In the Bridges Campaign of the American Revolutionary War in South Carolina the British set out to find the elusive Francis Marion. Marion, understanding the need to bottle neck the superior force of British coming after him, chose to fight at places like Wyboo Swamp (3/8/1781), Mount Hope Swamp Bridge (3/9/1781), and the Kingstree Lower Bridge (3/11/1781).
The British found themselves stymied by the stout defense put up by Marion and his men, especially those of Captain McCottry’s 30 riflemen.
Using the terrain to their advantage, Captain McCottry and his men rained down a lethal fire on the British artillerymen who were struggling to bring their guns to bear. When British Lieutenant Colonel John Watson ordered a frontal assault across the river at Kingstree, McCottry’s men singled out the Captain of the force and brought him down. Again and again, the British would suffer setbacks and lose lives.
Ultimately, Lieutenant Colonel Watson turned toward Georgetown in an effort to rest and resupply. General Marion sent a flying force to challenge the British at the Sampit River, while he and his men engaged the British rear guard.
On March 20, 1781, Marion had the British between his main force and the river. Furiously the Patriots of the flying column worked to pull the boards off of the Sampit bridge. The British ignored the bridge and, with bayonets fixed, plunged directly into the water and forded it. A company of Patriot riflemen under Lieutenant John Scott failed to engage the British at that critical moment, and General Marion was forced to give up the chase.
The Bridges Campaign was a brilliant and tactical victory for General Marion and his South Carolina troops. Whereas, they were initially the target of the British force, they effectively engaged the redcoats at multiple choke points and ultimately became the hunter by the end of the campaign.
Historyman Comics memorializes some of the battles in the volume, A Bitter Spring for Snow, The Raid on Snow Island, March 27, 1781.
Freedom Reigns!