The War in the Southern Colonies

Ninety Six played a significant role in the struggle for American independence from British rule. It was the site of the first southern land battle of the Revolutionary War, in 1775, and the scene of its longest field siege, in 1781. Early in the war the British focused on conquering the North. However, they turned their gaze to the South after suffering setbacks in New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia.The colonies of Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, and South Carolina provided cash crops, including rice, indigo and tobacco, to markets in England. Because of this critical economic tie, many southern colonists remained loyal to British rule. They were called "Loyalists." The British Army recruited these Loyalists to help them fight the American revolutionaries called "Patriots," who wanted independence. The battles fought at Ninety Six were between Loyalists and Patriots, all of whom were born on American soil.The British found that the South was not so easily won. Here in the backcountry of South Carolina residents changed alliances frequently — siding with the Loyalists when it seemed to their advantage but supporting the Patriots when they felt oppressed by British rule. At Ninety Six the town was firmly in the hands of the Patriots in 1775, but became Loyalist territory by 1780, just before the siege of Ninety