British Return to their Violent Ways
So with momentum in the patriot's favor, the British again turn towards "making an example" of someone, a typical bully move.
1) The backstory to a hanging that took place on August 4, 1781 of 35 year old Issac Haynes, a much beloved planter/patriot in the Lowcountry region was that after the fall of Charleston early 1780, Haynes made a trip to Charleston to gather medical supplies as well as a doctor if possible for his gravely ill wife and children. The British would not allow him to go home without signing an oath of allegiance, which said he would not take up arms against his countrymen, which he did. By 1781 with the patriot popularity surging he was pressured toward signing on with the British in the loyalists ranks but at the same time he was courted by the patriots who understood that if Issac signed on, a couple other hundred men would also join the patriot cause. Spring 1781 Haynes was a Lt. Col. in the SC militia and in July 1781 he led a party to suburban Charleston and captured the "Benedict Arnold of the South" Andrew Williamson. Fearing that the Americans would execute Williamson, Balfour, the Charleston commander dispatched Thomas Fraser and 90 cavalry to rescue him. Williamson was rescued and Haynes was now a prisoner. At a summary trial, Haynes thought this was just a preliminary procedure but turned out he was sentenced to death by hanging. Despite pleas even from Charleston loyalists to spare this honorable man's life, after a brief time to say farewell to his family he was hanged, and he himself pulled the lever after a very honorable speech. The British won the short term effect, with Tory support rising but even the British Parliament condemned the act and even Greene and other patriot commanders were pressured to respond in kind (not Marion however). Eventually, the patriots did not stoop to a tit-for-tat response but Marion got permission to go after the Brit who captured Haynes, Thomas Fraser.
2) The the tide favoring the Tories in the Lowcountry, local partisan leader William Harden saw his forces dwindle. He had success up until then in the Charleston to Savannah corridor but now needed assistance. Mid-August 1781 with Cornwallis long gone to Virginia and now encamped at Yorktown, Marion and his two hundred troops plus another 35 mounted troops from Horry and Mahem's units, everyone on horseback went the 100 miles to the Ashepoo River Horseshoe region where a Brit force commanded by a German officer Ludwig von Benning including 180 Hessians, 150 Redcoats, 130 Tories and 80 dragoons under Fraser.
3) The British were not expecting a fight as they were out and about gathering rice and cattle to ship to Charleston to feed the troops there. Because this was a much larger force than Marion's, this was a perfect Marion ambush scenario. Marion attempted to engage the Brits on August 27th with posted guards from the Georgia militia, these men were spooked when the Brits approached the causeway ambush spot. Marion then found another causeway August 30th between von Benning's troops and about 100 Tories at the Edisto River that led to Charleston. The Brits were actually camped at Issac Haynes plantation where his fresh grave was. The causeway was lined on either side at 40 yards distance with patriot riflemen, another groups of men under Harden were positioned to charge forward once the enemy was engaged and a third group mounted swordsmen under Cooper (under Harden) were set to bring up the rear in this trap.
4) The battle itself was set off prematurely when according to legend, on of the militia's white feathered caps was spotted by the advanced Tory guard coming from the river. These men were driven off but the shooting got the attention of von Benning who came from the other direction towards the fight and he ordered the 25 year old Scotsman Fraser and his cavalry into the fray. This is where the term "running the gauntlet" came from as coming down the causeway there was no way to reverse themselves and had to complete the causeway crossing and resulted in 20 dead and dozens more wounded. Another 60 Brits were wounded compared to 3 patriots wounded and only 1 killed. This Marion victory could be been more effective if the Harden militia units had engaged, but both ignored Marion's orders and as the Georgia men had never fought with Marion before (poor excuse since Marion had come to Harden's aid and request). To add insult to injury, some of Harden's men mistakenly claimed they were being flanked wich allowed von Benning's men to escape without further losses. Praise from Continental military in the North for Marion's efforts came streaming in and Marion himself praised his own leaders as behaving like true "Sons of Liberty". This event near Parker's Ferry was Marion's biggest win to date. But it was his next assignment from Greene that would be even more important should the Brits call for a truce or treaty at this point of the war as control of lands would determine the conditions set forth.
Stay tuned for Eutaw Springs, SC, an epic face-off between British and rebels on an open field in early September 1781.
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