Revolutionary War - Marion - Dillon Counties, South Carolina

Revolutionary War
Marion County

1782 - (battles and skirmishes cont'd)

June (3rd?), 1782 - Battle of Bowling Green - Site of battle between Patriots, under General Francis Marion, and Loyalists, under Major Micajah Ganey. Tory leader Major Micajah Ganey and 500 of his men surrender to Marion and pledge their allegiance to the United States. (See 1782 June Treaty). Used as a muster ground for the militia prior to the Revolution, Bowling Green is located in the Temperance Hill community of modern Marion County.
A little background:
After the success of Thompson's expedition, the British had enjoyed some relief from harassment by Francis Marion's brigade in the area north of the Santee River, but by June 1782, Marion had recovered and was once again patrolling the enemy's northern perimeter. General Leslie, hoping to create a disturbance in Marion's rear lines, dispatched an emissary to stir up the Loyalist settlements on Great and Little Pee Dee.
The Tories in this region, commanded by Major Micajah Ganey, had concluded a truce with General Marion in June 1781, after the Patriots had captured Georgetown. The truce was due to expire on June 17, 1782, and in view of the Loyalist threat, the governors of North and South Carolina mounted a joint expedition under Marion's command. "The Swamp Fox, who had already drawn up plans for this operation, had Patriot columns ready to move into the truce ground from three directions. The Tories were intimidated by Marion's approach, and they began to sue for terms. After complicated negotiations a personal meeting was arranged between Marion and Ganey, and on June 8 a new treaty was signed at Burch's Mill on the west side of the Pee Dee River. Marion remained at this camp until June 16, then marched north and within a few days crossed the river in the vicinity of Mars Bluff, proceeding to Bowling Green in Marion Cunty, where he accepted the surrender of several hundred Tories." (Terry Lipscomb, "South Carolina Revolutionary Battles", Names in South Carolina, USC press, 1981)
Bishop Gregg's Account, History of the Old Cheraws, p. 596:
"Scarcely had Marion reached Dorchester when the Loyalists beyond Pedee, with the celebrated Major Gainey at their head, once more appeared in arms, disregarding the treaty they had made with Marion about a year before. They now appeared in so large force, both cavalry and infantry, that it became necessary to detach Marion against them.
Marion came upon them at Bowling Green, five miles north of Marion, S.C., capturing the whole of them, getting only one man wounded. Five hundred laid down their arms and all took the oath of allegiance to the American cause, Major Gainey himself coming over. After the treaty they, or the most of them, enlisted with Marion and fought with him against Fraser, the last of Marion's battles, doing splended service."
June (?) 1782 - Black Lake - Site of skirmish, Colonel John Baxter's Company. In modern Horry County.
Baxter and his men, assigned to patrol Britton's Neck (between the Great and Little Pee Dee), learned that the Loyalists had seized a boatload of rice near the mouth of Black Lake. When the Patriots arrived on the scene, the enemy fled, but they afterward fired on Baxter's troops as the latter were proceeding up the lake in canoes to recover the boat. Robert James, a personal friend of General Marion, was wounded in this encounter. (Terry Lipscomb, "South Carolina Revolutionary Battles", Names in South Carolina, USC press, 1981)