The Southern Campaign of the Revolutionary War: Animated Battle Map

[Music] april 19 1775 a shot rings out on lexington green america's war for independence has begun the eyes of the world are focused on new england but the clouds of war sweep across the south in south carolina patriot troops seize fort charlotte on the savannah river and drive georgia's royal governor from savannah after the battle of the rice boats the british are driven from virginia at the battle of great bridge emboldened by their success south carolinians establish a constitution to govern the colony independently from king george in north carolina citizens of mecklenburg county reject the rule of parliament in the crown while the halifax resolves direct the north carolina delegation to the continental congress to advocate for independence [Music] but liberty is not the desire of every southern colonist south carolina is the most politically divided the low country including the major port of charleston is a patriot stronghold while the back country is home to a mixture of both those loyal to the british crown and to those who want independence the opposing elements clash in back country battles the first land battle of the south occurs at 96 in november of 1775 where a loyalist militia besieges a patriot garrison in north carolina loyalist recruiting is a flame on february 27 1776 patriot forces fight and crush the loyalists in the battle of moore's creek bridge a demoralizing defeat for the british that effectively ended loyalist activity in north carolina for years in june 1776 the british led by sir henry clinton and sir peter parker try but failed to capture charleston by land and sea in the battle of sullivan's island meanwhile the colonists declare their independence while the revolution rages in the north general george washington's forces capture boston while new york and philadelphia fall to the british half of america's best ports lay in british hands stalemate grips the north [Music] at the end of 1778 the british undertake a southern strategy a concentrated effort to subdue the southern colonies should the british have to sue for peace they prefer to do so with the prosperous southern colonies under their control rice indigo cotton and other cash crops abound in the south crops that cannot be produced in the british isles the high command 2 is convinced that thousands of loyalists await their return by securing the south the british hoped to cut the colonies in two leave the northern colonies to their own devices and control the prosperous south [Music] the first blows fall in georgia the british capture savannah and gain a deep water base of operations patriot forces counter with the decisive victory at the battle of kettle creek but it is not enough in march 1779 the british win at briar creek effectively subduing patriot forces in georgia in april 1779 the british again try to capture charleston but are deterred by the arrival of continental reinforcements patriot general benjamin lincoln attacks the british rear guard at the battle of stone ferry but is repulsed in september 1779 a combined force of french and continentals set their sights on british-held savannah where a lengthy siege and costly assault only end in repulse the momentum shifts to the british who again turn their attention to charleston sir henry clinton sails from new york to command the attack by april 1780 the british have laid siege and the city capitulates on may 12 resulting in the largest surrender of american forces during the war in the aftermath a patriot relief column bound for charleston is massacred by lieutenant colonel banister tarleton in the battle of waxos the war had reached a new and bloody phase with the continental command structure in tatters the south carolina patriots fight a partisan war to disrupt british and loyalist forces these partisans commanded by such men as francis marion thomas sumpter andrew pickens elijah clark and william davey harass and ambush british forces at every opportunity with the capture of charleston clinton returns to new york leaving lord charles cornwallis in command to finish the subjugation of the southern colonies the continental congress sends general horatio gates to the south with a fresh army to stem the british tide cornwallis and gates clash at camden south carolina where the continentals suffer a terrible defeat for the second time in 97 days and for the third time in the last 20 months the patriots have no regular army in the south but motivated patriot militias remain [Music] from his headquarters in camden south carolina cornwallis sends major patrick ferguson west to recruit and train loyalists tired of the patriots back country raids ferguson decrees that he will hang their leaders and lay their country waste with fire and sword if the overmountain men did not lay down their arms this infuriates the backcountry overmountain men who set out over the mountains to confront ferguson and his army of loyalists they stop at a place called the cow pens on october 6th kill a couple of beef cattle and refresh themselves at dusk 910 of the men with the best horses push on toward king's mountain where they heard they would find ferguson on october 7th they enveloped the steep base of kings mountain and close in on ferguson's unsuspecting army at 3 p.m they attack firing uphill from the cover of the mountains boulders and trees many of the overmountain men recognize the faces of family and neighbors in the harried ranks of the carolina loyalists major patrick ferguson the only british officer