Battle of Fishing Creek

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Battle of Fishing Creek
Part of American Revolutionary War
Date August 18, 1780 Location South Carolina Result British victory
Belligerents
United States	Great Britain
Commanders
Thomas Sumter	Banastre Tarleton
Strength
700 milita, 100 regulars, 2 pieces of artillery	100 cavalry, 60 light infantry
Casualties and losses
over 150 killed 300 captured	16 killed and wounded

v • d • e Southern theater, 1775–82 Gunpowder Incident – Great Bridge – Moore's Creek Bridge – Rice Boats – Alligator Bridge – Beaufort – Kettle Creek – Briar Creek – Stono Ferry – Savannah – Waxhaws – Charleston – Camden – Kings Mountain – Cowpens – Cowan's Ford – Guilford Court House – Hobkirk's Hill – Green Spring – Eutaw Springs – Yorktown

The Battle of Fishing Creek, also called War on Sugar Creek, was fought on August 18, 1780, between American and British forces including the 71st Foot. It was fought at Fishing Creek, South Carolina. The British were led by Banastre Tarleton, while the Americans were led by Thomas Sumter. The British force was victorious.

[edit] The battle

Two days after the Battle of Camden, Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton’s command fought against Colonel Thomas Sumter at the Battle of Fishing Creek. In this fight, the advancing British force found a poorly defended American camp containing Colonel Sumpter and about 800 men. With his 150 man force, Lieutenant Colonel Tarleton attacked and captured nearly the entire force but Colonel Sumter narrowly escaped. In the battle, Captain Campbell, an officer from the 71st Regiment's light infantry, formed his men up with the cavalry and for a spontaneous attack. Had the British stopped to consider their situation more closely, the Americans would probably have discovered the enemy and successfully fought-off the numerically weaker British. Captain Campbell was killed by a stray bullet in the attack, his own 71st Regiment of Foot temporarily panicking and thereby not participating fully in the battle.