The Patriot fires blazed hot by the banks of the Broad River
on November 9, 1780. Colonel Thomas Taylor
had convinced General Sumter of prudent measures against an impending attack.
British Major Wemyss and his band of loyalists charged into
the light of the fires, intent on finally killing General Thomas Sumter and his
warriors. What they found was an empty
camp.
Confused and suddenly stifled by the shift in realities, the Red-Coats
began to feel about in search of their prey.
Silhouetted against the firelight they were easy targets for the Patriot
forces lying in the shadows and trees beyond the camp. A sudden and deadly fire quickly decimated
the British forces. Major Wemyss went
from hunter to hunted within moments.
Wemyss had a list of all of the homes and plantations that he had destroyed. Sumter is said to have burned that list for fear his men would seek immediate justice by killing the British commander.
Sumter, as a result of the decisive action of Colonel
Taylor, was able to claim victory over another of Cornwallis’ commanders.
Sumter’s men; having participated in the pivotal victory
over British Major Patrick Ferguson at King’s Mountain the month before, now
can claim their share of honors over a formidable leader of the eastern wing of
Cornwallis’ army.
Next up, another rematch against “Bloody” Tarleton.(1)
Freedom Reigns!
(1)
Parker’s Guide to the Revolutionary War in
South Carolina, John C. Parker Jr.
