British Army Independent Companies in South Carolina formed a major component of the

Province of South Carolina Province of South Carolina, originally known as Clarendon Province, was a province of Great Britain that existed in North America from 1712 to 1776. It was one of the five Southern colonies and one of the thirteen American colonies. The mon ...

's military security. Regular

independent companies A privately held company (or simply a private company) is a company whose shares and related rights or obligations are not offered for public subscription or publicly negotiated in the respective listed markets, but rather the company's stock is ...

were first established in

British North America British North America comprised the colonial territories of the British Empire in North America from 1783 onwards. English colonisation of North America began in the 16th century in Newfoundland, then further south at Roanoke and Jamestown, ...

in 1664. The first Independent Company in South Carolina was organized in 1721. With the raising of Oglethorpe's Regiment in 1737 it was disbanded. In 1746 three understrength independent companies were sent to South Carolina, but they were disbanded two years later. When Oglethorpe's Regiment was disbanded in 1748, three new independent companies were raised in South Carolina, partly recruited with soldiers from the disbanded regiment. These three companies participated in the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the s ...

and the Cherokee War, participating in the Battle of Fort Necessity, the Braddock Expedition, the

battle of the Monongahela The Battle of the Monongahela (also known as the Battle of Braddock's Field and the Battle of the Wilderness) took place on 9 July 1755, at the beginning of the French and Indian War, at Braddock's Field in what is now Braddock, Pennsylvania, ea ...

, and the siege of Fort Loudoun. They were disbanded in 1763, with the rest of the British army independent companies in North America.

Background

Independent companies are

military unit Military organization or military organisation is the structuring of the armed forces of a state so as to offer such military capability as a national defense policy may require. In some countries paramilitary forces are included in a nation ...

s not belonging to a regimental organization. In England, independent garrison companies existed since the end of the 15th century. The first three English independent companies in North America arrived in Boston in 1664, and were used to conquer the Dutch colony of

New Netherland New Netherland ( nl, Nieuw Nederland; la, Novum Belgium or ) was a 17th-century colonial province of the Dutch Republic that was located on the east coast of what is now the United States. The claimed territories extended from the Delmarva ...

. During the

French and Indian Wars The French and Indian Wars were a series of conflicts that occurred in North America between 1688 and 1763, some of which indirectly were related to the European dynastic wars. The title ''French and Indian War'' in the singular is used in the U ...

, independent garrison companies were stationed not only in the New York Colony, but also in

Massachusetts Bay Massachusetts Bay is a bay on the Gulf of Maine that forms part of the central coastline of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Description The bay extends from Cape Ann on the north to Plymouth Harbor on the south, a distance of about . Its ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

, and

South Carolina )'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

. In 1740, the four independent companies of New York were the only in the

Thirteen Colonies The Thirteen Colonies, also known as the Thirteen British Colonies, the Thirteen American Colonies, or later as the United Colonies, were a group of British colonies on the Atlantic coast of North America. Founded in the 17th and 18th centuri ...

, but after the disbandment of Oglethorpe's Regiment in 1748 three new independent companies were raised for service in

. The four companies in New York and the three companies in South Carolina were the independent companies that served during the

.Lee Offen, ''The British Military Presence in America, 1660-1720.''
Retrieved 2018-01-23.

Standing in the community

The independent companies were recruited in Britain and the soldiers rarely, if ever, returned to the old country after having left the service. The British Army was largely recruited among the poor and the criminal classes; yet, the independent companies had lower status. Their ranks were often filled with people who had left the regular service; former soldiers mainly, but also

deserter Desertion is the abandonment of a military duty or post without permission (a pass, liberty or leave) and is done with the intention of not returning. This contrasts with unauthorized absence (UA) or absence without leave (AWOL ), which ...

s. The officers were often promoted

non-commissioned officers A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who has not pursued a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. (Non-officers, which includes most or all enli ...

