1174:
784:
782:
780:
778:
737:The battle is commemorated by a highway marker on
826:
824:
1085:The American Revolution in the Southern Colonies
47:
767:
765:
734:occupied by the British during this campaign.
1152:
904:
902:
900:
881:
879:
877:
256:
27:1779 battle of the American Revolutionary War
8:
916:
914:
840:
838:
836:
668:, who had distinguished himself in the 1776
796:
794:
1159:
1145:
1137:
263:
249:
241:
44:
1168:South Carolina in the American Revolution
729:severe losses incurred in early March at
474:. The battle took place not long after
761:
466:, was fought on February 3, 1779, near
961:"National Register Information System"
526:with a mixed force composed mainly of
7:
966:National Register of Historic Places
940:"Battle of Port Royal Island Marker"
747:National Register of Historic Places
1461:Battles involving the United States
478:forces consolidated control around
1020:University of South Carolina Press
569:, arrived first, and successfully
25:
1290:Battle of Mobley's Meeting House
1227:
652:, the island's main settlement.
170:
156:
61:
1476:Beaufort County, South Carolina
1466:Battles involving Great Britain
985:"Port Royal Island Battlefield"
636:through the channel separating
1:
624:that had been converted to a
36:Battle of the Beaufort (1982)
1425:Battle of the Combahee River
1187:Siege of Savage's Old Fields
1087:. Jefferson, NC: McFarland.
546:by sending expeditions from
1435:British evacuate Charleston
1350:Battle of Blackstock's Farm
1254:Action of 11 September 1779
1202:Battle of Sullivan's Island
1083:Russell, David Lee (2000).
871:Rowland et al, pp. 216â217
670:Battle of Sullivan's Island
464:Battle of Port Royal Island
18:Battle of Port Royal Island
1507:
1192:Battle of Great Cane Brake
1037:O'Kelley, Patrick (2004).
990:American Battlefield Trust
751:American Battlefield Trust
582:Purrysburg, South Carolina
524:Purrysburg, South Carolina
472:American Revolutionary War
55:American Revolutionary War
29:
1415:Battle of Videau's Bridge
1225:
284:
222:
197:
182:
148:
78:
60:
52:
1491:Beaufort, South Carolina
1376:Battle of Hobkirk's Hill
1340:Battle of Tearcoat Swamp
1335:Battle of Kings Mountain
1275:Battle of Monck's Corner
1219:Battle of Lindley's Fort
1197:Battle of the Rice Boats
1110:Wilson, David K (2005).
743:Fort Lyttelton's remains
542:The British began their
468:Beaufort, South Carolina
1399:Battle of Eutaw Springs
1325:Battle of Musgrove Mill
1320:Battle of Fishing Creek
1305:Battle of Cedar Springs
1280:Battle of Lenud's Ferry
1014:Gordon, John W (2003).
741:near the battle site.
584:to oppose the British.
511:in late January 1779.
30:For the battle in the
1486:1779 in South Carolina
1430:Battle of James Island
1345:Battle of Fishdam Ford
1310:Battle of Hanging Rock
853:Rowland et al, p. 215
749:. As of mid-2023, the
704:
660:
183:Commanders and leaders
1330:Battle of Black Mingo
1295:Battle of Rocky Mount
1249:Battle of Stono Ferry
971:National Park Service
908:Rowland et al, p. 218
885:Rowland et al, p. 217
862:Wilson, pp. 52â53, 97
844:Rowland et al, p. 216
702:
658:
606:just up the coast in
223:Casualties and losses
121:32.50028°N 80.74361°W
73:Charles Willson Peale
1371:Siege of Fort Watson
809:Russell, pp. 100â103
580:at an encampment at
503:at the mouth of the
462:, also known as the
334:Moore's Creek Bridge
228:40 killed or wounded
1386:Siege of Ninety-Six
1381:Siege of Fort Motte
1270:Siege of Charleston
929:Wilson, pp. 101â112
678:Thomas Heyward, Jr.
544:"southern strategy"
307:Savage's Old Fields
126:32.50028; -80.74361
117: /
1244:Battle of Beaufort
745:are listed on the
705:
661:
638:Hilton Head Island
567:Archibald Campbell
564:Lieutenant Colonel
486:in December 1778.
