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Imagine yourself, if you can, recently immigrated to a new county and almost immediately becoming embroiled in a bitter revolution against the most powerful nation on earth! Young William Speer¹ found himself in just such a situation when, at the age of 25, he left his home in Northern Ireland and immigrated to America. He arrived on the third of September 1772, surely full of enthusiasm and eager to begin his new life. He lived in Pennsylvania for a few years, perhaps with relatives or friends, and moved to Charleston, South Carolina in 1774 just as the American Revolution was beginning. Due to the war, it would be nine more years before William would settle down, get married and begin a family. This chapter attempts to relate what we know about his Revolutionary War service with the political and military history of South Carolina^A. See CHAPTER 2 for the family history of William Speer.

In the coming conflict, supporters of America's cause called themselves Patriots, Whigs, Provincials, and later Continentals. Supporters of the British called themselves Loyalists, Tories, Royalists, or King's men. Volunteer militiamen were important to both sides and were actively recruited by the respective military and political leaders. South Carolina was equally divided between Patriots and Loyalists, which led to many local battles. In the Back Country, numerous civil war encounters between rival militia bands pitched neighbor against neighbor.

Having arrived in Charleston in 1774^B, William must have watched the decline of British power in South Carolina with great interest and concern. Perhaps he, like many other Charlestonians, crowded the waterfront on November 11 and 12, 1775 and watched the naval engagement that was taking place only a short distance away. The British warships Tamar and Cherokee fired on the Patriot ship Defence in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent the Defense from blocking Hog Island channel. This was the last remaining safe ship channel in the harbor. The British had already lost control of the only fort in the harbor and now their ships were in danger. By the twentieth of December, the warships moved to a safer anchorage further from town, alleviating the threat of a bombardment of the city. On January 6, 1776, they left the harbor altogether, taking with them the Royal Governor and bringing British rule to an end, at least temporarily. Charlestonians did not celebrate long and on that same day decided to build a new fort to protect the harbor. Everyone assumed correctly that the British would return.

It is more likely however that William missed this naval battle. He apparently had already taken sides in the conflict and joined a Patriot Militia unit that was engaged in the Back Country. His son, William Speer, Jr., wrote years later that William, Sr. took part in Drayton's or Snowy Camps^B. He incorrectly dated the campaign as occurring during the winter of 1776 and 1777. The campaign actually occurred in November and December of 1775.

New volunteers continued arriving and Richardson's forces quickly expanded to 4,500 men, the largest army ever seen in the Back Country. On December 22, a 1,300-man unit of Richardson's troops under the command of Major William Thomson attacked Loyalist troops under Patrick Cunningham. This was the last remaining camp of Loyalists and they were easily dispersed. Thomson's unit rejoined Richardson in time for a 24-inch snow fall on December 24. This unusual snow caused much misery as the men disbanded and marched home after this last engagement of the campaign called the 'Snow Campaign'. William Speer, Jr., quotes his father as saying the snow was as deep as the front wheel of a wagon^B. The campaign was also known as 'Drayton's Camps', a reference to the newly-elected President of the Provincial Congress, William Henry Drayton. Drayton's leadership and previous visit to the Back Country helped in the raising of the volunteer militia.

William Speer, Jr. also wrote that his father lived in Charleston until after June 28, 1776 when British naval forces attacked Fort Moultrie^B. Apparently William returned to Charleston after the Snow Campaign. It was customary for militiamen to return to their homes after each campaign and rejoin later when another call for help was sounded.

On March 21 Great Britain declared war on America. On the twenty sixth, the illegal South Carolina Provincial Congress voted itself out of existence when its members adopted the US Constitution. John Rutledge was elected President of the new South Carolina General Assembly under the US Continental Congress. Preparation for the expected return of the British now began in earnest.

