SC, USA
Charleston
Historical figures connected to Charleston.
9 People
1730–1795 · British General · Land Force Commander · Future Commander-in-Chief
British general who commanded the land force intended to attack Fort Sullivan from Long Island. His troops discovered the crossing channel was impassable at the planned depth and could not support the naval bombardment. Clinton returned in 1780 with a completely different approach and captured Charleston.
1730–1805 · Continental Army Colonel · Fort Sullivan Commander · General and Governor
South Carolina colonel who commanded the garrison at Fort Sullivan on June 28, 1776. His calm conduct during the British bombardment and his effective direction of the fort's artillery made the victory possible. The fort was renamed Fort Moultrie in his honor.
1733–1810 · Continental Army General · Southern Army Commander
Massachusetts general commanding the Southern Department who surrendered Charleston and its 5,500-man garrison to Clinton on May 12, 1780 — the largest American military capitulation of the war. Later served as Washington's Secretary of War.
1754–1833 · British Cavalry Commander · British Legion Commander
British cavalry officer whose aggressive pursuit of Morgan led him into Morgan's prepared position at Cowpens. His decision to attack without adequate reconnaissance and without giving his men time to rest contributed to the most complete American tactical victory of the southern campaign.
1745–1781 · South Carolina Militia Officer · Patriot Martyr
South Carolina militia colonel who signed a loyalty oath after Charleston's fall to protect his family from smallpox. He rejoined the Patriot cause when the British reneged on their terms; captured in 1781, he was executed by hanging without trial — an act that outraged Patriot opinion across the south.
1742–1786 · Continental Army General · Southern Department Commander
Rhode Island general who commanded the American forces at Hobkirk's Hill. His tactical plan was disrupted by a Maryland regiment's collapse and he ordered a retreat, technically losing the battle. Within two weeks the British had abandoned Camden, demonstrating that tactical defeat and strategic victory are not always the same thing.
1732–1795 · Partisan Commander · Continental Army Officer · Swamp Fox
South Carolina partisan commander who was coordinating with Greene during the Camden campaign. Marion's operations in the lowcountry during the Hobkirk's Hill period cut British supply lines into Camden and contributed to Rawdon's decision that the post was untenable.
1738–1805 · British General · Southern Army Commander · Lieutenant General
British general whose response to Cowpens — stripping his army of wagons and racing north to catch Greene — led to the Guilford Courthouse campaign and his eventual decision to invade Virginia, ending at Yorktown.
1724–1805 · Patriot Politician · Continental Congress Delegate · Merchant
South Carolina Patriot leader and designer of the Gadsden Flag — the rattlesnake banner — who was a leading advocate for South Carolina's defense in 1776. He was present during the preparations for the Fort Sullivan defense as one of the colony's most prominent Patriot figures.