Fort Motte facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Fort Motte Battle Site
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 Location in South Carolina
Location in the United States
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| Location | Calhoun County, South Carolina |
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| Nearest city | St. Matthews, South Carolina |
| Area | 5 acres (2.0 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 72001195 |
| Added to NRHP | November 9, 1972 |
Fort Motte was originally a large farm called Mt. Joseph Plantation. During the American Revolutionary War, in 1780, the British army took it over. They turned the main house into a strong military base in what is now South Carolina.
This fort was very important to the British. It served as a supply stop for their convoys. These convoys carried goods between Camden and Charleston, which the British controlled. The fort was located near the Congaree River, about 90-95 miles from Charleston.
The British made the big house and its surroundings very strong. It became known as Fort Motte, named after Rebecca Brewton Motte. She and her family had been living there. During the Siege of Fort Motte by American Patriots, the plantation house was set on fire. The British soldiers inside then gave up.
After the war, this location was considered to be the new capital of South Carolina. However, Columbia was chosen instead. Today, Fort Motte is also the name of a small village nearby. The old plantation area is now called the Fort Motte Battlefield Site. It is privately owned and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
Contents
History of Fort Motte
Early Days and Settlements
The Cherokee Path is a very old trail located nearby. For a long time, Native Americans used this path for trading and traveling. The first European settlers in this area were Scots and English traders. They set up trading posts with the Cherokee and other local Native American tribes. Some of these posts were even built like small forts in the early colonial times. A town called Amelia Town was started in this area around 1735.
The Mt. Joseph Plantation
The Mt. Joseph Plantation was built in 1767. It was a large country estate owned by Miles Brewton from Charleston. He was a very wealthy man who owned many ships and plantations. Sadly, he and his family were lost at sea in 1775. They were traveling to Philadelphia for him to attend an important meeting.
His sister, Rebecca Brewton Motte (1737-1815), inherited some of his property, including Mt. Joseph. She became a widow in 1780 when her husband, Jacob, died from an illness. After the British took over her home in Charleston, Rebecca Motte moved to the safer Mt. Joseph Plantation. It was about 95 miles away from the city.
British Takeover and Fortification
The British army took over the Mt. Joseph Plantation while the Motte family was living there. After the military moved into the main mansion, the Motte family had to move to the overseer's house. The British then made the big house and its grounds much stronger.
A group of British soldiers, including German (Hessian) troops, occupied the plantation. They used it as a main supply point for their convoys. These convoys moved supplies between Camden and Charleston. Rivers were still the most important ways to transport goods back then. Mt. Joseph Plantation was near a key river crossing on the Congaree River. This gave the British a vital route from Charleston to areas further north and west.
The Fort's Defenses
By May 1781, the British had built strong defenses at Mt. Joseph. They put up tall wooden fences called palisades, which were 9 feet high. They also built earth walls called ramparts, about 10-11 feet wide. In front of these walls, there was a deep ditch, 6 feet deep. About 20-30 feet from the ditch, they placed a row of sharpened tree branches called abatis.
About 184 British, Hessian, and Provincial soldiers defended the fortified mansion. They were led by Captain Lieutenant Donald McPherson. The place became known as Fort Motte because Rebecca Brewton Motte and her family had lived there.
The Siege of Fort Motte
General Francis "Swamp Fox" Marion and Colonel Henry Lee led an attack on the fortified site. This attack is known as the Siege of Fort Motte. Rebecca Motte became famous for helping the American forces. She gave them special arrows from East India that would catch fire when they hit something.
Marion's forces shot these flaming arrows onto the roof of the mansion to set it on fire. They also fired cannons to stop the British soldiers from putting out the flames. Captain Lieutenant McPherson and his troops soon surrendered. The British giving up the fort worried Lord Rawdon, a British general. This surrender made him quickly retreat from Camden to Charleston.
After the War
After the war, Rebecca Brewton Motte inherited more of her brother's estates and plantations. She became even wealthier. She and her sister Frances jointly inherited the Miles Brewton House in Charleston. Rebecca also owned Fairfield Plantation (Charleston County, South Carolina) and its many enslaved people.
The South Carolina Department of Archives and History, the South Carolina Library, and the University of South Carolina have the oldest maps of this area. In the early 1800s, growing cotton became very profitable after the invention of the cotton gin. Because of this, this upland area was developed for growing cotton. The battlefield site is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is considered important because of its military and historical significance from 1750 to 1799.
