Battle of Beaufort facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Beaufort |
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| Part of the American Revolutionary War | |||||||
 General William Moultrie, portrait by Charles Willson Peale |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Great Britain |
 United States |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| William Gardner | William Moultrie | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 200 infantry 1 artillery piece |
300 militia 20 infantry 3 artillery pieces |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 40 killed or wounded 7–12 captured |
8 killed 22 wounded |
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The Battle of Beaufort, also known as the Battle of Port Royal Island, happened on February 3, 1779. It took place near Beaufort, South Carolina, during the American Revolutionary War. This battle occurred shortly after British forces took control of Savannah, Georgia, in December 1778.
General Augustine Prevost sent 200 British soldiers to capture Port Royal Island. This island is located at the mouth of the Broad River in South Carolina. General Benjamin Lincoln, the American commander in the south, sent William Moultrie to stop the British. Moultrie led a group mostly made up of local fighters called militia, plus some Continental Army soldiers. The battle didn't have a clear winner at first. However, the British left the area first and had more soldiers killed or hurt than the Americans.
Why the Battle Happened
The British started their "southern strategy" by sending troops from New York City and Saint Augustine, Florida. Their goal was to capture Savannah, Georgia in late 1778. Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Campbell arrived first from New York. His forces successfully captured Savannah on December 29, 1778.
The American defenders from Savannah joined with South Carolina militia. They set up camp under General Benjamin Lincoln at Purrysburg, South Carolina. Their aim was to fight against the British. When General Augustine Prevost arrived from Saint Augustine in mid-January 1779, he took command. He then sent Campbell to take control of Augusta, Georgia. Prevost also wanted to find American colonists who supported the British, known as Loyalists.
Prevost then decided to send soldiers to Port Royal Island in South Carolina. He believed many Loyalists lived there. On January 29, a British ship, HMS Vigilant, was towed by smaller boats. It carried 200 soldiers from the 16th and 60th Regiments. These soldiers were led by Major William Gardner. Their orders were to take control of Beaufort, South Carolina, the main town on the island.
The only major fort on Port Royal Island was Fort Lyttelton. It was guarded by American soldiers led by Captain John DeTreville. When DeTreville learned the British were coming, he made the fort's cannons unusable. He also blew up the main part of the fort. This was to prevent the British from using it.
General Lincoln found out that communication with Port Royal Island was cut off. He sent South Carolina General William Moultrie to help. Moultrie was famous for his bravery in the 1776 Battle of Sullivan's Island. He led 300 men, mostly local militia from the Beaufort area. His force also included some Continental Army soldiers. Two groups of artillery (cannon) soldiers from Charleston joined them. These groups were led by former Congressmen Edward Rutledge and Thomas Heyward, Jr.. Moultrie's force arrived at the Port Royal ferry on January 31. They crossed to the island on February 1 and took over Beaufort.
The Battle of Beaufort
Major Gardner's British soldiers landed on Port Royal Island on February 2. They landed at the plantation of Andrew Deveaux, a Loyalist. Gardner sent some soldiers to guard the ferry. These soldiers ran away when they met American troops. Gardner then moved his main force towards Beaufort to fight the Americans.
Early on February 3, General Moultrie learned the British were nearby. He moved his forces out of town. The two armies met near the highest point on Port Royal Island, a place called Gray's Hill. It was about 3 miles (4.8 km) south of the ferry.
Gardner's men lined up at the edge of some woods near the top of the hill. They moved forward with their bayonets ready. The Americans approached and lined up in an open field. They stayed out of range of the British muskets. General Moultrie placed two six-pound cannons in the middle of his line. He put a smaller two-pound cannon on the right.
The Americans then moved towards the British. Moultrie noted that the fighting was "reversed from the usual way." The British were hiding in the bushes, while the Americans were in the open. The Americans fired their cannons first, then their muskets. The battle lasted about 45 minutes. The Americans were starting to run out of ammunition. Moultrie began to pull his troops back. At the same time, the British also started to retreat. This left the battlefield to the Americans. A small group of American horsemen chased the British. They almost cut them off from their boats. They captured 26 men, but couldn't hold all of them because there were so few Americans.
What Happened Next
The British lost about 40 soldiers who were killed or wounded. They also had between 7 and 12 men captured. Some British soldiers who later left their army said that almost half of Gardner's men were hit by American fire. The Americans had fewer losses, with only 8 killed and 22 wounded.
General Prevost criticized Gardner for his heavy losses. He felt Gardner went too far from his boats. However, Gardner didn't get the Loyalist support he expected. This victory, where mostly local militia beat trained British soldiers, greatly boosted American spirits.
Later, in early March, the Americans suffered losses at the Battle of Brier Creek. This delayed their plans to attack Prevost's forces in Georgia. When Lincoln finally moved troops towards Augusta in April, Prevost marched towards Charleston. He only managed to block the city for a short time before going back to Savannah. Port Royal Island was taken over by the British again during this time.
Today, a highway marker on U. S. Route 21 remembers the battle. The remains of Fort Lyttelton are listed as a historic place.
Images for kids
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A 1779 map of the area, showing how forces reached Port Royal Island. British movements are in red, American movements in blue.
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Movements after the British landing leading up to the battle.
