The Battle of Eutaw Springs
Part 3 of Three Battles and a Massacre
Our four-part series on Revolutionary War battles in the Southeast continues with Part 3 of Tom Poland’s feature, “Three Battles and a Massacre.”
Eutaw Springs | September 8, 1781
It’s a curious battle. Britain claimed victory, yet retreated to Charleston. Their presence in the Carolina backcountry was done. Often cited for its close-quarters combat and being one of the bloodiest engagements of the war in the South, Eutaw Springs set the stage for the British surrender at Yorktown a month later.
On a cool spring morning I set out for the Eutaw Springs Battlefield, another parklike and peaceful place. It was the last major battle fought on South Carolina soil for independence, and the bloody battle raged for four hours on a blistering day.
Over 2,000 Patriot forces under Maj. Gen. Nathanael Greene attacked and drove back a British force of around 2,300 Redcoats commanded by Lt. Col. Alexander Stewart. After the ragged, hungry American troops captured the Redcoats’ food and liquor, they stopped their attack to plunder, eat, and drink.
The British regrouped at the Wantoot Plantation house and launched a counterattack led by British Maj. John Marjoribanks, saving the day for the British and something else. He turned aside a British soldier’s sword, sparing the life of Patriot Col. William Washington, George Washington’s nephew.
After staving off repeated American attacks, Col. Stewart led his force back towards Charleston. It was the last major engagement in South Carolina, hastening the Redcoats retreat from the backcountry.
Considered a tactical victory for the British and a strategic victory for the Patriots, the battle is remembered as the Redcoats’ last stand. The American side suffered 119 killed, 382 wounded, and 78 missing or captured. The Redcoats suffered 85 killed, 297 wounded, and 500 missing or captured. All told, there were 1,461 casualties.
