This Day in History-May 22,1781

The Patriot Siege of Ninety-Six, South Carolina Begins.

On May 22, 1781, approximately 1,000 Patriots under the command of Major General Nathanael Greene attempt an assault on the vital South Carolina village of Ninety-Six. After failing to take the fortified settlement, the Patriots laid siege to it. The siege lasted until June 18th when the Patriots were forced to retreat, this making it the longest siege of the Revolutionary War.

Major General Nathanael Greene

Ninety-Six, located on the Saluda River in South Carolina, was a vital fort for the defense of the northwestern part of the state as well as the second most strategically important point in South Carolina after Camden. The fort was manned by 550 Loyalists commanded British Lieutenant Colonel John Harris Cruger. On May 22nd, after failing to take the settlement, the Patriots began to lay siege to it, using siege lines, trenches, and structures that had been built for the use of the besieging Army and it's accompanying Artillery.

On June 18th, once the Patriots learned of the approach of British Lieutenant Colonel Francis Rawdon to reinforce the Loyalist garrison, they began an assault. After being unable to breech the defenses of Ninety-Six's Star Fort, they were forced to retreat, losing 150 Patriot troops to the mere 75 Loyalist casualties. Once Lord Rawdon arrived, Greene withdrew on June 19th.

Though General Greene was unable to remove the British from Ninety-Six, he and Brigadier General Francis Marion of the South Carolina militia were able to take other British fortifications. They had captured five others before the failure to take Ninety-Six. By June 1, 1781, Ninety-Six was the last Loyalist outpost in South Carolina, when they left the fort of their own accord.

Source Article: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/patriot-siege-of-ninety-six-south-carolina-begins

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