Sumter the Gamecock

SUMTER

By the spring of 1780, the British had generally defeated the colonists in South Carolina. The capitol city of Charlestown had been captured following a seige and the American forces had been defeated, dispersed, or driven into North Carolina.

Of those driven into North Carolina was Colonel Thomas Sumter, who had commanded one of the continental regiments. Upon his retreat into North Carolina, the British turned his wife and family out of doors and burned his home with all the possessions it contained. This proved to be an unwise act on their part.

Sumter was chosen to serve as leader by a band of those exiled South Carolinians. In the summer of 1780 this small band of free men returned to take the field against the British. Sumter and his men had no supplies of arms, ammunition, clothing, or food on which to draw and depend. They worked farming tools into rude weapons and formed pewter utensils into bullets. At times they went into battle with less than three rounds to a man and some had to wait for others to fall before they were supplied with arms.

Sumter began these offensives at a time when the population had given up its resistance. The conquering British had even sent dispatches to England, declaring "that the inhabitants from every quarter had repaired to ... Charlestown, to declare their allegiance to the King, ... and that there were few men in South Carolina that were not either their prisoners or in arms with them"

It soon became evident to the British that they had declared victory too soon. Not only the heroic actions taken by Sumter, but the vengeful and dastardly deeds committed by the British served to rouse the people to continue the fight. Leading 133 men on July 12, 1780, Sumter defeated a detachment of British troops and a group of Tories at Williams's Plantation. By July 30, 1780, he commanded 600 men against the British at Rocky Mount. This attack met with no success. However, eight days later at Hanging Rock, he thoroughly defeated the Prince of Wales regiment together with a large party of Tories led by Colonel Brian.

Soon, other bands of free men were reforming and turning out to harass and fight the British and the Royal Militia. Among these were Colonel Williams of Ninety-Six and, of course, Francis Marion the "Swamp Fox." Because of his spirited pursuit of the British and his fight for freedom as long as you breathe attitude, Thomas Sumter has been called the "Fighting Gamecock."

Source:
Ramsay's History of South Carolina from Its First Settlement in 1670 to the year 1808
by David Ramsay, M.D.
Preface dated "Charleston, December 31st, 1808.
Published in 1858, by W.J. Duffie, Newberry, S.C.
Reprinted in 1959, by The Reprint Company, Spartanburg, S.C.

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