SC, USA
Death of Major Marjoribanks
October 23, 1781
Major John Marjoribanks, whose stand at the brick house had prevented the complete destruction of Stewart's force at Eutaw Springs, died of his wounds approximately six weeks after the battle. His death underscored the human cost of the tactical success he had achieved; the British officer corps in South Carolina was being worn away by attrition faster than it could be replaced.
People Involved
British officer commanding at Eutaw Springs after Lord Rawdon departed for Britain. Stewart's force fought Greene to a tactical draw on September 8, 1781, but the casualties stripped his army of its capacity for field operations. He withdrew to Charleston after the battle and remained there until the British evacuation.
British infantry major commanding a flank battalion at Eutaw Springs. When the main British line collapsed, Marjoribanks held his position in a blackjack thicket near the brick house with disciplined fire that stopped the American pursuit. He was mortally wounded late in the battle and died shortly afterward, but his action prevented what might have been a total British defeat.