I had two relatives, Isaac Boring and Peter McCollum, rebels in the Revolutionary War. They fought in the Carolinas.

My relatives (white ones) being Quakers swore allegince to the Crown. Quakers have this thing about being loyal to a legtimate goevernment most of the time... Hummm... Of course my Mohawk ancestors lifted a little American hair during the war for the Brits. Obligation of treaties and all that. To get back to your post Stan, here's a little history on the war in the Carolinas, your ancestors fought in. Don't believe they would see things the way the gentleman telling the story does though.
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This short history commences at a time, when the whole aspect of the American war experienced a change the most critical and [p2] interesting; when prospects, big with the utmost importance, sprung up in a variety of shapes, and gave birth to those decisive events which so speedily followed. Whilst several European powers privately assisted the colonies, in opposition to the mother country, they undoubtedly injured the interests of Great Britain, without allowing her the advantage of reprisal; but when France and Spain threw off the mask, and openly embraced the cause of American independence, the nature of the war underwent a manifest alteration. From that epoch, different political, as well as naval and military measures, might have been adopted. The magnitude of the confederacy was evident; and fortunate would it have been for England, had she attacked the vulnerable situation of her avowed enemies at that momentous and critical period. An immediate attention to the West Indies, and an early evacuation of New York, might have produced such important consequences, as would in all human probability, have given a different termination to the war: Her blood and treasures might then have been saved; her natural enemies might then have been humbled; and America would have resorted again to the protection of her parent state, after Great Britain had vindicated her own dignity, and established that pre-eminence, which she had acquired in her late contest with the house of Bourbon. But as it is intended only to enter into a detail of occurrences which took place in the southern provinces, during the campaigns of 1780 to 1781, and not to deviate into political disquisitions, it will be sufficient to point out the primary cause upon which the principal events were hinged, and then proceed to the narrative of military operations.

In the autumn of the year 1779, Congress was considerably advanced in credit and power by the military combination in Georgia. [p3] The appearance of the French, although the attack upon Savannah was not crowned with success, re-animated the expiring vigour of the desponding Americans, and confirmed the attachment of the unsteady. The loss of the naval superiority presented an unexpected scene to the British commander in chief, counteracted the promise of the minister, (1.) and equally deranged the intentions of both. After that event, Administration could never hope for a fortunate period to the American war, except in full confidence that the fleets of England could prevent the ships of France, from giving interruption to the military operations in that quarter of the globe: And undoubtedly, the success of the commander in chief on the western continent, and the future expectations of the loyalists, could only be founded on the permanent superiority of the British navy.

During the siege of Savannah, Sir Henry Clinton withdrew the garrison from Rhode Island, and by concentrating his force, he prepared for a vigorous defence, if attacked at New York, or for offensive operations, after the departure of the French from the American coast. The failure of D'Estaing in Georgia, and the approach of December, caused the numerous levies of militia to disperse, and the continental army to retire to winter quarters in the Jersies and upon Hudson's river.

Upon receiving intelligence of these events, Sir Henry Clinton ordered a number of transports to be fitted up for the reception of a corps of about eight thousand five hundred men; likewise, horse, ordnance, and victualling vessels, requisite for such an army. South [p4] Carolina suggested itself as the grand object of enterprize; the mildness of the climate, the richness of the country, its vicinity to Georgia, and its distance from General Washington, pointed out the advantage and facility of its conquest. As soon (a.) as the commander in chief had certain intelligence of the return of the French fleet to the West Indies, he arranged the public business at New York, committed the command of the King's troops during his absence to Lieutenant-general Knyphausen, and embarked with four flank battalions, twelve regiments and corps, British, Hessian, and Provincial, a powerful detachment of artillery, two hundred and fifty cavalry, and ample supplies of military stores and provisions.

Vice-admiral Arbuthnot, with a naval force competent to the purpose, and which was superior to any thing in the American seas, prepared to convoy this expedition to the place of its destination. On the 26th of December 1779, the whole fleet got under way, and without difficulty cleared the ice in New-York harbour. For a few days the weather proved favourable; the admiral led the van, and kept in shore; but this gleam of good fortune was not sufficiently permanent to give a fortunate termination to the voyage: a succession (b.) of storms dispersed the fleet; few ships arrived at Tybee in Georgia before the end of January, some were taken, others separated, one ordnance vessel foundered, most of the artillery, and all the cavalry horses perished. These accidents greatly deranged and impeded the intended attack upon Charles town. The loss of stores, cavalry, and military equipage, would have been sensibly felt in any situation; but in the present, nearly proved destructive to the expedition. The commander in chief, with the assistance of the admiral, the generals [p5] and other officers, sought with indefatigable ardour to remedy these misfortunes. The troops who had so gallantly defended Savannah against the joint efforts of the French and Americans, welcomed the arrival of the royal army, and contributed their endeavours to alleviate present difficulties, and to participate in future glory. According to American accounts, (a.) the delay occasioned by the damage sustained on the voyage, yielded the continentals, the state troops, and the militia, a favourable opportunity to augment the fortifications of Charles town, and by the united exertions of art and labour to render them formidable. From this circumstance it may be inferred, that the crosses and accidents which had hitherto befallen the King's troops, did not in the end prove a real calamity; as the period consumed in reparation of the losses sustained, allowed time to the Americans, enabled them to assemble their forces, and collect provisions and other stores necessary for the garrison, and finally, by affording them an opportunity to perfect their fortifications, gave them confidence (b.) to hazard their lives and fortunes upon the event of a siege.