. As the independent companies were virtually ignored by the military authorities in Britain they became dependent on the local American communities, often relying on them for food, clothing, and housing. Soon they became rooted in the local society; transforming the military service into a sideline of a civilian occupation.

South Carolina 1721–1737

Facing an expected Spanish threat, the

province of South Carolina Province of South Carolina, originally known as Clarendon Province, was a province of Great Britain that existed in North America from 1712 to 1776. It was one of the five Southern colonies and one of the thirteen American colonies. The mon ...

in 1719 requested military aid from the motherland. The British government drafted men from all garrison companies in Britain, thereby managing to create an independent company of 100 men, which was sent to South Carolina in 1721. The company was used to garrison Fort King George, previously built and garrisoned by provincial scouts, until a fire in 1727 destroyed the fort, when the company was moved to

Port Royal Port Royal is a village located at the end of the Palisadoes, at the mouth of Kingston Harbour, in southeastern Jamaica. Founded in 1494 by the Spanish, it was once the largest city in the Caribbean, functioning as the centre of shipping and ...

. In 1730 part of the company was transferred to St. Simons Island,

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

where they built and garrisoned Fort Delegal. When the raising of Oglethorpe's Regiment was authorized in 1737, the South Carolina independent company ceased to exist, forming the nucleus of the new regiment.

South Carolina 1746–1749

During

King George's War King George's War (1744–1748) is the name given to the military operations in North America that formed part of the War of the Austrian Succession (1740–1748). It was the third of the four French and Indian Wars. It took place primarily in ...

, South Carolina was not content with being protected by troops based in Georgia, and asked the government in London for troops stationed in the colony. In 1746 three understrength independent companies were sent to South Carolina, their 60 officers and other ranks forming a core for enlargement; the missing men to be recruited in Charleston and

. After the end of the war, the companies were disbanded together with Oglethorpe's Regiment. Three new independent companies would be recruited, however, to serve in South Carolina. The discharged soldiers could enlist in the new companies, return to England, or remain in Georgia.

South Carolina 1749–1763

In the preludes to the

, Lieutenant Colonel

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of t ...

had been ordered to remove the French from

Fort Duquesne Fort Duquesne (, ; originally called ''Fort Du Quesne'') was a fort established by the French in 1754, at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers. It was later taken over by the British, and later the Americans, and developed a ...

. In addition to the 300 men from his own provincial

Virginia Regiment The Virginia Regiment was formed in 1754 by Virginia's Royal Governor Robert Dinwiddie, as a provincial corps. The regiment served in the French and Indian War, with members participating in actions at Jumonville Glen and Fort Necessity in 175 ...

, an independent company from South Carolina was sent under the command of Captain James Mackay to his aid; ultimately suffering defeat and surrender with Washington at the Battle of Fort Necessity. Captain Mackay, being an officer with the King's commission, refused to obey Washington's orders, as coming from a provincial officer. Washington left Mackay and his company at Fort Necessity when initially moving forward towards Fort Duquesne, since the captain refused to let his men work on the road Washington was making through the woods, without extra pay. At the battle, however, they fought with fervor, suffering greater losses than the Virginians. Later, the company, now under Captain Paul Demere, participated in Braddock's Expedition, again suffering a defeat, now at the

. When inspected, it was found to be in much better military order than the two independent companies from New York also joining the expedition. At the battle they formed the

rearguard A rearguard is a part of a military force that protects it from attack from the rear, either during an advance or withdrawal. The term can also be used to describe forces protecting lines, such as communication lines, behind an army. Even more ...

together with a provincial company of Virginia rangers. During the expedition's confused retreat, the steadfastness and fighting spirit of these two companies saved the remnants of the army from being surrounded and totally annihilated. A second South Carolina independent company, under Captain Raymond Demere participated in the construction of Fort Loudon on the

Tennessee River The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names, ...

in 1756, built on the request of the Cherokees in the

Overhill Cherokee Overhill Cherokee was the term for the Cherokee people located in their historic settlements in what is now the U.S. state of Tennessee in the Southeastern United States, on the western side of the Appalachian Mountains. This name was used by 1 ...

country. The fort was then garrisoned by the company, with Captain Demere as its commandant. In 1757, the command was transferred to Captain Paul Demere. The beginning of the Cherokee War saw South Carolina Independent Companies in garrison at Charleston,

Fort Prince George Fort Prince George was an uncompleted fort on what is now the site of Pittsburgh, at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. The site was originally a trading post established by Ohio Company tra ...

