"The Battle of Eutaw Springs," Bert Dunkerly
Overshadowed in American
Revolution history by the Siege of Yorktown which took place only a few weeks
later, the Battle of Eutaw Springs basically ended the war’s fighting in South
Carolina with heavy casualties on both sides.
“Nathanael Greene was
trying to re-conquer South Carolina after Cornwallis moved the main British
army into Virginia,” said historian and author Robert M. Dunkerly at the
November 15, 2017 meeting of the American Revolution Round Table of Richmond.
Dunkerly is the co-author along with Irene Boland of the recently published
book entitled Eutaw Springs: The Final Battle Of The American Revolution’s Southern
Campaign.
“The summer of 1781 was
very frustrating for Greene,” said Dunkerly. “Earlier in the year the British
attacked his army at Guilford Courthouse and Hobkirk’s Hill. At Ninety Six he
was finally able to go on the offensive but he attacked a British fort, so the
attack wasn’t on ground of his choosing. Eutaw Springs was the only time when
Greene attacked the British on ground of his choosing.”
Eutaw Springs was also a
battle where Greene’s army outnumbered the British. The Americans had
approximately 2,000 soldiers, compared to approximately 1,300 for the British.
Greene’s army included a
combination of Continental brigades, state militia units and cavalry. His
Maryland brigade consisted of two Maryland regiments and one from Delaware who
were all veterans of many battles in both the Northern and Southern Campaigns.
Greene had two other Continental brigades from Virginia and North Carolina, as
well as militia units from North Carolina.
He also had South
Carolina militia units who were veterans of the Southern Campaign and included
such famous figures as Andrew Pickens and Francis Marion, also known as “The
Swamp Fox”. Greene also had two cavalry units which were led by William
Washington (a cousin of George Washington’s) and Light Horse Harry Lee (father
of Robert E. Lee).
The British were led by
Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Stewart in what was his only independent command
during the war.
“Stewart commanded a
small number of British units who were very good soldiers,” said Dunkerly. “He
also commanded a large number of Loyalists who were very experienced and often
as good as the British troops. His army also included light infantry units
which were very good at skirmishing. Stewart had no cavalry, which was one of
his biggest regrets when he wrote about the battle afterwards.”
In September 1781 Greene
received news concerning a British encampment at Eutaw Springs, and ordered
advance units to engage the enemy. Early on the morning of September 8, 1781
Greene’s advance unit ran into a British foraging party in a sweet potato
field, and captured most of the foragers. The advance troops continued on the
road toward the British encampment until they found it.
Greene brought up the
rest of his army and formed it into three lines for an attack. Leading the way
were his North and South Carolina militia units, followed by most of his
Continental soldiers and then his reserve units.
“Greene achieved total
surprise,” said Dunkerly. “The British were outnumbered but they fought
tenaciously and retreated gradually. Eventually Greene’s militia units and
later his North Carolina brigade ran out of steam. Then Greene sent in his best
troops, his Maryland and Delaware units. They overran the British camp and sent
the British back to a brick house that was located near two springs, a large
one and a small one.”
At this point Greene’s
army was on the verge of a major victory but a number of American officers
became casualties and their troops became leaderless. Some of these troops
chose to loot the British camp rather than keep fighting.
Stewart frantically
tried to rally his army, and successfully formed a defensive line in the
vicinity of the brick house where the British stopped the American attack.
Greene reluctantly pulled back his troops, and then the British counterattacked.
Greene broke off the engagement and retreated.
The battle ended with
Greene sustaining approximately 550 casualties (killed, wounded and captured)
while Stewart suffered approximately 700 casualties, which included
approximately 250 soldiers who were captured by the Americans. Greene’s army
retreated to the High Hills of Santee while Stewart’s troops retreated to
Charleston where they would remain for the rest of the war. The British never
again felt strong enough to leave the city.
Who won the Battle of
Eutaw Springs? Both commanders claimed victory.
“Historians have debated
for many years over who won,”said Dunkerly. “Actually a very good case can be
made for calling the battle a draw. I think the battle was a tactical victory
for the British and a strategic victory for the Americans. At the end of the
day Greene left the battlefield to the British, but the British later returned
to Charleston where they stayed for the rest of the war.”
Although a few acres of
the Eutaw Springs battlefield are preserved today by the State of South
Carolina and a national preservation organization, most of the battlefield is
now a residential neighborhood that was built during the 1960s. Approximately
5% of the battlefield is underwater as part of the Lake Marion reservoir
project which was built back in the 1940s.
“For many years
historians thought that most of the battlefield was underwater but this is
false,” said Dunkerly. “Archeologists found the ruins of the brick house and
many nearby artifacts which pinpoint the location of the British camp.”
Bert Dunkerly is a
historian for Richmond National Battlefield Park and has also served at other
National Park Service battlefields that relate to the American Revolution or
the Civil War. This winter he will serve as the acting Chief of Interpretation
at Morristown National Historical Park in New Jersey, and will then return to
Richmond. He has taught courses on both the American Revolution and the Civil
War at the University of Richmond, the Virginia Historical Society and Central
Virginia Community College.
Dunkerly currently
serves as chairman of the preservation committee of the American Revolution
Round Table of Richmond, and is a former president of the Richmond Civil War
Round Table. He has written or co-written a number of books, which include the
following ones that focus on the American Revolution:
1. Eutaw Springs: The Final Battle of the American Revolution’s
Southern Campaign
2. Women of the Revolution: Bravery and Sacrifice on the Southern
Battlefields
3. Kings Mountain Walking Tour Guide
4. The Battle of Kings Mountain: Eyewitness Accounts
5. More than Roman Valor: The Revolutionary War Fact Book
6. Old Ninety Six: A History & Guide
7. Redcoats on the Cape Fear: The Revolutionary War in
Southeastern North Carolina
Prior to the speaker’s
presentation the American Revolution Round Table of Richmond discussed the
following topics:
1. President Bill Welsch
reported that 85 people currently belong to ARRT-Richmond, the most in its
history.
2. Vice President of
Membership Woody Childs asked the audience to pay 2018 membership dues via
check rather than cash at the January meeting.
3. Treasurer Art Ritter
provided a financial report and a comparison between last year’s treasury
balance versus this year’s.
4. Other announcements
were made regarding book awards, preservation donations, history lectures and a
recent ARRT-Richmond group tour of Scotchtown---one of Patrick Henry’s homes.
--Bill Seward
