Battle of Beaufort

Following the fall of Savannah, British forces under Mark Prevost probed northward into South Carolina. A British force landed on Port Royal Island and advanced toward Beaufort. General William Moultrie — the hero of Sullivan's Island in 1776 — commanded about 300 South Carolina Continentals who met the British at a narrow point on the island where the terrain heavily favored the defenders.

Moultrie positioned his men skillfully in the woods on both sides of the road. When the British advanced in column they were hit simultaneously from both flanks. The fight was brief but intense. Prevost's men were driven back with about 40 casualties while the Americans suffered only eight wounded.

The victory was modest but important — it demonstrated that South Carolina could still field effective troops and that the British advance would not be unopposed. Moultrie's broader success in the spring of 1779, when he helped prevent Prevost's army from capturing Charleston itself, further demonstrated his ability to defend the colony. The Battle of Beaufort was part of the American effort to contain the British advance until stronger forces could be assembled.