South
Carolina and the American Revolution: A Battlefield History
By
John
W. Gordon
Reviewed by Monty Rainey
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Despite having its' origin in
Massachusetts, its first major victory in New York (along
with numerous defeats), the many traipses across New
Jersey, and its conclusion in Virginia, more Revolutionary
combat actions occurred in South Carolina than in any
other state. Often, when Americans think of the
Revolution, visions of minute men at Lexington and
Concord, Washington crossing the Delaware, or even the
first victory at Saratoga come to mind. With his book,
SOUTH CAROLINA AND THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, John W. Gordon
seeks to change all that and bring to the forefront, the
importance of the campaigns and skirmishes that kept South
Carolina in turmoil for nearly eight years.
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Even
in the southern campaign, knowledge is often limited to the
major events such as Cowpens and the siege of Charleston.
Gordon lends meticulous insight and detail to countless
lesser known events of the south. Closely examined here are
details concerning the three fronts of attack in South
Carolina; British Naval forces in the east, Cherokee Indians
in the west, and Tory loyalists throughout the state.
If you are a southern campaign enthusiast, I believe this
book gives the best overall insight to the South Carolina
battles of all the endless array of books previously written
on the subject. Gordon writes with a fluidity often missing
from battlefield narratives. The book flows extremely well
and even learned students of the southern campaign will gain
an abundance of information from this fine work.
This is far more than simply a reference guide to South
Carolina battles, though it serves that purpose well also.
Gordon goes on to present his arguments in rich detail and
substantiate those arguments with well defined critical
factual elements. As you would expect from a book of this
magnitude, there is also a wonderful bibliography and
footnotes for enhanced further study.
Monty Rainey
www.juntosociety.com
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