Hammond's Store Raid of William Washington
Hammond's Store Raid of William Washington
HAMMOND'S STORE RAID OF WILLIAM WASHINGTON. 27-31 December 1780. On 27 December, General Daniel Morgan, camped near Grindall's Shoals on the Pacolet River, detached Colonel William Washington with his 80 dragoons and 200 mounted militia, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel James McCall, to attack a party of 250 Loyalists led by Thomas Waters. The Loyalists were ravaging the country along Fairfort Creek (or Fair Forest Creek, between the Pacolet and Enoree). Riding forty miles on the second day, Washington's men found the Loyalists near Hammond's Store (near modern Clinton, South Carolina) and, without a loss to themselves, brutally killed or wounded 150 and captured 40. On the next day, 29 December, Colonel Joseph Hayes rode west with forty dragoons toward Williamson's Plantation, where the Loyalists held a stockaded log house called Fort Williams. The Loyalists abandoned the post to the Patriots and fled to Ninety Six, fifteen miles south southwest of Fort Williams. This action convinced Cornwallis that no reliance could be placed in the Loyalist militia. He determined that he could not start his planned winter offensive into North Carolina until this threat to his rear was eliminated. He therefore sent Tarleton out to deal with Morgan, which led to the Battle of Cowpens.
SEE ALSO Cowpens, South Carolina.
revised by Michael Bellesiles