460:Battle of Beaufort
430:Lake Pontchartrain
292:Gunpowder Incident
218:3 artillery pieces
48:Battle of Beaufort
1456:Conflicts in 1779
1443:
1442:
1366:Battle of Cowpens
1285:Battle of Waxhaws
1094:978-0-7864-0783-5
1067:978-1-57003-090-1
1029:978-1-57003-480-0
973:. March 13, 2009.
604:Port Royal Island
592:Augustine Prevost
589:Brigadier General
560:Savannah, Georgia
530:, but with a few
501:Port Royal Island
495:sent 200 British
493:Augustine Prevost
490:Brigadier General
484:they had captured
480:Savannah, Georgia
453:
452:
344:Sullivan's Island
239:
238:
144:
143:
96:Port Royal Island
16:(Redirected from
1498:
1420:Battle of Wambaw
1315:Battle of Camden
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666:William Moultrie
626:floating battery
622:ship of the line
578:Benjamin Lincoln
532:Continental Army
520:William Moultrie
516:Benjamin Lincoln
378:Alligator Bridge
312:Great Cane Brake
279:
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274:Southern theater
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258:
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192:William Moultrie
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140:American victory
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86:February 3, 1779
80:
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69:William Moultrie
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45:
32:1982 Lebanon War
21:
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1391:Capture of HMS
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674:Edward Rutledge
628:, was towed by
552:Saint Augustine
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415:Chesapeake raid
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188:William Gardner
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800:Wilson, p. 100
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739:U. S. Route 21
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690:Andrew Deveaux
685:
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608:South Carolina
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100:South Carolina
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1300:Huck's Defeat
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1212:Carolina Day
1111:
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994:. Retrieved
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944:. Retrieved
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727:
723:
706:
687:
662:
613:
586:
556:East Florida
541:
488:
463:
459:
457:
445:2nd Savannah
435:Charles Town
405:Kettle Creek
394:
388:
387:
383:1st Savannah
371:
370:
366:Thomas Creek
359:
358:
322:
321:
317:Great Bridge
286:
149:Belligerents
53:Part of the
40:
772:"Gardiner".
731:Brier Creek
619:unseaworthy
558:to capture
505:Broad River
440:Baton Rouge
420:Stono Ferry
410:Brier Creek
216:20 infantry
214:300 militia
124: /
1450:Categories
1008:References
946:2012-01-05
942:. HMDB.org
694:Laurel Bay
630:Royal Navy
598:and raise
538:Background
339:Rice Boats
235:22 wounded
112:80°44â˛37âłW
1130:232001108
1103:248087936
1076:194626437
1041:. Press.
757:Footnotes
725:wounded.
720:Aftermath
634:longboats
632:crews in
612:HMS
499:to seize
425:Fort Bute
400:Van Creek
278:1775â1779
109:32°30â˛1âłN
996:June 19,
709:bayonets
650:Beaufort
614:Vigilant
600:Loyalist
571:captured
497:regulars
482:, which
395:Beaufort
233:8 killed
205:infantry
198:Strength
91:Location
67:General
596:Augusta
528:militia
476:British
329:Norfolk
1393:Savage
1128:
1118:
1101:
1091:
1074:
1064:
1045:
1026:
713:musket
684:Battle
161:
137:Result
34:, see
617:, an
587:When
522:from
1408:1782
1359:1781
1263:1780
1237:1779
1175:1775
1126:OCLC
1116:ISBN
1099:OCLC
1089:ISBN
1072:OCLC
1062:ISBN
1043:ISBN
1024:ISBN
998:2023
676:and
646:60th
644:and
642:16th
550:and
458:The
389:1779
372:1778
360:1777
323:1776
287:1775
203:200
83:Date
507:in
1452::
1124:.
1097:.
1070:.
1022:.
1018:.
987:.
969:.
963:.
913:^
899:^
876:^
835:^
823:^
793:^
777:^
764:^
554:,
208:1
98:,
1160:e
1153:t
1146:v
1132:.
1105:.
1078:.
1051:.
1032:.
1000:.
949:.
264:e
257:t
250:v
38:.
20:)
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