American Revolution
Battles during 1780
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Latest Changes: 07Aug25 - video of Charleston / 07Dec26 - new maps for Overmountain / 08Feb13 - add Arnold's defection /
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1780 Feb 11 to 1780 May 12:
Second Siege of Charleston (SC) --
Britsh Gen. Howe left New York City by sea on 1779 Dec 26 with 8,500 troops, bound for Savannah GA.
After a difficult voyage he rested there, then on 1780 Feb 11 sailed to Charleston SC,
laid siege to the city (defended by the U.S. Southern Army), and forced it to surrender.
1780 May 26:
The Battle of San Carlos (now St. Louis MO = N 38o 37', W 90o 12')
was one of the few Revolutionary War battles fought west of the Mississippi.
At that time this area was part of New Spain and administered by a Spanish governor,
and the fort was garrisoned by a few Spanish troop.
The local settlers were mainly of French origin, with a few of English origin.
The farm laborers were African-American slaves.
An allied force of British and Amerindians attacked the fortified town, but were repulsed.
This successful defense kept the British from obtaining control of the Mississippi River.
1780 May 29:
Waxhaw (SC) - A few cavalry and about 350 Virginia
Continentals under Col. Abraham Buford were returning home after failing
to reach Charleston SC in time to relieve the siege.
They were pursued and overtaken by 130 cavalry, 100 light infantry, and 40 dragoons
(mounted infantry) under British Col. Banistre Tarlton.
Buford's men got off only one shot before Tarleton's cavalry burst through their lines.
They were then dispersed and killed even after a white flag of surrender was raised.
Consequently this battle became known as Buford's Massacre.
1780 Jun 6:
Hobart Gap in the Watchung Hills of NJ --
The Royal Governor of New Jersey, William Franklin (Benjamin's son),
encouraged Ge. Knyphausen (in charge of Britain's NY Garrison) to attack
the weakened American forces. He sent 6,000 troops from Staten Island
to attack Morristown via the Hobart Gap in the Watchung Hills. This thrust
was turned back by about 2,000 Continentals and militia under the command
of Gen. Greene.
 The Battle of Springfield
[pamphlet, NJ Hist. Comm.'s Bicentennial series]
The Battles of Connecticut Farms and Springfield
[Glenn Valis]
1780 Jun 10:
A French Expeditionary Force (FEF) under General Rochambeau arrived at Newport RI.
The force consisted of about 4,500 troops in 33 transports, seven ships-of-the-line, and four frigates.
The FEF remained at Newport for eleven months awaiting the arrival
of about 2,500 more troops while Generals Washington and Rochambeau and their staffs developed
detailed plans for a major land and sea assault on New York City
and perhaps other British positions in the U.S.
(See
1780 Jun 20:
Ramsour's Mill (near Lincolnton NC) A force of 1,300 Tories had gathered here
and was planning to march to join the British forces in South Carolina.
They occupied a high ridge that sloped three hundred yards to the mill
and Clarke's Creek on the west and the same distance to a branch (stream) on the east.
A force of 400 Whigs (supporting U.S. independence) under Col. Francis Locke
attacked them. After two hours of close combat the Tories dispersed.
1780 Jun 23: Short Hills NJ -- A second attempt by Knyphausen got only as far as Short Hills before vigorous flanking attacks by the militia and a stubborn fighting retreat by the Continentals leads the British to withdraw to Staten Island. There would be no further invasions of New Jersey. 1780 July 30:
Colonel Isaac Shelby and 600 Patriots take Fort Anderson, also known as Fort Thicketty,
without firing a shot -- a victory without bloodshed.
The fort was located 10 miles southeast of Cowpens, South Carolina,
and was held by a Loyalist garrison of 93 men led by Capt. Patrick Moore,
who surrendered the fort in the face of overwhelming numbers.
1780 Aug 01: Rocky Mount (NC)
1780 Aug 06: Hanging Rock (SC)
1780 August 16:
Camden (1st Battle) (SC)
At 2 AM a Patriot column under Gen Gates marching south to setup
a defensive position on Canders Creek collided with a British column
under Gen. Cornwallis marching north to make surprise attack.
The groups pulled back a bit to prepare for battle in the morning.
Experienced British regulars drove a much larger group of U.S. militia
from the field and then surrounded and crushed a smaller number of U.S.
Continentals. The Delaware and Maryland Continentals made a brave stand,
but were over-run with great loss of life. American Gen. Johan Kalb died of wounds
received in the battle. About 1,000 U.S. troops were captured.
1780 August 18:
Musgrove's Mill (on the Enoree River SC)
A major skirmish as the opposing forces gathered near Kings Mountain (SC).
1780 Aug to Oct:
Swamp Warfare in SC:
American Col. Francis Marion became known as "the Swamp Fox" for his ability
to move through the costal swamps and harrass the British occupation forces.
In August his men burned all the boats on the Santee River, hampering
British efforts to get supplies to Camden. At Nelson's Ferry they freed 150 American
prisoners and captured their British guards. On Sept 4 they routed a group
of 250 Loyalists at Blue Savannah, and on Oct 25 another group at Tearcoat Swamp.
1780 Sept 12: At Cane Creek NC (at bottom center of the top map below) the Burke Co. VA militia, led by Charles McDowell, ambushed part of British Col. Patrick Ferguson's mixed professional and Loyalist army, but they were driven off and 160 of them fled north (red dashed line on the map) to Sycamore Shoals (now Elizabethton TN). Ferguson sent a note threatening the western settlements if they remained rebellious. Alarmed that their communities were now in danger, leaders in several western territories of Virginia and the Carolinas -- [most now in Tennessee and Kentucky] called out their militia and sent them to repel Ferguson's Loyalist units. Colonels William Campbell and Arthur Campbell brought 400 militia
from Craigs Meadow (now Abingdon VA blue line starting at top of map).
Colonels John Sevier and Isaac Shelby brought 480 from what is now
Tennessee and Kentucky. The 1,040 men who gathered at Sycamore Shoals
are now called the Overmountain Men.
They added about 400 more North Carolina militia and more from Georgia and South Carolina
as they closed in on Ferguson's group. The 330-mile route they traveled in 13 days
(see map below) is now a National Historic Trail, with a Web site at
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Map of siege positions
2006 Re-enactment
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Base map is
© 2005 DeLorme (www.delorme.com) Street Atlas USA®
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1780 Sept 21:
Gen. Benedict Arnold, the commander of the defensive fortifications
at West Point NY defected to the British after several months of negotiations
managed by Col. John André, the British officer in charge of spying in the New York area.
Because he gave the British maps of the defenses of West point and was
reassigning troops to facilitate a British capture of the area, Arnold was a traitor.
Arnold became a British officer and led several raids in CT and VA.
While on his mission André was unable to get back to a British ship,
disobeyed orders by changing to civilian clothing but keeping a message
revealing his mission, was captured by a American patrol, discovered to be a spy,
and -- due to his being our of uniform -- tried and hanged as a civilian.
1780 Oct 07:
King's Mountain (SC)
Ferguson's army -- camped on a fortified a mountain ridge --
was over-run by the Overmountain Men, who took revenge for "Tarleton's quarter"
at Waxhaw by continuing the fight for some time after the British flew
the white flag for surrender, and Ferguson was killed. This failure to stabilize the western flank
of the British perimeter delayed the main British advance northward under Cornwallis.
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