Battle of Rocky Mount The Battle of Rocky Mount took place on August 1 , 1780 as part of the American War of Independence . Loyalists commanded by Lieutenant Colonel George Turnbull occupying an outpost in northern South Carolina withstood an attack by 600 American Patriots led by Colonel Thomas Sumter . Background . Throughout 1779 and early 1780 , the British " southern strategy " to regain control of its rebellious provinces in the American Revolutionary War went well , with successful amphibious operations against Savannah , Georgia and Charleston , South Carolina , and a routing of the few remaining Continental Army troops in South Carolina in the May 29 , 1780 Battle of Waxhaws . The British , in complete control of both South Carolina and Georgia , established outposts in the interior of both states to recruit Loyalist s and to suppress Patriot dissent . One of these outposts was established at Rocky Mount , near the confluence of Rocky Creek and the Catawba River , south of present - day Great Falls , South Carolina . This outpost was garrisoned by a regiment of New York Volunteers under the command of Lieutenant Colonel George Turnbull . Patriot militia regroup . In the absence of Continental Army command structure to organize resistance to the British following the disaster at Waxhaws , companies began to grow around Patriot militia leaders who had either survived it , or were not present at the battle . One militia colonel , Thomas Sumter , began in June 1780 to accumulate a militia force near Salisbury with financial assistance from North Carolina officials . While his force was too small to effectively oppose large - scale British and Loyalist activity for a time , enlistments rose following the Patriot victory known as Huck ' s Defeat on July 12 . By late July he had several hundred men and decided it was time to take action . His primary target to attack was the British outpost at Rocky Mount . Sumter had learned on July 20 from a spy that the defenses might be susceptible to small arms fire , a clear benefit since Sumter lacked any sort of field artillery . ( To Sumter ' s detriment , the spy was probably a double agent , and Turnbull shortly thereafter began strengthening Rocky Mount ' s defenses until they were proof against musketry . ) On July 28 , Sumter broke camp and moved his company , numbering about 600 men , down to Land ' s Ford , a major crossing point of the Catawba . There he met Major William Davie , who was leading a company of dragoon s , and additional smaller militia companies . They decided that Davie would lead a diversionary attack against another outpost while Sumter would assault Rocky Mount . Battle . The action began early on July 30 . ( Sources disagree on when Sumter arrived at Rocky Mount , but Davie ' s action appears to have taken place on July 31 . ) Davie and his dragoons rode to the British outpost at Hanging Rock ( south of present - day Heath Springs , South Carolina ) , where they surprised a company of Loyalists camped outside the fortifications , inflicting casualties and seizing 60 horses . The action happened so quickly that the British forces inside the fortifications were unable to respond . Sumter ' s attack went less well . Turnbull ' s work on the defenses at Rocky Mount paid off , and Sumter ' s men were unable to penetrate the defenses . After several hours of fruitless battle , they tried setting fire to the works , but this was frustrated by a torrential downpour that ended the battle . Aftermath . Sumter ' s forces suffered relatively modest casualties , and Sumter went on to successfully attack Hanging Rock a few days later .