Set to Invade South Carolina – General Cornwallis Departs Cork, Ireland

Set to Invade South Carolina – General Cornwallis Departs Cork, Ireland
British General Lawrence Cornwallis set out to invade South Carolina on February 12, 1776, from Cork, Ireland. The 11-ship flotilla carried 2500 British soldiers, their gear and supplies. The general hoped to hook up with scores of British Loyalists upon reaching Charleston. Below deck American patriot Ethan Allen and his men were held prisoner in squalid conditions. Poorly fed, infested with lice Allen became ill during the long cold voyage. He would survive the voyage, but he and his men were in very poor condition as the voyage ended.
Dive in and celebrate America’s birthday with a dose of history!
The book 1776, still in process, will be part of the
Time Line of United States History Series
Colonial American History Stories – 1215 – 1664
Colonial American History Stories – 1215 – 1664
Colonial American History Stories – 1753 – 1763
Colonial American History Stories – 1763 – 1769
Colonial American History Stories – 1770 – 1774
An American Revolution Timeline – 1775

Transcript:

Greetings, today I will talk about the day British General Charles Cornwallis departed Cork, Ireland to take his army to fight against the American colonists.

February 12, 1778 – General Cornwallis Departs Cork

Set to Invade South Carolina – General Cornwallis Departs Cork, Ireland

Greetings, today I will talk about the day British General Charles Cornwallis departed Cork, Ireland to take his army to fight against the American colonists.

General Cornwallis, in command of approximately 2500 troops, departed from Cork England bound for the South Carolina coast.
British Strategy
The British high command had decided upon a plan to exert control over their rebellious colonies. The general two part plan was to assemble a fleet and invade Charleston, South Carolina, where they would unite with Loyalist forces that they believed were present in large numbers. From Charleston they could drive north. The other part of the plan involved inciting the Amerindian tribes west of the Blue Ridge Mountains to attack American settlements in Kentucky.

Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marques Cornwallis had retired to southern England to recruit troops to participate in this action. He gathered a force of about 2500 recruits and sailed for Cork to unite with Commodore Sir Peter Parker. With the fleet and the troops assembled, Parker and Cornwallis sailed from Cork on his way to South Carolina. Ethan Allen, whom the British had captured earlier, languished below decks as a prisoner.
Ethan Allen Accompanies Force
After Parliament decided to send Ethan Allen and his men back to the colonies, they loaded them on a British warship, the HMS Solboy. The conditions of their captivity during their imprisonment at the castle had been somewhat better than on the ship, however they still suffered from extremely poor living conditions. They had slept on beds of straw and suffered a severe infestation of lice. The ship departed for Cork, Ireland where it docked for some weeks to provision. The Soledad was part of an 11 vessel fleet being assembled to take Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis to North Carolina to begin an invasion of that colony. In Ireland, the citizens heard of Allen’s imprisonment and some visited with him on board the ship. Some brought food, wine and clothing. The captain of the ship confiscated the food and wine, however allowed him to keep the clothing. On February 12 the ship began its long, cold journey to the colonies. Allen and his men were held below deck with little food or water. Allen became ill during the long, difficult voyage, but remained alive.
The story of Ethan Allen and his capture is recounted in the book 1775, as well as earlier in this book, 1776.
1775

Other events that took place during this week of February 8 – 14.

February 11, 1776 – Royal Georgia Governor Wright Escapes
British Royal Governor James Wright escaped from the mansion and eluded his captors with the help of a Loyalist supporter.

February 13, 1776 – Patrick Henry Elected Colonel of First Virginia Battalion
The Continental Congress elected Patrick Henry as colonel of the First Virginia Battalion and placed in charge of the state’s gunpowder supply.

I hope to have this book published by June 2026. Meanwhile you can enjoy 1775, available at this link:

you can get the book on my website. Just click the “Timeline of United States History” on the lower left-hand side of the home page.
A box set that includes all six volumes of the series is available at that link at an economical price.

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