The Sieges of Savannah and Charleston, or How the British Left the Colonies

The Siege of Charleston, 1780

In 1779, the British turned their attention from New England and the northeast colonies to what is now termed the Southern Campaign—and they started with Savannah, Georgia. Having taken that in December, they moved north to Charles Towne—Charleston of today—and laid siege to it for six weeks before that mighty port city buckled.

After the surrender at Yorktown, the British forces hunkered down in Charleston and Savannah, but made no further move to withdraw. As Patrick O’Kelley says, “Though the war was near the end, the fighting continued. Old scores needed to be settled, and this had to be done while there was still a war going on. The British in Savannah and Charlestown had to find food for the soldiers and for the refugees huddled near the walls of the cities. The Patriots knew that the sooner they could get the British to leave the two cities, the sooner the war would end, so they opposed any foraging parties coming out of the cities. This led to some intense fighting in the last days of the war.”

The siege of Charleston lasted from 1781 until December 1782. The retaking of Savannah had begun in January 1782 when Major General Anthony Wayne made a bold push against the British in Georgia. The British, thinking they were outnumbered (though they weren’t, by far), fell back to Savannah, and though Wayne did his best to play up the fears of the British, they held onto that city until July.

Last page of the Treaty of Paris, 1783

In the meantime, Greene had his own troubles with troops becoming mutinous in the face of nakedness and hunger. William Moultrie describes how every scrap of cloth was needed to hang about men’s waists, and this in an age where a man was considered “undressed” if he didn’t wear a waistcoat over shirt and breeches. Another officer asked if soldiers could be expected to do their duty, clothed in rags and fed on rice. Even partisan leader Francis Marion, the famed “Swamp Fox,” grew so weary of the constant fight that after one incident in September, he refused to put any more of his men’s lives on the line, so close to the expected departure of the enemy. In one case he and his men even stood guard on behalf of a British foraging party, presumably as much out of compassion as anything.

On July 11, the British officially evacuated from Savannah. Troops headed for Charleston and New York. Many loyalist refugees eventually went south to Florida. The British would drag their feet getting out of Charleston until December 14. British regulars and loyalists dispersed not only back to Britain, but to the Caribbean and Nova Scotia. (Many of Tarleton’s Green Dragoons were given holdings in Nova Scotia, but it was a rather austere location.)

Map of US and territories after the Treaty of Paris

The day after the British fleet sailed from Charleston, the Maryland Line of the Continentals decided their enlistment was over, but Greene told them firmly that the war was not yet finished. That would not happen until the signing of the Treaty of Paris on September 3, 1783, but the fighting in the Carolinas had ended at last.

At least where the British were concerned. Tensions and conflict would continue with the native tribes for years to come. And having cut their losses in the American colonies, the British had already focused their meager energies elsewhere in the world. This marked the end, however, of the colonial era in United States history.

(My thanks as usual to O'Kelley for his excellent work, Nothing But Blood and Slaughter: The Revolutionary War in the Carolinas.)

Colonial Dorchester, South Carolina

Colonial Dorchester—formerly known as Old Fort Dorchester—is a researcher’s dream. A practically untouched historic site, never built over in spite of burgeoning suburbs. A visitor can stand inside a church tower built in the 1750’s, read gravestones of folks whose descendents still live in the area (one of my daughter’s fellow ballet classmates), walk the perimeter of a fort held in turns by the British and American forces in the Revolution. View the exposed foundations of houses that haven’t been occupied in more than 200 years.

A cool, shady spot on the upper Ashley River, where it’s more a creek than a river. Once, however, it was a bustling town on the road from the backcountry to Charleston.

The Bell Tower of St. George's, Colonial Dorchester

Dorchester was founded in 1697 by Congregationalists as a sister town to Dorchester, Massachusetts. Unlike Childsbury, which had its primary purpose as a trading town, this one was specifically a missionary endeavor--a colonial church plant. The town’s own church was located up the road somewhat (the White Meeting House, named for the minister who supported their move), but in 1706 the Anglican church decided to flex her muscles and  build St. George’s right in the middle of town. In 1751 the bell tower was added, the only structure besides the fort still standing after the earthquakes the area has endured.

