The Queen's American Rangers by Gara Donald J.;

Author:Gara, Donald J.; [Gara, Donald J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Westholme Publishing

Twenty

THE SIEGE OF CHARLESTON

THE INITIAL EMBARKATION FOR THE CHARLESTON EXPEDITION began on December 16, 1780, when somewhere between seven and eight thousand men boarded fifty-seven transports in New York Harbor. In addition to the aforementioned troop transports, there were also thirteen transports carrying about four hundred horses and sixteen transports carrying baggage, plus provisions for seventy days. The eighty-six transports were escorted by five ships of the line (sixty-four and seventy-four guns) and nine smaller vessels. The voyage, which began on December 26, was a long and tempestuous one, but the fleet finally anchored at Tybee Island, twenty miles from Savannah, on February 1. All the horse transports suffered damage and, to keep the vessels afloat, all the cavalry and most of the artillery horses were thrown overboard.1

From February 2 to February 8, the troops remained on the transports. During this interval, about fourteen hundred troops, including three hundred British Legion infantry under Major Charles Cochrane and two hundred American Volunteers under Major Patrick Ferguson, were disembarked and placed under the command of Brigadier General James Paterson. Their mission was to make an excursion to the back settlements of Georgia, in the vicinity of Augusta, to confuse the Americans as to their intentions and draw off as much opposition to the Charleston expedition as was possible.2

About noon on February 9 the fleet sailed, and two days later cast anchor in the mouth of the North Edisto River. Once ashore, the British army was divided into five brigades. By February 27, the entire force was encamped on James Island, from Wappoo Cut facing the city across the Ashley River to Lighthouse Island facing the sea and the British fleet. Clinton kept the army in this position until March 10.3

Receiving intelligence that Charleston was being reinforced, Clinton had earlier requested reinforcements from Georgia on February 18 and then more from New York on March 10. This latter request was carried north on the ship Russell by Major General James Robinson, who had stopped by en route from England to New York.4

Between February 29 and March 6, a bridge was constructed across Wappoo Cut onto the mainland. Between March 10 and 22, the British army crossed over the Wappoo and eventually encamped in the vicinity of Ashley Ferry. During this time, the heavy artillery was finally brought up and mounted to cover the city, which was directly across the Ashley River. The threat of these cannon forced all American vessels to evacuate the river and retire to the Cooper River on the other side of Charleston Neck. On the morning of March 20, the Renown (fifty guns), Roebuck (fifty guns), and Romulus (forty guns) crossed the Charleston Bar, but did not proceed any further for the time being. The bulk of provisions, water, and guns were transferred to transports to sufficiently lighten them, in order to make the crossing safer, as some parts of the bar had only fourteen feet of water.5

Five days later saw the arrival of reinforcements from Georgia under Brigadier General James Paterson.

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