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| A simple granite marker on the spot where the British outpost at Rocky Mount sat in 1780-81 marks the site of the battle of Rocky Mount on August 1, 1780. The marker is located on SR 20 2.4 miles from HWY 21 in Fairfield County, just south of the town of Great Falls, SC. |
The Battle Of Rocky Mount
Sumter Goes On The Offensive
Tuesday, August 1, 1780
By: C.W. Roden
(Part 7 or a 15 part series)
In the aftermath of Huck's Defeat at Williamson Plantation, General Thomas Sumter received word from his camp at Old Nations Ford near Charlotte, NC that Major General Horatio Gates "The Hero of Saratoga" had arrived in North Carolina, and assumed command of the Southern Department from Major General Johann de Kalb. Gate's Southern Army now consisted of around 1,200 Maryland and Delaware Continentals, 120 dragoons, and three artillery companies.
Intelligence gathered by Sumter's partisans showed that the British army stationed at Camden has only around 700 soldiers. Gates would soon begin a campaign to invader and take back the State of South Carolina from the British occupation.
Sumter, now with a brigade of around 600 Patriot militia under his command, was eager to start his own campaign to drive the British and Loyalist forces from their northern outposts at Rocky Mount and Hanging Rock. Sumter's forces consisted of the militia from the upper
Broad and Catawba River district (Chester County) were commanded by now
Colonel John McClure, while Colonels Andrew Neel and William "Billy" Hill commanded the
reconstituted New Acquisitions District (York County). Colonel William Bratton
now commanded a smaller battalion of volunteers formed from the
congregations of Bethesda, Beersheba, and Bullock's Creek churches. Also joining Sumter's forces were 35 Catawba Indians led by General New River, with General Billy
Ayers and Major Jacob Ayers.
On Friday, July 28th, he broke camp and moved his brigade down to Land's Ford (now Landsford Canal State Park) an important crossing on the Catawba River between modern-day Chester and Lancaster Counties, where he was joined by Major William Richardson Davie and his dragoons, along with additional militia from Mecklenburg, Rowan, and the Waxhaws.
Born into a Scottish family in Cumberland, England, he emigrated with his family to America and grew up from age five in South Carolina. Because he carried out his civil and political life in North Carolina and later in life retired to Lands Ford (Landsford) on the Catawba River in South Carolina, Davie is claimed by both States. Among other achievements after the war, Davie would become governor of North Carolina and the founder of the University of North Carolina.
During the summer and fall of 1780, Davie used his own funds to raise and equip his own force of cavalry and mounted infantry. Noted for his dash and courage, as well as his excellent swordsmanship, by the end of the war Davie was reputed to have killed with his own saber more of the enemy than any other officer in the American army.
Also among Major Davie's militia was a 13 year old boy from the Waxhaws who'd previously witnessed the bloody results of Buford's Massacre, Andrew Jackson, the future 7th President of the United States of America. Jackson served as a courier for Davie's militia and often had to deliver dispatches through hostile territory, as the South Carolina backcountry was in the summer and fall of 1780.
Born into a Scottish family in Cumberland, England, he emigrated with his family to America and grew up from age five in South Carolina. Because he carried out his civil and political life in North Carolina and later in life retired to Lands Ford (Landsford) on the Catawba River in South Carolina, Davie is claimed by both States. Among other achievements after the war, Davie would become governor of North Carolina and the founder of the University of North Carolina.
During the summer and fall of 1780, Davie used his own funds to raise and equip his own force of cavalry and mounted infantry. Noted for his dash and courage, as well as his excellent swordsmanship, by the end of the war Davie was reputed to have killed with his own saber more of the enemy than any other officer in the American army.
Also among Major Davie's militia was a 13 year old boy from the Waxhaws who'd previously witnessed the bloody results of Buford's Massacre, Andrew Jackson, the future 7th President of the United States of America. Jackson served as a courier for Davie's militia and often had to deliver dispatches through hostile territory, as the South Carolina backcountry was in the summer and fall of 1780.
There along the banks of the Catawba River on the afternoon of July 30th, Sumter made the plans for the campaign. His forces would attack the Rocky Mount outpost, while Davie's militia would move towards Hanging Rock and later be joined by Sumter once Rocky Mount was secure.
