8. The attack on Charleston, South Carolina, was a defeat for the Royal Navy
In the spring of 1776, British naval and military forces launched an attack on Charleston, then called Charles Towne, after conditions proved unfavorable for a proposed attack on the Cape Fear River in North Carolina. A scouting expedition down the coast revealed Charleston’s defenses were incomplete, and the British shifted the focus of the attack and the establishment of a southern base of operations to that port city. The combined land assault and naval bombardment were intended to capture the Patriot fortifications on Sullivan’s Island, followed by seizure of the city itself. The British troops were commanded by Sir Henry Clinton, its ships by Sir Peter Parker.
The American defenses were commanded by Charles Lee and William Moultrie. The fortifications on Sullivan’s Island were constructed from palmetto logs, reinforced with sand, and the spongy wood and sand proved to be impenetrable, simply absorbing shot from the British ships. Additional Patriot guns were installed on James Island, forcing the British ships to run a gauntlet of heavy fire. In the assault, the British were unable to wade ashore at their designated locations. The nine British ships were heavily battered, and one which ran aground in shoal water was burned by the retreating Royal Navy. Parker and Clinton each blamed the other for the debacle, which ended with the “invincible” Royal Navy suffering an ignominious defeat.