However, before the fort could be finished, more than fifty British ships commanded by Sir Peter Parker arrived. It was the first of June. Over the next several days, most of the ships carefully crossed the dangerous sand bar at the entrance of the harbor and anchored beyond range of the forts. Transport ships carrying British troops under the command of Sir Henry Clinton remained outside the harbor. The transports landed about 3,000 Redcoats on Long Island (now Isle of Palms) north of Sullivan's Island. The British planned a deadly attack by sea and by land. The far-outnumbered and outgunned little fort was certain to fall.

The fort consisted of 16-foot-thick walls of the readily-available palmetto logs and sand; however, only three walls were completed in time. Boards were hastily erected for the unfinished rear wall. Surprisingly the Palmetto/sand walls proved to be extremely effective in preventing cannon balls from exploding and lessening the impact of those that did. The soft-wood logs provided an additional benefit: when hit, they produced none of the flying splinters that were the usual cause of injury to nearby men.

The first of nine British warships began firing on the fort between 10:00 and 11:00 a.m. on the twenty eighth of June. Far outnumbered in guns, and low on powder, the fort slowly and with careful aim returned fire. Twenty to thirty cannons in the tiny fort battled more than three hundred cannons on the nine ships throughout the day!

By noon Sir Peter Parker realized that his attack was having little effect. He directed three of the battleships to attempt to get behind the fort by entering a shallow lagoon between it and the mainland. The three ships ran aground while maneuvering to enter the lagoon and the unsuccessful British bombardment, totaling over 12,000 cannon balls, ended by 9:30 that evening.

The ground assault by Sir Clinton, planned to coincide with the naval bombardment, halted at an unexpected deep channel (Breach Inlet) between the two islands. Attempts to land troops on Sullivan's Island and to cross the inlet were stopped by 750 militia volunteers under the recently-promoted Colonel William Thomson who manned a small fort armed with only two cannons on the northeastern end of Sullivan's Island. Since William Speer served with Thomson's volunteer militia in the Snow Campaign only seven months earlier, it's possible that he took part in this action as well.

Undocumented family stories of William Speer being captured and imprisoned in the holds of British ships in Charleston Harbor are not confirmed^C (CHAPTER 16). Existing records suggest that the British captured no prisoners during the battle of June 28, 1776.

The grounded warship Acteon was lost when it was intentionally set on fire after attempts to free it from the mud failed. The remaining eight warships, heavily damaged by the deadly fire from the fort, departed along with the other ships and British troops. This battle was the first British defeat of the war and they would not return to Charleston for another four years. It was a tremendous victory for America and produced South Carolina's State Motto: The Palmetto State. Today, the state observes Palmetto Day every June 28th.

Fort Sullivan, quickly renamed Fort Moultrie in honor of its commander, earned an honored place in the Revolutionary history of South Carolina. Eighty-four years later it again played a major military role, when Confederate troops in the fort fired on Fort Sumter, opening the first engagement of the American Civil War! A grandson of William Speer was present at Fort Moultrie on that fateful day.

William Speer left Charleston after the Battle of Fort Moultrie, moved to the Long Cane Settlement, today called Abbeville, and joined the militia troops of the Ninety-Six Regiment^B. He maintained his home in Long Cane Settlement for the remainder of the war. William's lack of a family and his known involvement in many battles suggest he was probably a full-time, or at least a long-term, soldier. In addition, surviving Indents covering his militia pay for two separate 300-day periods confirm he served more than the required 60 days per year^D.

In the settlement, he lived in the Block House, a fortified structure constructed to protect the residents of the settlement from Indian attacks, an ever present menace. Captain Andrew Pickens, who was a large land holder and patron of the Long Cane Settlement, commanded the militiamen from the settlement. Major Andrew Williamson, whose White Hall plantation was on Hard Labor Creek in what is today Greenwood County, commanded the Ninety-Six Regiment.

This regiment was the principal Patriot volunteer army in the Back Country.

By the first of August, Major Williamson had raised 1,151 men, both Patriots and Loyalists, and set off for the frontier. Captains Andrew Pickens and James McCall served under Williamson. Private William Speer served under Pickens^B.