Rocky Mount
Rocky Mount
Rocky Mount itself consisted of three logs buildings surrounded by wooden and earthen abatis as fortification against attacks. The buildings themselves were wooden clapboard siding on the outside, but another wall had been built on the inside to fortify them better against rifle fire.
Since learning the news of Huck's defeat, Lt. Colonel George Turnbull predicted that the rebels would soon pay him a visit, and made efforts to strengthen his defenses against an attack by Patriot militia. He had in his garrison about 150 British Provincials, including the remaining members of Huck's unit of the British Legion cavalry and New York Volunteers that escaped the disaster at Williamson Plantation, along with some local Loyalist militia that he no longer held any confidence in.
Sumter's force of 600 Patriot militia arrived at Rocky Mount early the next morning and demanded that Turnbull surrender the fort. The British officer refused.
Believing that the intelligence he received that the wooden buildings of Rocky Mount were of "flimsy construction" Sumter ordered a bold frontal attack. Sumter's force had no cannons, and attempted to penetrate the abatis and the buildings with rifle fire. It was during this attack that Colonel Andrew Neel was killed by Loyalist rifle and musket fire.
Over the next eight hours, there were several repeated attempts by the Patriots to break through the abatis, or destroy the buildings. Sumter found to his dismay that the intelligence about the strength of the fort was wrong.
A final plan was hatched where two men would cross over open ground under cover fire from their comrades, get behind a large rock near the buildings and attempt to set the buildings on fire with torches and smoke out the Loyalists.
Colonel William Hill himself volunteered for the desperate venture along with a young soldier named Jemmy Johnson. Hill and Johnson raced the 100 yards of open ground to the bolder under intense fire from the three houses. Before they could ignite and hurl their firebrands, the Loyalists rushed out of the house and drove the two men back to the Partisan lines with their bayonets. The two volunteers tried again, this time protected by a heavy covering fire from an advanced screen of riflemen. The two men again reached the rock, lit the brands, then threw them onto the shingles of the smaller log house.
The plan seemed to work, despite Johnson being seriously wounded in the action. The roof of the smaller house began to smoke, and then a small blaze began. However one of the South's infamous summer downpours occurred shortly afterwards and extinguished the fire before it could do serious damage.
Completely frustrated in his failure to storm the post, Sumter was then forced to accept defeat and ordered his men to withdraw, suffering eight dead and several wounded. After leaving Rocky Mount, Sumter moved his men back to Lands Ford and his planned rejoining with Davie's forces.
Richard Winn wrote that the next day on August 2nd the Rocky Mount garrison was reinforced with “eight hundred men and two field pieces.” These troops were the Prince of Wales American Regiment, a Loyalist Provincial force under the command of Major John Carden, which had marched from the British base at Camden to reinforce Hanging Rock.
Sumter was unable to move his campsite until the 3rd, due to the high water at Rocky Creek caused by all the rain. At 11 o’clock in the afternoon Sumter crossed the creek with his force, and halted. The partisans “turned out their horses and scattered about in search of roasting ears and green peaches.” This was all the men had to eat at the time.
While they were searching for food an alarm was sounded that Carden’s force was less than a mile away, and they had two pieces of artillery. Carden had stopped at Rocky Mount prior to continuing his march to Hanging Rock. Sumter was caught in the open and decided wisely not to fight the Loyalists.
He ordered Colonel Winn to take 100 men and delay Carden until they could all withdraw. Winn sent two men ahead, while he gathered the first 100 men who reached their horses. The two men that Winn sent ahead was Captain Coleman from Georgia, and young William Stroud Jr. These two men ventured too close to the British and were captured. The Loyalists had them “stript naked and immediately hung up by the side of the road.”
The two sides exchanged long-range fire, but did not get close enough to become engaged in a major skirmish. Colonel Andrew Neal ventured too close to the fight, and was shot out of his saddle. The bullet went in one hip and out the other side. He died on the side of the road, near the Loyalist forces. Another partisan with Winn was wounded.
Major Carden did not anticipate finding hundreds of mounted partisans, and withdrew down the road back to Rocky Mount. Winn pursued them at a distance, but broke off as they neared Rocky Mount. The day after the skirmish Colonel Hawthorne was sent under a flag of truce to bury Colonel Neal. Hawthorne reported that he thought the Loyalists had lost twelve to fourteen men killed and wounded.