Sir Henry Clinton lost no time in forwarding the original intention of the expedition. On the 10th of February 1780, the transports, with great part of the army on board, convoyed by a proper force, sailed from Savannah to (c.) North Edisto, the place of debarkation, which had been previously appointed. They had a favourable and speedy (a.) passage; and though it required time to have the bar explored, and the channel marked, by the activity of the navy, these difficulties were surmounted, the transports all entered the harbour the next day, and the army immediately took possession of John's island and Stono ferry: James' island, Perreneau's landing, [p6] Wappo cut, and other adjacent places, were soon afterwards obtained; and by a bridge thrown over the canal, the necessary communications were secured, and the advanced part of the King's army occupied the bank of Ashley river, opposite to Charles town: This position, for the present, was the most eligible that could be established; the air was healthful, and provisions were plentiful; its situation equally covered the Wappo cut, through which the boats and gallies were to pass for the crossing the troops over Ashley river, and protected the corps which was to march under the command of Brigadier-general Patterson from Savannah.

When the commander in chief quitted that place, to proceed to the neighbourhood of Charles town, many of the transports were not arrived from the voyage; the loss of men and stores, made it necessary to dispatch an order to New York for reinforcements of both, from that garrison. Intelligence was now daily obtained, that the defences of Charles town increased very fast, and that the troops who were to maintain them, received hourly additions from Virginia and the two Carolinas. In consequence of this information, the general did not hesitate to make preparations, to assemble in greater force than appeared requisite at the first view of the expedition; in addition, therefore, to the order conveyed to the northward, commands were forwarded to Major-general Prevost, to send a detachment of twelve hundred (d.) men, the cavalry inclusive, from the garrison of Savannah. The order reached its destination, before Lieutenant-colonel Tarleton with the principal part of the dragoons, arrived in Tybee harbour. He found the condition of his corps mortifying and distressing; the horses of both officers and men, which had been embarked [p7] in excellent order were destroyed, owing to the badness of the vessels employed to transport them, or to the severity of the weather on the passage; and unfortunately there was no substitute to be found in Georgia to remedy such a catastrophe. In this forlorn condition, Lieutenant-colonel Tarleton requested the use of some of the quartermaster-general's boats, to transport his men and furniture to Port-Royal island, in order to collect at that place, from friends and enemies, by money or by force, all the horses belonging to the islands in the neighbourhood. This demand was complied with, as there was no other chance of obtaining horses to carry the dragoons and their appointments to Brigadier-general Patterson's corps, which was soon to march in the vicinity of that quarter, on its route to the main army.

About the middle of March, General Patterson crossed the Savannah river, and on his march towards the Cambayee, through swamps and difficult passes, had frequent skirmishes with the militia of the country: A casual engagement likewise took place between Majors Ferguson and Cochrane, the former with his own corps, the latter with the infantry of the British legion; in which, the intrepidity and presence of mind of the leaders prevented any fatal extremity. These active officers, with their light troops, moved on the flanks of Brigadier-general Patterson's command, and each receiving intelligence of a corps of the enemy in the front, thought to surprise the Americans, and by an attack in the night deliver the main body from molestation. Ferguson marched, and arrived early in the night near the post from which he meant to dislodge the enemy; he found they were decamped, and he took their position, as the King's troops were to pass near it in the morning: Cochrane reached the place before day, and judging by the fires that the enemy were still in possession, he led his men to the attack with fixed bayonets, when the two commanders, [p8] in front of their respective corps, recognized each other's voice, and suppressed a conflict which might have been both mortifying and destructive. Officers of this enterprising description, removed the difficulties which occurred to General Patterson, on his march through a country intersected with creeks and morasses, and facilitated his approach to the neighbourhood of Port-Royal island; from whence, he dispatched an order to Lieutenant-colonel Tarleton, to join him with the cavalry, then lying at Beaufort, if he had assembled a sufficient number of horses to remount the dragoons; the number was complete, but the quality was inferior to those embarked at New York by the detachment of the 17th light dragoons, and by the legion. The corps felt not discouraged by this circumstance, but instantly joining General Patterson, sought for occasion to acquire better horses by exertion and enterprise. The inhabitants of Carolina having heard of the loss of the cavalry horses at sea, had flattered themselves that they could not be speedily recruited. In order to confine the British troops as much as possible to the line of march, and to prevent their collecting horses in the country, some of them accoutred themselves as cavaliers, and a few days after the junction of the dragoons from Beaufort, ventured to insult the front of General Patterson's corps, which was composed of his cavalry, who made a charge, unexpected by the Americans, and without any loss took some prisoners, and obtained a number of horses. This affair was nearly counterbalanced in the neighbourhood of Rantol's bridge, where a body of the continental cavalry, consisting of Washington's and Bland's light horse, and Pulaski's hussars, carried off Lieutenant-colonel Hamilton, of the North-Carolina provincial regiment, with some other prisoners; and owing to the imprudence of the officer who commanded the advance guard of the British dragoons, sent in pursuit, was on the point of gaining advantage over that corps. The error was rectified, and the [p9] affair ended with equal loss to both parties. Nothing material occurred from this period, and General Patterson soon after joined Sir Henry Clinton, who was occupied in establishing magazines, and erecting works to defend the communications, near the banks of (a.) Ashley river.