Huck’s Defeat

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Huck's Defeat


caption=
partof= American Revolutionary War
date= July 12, 1780
place= York County, South Carolina
result= American victory
combatant1=United States
combatant2=Great Britain
commander1= Colonel William Bratton
commander2=Captain Christian Huck
strength1=About 250 milita
strength2= 35 dragoons, 20 New York Volunteers and about 60 milita
casualties1=1 killed and 1 wounded
casualties2=majority was killed, wounded, or captured

Huck’s Defeat or the Battle of Huck’s Defeat was a battle of the Revolutionary War that occurred in York County, South Carolina on July 12, 1780. It was one of the first battles in the southern campaign to have been won by the American colonists.

Captain Christian Huck, who was a lawyer from Philadelphia, was Loyalist captain of dragoons under the command of Banastre Tarleton. He was sent to Fishing Creek in South Carolina. He was pursuing patriots including Colonel William Bratton. On July 11, the Loyalists had searched the Bratton family farm.

Huck's 35 dragoons from the British Legion, 20 New York Volunteers, and 60 local loyalists camped that evening at the nearly William Plantation. He posted four sentries, but did not have outlying pickets or patrols.

With a force of about 250 volunteers, Captain Bratton attacked the camp on July 12 from three directions. After mounting a horse to rally his troops, Huck was shot and died that day. The majority of the Loyalist forces were killed or captured.

This victory began a string of victories that led to victory and rallied colonists into joining the now-successful military. [Edgar, Walter, ed. "The South Carolina Encyclopedia", University of South Carolina Press, 2006, pp. 463-464, ISBN 1-57003-598-2] [Edgar, Walter. "Partisans & Redcoats: The Southern Conflict That Turned the Tide of the American Revolution". New York: William Morrow, 2001, pp. 66-87, ISBN 0-380-97760-5.]

References