Battle of Coosawhatchie Site

The Battle of Coosawhatchie, fought on May 3, 1779, was a pivotal rear-guard action during British General Augustine Prevost’s overland march toward Charleston. Located in modern-day Jasper County along Highway 17, the site marks where the Continental Army attempted to stall a vastly superior British force to buy time for the defense of the state capital.

The Engagement at the Bridge

As 2,400 British regulars crossed the Savannah River and pushed into the South Carolina Lowcountry, General William Moultrie dispatched Lieutenant Colonel John Laurens with a force of 250 men to secure the strategic crossing at the Coosawhatchie River. Moultrie’s orders were for Laurens to maintain a defensive position on the eastern bank to harass the enemy and then fall back.

However, in a display of the aggressive—and often reckless—idealism that defined his career, Laurens disregarded his orders. Instead of holding the bridge, he led his men across the river to engage the British head-on. Forming a battle line on the opposite side, the Patriots found themselves exposed and unable to seize the high ground. In the ensuing melee, Laurens was shot in the arm and his horse was killed beneath him.

A Daring Rescue and Retreat

With Laurens wounded and the Patriot line crumbling under the weight of the British advance, a total disaster was averted only by the bravery of Major William Hazzard Wigg. Wigg charged into the line of fire, pulled the wounded Laurens onto his own horse, and galloped to safety. Despite the tactical failure of Laurens’ charge, the skirmish at Coosawhatchie forced Prevost to hesitate, providing Moultrie the narrow window needed to retreat his main army toward Charleston.