Williamson's intent was to destroy the Lower Towns, which were those Cherokee villages located along the eastern foothills of the mountains in South Carolina. His first engagement occurred as he approached the first town, Essenacca on the Keowee River. A band of Cherokees along with some white adventurers dressed as Indians ambushed the militia and in a short fight, killed several before fleeing. The next day the village was destroyed without further opposition.

On August 12, Captain Pickens and 35 of his men on foot patrol were caught in the First Cherokee Ring Fight at Tomassee. They were in an open area along Tomassee Creek when they became surrounded by 200 to 300 Indian warriors^E. A bitter fight followed, but Pickens prevailed by keeping his men together and firing in orderly volleys at close range. The fight ended only after reinforcements arrived and the Cherokees fled, leaving 83 of their men dead or wounded on the battle field. Pickens' casualties were presumably light. A few years later Pickens fought another ring fight in the same area, and again his quick actions averted sure death. For the rest of his life he would be called 'Indian Fighter' and 'The Fighting Elder' for his cool actions under fire. It is assumed that William Speer took part in these battles, but no official records have been found.

Williamson's men also destroyed the villages of Tomassee, Jocassee, Estatoe and Tugaloo. They burned the fields and stores of maize and peas and slaughtered hogs, sheep, and cattle. Satisfied that he had pacified the Indian threat to South Carolina, Major Williamson started for home.

However, the United States Continental Congress was now calling for the Southern States to completely crush the Cherokees and South Carolina felt that more force was necessary. Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia were sending even larger armies into the Cherokee Middle Towns and the Over Hill Towns in the mountains. South Carolina expanded its efforts and sent Williamson back into the Cherokee Nation.

Williamson was promoted to Colonel and Pickens was promoted to Major. Colonel Thomas Sumter and Major William Henderson brought the newly-formed Sixth Militia Regiment and joined Williamson. On August 13, 1,800 men set out on their second march, this time against the Valley Towns in Georgia.

On August 19, they engaged a force of 600 Indians in a meadow called the Black Hole. After two hours the defeated Indians fled leaving behind many dead warriors.

Colonel Williamson and his men ruthlessly destroyed, among others, the villages of Tomotley and Little Tellico on the Hiwasee River, Frog Town on the Chestatee River, and Chotee on the Chattahoochee River. Again they destroyed all crops and stores of food and slaughtered all live stock.

In two months the South Carolina Militia had met and defeated the Cherokee in five battles and destroyed 32 towns. They had accomplished their goal of wasting the Cherokee Nation east of the Blue Ridge Mountains and, at least temporally, eliminating the threat of additional attacks on the settlers. On September 20, the South Carolina General Assembly rewarded Colonel Andrew Williamson by promoting him to Brigadier General of the State Militia. Major Andrew Pickens was promoted to Colonel of the Ninety-Six Regiment. By October 7, the South Carolina Militiamen were returning home. Within two years Williamson would switch sides and join the British; Pickens would be promoted to Brigadier General.

Because of the First Cherokee Expedition, most Indians were soon starving and moved further west. Those Indians that remained signed a peace treaty on May 20, 1777. In doing so, they ceded all of their lands east and south of the Appalachian Mountains to the Americans. This included the land at Cherokee Ford on the Savannah River that was soon settled by William Speer.

William Speer returned to Long Cane Settlement after the Cherokee Expedition. Perhaps he traded his services as a guard or soldier at the fort for room and board. Perhaps he practiced his merchant trade and simply rented quarters at the fort. It would be more than a year before the militia was called out again.

In January 1779, General Andrew Williamson and the Ninety-Six Regiment occupied Augusta, Georgia. This was to prevent British Loyalists, who now ruled Georgia unopposed since the capture of Savannah, from taking the town and crossing the Savannah River to attack South Carolina. By the time British forces under Colonel Archibald Campbell reached Augusta on

January 31, Williamson had abandoned the town and taken his brigade home to Ninety-Six. Williamson's refusal to engage the Georgia British forces may have marked the beginning of his defection.

It is probable that William Speer took part in Williamson's occupation of Augusta.

