Battle of Eutaw Springs facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Eutaw Springs |
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| Part of the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783) | |||||||
.jpg) A picture showing the Battle of Eutaw Springs |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United States |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Nathanael Greene |
 Alexander Stewart |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 2,200 | 2,000 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 119 killed 382 wounded 60 captured 18 missing Total 579 |
85 killed 297 wounded 70 wounded prisoners 430 captured (foragers captured before the battle) Total 882 |
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The Battle of Eutaw Springs was a big fight during the American Revolutionary War. It was the last major battle of the war in the Carolinas. Both sides, the Americans and the British, said they won.
Contents
Why the battle happened
In early 1781, American Major General Nathanael Greene led the Southern army. His goal was to remove British control from the South Carolina countryside. He first tried to capture the British village of Ninety Six.
On May 22, 1781, Greene's army surrounded Ninety Six. After almost a month, Greene learned that British help was coming. This help was led by Lord Rawdon from Charleston.
Greene's troops attacked Ninety Six on June 18, but they were pushed back. To avoid fighting Rawdon's fresh troops, Greene retreated. Rawdon chased Greene for a few days. But he stopped because his soldiers were tired and he didn't have enough supplies.
Even though Ninety Six was the last British outpost inland, Rawdon decided to burn it. He then moved his soldiers to Charleston. Rawdon was not well and sailed to England in August. Colonel Alexander Stewart took command in Charleston.
On July 16, Greene moved his tired army to a camp. This allowed his main force to rest. Smaller American groups kept bothering the British. By September 4, Greene's army was camped near Fort Motte.
On August 13, Colonel Stewart led about 2,000 men from Orangeburg. He then moved back to Eutaw Springs on August 27. This area is now in Orangeburg County.
Who fought and how they were organized
On September 8, 1781, Greene's army started marching towards Eutaw Springs. It was about 7 miles (11 km) away.
The American army had several groups. Lieutenant Colonel Henry Lee's Legion was at the front. South Carolina troops followed them. Then came soldiers led by Brigadier General Francis Marion. Next were militia from North Carolina and South Carolina.
The main part of Greene's army was made of Continental Army troops. These included battalions from North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland. Lieutenant Colonel William Washington led mounted troops. Captain Robert Kirkwood led Delaware infantry.
Greene's army also had cannons. In total, Greene had about 2,400 men. About 200 of them stayed behind to guard supplies.
Colonel Stewart had between 1,800 and 2,000 British troops. His main forces were British regular soldiers. He also had Loyalist groups from America. These included DeLancey's Brigade and John Coffin's South Carolina Tories. Stewart also had several cannons.
The battle begins
Stewart had been sending out groups each morning to find food. These groups were not well-armed. Around 8:00 AM on September 8, Captain John Coffin's British scouting group met an American scouting group. Coffin chased the Americans, who led him into a trap.
Henry Lee's American troops attacked Coffin. Coffin escaped, but lost many men. The Americans then found Stewart's food-gathering groups. They captured about 400 British soldiers.
Greene's army, with about 2,200 men, now moved towards Stewart's camp. Stewart, warned by Coffin, quickly got his soldiers ready. When the Americans saw the British, they formed three lines. The militia were in front, followed by the main American troops.
The Americans attacked at 9:00 AM with cannons. The militia then moved forward. They fought hand-to-hand with the British. Some militia got scared, but others fought bravely. They fired many shots before being replaced by the North Carolina Continentals.
The North Carolina Continentals stopped the British advance. But they were pushed back by a British bayonet charge. They then regrouped and stopped the British again.
Greene then sent the Maryland and Virginia Continentals forward. This pushed the British back towards their camp. However, two British groups kept fighting. One was at the Brick House, and another was on the northern side.
Washington's cavalry tried to defeat the group on the northern side. But Washington was thrown from his horse, wounded, and captured. He was a prisoner for the rest of the war. The British group then moved back towards the Brick House.
The Brick House became a key point in the battle. An American cannon attack on the house failed. The house helped the British regroup and rejoin the fight. The British then attacked the American side.
At this point, Greene ordered his army to retreat. They took all their wounded soldiers with them. Greene's army marched back in an organized way. Greene later said that only the Brick House and the strong British position stopped them from capturing the whole British army.
Casualties
The British reported that they lost 85 killed, 351 wounded, and 257 missing. However, Greene said he captured 500 prisoners, including 70 wounded. When Stewart moved his camp, he left 54 wounded soldiers behind. These were counted in his report.
If we include the captured food-gathering party, the total British losses were about 85 killed, 297 wounded, 70 wounded prisoners, and 430 other prisoners.
The American losses were reported in a few ways. The final report said 119 killed, 382 wounded, and 78 missing. The British captured 60 Americans, including the wounded Colonel William Washington, and two cannons.
What happened after the battle?
Rain stopped the battle from continuing the next day. Stewart buried his dead soldiers. He also destroyed supplies, including 1,000 muskets. He then retreated towards Moncks Corner, leaving 70 wounded soldiers behind. Greene chased Stewart for a while. Stewart was then close enough to get help from the British in Charleston.
Stewart wrote a letter saying he had "totally defeated" Greene. Greene wrote to George Washington saying it was the "most obstinate fight" he had ever seen. He believed victory was theirs.
Some historians say the British won the battle. But Christine Swager argues that the Americans held part of the battlefield. She also says Greene wanted to fight again, but bad weather stopped him.
Neither army left the area for at least a day after the battle. When Greene pulled back, he left soldiers to watch for the British. Stewart moved his remaining troops towards Charleston.
Even though the British claimed victory, they lost in the long run. They could not stop Greene's actions. This forced them to give up most of their control in the South. They only held a few places like Wilmington, Charleston, and Savannah. The British plan to control the South with Loyalist help failed. This happened even before Lord Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown.
Lord Edward Fitzgerald, who later became a famous Irish rebel, was a British officer in this battle. He was badly wounded.
The Continental Congress gave Greene a gold medal for his actions.
The State Song of South Carolina mentions the battle with the line "Point to Eutaw's Battle Bed."
The Eutaw Springs Battleground Park was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. Groups have also helped save parts of the battlefield.
Images for kids
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A modern view of the Eutaw Springs battlefield
See also
In Spanish: Batalla de Eutaw Springs para niños
