Moultrie's Redoubt in Dorchester County has been officially found

Thanks to David Chinnis the site where General William Moultrie along with Francis Marion built a redoubt has been confirmed. This was a highly important location during the American Revolution as it was on the road to Charleston and would act as a roadblock to the British advance towards Charleston. 

The best part is that Dorchester County already ownes the land and the site will be preserved.  

It took years of primary research, site visits, and multiple double checks to confirm this location. Without the support of Chinnis this would not of been possible. 

The site now should be able to join the SC Liberty Trail, so that more people can know the important history of Dorchester County in the American Revolution. 

https://www.postandcourier.com/news/seeking-forgotten-fort-on-ashley/article_f2afb447-0fbc-527b-92aa-fa11a56844c4.html

 

 

Why the Cooper and Ashley Rivers were so important in the American Revolution

When looking at the roads covering the state of South Carolina today, it is hard to imagine a time when there were only a few roads for transportation and travel. These roads were affectedly great by the weather which could turn them impassable given a heavy rain or prolonged rain. Even today in the outer parts of Berkeley and Dorchester Counties heavy rains can still flood cemented roads with ease. Even roads maintained by the crown and colony were only as good as the season you tried to use them. Most roads were not roads as we think of them today, they were merely ways for neighbors to transverse and were maintained as such.

So when we look at the most reliable means for transport and travel year around we must look to river ways such as the Wadboo, Santee, Wando, Edisto, Cooper and Ashely Rivers. Rivers in the Lowcountry were used to cultivate rice fields, transporting materials, and to easily travel from key points in the Lowcoutnry to other key points. Two of the major transportation hubs were Dorchester located on the Ashley River and Moncks Corner located near the Cooper River.

These two towns made commerce and trade easier because they were located near the head of each river and thus allowed barges and boats to be loaded and unloaded with ease. The wharf at Dorchester is still visible at low tide.

Thus during the American Revolution both areas where fortified by first the Colonist and then the British to protect these key spots on their transportation route.

As I begin my first series in many years I will be looking at these two sites and their importance to the defense of Charles Town during the Revolution.


Below is a map created by JD Lewis and can be located on his website at http://www.carolana.com/ which shows how important these two sites were.

American Revolutionary leaders in present day Dorchester County

So the next step is to figure out which American Revolutionary leaders where in present day Dorchester County and when and where skirmishes took place in the county. The reason we are doing is so that we can start looking at personal and official correspondences to see where they where and what they did while they were in the county.

Who do we know for sure was in the present day county of Dorchester during the American Revolution? We have Francis Marion and Thomas Sumter in command of the fort at Dorchester at different times for short periods of time. We have Light Horse Henry Lee and William Washington fighting skirmishing near the fort at Dorchester at different times. Nathaniel Greene with Andrew Pickens encamped with the Southern American army within three miles of Bacon’s Bridge on the Ashley River near the end of the war. Thus we know all of the big four of South Carolina in the American Revolution where in present day Dorchester County.  

On the British side we had Loyalist, the 30 Regiment of Foot, and Lt. Col. Alexander Stewart at the fort at different times.

From this information we will now start to form a time line for Dorchester County in the American Revolution.

Dorchester County in the American Revolution

At this point I want to explain the importance of the letter from Marion to Horry. This letter lets us know that in fact the Southern American Army under Nathaniel Greene was camped in Dorchester County and skirmishing with the British on an almost daily occurrence as the American forces began to close the ring around Charles Town late in the war. So the  question becomes where were Marion, Greene, Lee, Washington, and the other American forces camped at during this time period and at other time periods in the war.

Thus begins the project, who, when, and where were American and British forces in Dorchester County during the American Revolution?