Battle of Rocky Mount facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Rocky Mount
Part of the American Revolutionary War
Date July 31 or August 1, 1780 Location near present-day Great Falls, South Carolina Result Loyalist victory
Belligerents
Patriot militia	Loyalist militia
Commanders and leaders
Thomas Sumter	George Turnbull
Strength
300 militia	600 militia
Casualties and losses
12 killed and wounded	20 killed and wounded

The Battle of Rocky Mount happened on August 1, 1780. It was part of the American Revolutionary War. In this battle, about 600 British supporters, called Loyalists, fought against 300 American fighters, known as Patriots.

The Loyalists were led by Lieutenant Colonel George Turnbull. They were defending an outpost in northern South Carolina. The Patriots were led by Colonel Thomas Sumter. The Loyalists successfully defended their position.

Why the Battle Happened

British Plan in the South

In 1779 and early 1780, the British had a plan. They wanted to take back control of their colonies in the southern part of America. This plan was called the "southern strategy." It worked well at first.

The British took over Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina. They also defeated the American army in South Carolina. This happened at the Battle of Waxhaws on May 29, 1780.

British Outposts

After these victories, the British controlled both South Carolina and Georgia. They set up small military bases, called outposts. These outposts helped them find new Loyalists to join their side. They also helped them stop any American Patriot groups.

One of these outposts was at Rocky Mount. It was located near Rocky Creek and the Catawba River. Today, this area is close to Great Falls, South Carolina. A group of soldiers called the New York Volunteers were stationed there. Their leader was Lieutenant Colonel George Turnbull.

Patriots Get Ready to Fight

Thomas Sumter's Militia

After the big defeat at Waxhaws, the American army was not well organized. But some Patriot leaders started to gather their own groups of fighters. These groups were called militias.

One of these leaders was Colonel Thomas Sumter. In June 1780, he began to build a militia force. He got help from officials in North Carolina. At first, his group was small. But more people joined after the Patriots won a battle called Huck's Defeat on July 12. By late July, Sumter had several hundred men. He decided it was time to act.

Planning the Attack

Sumter's main goal was to attack the British outpost at Rocky Mount. He had heard that the defenses there might be weak. This was good news because Sumter did not have any large cannons, called field artillery.

However, the person who gave Sumter this information might have been a double agent. Soon after, Turnbull, the British commander, made Rocky Mount's defenses much stronger. They could now stop musket fire.

On July 28, Sumter moved his group of about 600 men. They went to Land's Ford, a place to cross the Catawba River. There, Sumter met Major William Davie. Davie led a group of horse soldiers called dragoons. They decided that Davie would create a distraction. He would attack another outpost. Sumter would then attack Rocky Mount.

The Battle Begins

Davie's Diversion

The fighting started early on July 30. Major Davie and his dragoons rode to a British outpost called Hanging Rock. This outpost was south of today's Heath Springs, South Carolina.

Davie's men surprised a group of Loyalists camped outside the fort. They caused damage and took 60 horses. The attack happened so fast that the British soldiers inside the fort could not respond.

Sumter's Attack on Rocky Mount

Sumter's attack did not go as well. Turnbull had made the defenses at Rocky Mount very strong. Sumter's men could not break through them.

They fought for several hours without success. Then, they tried to set fire to the defenses. But a heavy rainstorm started. The rain put out the fires and ended the battle.

What Happened Next

Sumter's forces did not lose many men in the battle. A few days later, Sumter went on to successfully attack Hanging Rock.