Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-06-29
From the Yorkville Enquirer Of 1876
INSTALLMENT X.
The Fight at Stono.

Island, General Lincoln thought 1t
favorable opportunity to attack their
forces in detachment. On the 4th OF
June, he moved down in the neighbor-
hood of Stono. 1t was his intention
to at once attack the van Of the Brit
lsh army; but after a close examina-
ton of the ground and the position OF
the enemys troops, he thought 1t best
to decline the assault at that time.
About two weeks after General Lin
coin had taken his position near Stono,
General Provost detached Lieutenant
Colonel Provost and sent him, with a
portion of the British army, to Savan-
nah. A bridge, connecting Johns Is
land with the main land, had been
built out of boats. These had been
taken away for the purpose Of trans
porting the troops, under the command
of Colonel Provost to Savannah. Lieu
tenant Colonel Maitland, gallant Of
ficer, was placed in command of the
British post at Stono on the main
land. His forces consisted of English,
Hessians, and a regiment of North
Carolina loyalists. In all they amount
ed to five hundred men. In some res
poets the British under Colonel Malt
land were favorably situated; in other
respects they were not. Since the
bridge of boats had been removed,
communication with the main body OF
the army, which was yet on James Is
land, was difficult. AS they had been
there for some time, they were fortified
and both their wings rested on swamps
which, although not unpassable, could
only be crossed with difficulty.
In this position, General Lincoln de-
termined to attack Colonel Maitland.
General Moultrie was ordered to set
out from Charleston, with body of six
hundred troops under his command,
and take possession Of James Island.
From thence he was to pass over to
Johns Island. The object of this
movement, on the part of General
Moultrie, was to divert the attention
of General Provost from General Lin
coin, and prevent reinforcements from
being sent to Colonel Maitland The
order of battle and plan Of attack were
we'll conceived and did General Lincoln
great credit? In fact, he gave more
evidence of military talent on this oc-
casion, than he ever did before or af-
ter. The Highlanders were regarded
as the best troops in the British army.
General Lincoln knew that these were
placed on the enemy's right. Opposed
to these, General Lincoln placed his
Continental troops, commanded by
General Jethro Summer. The Hes
slams were posted on Colonel Malt
lands left Opposite to these, General
Lincoln placed Brigadier General But
ler. with the North Carolina militia.
The loyal North Carolina regiment,
commanded by Lieutenant Colonel
Hamilton, composed the British centre,
General Lincolns flanks were covered
by two bodies of light troops, colonel
Malmedy commanding the one, and
Lieutenant Colonel Henderson the 9TH
er. General Lincoln's reserve consisted
Of the cavalry and some Virginia mill
tia, commanded by General Mason.
1t was planned that the assault
should be made on the morning Of
the goth of June. On the 18th, Gen
eral Lincoln put his army in motion,
and on the Goth, in accordance with the
previous arrangements with General
Moultrie, he held his troops, disposed
as we have stated, to the attack. Col
onel Maitlands pickets were driven in,
and of two companies of Highlanders
that came to their assistance, only
nine escaped being cut to pieces. This
encouraged the American troops, and
it was determined to rush forward up
on the enemy with fixed bayonets. The
American troops advanced steadily to
within sixty yards of the enemy's
works, when a heavy fire was opened
by the entrenched foe. Here the Amer
lean troops, contrary to orders, halted
and began to return the fire. For half
an hour the firing was sharp and the
enemy's left was driven back. Colonel
Maitland in an instant, threw his
Highlanders to his left, and supplied
their vacancy with his reserve. The
Hessians, which had been posted on
the left, and who had given back, were
again rallied and brought into line.
General Lincoln was enraged that his
ho1 cd
to charge bayonet, but had commence
ed to fire as soon as they were fired
upon. That his original plan might be
carried out, he ordered the troops to
cease firing. This order was obeyed.
Again he ordered them to charge bay
onet, but again the troops began to
fire. Just at this juncture, General
Provost was crossing over the ferry on
the Stono for the purpose Of assisting
Colonel Maitland. General Lincoln now
ordered retreat This produced some
confusion, and Colonel Maitland rush
ed out with all his available force to
the pursuit, but the American cavalry
dashed in upon him and enabled the
forces under General Lincoln to get
away in tolerable order.
In the arrangement of his troops,
General Lincoln gave evidence of his
military talent: but in the mode Of at
tack his judgment was at fault. Along
the whole British front there was an
abattis. Besides this, they were en-
trenched, and their field pieces proper
erly located. Instead of making the
attack on the front, General Lincoln
should have directed his fire upon the
British fianks. 1t was also grand
mistake in placing the issue of the un-
dertaking on the bayonet. 1t was in an
open field, and i'm every charge his men
were exposed to a murderous fire
Situated as he was, General Lincoln
might have known that success, by his
mode of attack would have been
equivalent TO ruin. Lincoln had more
than twice as many men as Maitland
and his troops fought well.
Despite the blunder in the mode of
attack, General Lincoln would have
succeeded had General Moultrie been
on James Island in time to discharge
| the duty assigned him i'm the general