Diversionary Engagement At Hanging Rock
At the same time as Sumter's assault on Rocky Mount, Major Davie with his force of less than 100 mounted infantry and dragoons planned a diversionary attack 15 miles east at Hanging Rock.
Davie knew his force was too small to take on the and British Provincials and Loyalist militia at the post, but he did find three companies of North Carolina Loyalists under Colonel Samuel Bryan at a farmhouse some distance from, but still in view of, the main camp at Hanging Rock.
Taking advantage of the fact the neither the Patriot or Loyalist militia wore uniforms, only their common farmer and civilian attire, Davie sent half of his men past the sentries and the house. They were not stopped, or even questioned at all. They rode unchallenged past the Loyalist sentinels, dismounted in a lane near the buildings, and opened fire. The other half waited until their comrades opened fire, catching the surprised Loyalists in a deadly crossfire.
The Loyalists fled toward the other end of the lane, but Major Davie had sent his dragoons on a circular path through the woods in anticipation. Cut off at both ends, the Loyalists tried the middle, but Major Davie also predicted that move and sent a small number of dragoons to close that escape route.
The Loyalists were cut to pieces within sight of their companions in the main camp. Before the main Tory force could be organized, Major Davie's troops remounted and withdrew from the scene back towards Lands Ford. Loyalist casualties are not recorded. Major Davie did not lose a man.
Aftermath
The failed attack on Rocky Mount cost the Patriot militia one of their best militia commanders, though the destruction inflicted by Davie near Hanging Rock made up somewhat for the loss.
Sumter was now moving to join up with Davie a few days later and their combined strength would be enough to take on the main British forces at Hanging Rock on Sunday, August 6, 1780, which will be explored in the next chapter in this series.
Since learning the news of Huck's defeat, Lt. Colonel George Turnbull predicted that the rebels would soon pay him a visit, and made efforts to strengthen his defenses against an attack by Patriot militia. He had in his garrison about 150 British Provincials, including the remaining members of Huck's unit of the British Legion cavalry and New York Volunteers that escaped the disaster at Williamson Plantation, along with some local Loyalist militia that he no longer held any confidence in.
Sumter's force of 600 Patriot militia arrived at Rocky Mount early the next morning and demanded that Turnbull surrender the fort. The British officer refused.
Believing that the intelligence he received that the wooden buildings of Rocky Mount were of "flimsy construction" Sumter ordered a bold frontal attack. Sumter's force had no cannons, and attempted to penetrate the abatis and the buildings with rifle fire. It was during this attack that Colonel Andrew Neel was killed by Loyalist rifle and musket fire.
Over the next eight hours, there were several repeated attempts by the Patriots to break through the abatis, or destroy the buildings. Sumter found to his dismay that the intelligence about the strength of the fort was wrong.
A final plan was hatched where two men would cross over open ground under cover fire from their comrades, get behind a large rock near the buildings and attempt to set the buildings on fire with torches and smoke out the Loyalists.
Colonel William Hill himself volunteered for the desperate venture along with a young soldier named Jemmy Johnson. Hill and Johnson raced the 100 yards of open ground to the bolder under intense fire from the three houses. Before they could ignite and hurl their firebrands, the Loyalists rushed out of the house and drove the two men back to the Partisan lines with their bayonets. The two volunteers tried again, this time protected by a heavy covering fire from an advanced screen of riflemen. The two men again reached the rock, lit the brands, then threw them onto the shingles of the smaller log house.
The plan seemed to work, despite Johnson being seriously wounded in the action. The roof of the smaller house began to smoke, and then a small blaze began. However one of the South's infamous summer downpours occurred shortly afterwards and extinguished the fire before it could do serious damage.
Completely frustrated in his failure to storm the post, Sumter was then forced to accept defeat and ordered his men to withdraw, suffering eight dead and several wounded. After leaving Rocky Mount, Sumter moved his men back to Lands Ford and his planned rejoining with Davie's forces.
Richard Winn wrote that the next day on August 2nd the Rocky Mount garrison was reinforced with “eight hundred men and two field pieces.” These troops were the Prince of Wales American Regiment, a Loyalist Provincial force under the command of Major John Carden, which had marched from the British base at Camden to reinforce Hanging Rock.
