Mike Parker: Revolutionary War began heating up during September 1775
While we usually think of the American Revolutionary War in terms of 1776, several significant military actions took place during 1775. Just a few of these include Lexington and Concord (Massachusetts) in April, the first battle of Fort Ticonderoga (New York) in May, and the Battle of Bunker Hill and Breed’s Hill (Massachusetts) in June.
During September, hostilities ramped up even more. To entice the French to join the side of the colonies, American forces made several assaults against British-occupied fortresses in Canada, such as the skirmishes of Ill Aux Noir, and skirmishes and a battle at Fort St. John.
Closer to North Carolina, the continental army faced the British for several engagements in South Carolina in the middle of September. On September 15, 1775, South Carolina’s Council of Safety ordered Col. William Moultrie of the SC 2nd Regiment to take Fort Johnson from the small British garrison there. The British, apparently tipped off, made a hasty escape with all their artillery before continental troops could attack.
Col. Moultrie ordered 150 men under the command of Lt. Col. Isaac Motte to take the fort. At around 11:00 p.m., his forces boarded the Carolina & Georgia packet and sailed for James Island. They landed a little above the fort. When September 15 dawned, only the men under Capt. Pinckney and Capt. Elliott companies were ashore. They decided they would not wait on Capt. Marion and his 50 men. They moved at once. When the continental troops arrived at the gates, they found the gates were open and the cannon dismounted. Of the British garrison, only the gunner Walker and four men were taken prisoner.
On that same day, a detachment of the Charles Town Artillery under Capt. Thomas Heyward, Jr., moved to Fort Johnson with his three cannons and their supplies. Now, the continental soldiers could defend the fort against British vessels.
At dawn on September 17, the HMS Tamar and the HMS Cherokee with the packet HMS Swallow sailed up and presented themselves within point-blank range of the fort. Although the continental forces expected an engagement to begin, the British vessels made only a demonstration and returned to their former anchorage off Charlestown harbor.
The Council of Safety felt that the small garrison would not be enough to hold the fort, so they again ordered Col. Moultrie to send additional forces to reinforce Fort Sullivan. A detachment of men, commanded by Maj. Owen Roberts, loaded his troops aboard two schooners at Gadsden’s Wharf and sailed for James Island. The continentals again were victorious in imposing their will over the British.
On September 18, at Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina, continental troops from Fort Moultrie attacked and seized a small vessel taking supplies from Charlestown to two British ships at anchor off Sullivan’s Island. The continentals seized 21 casks of water, one case and two bottles of liquor, and some brown sugar.
In response to this action, the British vessels Tamar and Scorpion blockaded Charlestown harbor. Five days later, the British seized the Charlestown merchant vessel Polly, owned by Benjamin and Isaac Huger.
British sailors captured earlier during the continental assault on Fort Johnson warned that a bomb ketch would be coming to Charlestown to attack Fort Johnson and then burn the town. This threat was realistic since the British had burned Charlestown, Massachusetts. The continental government of South Carolina declared a state of emergency
All three skirmishes went down as victories for the American continentals. They had thwarted the British Army and Navy, considered to be the most powerful army and navy in the world at that time. The continental officers had demonstrated an understanding of military tactics. The British were realizing that the continental military forces were not going to be defeated without stiff resistance.
Mike Parker is a columnist for the Neuse News. He drew much of this information from RevolutionaryWar.us. You can reach him at mparker16@gmail.com.
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