According to sources (page 1 of the same document is linked above), many of the town's inhabitants moved inland to Georgia in 1752-56, citing a growing population and the area’s unhealthiness. In addition to the intense heat, the town was located on a river between two creeks, so malaria was prevalent. At this point, say the sources, the history of this town ceases to be that of the original Congregationalist community, and becomes that of the trading town, the fort, and St. George Parish.

The tabby walls of Old Fort Dorchester, up close and personal

The fort is one of the best-preserved examples of something called “tabby”—walls made of mortar mixed with oyster shells. Built near the beginning of the French and Indian War, the four-cornered star-shaped fort has ties to Fort Loudon in Tennessee. This connection is what you’ll learn about if you visit during one of their Garrison Days, or the reenactment held in February or March.

F&I War event at Colonial Dorchester, Feb 2010

My family had the pleasure of attending their first such event a few years back. This shot, caught at just the right moment as the muskets were fired, has been one of my favorites—and then last week I ran across its mirror photo on this site: http://fortdorchester.org/ That’s my family, friends, and me in the audience at right. If you look closely at my photo, you can see the other photographer, kneeling on the other side of the reenactors.

Yes, this is the upper Ashley!

Before that, however, we became interested in the history of the site by attending an archaeology field trip. We learned that a wealth of artifacts can be found just a few inches down, because the site was never built over, as so many places are in the Lowcountry. The archaeologists working the site allowed our kids to dig and sift beside them, instructing them in the proper techniques.

Remains of old wharf on the Ashley River at Colonial Dorchester

Down the hill from the green (originally the market square in the original town plans) and the fort lies the spot where a bridge once spanned the river, connecting the road that runs past the plantations downriver (Middleton Place, Magnolia Plantation, Drayton Hall etc.). The fort changed hands a couple of times between the British and the Americans, and was occupied for a while by Francis Marion. General Nathanael Greene took it back for the last time in December 1781. At this point, the British burned the bridge and much of the town, and the site was soon abandoned.

These days, the site offers a beautiful—and inexpensive!—place to let one's family run. Recent archaeological work has led to the placement of several information plackards and a kiosk where some of the artifacts can be viewed, as well as a diorama of the original town as they know it.

More photos—not mine—can be viewed here at the Quarterman family website. All photos in this post are mine or my daughter Breanna's.

It's been a long time since this fort was guarded by a redcoat!

(Fun fact: during the time period portrayed by this event, the redcoats were the good guys!)

Rebecca Motte, A Revolutionary War Heroine

Susan F. Craft


Rebecca Brewton Motte

     During their occupation of Charlestown (now Charleston), SC, the British under Sir Henry Clinton chose the home of Rebecca Motte as their headquarters. Imprisoned in her home, Mrs. Motte found a clever way to hide her daughters in the attic from the soldiers for seven months. In January 1781, after her husband died, Mrs. Motte was granted permission to leave Charleston to go with her daughters to her Mount Joseph Plantation in Calhoun County, near the Congaree River.

     Ironically, the British took over the plantation, which became a principal supply depot for the British campaign in the South. Known as Fort Motte, it garrisoned about 200 soldiers under the command of Lt. Donald McPherson.

     American forces sought to destroy the British interior chain of military posts, including Fort Motte, to gain control of everything within thirty miles of the sea. Before General Francis Marion and Lt. Colonel Lighthorse Harry Lee attacked the plantation on May 8, 1781, the Motte family was asked to retreat to a farmhouse nearby. When American forces failed to take the fort, they decided to burn the British out.

Mrs. Motte encouraged the Americans to set the main house afire in order to dislodge the British. She herself is said to have provided the arrows used to ignite the roof. (One firsthand account of the siege says that Nathan Savage, a private in Marion's brigade, made up a ball of rosin and brimstone, to which he set fire and slung it on the roof of the house.) The British surrendered when the fire broke out, and tradition has it that both sides assisted in putting out the fire, saving the house.

The Capture of Fort Motte
Mort Kunstler, Artist

Brigadier General Francis Marion

      Following the successful American siege, Mrs. Motte graciously hosted a dinner for officers of both armies. Their dinner was interrupted with such a noise that General Marion raced outside to find his men mistreating and threatening to hang British soldiers. Marion became enraged that his men would treat their prisoners in such a manner and ordered his men to desist.