present declares that god himself would not remove him from that mountain ferguson is killed during the battle and at least eight loyalists are hanged punctuating the risk of loyalty to the crown that same month george washington appoints nathaniel greene to command the army in the southern department green divides his army and sends general daniel morgan to the west to spear it up the people and to protect that part of the country this forces cornwallis to split his army and he sends lieutenant colonel banister tarleton west to protect the entire 96th district and the star fort when morgan hears that tarleton is heading his way he decides to meet him at a well-known pasturing area called the cowpens the same place where the overmountain men had stopped before going to kings mountain morgan makes an unconventional move and splits his force into three main lines of defense and puts the militia in the first two lines with the continentals in the third line and the dragoons in reserve on the morning of january 17 1781 tarleton's force charges the first then second lines of patriots withdraw the british then charged the third line but soon find themselves ensnared in a double envelopment as the withdrawing patriots reappear on their left and right flank in less than 30 minutes a significant portion of cornwallis army is destroyed then adopts a strategy of exhaustion he moves towards the dan river on the north carolina virginia border wearing the british down along the way pulling them further from their supply base in the race to the dan patriots use numerous fords and fairies to keep the british guessing an exhausted british army watches green escape across the dan river intact [Music] the british turned toward hillsboro north carolina while greene's revitalized army recrosses the dan in pursuit the armies meet in battle at guilford courthouse and cornwallis would later write that during the battle the americans fought like demons the british win the battle but suffer more casualties in the americans which causes charles james fox to state in parliament that another such victory would destroy the british army the british fall back toward wilmington clearing the way for green to retake the carolinas on april 25th 1781 near camden south carolina greene's forces are bested at the battle of hobkirk's hill although a tactical victory for the british it serves as a strategic victory for the patriots from may 22nd to june 19 1781 green with 1 000 patriot troops stages the longest field siege of the revolutionary war against 550 loyalists who are defending 96 from an earthen star fort under the direction of polish freedom fighter colonel thaddeus kosciusko the chief engineer of the patriot army the patriots begin digging a mine underneath the star fort planning to pack it with gunpowder and blow it up thus allowing the patriots to storm the loyalist-held starfort however after dark on june 9 1781 a small group of loyalists attacked the patriot sappers digging the mine despite multiple raids the patriots continue work on the mine throughout the siege then greene receives news that british reinforcements are on their way time and british troops would soon be closing in on him on june 18th green makes one last assault on the fort the attack is a failure and green withdraws his army from 96. both sides claim victory at utah springs south carolina on september 8 1781 but the british casualties are so great they again withdraw to the charleston area meanwhile cornwallis decides to open a final campaign in virginia to change the odds in his favor there the british could receive faster reinforcements and supplies from the british stronghold in new york city while driving the fight inland to separate the northern and southern colonies [Music] petersburg richmond portsmouth and norfolk fall into british hands cornwallis nearly destroys a force under the command of washington's protege the marquis de lafayette at the battle of green spring by september of 1781 cornwallis is encamped near yorktown sensing that cornwallis had backed himself into a corner a combined american and french force led by general washington rushes to virginia in hopes of boxing in the british from the landward side while a fleet of french ships seals off the british from the sea french and american forces capture key british readouts to seal their siege lines after three weeks of siege operations cornwallis capitulates on october 19 1781 [Music] the war continues for nearly two more years but the major fighting is over the british evacuate charleston on december 14 1782 the treaty of paris officially ends the american revolution on september 3rd 1783 perhaps nathaniel greene best summarize the character of the southern patriots we fight get beat rise and fight again this tenacious attitude ultimately secured america's independence on the numerous battlefields of the south there is no american land more hallowed and more essential to telling the american story of liberty and freedom than these battlegrounds you

Channel: American Battlefield Trust

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Keywords: American Battlefield Trust, Civil War Trust, Southern Campaign Revolutionary War, Liberty Trail, American Battlefield Trust Animated Map, Revolutionary War Battle Map, Revolutionary War Animated, How was the Revolutionary War won?, Revolutionary War in the South, In-Depth Revolutionary War, american revolution in south carolina, american revolution in the south

Id: M3jNh3D57gQ

Length: 14min 44sec (884 seconds)

Published: Mon Nov 09 2020