Battle of Rocky Mount

Part of the American Revolutionary War

Date	July 31 or August 1, 1780
Location	near present-day Great Falls, South Carolina Coordinates: 34°32′23.51″N 80°52′33.39″W / 34.5398639°N 80.8759417°W / 34.5398639; -80.8759417
Result	Loyalist victory

Belligerents

Patriot militia

Loyalist militia

Commanders and leaders

Thomas Sumter

George Turnbull

Strength

300 militia

600 militia

Casualties and losses

12 killed and wounded

20 killed and wounded

The Battle of Rocky Mount took place on August 1, 1780 as part of the American Revolutionary War. Loyalists commanded by Lieutenant Colonel George Turnbull occupying an outpost in northern South Carolina withstood an attack by 600 American Patriots led by Colonel Thomas Sumter.

Throughout 1779 and early 1780, the British "southern strategy" to regain control of its rebellious provinces in the American Revolutionary War went well, with successful amphibious operations against Savannah, Georgia and Charleston, South Carolina, and a routing of the few remaining Continental Army troops in South Carolina in the May 29, 1780 Battle of Waxhaws. The British, in complete control of both South Carolina and Georgia, established outposts in the interior of both states to recruit Loyalists and to suppress Patriot dissent.

One of these outposts was established at Rocky Mount, near the confluence of Rocky Creek and the Catawba River, south of present-day Great Falls, South Carolina. This outpost was garrisoned by a regiment of New York Volunteers under the command of Lieutenant Colonel George Turnbull.

In the absence of Continental Army command structure to organize resistance to the British following the disaster at Waxhaws, companies began to grow around Patriot militia leaders who had either survived it, or were not present at the battle. One militia colonel, Thomas Sumter, began in June 1780 to accumulate a militia force near Salisbury with financial assistance from North Carolina officials. While his force was too small to effectively oppose large-scale British and Loyalist activity for a time, enlistments rose following the Patriot victory known as Huck's Defeat on July 12. By late July he had several hundred men and decided it was time to take action.

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Wikipedia