Boyd advanced to the river and burned Fort Independence near Cherokee Ford. Pickens sent Captain Robert Anderson with 80 men from the Ninety-Six Regiment to the Georgia side of the river to harass Boyd as he attempted to cross. A minor battle erupted when Anderson fired on the Loyalists as their rafts approached the Georgia side. However, the tall canes along the river bank prevented an effective attach and Boyd's men completed their crossing farther upstream. Six years later, in 1785, William Speer would settle on a homestead on Carter's Island here at Cherokee Ford.

On February 10, Colonels Pickens and Dooly crossed the Savannah in pursuit of Boyd. Patriot Colonel Elijah Clarke, in command of a militia force from Georgia, soon joined and brought their total to about 340 men. They surprised Boyd early February 14 in a small field along Kettle Creek, approximately eight miles southwest of Washington, Wilkes County, Georgia.

Pickens marched into the battle with his Regiment of Ninety-Six in the center, the troops under Colonel Dooly forming his right wing and the troops of Colonel Clarke forming his left wing. Boyds' men were not prepared for a battle, but quickly formed a defense behind a rail fence and fallen timber at the rear of their camp. Vicious hand-to-hand fighting followed, but the much larger Loyalist forces were finally driven back and retreated. Boyd, hit by three shots, died soon after the battle. The Loyalists quickly regrouped on a small hill across the creek. Colonels Pickens and Dooly advanced on the hill where again the fighting became obstinate and bloody. Finally the Loyalists were routed and fled. In his autobiographical letters, Pickens pointed out that the fighting at Kettle Creek was the severest he encountered during the war^F.

Outnumbered South Carolina and Georgia Provincial Militia defeated Loyalist Militia in this famous battle that temporarily stopped the rapidly expanding British control of the Back Country of both states. The clash of militia units, the routing of the Loyalists in the Back Country, the concerted efforts of outnumbered Patriots from both states, and the bloody hand-to-hand fighting secured a memorable position for this battle in the histories of both South Carolina and Georgia.

According to William Speer, Jr.^B, his father took part in Pickens' campaign against Boyd, which became known as the Battle of Kettle Creek. After the battle, Pickens sent William Speer with a message to Brigadier General Andrew Williamson at his White Hall home. The message presumably carried news of the victory. William Speer rejoined Pickens as he crossed back into South Carolina at Fort Charlotte, about ten miles southwest of present day Calhoun Falls, Abbeville County^B.

Monuments erected in 1930 and 1979 by the Daughters of the American Revolution and a marker erected in 1978 by the Georgia Historical Commission mark the battle site (Figure 3-1). The name of William Speer is inscribed on the 1979 monument (Figure 3-2). He was a Private serving under Colonel Andrew Pickens, Commander of the 200-man Upper Ninety-Six Regiment of the South Carolina Militia.

Figure 3-1

Pickens and the Regiment of Ninety-Six subsequently took part in the following military actions:

Creek Indian Campaign, Georgia February 1779

Battle of Brier Creek, Georgia March 3, 1779

Battle of Stono Ferry, South Carolina June 19, 1779

Second Cherokee Ring Fight at Tomassee 1779

Battle of Spring Hill, Savannah Oct 9, 1779

At the Battle of Stono Ferry, about four miles southwest of Charleston, the British were stopped on their march to recapture Charleston. However, they defeated the Patriots in this short but intense battle. After taking part in the hand-to-hand fighting here, Pickens and his now mounted volunteers were called on to provide rear guard protection for the retreating Patriot forces. In this role, the volunteers were sacrificed to save the regular army; a role Pickens' men would reluctantly play again.

At the Second Cherokee Ring Fight at Tomassee, Pickens, again surrounded by Indian Warriors, retreated into a cane break and had his men set fire to the cane. The Cherokees fled when they mistook the explosions of the burning cane for rifle fire from reinforcements.

Since William Speer was not a land owner or family man at this time, it is reasonable to assume that he took part in all of the volunteer militia actions under Colonel Pickens and the Regiment of Ninety-Six. However, his actual participation in the last five engagements listed above is unknown.

