Battle of Musgrove Mill
Musgrove Mill, Enoree River, South Carolina, USA
What happened
Patriot militia under Isaac Shelby, James Williams and Elijah Clarke fought Loyalist militia and provincial troops under Alexander Innes. The Patriots built a curved barricade of brush and fallen trees on a ridge near a ford of the Enoree River. A small group drew the Loyalists toward it, and the Patriots held their fire until the Loyalists came close. When the Loyalists nearly broke one end of the line, Shelby sent in his reserves and the Loyalists gave way.
Why it matters
The win came only days after a big Patriot defeat at Camden. It encouraged the Patriots and showed the Loyalists could not hold the South Carolina backcountry.
What came next
Shelby's Overmountain Men went back over the mountains, gathered at Sycamore Shoals, and fought at Kings Mountain on 7 October 1780.
Did you know?
The war in the Carolina backcountry has been called 'America's first civil war', because neighbours fought neighbours.
Timeline
- 18 August 1780Battle of Musgrove Mill.
- 25 September 1780Overmountain Men gather at Sycamore Shoals.
- 7 October 1780Battle of Kings Mountain.
- 4 June 1792Isaac Shelby becomes governor of Kentucky.