, and Fort Loudoun. Soon hostile Cherokees invested both forts. Fort Loudoun had to surrender in 1760; all the officers except one being killed after the surrender, the men becoming Cherokee

hostage A hostage is a person seized by an abductor in order to compel another party, one which places a high value on the liberty, well-being and safety of the person seized, such as a relative, employer, law enforcement or government to act, or refr ...

s. After the war, the prisoners were

ransom Ransom is the practice of holding a prisoner or item to extort money or property to secure their release, or the sum of money involved in such a practice. When ransom means "payment", the word comes via Old French ''rançon'' from Latin ''re ...

ed and released. Fort Prince George held out until finally relieved in 1761.

Disbandment

In 1763, all the independent companies in British North America were disbanded as a matter of policy; being replaced by regular British army regiments permanently stationed in America.Foote 1966, p. 323.

Campaigns

* Fort Duquesne Campaign, 1754. * Braddock's Campaign, 1755. * Cherokee War, 1759–1761.

References

Citations

{{reflist

Cited literature

* Anderson, Fred (2000). ''Crucible of War.'' Knopf. * Anonymous (1756). ''A List of the Colonels, Lieutenant Colonels, Majors, Captains, Lieutenants, and Ensigns of His Majesty's Forces on the British Establishment.'' London: War Office. ited as "Army List 1756".* Arthur, John Preston (1996). ''Western North Carolina: A History.'' The Overmountain Press. * Brumwell, Stephen (2002). ''Redcoats.'' Cambridge University Press. * Cashin, Edwar J. (2009). ''Guardians of the Valley.'' The University of South Carolina Press. * Corkran, David H. (2016). ''The Cherokee Frontier.'' University of Oklahoma Press. * Foote, William Alfred (1966). ''The American Independent Companies of the British Army 1664-1764.'' Thesis - University of California, Los Angeles. * Fortesceu, J.W. (1899). ''A History of the British Army. Vol. 2.'' London: Macmillan and Co. * Ivers, Larry E. (2015). "Fort King George (Georgia)." ''Colonial Wars of North America, 1512-1763.'' Routledge. * Guy, Alan J. (1994). "The Army of the Georges 1714-1783." David G. Chandler & Ian Becket (ed.), ''The Oxford History of the British Army'' (Oxford University Press). * Jones, Charles (1878). ''The Dead Towns of Georgia.'' Applewood Books. * McCabe, James Dabney (1876). ''The Centennial Book of American Biography.'' P.W. Ziegler & Co. * O'Meara, Walter (1979). ''Guns at the Forks.'' University of Pittsburgh Press. * Preston, David L. (2015). ''Braddock's Defeat.'' Oxford University Press. * Washington, George (2004). ''George Washington Remembers.'' Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. * Wood, Virginia Steel & Bullard, Mary A., eds. (1996). ''Journal of a Visit to the Georgia Islands.'' Mercer University Press. * Yonge, Will (1740). ''A List of the Colonels, Lieutenant Colonels, Majors, Captains, Lieutenants, and Ensigns of His Majesty's Forces on the British Establishment.'' London: War Office. ited as "Army List 1740". Military units and formations established in 1721 Military units and formations established in 1746 Military units and formations established in 1749 Military units and formations disestablished in 1737 Military units and formations disestablished in 1749 Military units and formations disestablished in 1763 Infantry units and formations of the British Army French and Indian War Colonial South Carolina