We next hear from William in an undated 'Indent' (IOU or paper Script) and an undated signed receipt in his Revolutionary War Accounts Audited file^D. The Indent reads:

"Militia duty as Private done since the reduction of Charleston; {the amount of} Twenty Three Pounds, Eleven Shillings, and five Pence Sterling."

Since the British recapture of Charleston on May 12, 1780 was commonly referred to as the 'Fall of Charleston', it is assumed that the above Indent refers to military service after that date. See Figure 2-3 for William's signature on the companion receipt to the above Indent.

It is not known if the Regiment of Ninety-Six took part in the defense of Charleston. However, Colonel Andrew Pickens and his mounted militia had fallen on hard times in the last half of 1780.

William Speer, Jr.^B tells us that his father, along with other Patriot refugees, went to North Carolina after the Fall of Charleston since South Carolina was now overrun by the unopposed British. In fact the Regiment of Ninety-Six was soon the only significant Patriot military unit left in South Carolina and the British lost little time in calling.

The remainder of the Regiment, including Colonel Pickens, voted for surrender. On June 10, Williamson and Pickens surrendered their forces to Captain Richard Pearis who commanded the first Loyalist army to arrive. Pearis soon paroled the Whig leaders and militiamen and asked only that they give their word not to take up arms against England again. In addition all private Whig arms were to be turned over to the British. Among others, Captain James McCall and Private William Speer apparently took their rifles and fled to North Carolina at this time.

Nothing is known of William's service in North Carolina, but it seems safe to assume that he continued fighting the British. Perhaps he served with Captain James McCall. It is known that McCall remained active in the Back Country and:

Captain McCall with 45 South Carolina State troops (not militia) served under Lt. Colonel William Washington's Third Continental Regiment of Light Dragoons from Virginia. They took part in the Battle of Kings Mountain on October 7, 1780.

At the Battle of Cowpens on January 17, 1781, Captain James McCall, a Major Hugh McCall and Colonel Andrew Pickens took part. William Speer may have served under one of the McCalls at Cowpens but apparently did not rejoin Pickens until later^B. William Speer, Jr. wrote that his father "served in the army in the Cavalry under the command of Capt. Hugh McCall," but does not specify where or when^B. Perhaps the reference was confusing Hugh McCall with James McCall. Additional research may shed more light on this confusion.

Colonel Pickens honored his parole and refused to take up arms again until Loyalists Militia attacked his family and burned his house. Considering his parole now violated by the British, he again raised a 350-man militia unit and joined Brigadier General Daniel Morgan against the British at Cowpens. The British now issued orders for the capture, arrest and hanging of Andrew Pickens and his militiamen.

Colonel Pickens' mounted militiamen were extremely effective at the Battle of Cowpens and turned the battle when they regrouped after their first successful skirmish and attacked the British again. After the battle, Pickens was quickly promoted to Brigadier General of the South Carolina Militia. Soon he was commander of the North Carolina Militia as well.

The Kings Mountain and Cowpens battles were famous defeats for the British Army and marked the turning point of the war in the South. Soon the British would be forced to flee South Carolina again.

General Pickens' volunteers suffered heavy losses at the Battle of Wetzell's Mill on Reedy Fork in present day Guilford County, North Carolina. On March 6, 1781 they were called on to provide rear guard for the retreating Continental Army and encountered heavy fire from the British.

Captain James McCall apparently rejoined Pickens in time for the Battle of Beattie's Mill on Little River in present day Abbeville County, South Carolina on March 24, 1781.

William Speer, who may have been serving under James McCall as mentioned above, was again with Pickens at least in time for the Siege of Augusta^B. An Indent in William Speer's Revolutionary War Accounts Audited file covers his military pay for the next year^D. This Indent reads:

"William Spears For 300 days in Militia from 10th April 1781 to 1 March 1782; Twenty One Pounds, Eight Shillings and Six Pence Half Penny Sterling."

