Battle of Fishing Creek The Battle of Fishing Creek , also called the Battle of Catawba Ford , was an American Revolutionary War battle fought on August 18 , 1780 , between American and British forces including the 71st Foot . It was fought near the junction of Fishing Creek and the Catawba River in South Carolina . British forces under Banastre Tarleton surprised the militia company of Thomas Sumter , killing a significant number , taking about 300 captives , and very nearly capturing Sumter , who some say was asleep at the time of the attack . Background . Following the routing of Continental Army forces from South Carolina in the May 1780 Battle of Waxhaws , the British " southern strategy " for reconquering the rebellious United States in the American Revolutionary War appeared to Lord Cornwallis , the British commander in the south , to be going well . British and Loyalist outposts were established throughout South Carolina and Georgia . In the absence of Continental Army units in South Carolina , militia commanders like Francis Marion , Andrew Pickens , and Thomas Sumter began to form units to contest the British presence . Sumter had been particularly successful in the northern part of the state , making attacks on Rocky Mount and Hanging Rock in early August 1780 . In August a new Continental Army threat began to form in North Carolina , as General Horatio Gates began moving a regrouped army formation , accompanied by a large number of militia , south to dispute the British outpost at Camden , South Carolina . Cornwallis moved reinforcements to Camden from Charleston , while Sumter , in some coordination with Gates ' movements , harassed British communication and supply lines . The armies of Gates and Cornwallis met north of Camden on August 16 , and Gates was decisively routed . One day before , Sumter had twice fallen on British supply convoys , and his forces were slowed by prisoners and eighty wagons of supplies . He was moving north toward Charlotte , North Carolina when he learned of the disaster at Camden . In spite of this news , he failed to take some basic precautions when his column took a break near Fishing Creek on August 17 . After his victory at Camden , Cornwallis had ordered troops , including Banastre Tarleton and the British Legion , to locate and neutralize Sumter . Battle . Tarleton , commanding about 350 , left the main army on August 17 and headed first toward Rocky Mount , where he had heard the Sumter was encamped . He arrived there late in the day only to learn that Sumter had already moved further north and was encamped on the far side of the Catawba River . Crossing over the next morning and moving with characteristic speed , he reached the site of Sumter ' s camp , once again finding that Sumter had already moved on . Picking 160 men from his company and leaving the rest to cover his rear , Tarleton continued the pursuit , and finally caught up with Sumter at Fishing Creek . While Sumter had posted guards at some distance from his camp , Tarleton was able to overwhelm them before they could raise the alarm . Forming up the cavalry , he charged into Sumter ' s unprepared camp , quickly gaining control of the stands of arms . Sumter , asleep under a wagon , barely got away in the ensuing panic . Aftermath . Tarleton freed prisoners and recaptured the wagon trains of supplies that Sumter had taken , as well as taking 300 of Sumter ' s men prisoner . Sumter arrived in Charlotte , alone , two days later . He eventually reformed his militia , and got a measure of revenge against Tarleton at Blackstock ' s Farm in November 1780 .