Rebecca and The Fox

Chris Weatherhead as Rebecca Motte

     Chris Weatherhead, film/TV/stage star, film director and author, was so taken with Rebecca’s story that she created a one-woman, one-act play, Rebecca and The Fox.

     Chris, what was it about Rebecca that drew you to her story?

Rebecca Brewton Motte embodied the greatest attributes a person can have; extraordinary courage, uncanny wit, wisdom, kindness, generosity, humility and amazing patience.  Her contributions to the cause of freedom as well as those of her husband, Jacob, are difficult to measure as they were supporting liberty in so many ways prior to and during the war. 

During the occupation in Charleston, Rebecca was aware the British were notorious for raping women at their whim, and having three daughters, she found a clever way to hide them – she courteously kept telling the British leaders that the back stairway was “under repair” and could not be used. These “repairs” went on for seven months while she had servants and herself, sneaking up to the attic room with food and supplies for the girls! I have such respect for Rebecca Motte and I long to have such a resourceful mind and diplomatic ability if I ever had to handle such a crisis!!

     The idea for a play about Rebecca sprang from the feature film I directed and co-starred in, All for Liberty, about a little known extraordinary hero of the backcountry of South Carolina, Captain Henry Felder, who happens to be the sixth-great grandfather of my nationally recognized actor/writer/producer husband, Clarence Felder. We spent years on the project and so much research that we have enough to do various projects on the American Revolution for the rest of our lives!

What research did you do for the play?

I read a ton of books – the bibliography is as long as my arm! Also, Tony Youmans, the wonderful director of the Old Exchange Building was extremely helpful as an Historical Advisor and steered us to uncover surprising connections between Mrs. Motte, her husband, and many heroes of that dangerous time. She was a friend and great supporter to many military leaders during the war years. The show includes Rebecca’s experiences with General ‘Swamp Fox’ Francis Marion, Isaac Hayne, William Moultrie, “Lighthorse” Harry Lee, and Lt. Colonel John Laurens, who were dedicated patriots, fighting the British in South Carolina, using every resource, even some mysterious, deadly arrows. It’s a great way to truly entertain our audiences as well as illuminate our rich heritage and the cost of freedom.

Who designed your costume for the play?

(right) Chris Weatherhead as Rebecca Motte
and assistant Erica Magtira

The costume was conceived in a meeting with long-time designer and historical living historian, Jean Robertson Hutchinson, who has designed and built exceptionally beautiful period clothing for Actors’ Theatre of South Carolina for 16 years – she creates in many periods of female dress and is a member of the Colonial Ladies Society as well. Because I can only wear one outfit for a whole show – I am the only one onstage – we had to find an iconic gown and shoes and make it so lovely people could enjoy it throughout the show as I moved about the stage. We love getting a great idea and then going shopping to find exactly the right fabrics. As we laughed and got a chance to talk as we looked at every piece of fabric in about three stores – touching them all several times - we finally found an exceptional cotton of an intense blue for the skirt that is a type of Indigo color, for which South Carolina was so famous! And a cotton Colonial printed Chintz with a very complimentary and popular pattern typical of the times for a lady of Rebecca’s social status – we were so happy! The audience raves about the gown with its delightful bright blue and bows, and the red leather period shoes with bows too!

Tell us about yourself.

I had a lot of classical training in England, California, and New York as I had become an actress originally to be as versatile as I could. So, I’ve performed many periods of history and modern characters as a professional actress for decades on stage, TV and film.  And now I can say I’ve gone from a daytime series star to American Revolutionary War Heroine! In my New York City years, I played a super evil and power-hungry vixen, Alicia Van Dine, on location in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, for “THE EDGE OF NIGHT” for ABC. I co-starred on the daytime TV series for 2 years, before realizing I was getting too much fan mail from inmates in prisons across the country who seemed to want to be like me. I was becoming a committed Christian and did not want to glorify criminal behavior, so I soon left the show. I moved to California where in between acting on TV, films and stage in LA, I began seven years of writing, producing and visiting in the prison system there for Match-Two Prisoner Outreach. [For movie listings visit IMDB Movie Data Base and type in name.]