William Speer, Jr. wrote that his father was with Pickens at the Siege of Augusta^B. This is supported by another Indent in the Revolutionary War Accounts Audited file of William Speer^D. This Indent reads:

"William Spears For Militia Duty in Brandons Regiment since the Fall of Charleston. Anderson's Return. Amount of Fifteen Pounds, Eleven Shillings and Five Pence Sterling."

Waring (1962) reports that General Pickens reorganized his militiamen and selected new Colonels for the Siege of Augusta. The new Colonels were Robert Anderson and Thomas Brandon^I.

The routing of the British from Augusta meant that the Back Country of both South Carolina and Georgia was now under Patriot control. The British garrison at Fort Ninety-Six was the last remaining in the Back Country and Patriot forces under General Nathaniel Greene were quick to come calling.

On June 19, Greene attacked the fort and the surrounding compound but was stopped by intense firing from inside the fort and hand-to-hand combat outside the wall. Realizing that British reinforcements would arrive before he could subdue the fort, he abandoned the siege and left on the morning of the twentieth.

William Speer, Jr. wrote that his father was with Pickens at the famous Siege of Ninety-Six^B. However, Pickens and his militiamen were sent on a mission to find General Thomas Sumter's Army and did not return to Ninety-Six until the evening of the nineteenth. General Pickens therefore missed the unsuccessful final assault on the fort. Perhaps he and his militiamen served duty in the trenches before the siege was lifted on the twentieth.

British reinforcements under Lord Rawdon from Charleston arrived at Fort Ninety-Six on June 22. Realizing that a long-term occupation of the fort was impossible, Colonel Cruger abandoned the fort on July 10, 1781. He destroyed the cannons and burned the fort as he departed for the safety of Charleston. Now the Back Country was completely free of British control.

After the British withdrawal from the Back Country, General Pickens and his volunteers were assigned the task of guarding against the ever-present threat of Indian attacks and protecting the fragile peace between the Whigs and Loyalists.

General Pickens and his Regiment of Ninety-Six took part in one more major engagement with the British at the Battle of Eutaw Springs, in present day Orangeburg County on September 8, 1781. While both sides suffered many casualties, the Patriot forces commanded by General Greene devastated the British forces who then retreated to the safety of Charleston. William Speer's possible participation in this famous battle is unknown.

The Battle of Eutaw Springs was the last major engagement of the war in the South. The British were losing. General George Washington, with help from the French commanded by General LaFayette, defeated Lord Charles Cornwallis at the Battle of Yorktown, Virginia on October 19, 1781 and ended any hope of victory in America by the British.

In South Carolina, the British troops evacuated Charleston on December 14, 1782 and took thousands of Loyalists with them. Many other Loyalists fled to Canada and Florida and the American Revolution officially ended with the 'Peace of Paris' signed on September 23, 1783.

Somewhat later, another campaign against the Cherokees was carried out in Wilkes County, Georgia. This time the Indians surrendered without fighting and ceded all of their land south of the Savannah River and east of the Chattahoochee River.

William Speer, Jr. wrote that his father "was under Col. Pickens in the second expedition against the Cherokee Indians"^B. This is confirmed by an invoice found in William Speer's Revolutionary War Accounts Audited file^D. According to the invoice, William Speer was one of five men seeking reimbursement for horses lost during this campaign:

Appraisement of 5 Horses lost in the Cherokee Expedition in 1782.

William Spears 11.08.6 3/4

John Stranger 8.18.6 3/4

Theo. Williams 11.08.6 3/4

Obadiah Kindrick 12.17.8 1/2

Richard Huckeby 4.05.8 1/2

---------------

48.18.6 1/2

Forty eight Pounds, eighteen Shillings & six Pence farthing Sterling

The campaign became known as the Second Cherokee Expedition.

After the war, William returned to his adopted home in the Long Cane Settlement in present day Abbeville County, South Carolina. He was 35 years old and had been in America for ten years. He was now ready to settle down. Soon he married, moved to a wilderness homestead and began raising a family. See CHAPTER 2 for the full story of William's family history.