REBECCA MOTTE AND THE BATTLE OF FORT MOTTE

Rebecca Brewton Motte inherited Mount Joseph Plantation in 1775 from her brother, Miles Brewton, a prominent shipping merchant who was elected to the 2nd Continental Congress.  At the time of Miles’ death, Rebecca and her husband were living in Charleston and spending time at Fairfield, their country estate, raising their family as well as 2 nieces.  In May, 1780, Rebecca, her children and extended family arrived at Mount Joseph to take refuge after Charleston fell to the British.  At the time there was no owner’s house, just a farmhouse on an adjacent hilltop.  Almost immediately, Rebecca commenced construction of a significant house on the high bluff where the DAR monument is currently located.  The house is believed to have been finished by January, 1781.

Shortly after Rebecca and her family moved into her new home, the British seized it due to its strategic location overlooking the Congaree and proximity to the British supply lines.  Under the command of Lt. McPherson, the British renamed the site Fort Motte.  It is believed that Rebecca, 4 women and 4-5 children continued to live in the house with 5-6 British officers until early April when extensive fortifications were completed by the British and Rebecca was directed to leave. The British enclosed the house with a palisade and erected ramparts around it.  Rebecca complied and moved her family back to the farmhouse on the nearby hill, known as Buckhead Hill, leaving behind the majority of her possessions.  All but a quiver of arrows Polly Brewton remembered to leave with.  These were the arrows thought to be given to Francis Marion by Rebecca to set fore to the house and force the British surrender.

Fort Motte was an important British supply post on the river as it was located in the backcountry north of Charleston and close to Camden, Fort Granby and Orangeburg.  Francis Marion and Light Horse Harry Lee were told about the British occupation there and set out to plan the capture of the fort.  Rebecca, an ardent Patriot, is said to have been only gracious and supportive as the plans were developed.  To be able to surround and capture the fort, they dug a sap (an approach trench) beginning from the ravine south of Buckhead Hill an estimated 400 yards from the fort.  A cannon mound for a six pounder to be placed was established to the east of the fort.  By May 10 the work was completed enough to seek British surrender, but McPherson stood firm.  By this time, an estimated 184 British soldiers occupied the small space of the house and Marion and Lee soon learned that more British relief forces might be headed their way.  General Nathaneal Greene impressed the urgency of finishing the sap and taking the fort before more forces arrived.  Because of the urgency, Marion and Lee began preparations to set fire to the house forcing the British to surrender.  They approached Rebecca about this plan and much to their relief, she was completely supportive.  She was also able to offer the use of the specialized musket arrows that Polly had taken from the big house when they were forced out.

On May 12, 1781, after giving Lt. McPherson one more chance to surrender, the Patriots set the roof of the big house on fire with additional sharpshooters and an artillery crew. It was not long before Lt. McPherson raised the white flag and surrendered!

In the afternoon following the siege, Rebecca prepared dinner and invited all officers–Continentals, militia and even the British–to join her and her family for the meal.  According to Lee: “The deportment and demeanor of Mrs. Motte gave a zest to the pleasures of the table.  She did the honors with that unaffected politeness which ever excites esteem, mingles with admiration.”  Soon after the battle, all dispersed elsewhere to fight again. Rebecca and her extended family remained at Mount Joseph until after the British surrendered at Yorktown on October 19, 1781.  Her new home had been taken and burned, she had survived family illness and death, the financial woes of a war and an occupying force, and so much more.  She was never deterred.  Always resolute and strong.

Militarily, the victory at Fort Motte was followed several days later by the American capture of Fort Granby and the British post at Orangeburg, collapsing the critical British supply lines.  Instead of advancing to confront the patriots, British commander Lord Rawdon abandoned Camden and retreated across the Santee River at Nelson’s Ferry, just below Fort Motte.  Augusta and Georgetown were taken by the patriots in the days that followed.  The pivotal Battle of Fort Motte was the first of a string of decisive victories over the British and a clear turning point of the war.