SC, USA
British Expedition to Charleston Stages at Port Royal
January 1, 1780
DateJanuary 1, 1780
Precisionmonth
Clinton's expedition against Charleston in early 1780 used Port Royal Sound as part of its staging and approach route, with ships from the British fleet passing through the harbor. The expedition of approximately 14,000 men represented the largest British military operation in South Carolina and depended on the naval access that Port Royal provided.
People Involved
General Henry Clinton(British Commander-in-Chief in North America)
British commander who used Port Royal as a staging base for the 1780 Charleston expedition. His Philipsburg Proclamation, issued in 1779, directly shaped the decisions of thousands of enslaved people on the Sea Island plantations around Beaufort when British forces occupied the area.