Moving to South Carolina to help care for a family member, I co-founded Actors' Theatre of South Carolina with my husband, Clarence Felder, producing 70 productions and performing many roles including Mary Chesnut’s War For Independence! and portrayed Mary Chesnut for C-SPAN's American Writer’s Series.  I co-starred, co-wrote and directed the feature film, All for Liberty, which has won nine international film festival awards and three national historical awards [from Sons & Daughters of the American Revolution]. It is now distributed worldwide to buy or rent from Bridgestone Multimedia Group. (www.gobmg.com)

Reviews for Rebecca and The Fox

…elegantly and persuasively captures the essence of SC's Revolutionary heroine, Rebecca Motte, and her turbulent times.

Alexia Jones Helsley, Historian, Archivist & Author

…multi-talented Chris Weatherhead wrote and stars as the Revolutionary War heroine, Rebecca Motte, under the masterful direction of Clarence Felder…Weatherhead is gracious…full of the kind of theatrical chemistry which captures the audience on her historical adventure…fighting battles using charm, wit, kindness and extraordinary courage…willing to do anything to save her family…obviously much research went into the script…kudos also to Jean Robinson Hutchinson’s costuming talents…Bravo to Rebecca and the Fox! Sandy Katz, national entertainment journalist

     Theater at its best - plunks you in the maelstrom of the Revolutionary War in South Carolina…heroes come alive…brilliant acting…

provokes thought long after the curtain falls.

Susan F. Craft, Author of award winning Revolutionary War novel, The Chamomile

“…a perfect performance…charming and realistic… Rebecca was proud, brave, clever and resilient… shares friendship with General Francis Marion, "The Swamp Fox," and other patriots around her… Brava!”     Diane Scher, entertainment journalist

 

(My thanks to Bridgestone Multimedia Group for permission to use the DVD cover for All for Liberty)

 

Susan F. Craft is the author of The Chamomile, a Revolutionary War romantic suspense. which won the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance Fall 2011 Okra Pick.

 

A Living Link to the Revolution: South Carolina's Marsh Tacky Horses

In June 2010, the Marsh Tacky horse, a breed now on the verge of extinction, became the official State Heritage Horse of South Carolina. If you’ve never heard of Marsh Tacky horses, you’re in good company. Most people haven’t, including me. What’s so important about this breed that they were designated an official State horse? you may ask. Turns out there’s a lot.

Marsh Tacky horses are descendants of the horses Spanish explorers left behind on the south Atlantic coast in the 1500s, which bred with the stock Spanish settlers later brought to the New World. From these breeds developed several distinct strains of horses, including the Marsh Tacky, North Carolina’s Banker Ponies, and Florida’s Cracker Horses. They are direct descendants of the horses common during the Golden Age of Spain, which are now almost completely extinct in Spain.

Marsh Tackies got their name from the fact that they live in marshy areas, and the term tacky, which means common. Feral herds adapted to the conditions of America’s southeastern coastal regions. Sturdy and smaller than many common breeds at only 13 to 15 hands high, Marsh Tackies adapted to swamps and wooded wetlands, surviving on marsh grass and other available forage that couldn’t sustain most breeds. Their distinctive gait provides a greater stability in the terrain, and when stuck in quagmires, they learned to lie down on their sides, pull their feet free, and get up, instead of panicking as most horses would.

These horses are also a link to the American Revolution. General Francis Marion’s soldiers relied on these horses for their hardiness and their ability to navigate the coastal regions with ease, and in fact, their gait is now called the Swamp Fox Trot. With many of his horses lost at sea, British Colonel Banastre Tarleton also made use of these horses during his capture of Charleston. And the breed saw service during the Civil War as well as during World War II, when they served in the Coast Guard’s Mounted Beach Patrol.

Marsh Tackies’ habitat originally ranged from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to St. Simon’s Island, Georgia. They were widely used in the Gullah community for transportation, farming, and hunting until cars and trucks became prevalent. But by the mid twentieth century they could be found only on outlying islands. Fewer than 300 Marsh Tackies remain today, none in the wild, and efforts are being made to save the breed from extinction.

The links below provide more information on the Marsh Tacky breed and conservation efforts.

Marsh Tacky Association

Barnes Farm

Carolina Marsh Tacky Outdoors

Wikipedia

Information for this article was taken from “Living Links to the Revolution: South Carolina’s Marsh Tacky Horses,” American Spirit, May/June 2012.