Sumter was unable to move his campsite until the 3rd, due to the high water at Rocky Creek caused by all the rain. At 11 o’clock in the afternoon Sumter crossed the creek with his force, and halted. The partisans “turned out their horses and scattered about in search of roasting ears and green peaches.” This was all the men had to eat at the time.
 | |
| Granite marker honoring the memory of young William Stroud, a sharpshooter in Col. Edward Lacey’s Rocky Creek Militia, hanged on August 3, 1780 about two miles from Hanging Rock battlefield. Stroud’s body was left on display for three weeks before Colonel Lacey and William’s mother cut his body down and buried him under the tree from which he was hanged. |
While they were searching for food an alarm was sounded that Carden’s force was less than a mile away, and they had two pieces of artillery. Carden had stopped at Rocky Mount prior to continuing his march to Hanging Rock. Sumter was caught in the open and decided wisely not to fight the Loyalists.
He ordered Colonel Winn to take 100 men and delay Carden until they could all withdraw. Winn sent two men ahead, while he gathered the first 100 men who reached their horses. The two men that Winn sent ahead was Captain Coleman from Georgia, and young William Stroud Jr. These two men ventured too close to the British and were captured. The Loyalists had them “stript naked and immediately hung up by the side of the road.”
The two sides exchanged long-range fire, but did not get close enough to become engaged in a major skirmish. Colonel Andrew Neal ventured too close to the fight, and was shot out of his saddle. The bullet went in one hip and out the other side. He died on the side of the road, near the Loyalist forces. Another partisan with Winn was wounded.
Major Carden did not anticipate finding hundreds of mounted partisans, and withdrew down the road back to Rocky Mount. Winn pursued them at a distance, but broke off as they neared Rocky Mount. The day after the skirmish Colonel Hawthorne was sent under a flag of truce to bury Colonel Neal. Hawthorne reported that he thought the Loyalists had lost twelve to fourteen men killed and wounded.
Diversionary Engagement At Hanging Rock
At the same time as Sumter's assault on Rocky Mount, Major Davie with his force of less than 100 mounted infantry and dragoons planned a diversionary attack 15 miles east at Hanging Rock.
Davie knew his force was too small to take on the and British Provincials and Loyalist militia at the post, but he did find three companies of North Carolina Loyalists under Colonel Samuel Bryan at a farmhouse some distance from, but still in view of, the main camp at Hanging Rock.
Taking advantage of the fact the neither the Patriot or Loyalist militia wore uniforms, only their common farmer and civilian attire, Davie sent half of his men past the sentries and the house. They were not stopped, or even questioned at all. They rode unchallenged past the Loyalist sentinels, dismounted in a lane near the buildings, and opened fire. The other half waited until their comrades opened fire, catching the surprised Loyalists in a deadly crossfire.
The Loyalists fled toward the other end of the lane, but Major Davie had sent his dragoons on a circular path through the woods in anticipation. Cut off at both ends, the Loyalists tried the middle, but Major Davie also predicted that move and sent a small number of dragoons to close that escape route.
The Loyalists were cut to pieces within sight of their companions in the main camp. Before the main Tory force could be organized, Major Davie's troops remounted and withdrew from the scene back towards Lands Ford. Loyalist casualties are not recorded. Major Davie did not lose a man.
Aftermath
The failed attack on Rocky Mount cost the Patriot militia one of their best militia commanders, though the destruction inflicted by Davie near Hanging Rock made up somewhat for the loss.
Sumter was now moving to join up with Davie a few days later and their combined strength would be enough to take on the main British forces at Hanging Rock on Sunday, August 6, 1780, which will be explored in the next chapter in this series.
For
more information about the Battle of Rocky Mount and its significance
to American history please consult the following sources that were used
to help
with this blog post:
The outstanding books: The Day It Rained Militia by Michael C. Scoggins (2005) ISBN 1-59629-015-3
Partisans & Redcoats: The Southern Conflict That Turned The Tide of the American Revolution by Walter Edgar (2001) ISBN 0-308-97760-5
South Carolina's Revolutionary War Battlefields: A Tour Guide by R.L. Barbour (2002) ISBN 1-58980-008-7
South Carolina's Revolutionary War Battlefields: A Tour Guide by R.L. Barbour (2002) ISBN 1-58980-008-7
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