Key Facts
- Dates
- November 19–21, 1775
- Patriot force size
- Over 500 men
- Loyalist force size
- ~1,900 men
- Total killed
- 5 (4 Loyalist, 1 Patriot)
- Total wounded
- 32 (20 Loyalist, 12 Patriot)
- Duration
- 2 days
Strategic Narrative Overview
Williamson's force established a stockaded fort near Ninety Six, but was quickly surrounded by a Loyalist force of approximately 1,900 men. Because the conflict was still in its early stages and the brutal partisan warfare typical of the southern backcountry had not yet developed, the siege was conducted without great intensity on either side. Fighting continued for two days in what amounted to a stalemate, with neither side achieving a decisive advantage.
01 / The Origins
In the backcountry of South Carolina, tensions between Patriot and Loyalist colonists escalated early in the American Revolutionary War. Loyalists in the Ninety Six area seized a shipment of gunpowder and ammunition that Patriot authorities had intended for the Cherokee people. South Carolina Patriot commanders dispatched Major Andrew Williamson with a force of over 500 men to recover the seized supplies, setting the stage for the first major armed confrontation in the province.
03 / The Outcome
After two days, the Loyalists withdrew from the siege, having suffered 4 killed and 20 wounded against Patriot losses of 1 killed and 12 wounded. The Patriots also withdrew toward the coast. The engagement ended inconclusively, but a subsequent major Patriot expedition in the region resulted in the arrest or flight of most Loyalist leadership, effectively neutralising organised Loyalist resistance in South Carolina's backcountry in the short term.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent
Andrew Williamson.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.