Patrick J O'Kelley

"Nothing but Blood and Slaughter", The Revolutionary War in the Carolinas, Volume 1-4

The war in Carolinas was conducted in two campaigns, the first from 1775 until mid-1776. The British attempted to gain a foothold in the South by organizing the Loyalist Militia and the Indians allied with Britain. At the same time the British attempted to invade the Carolinas with British Regulars and the Royal Navy. None of these actions were successful and the Patriot cause kept the Carolinas under Whig rule. The British thought that a large Loyal population would rise to defend the King, but they were wrong.
After the British defeat at Saratoga in 1777 France entered into the conflict and the British conducted the second campaign for the Carolinas. The British invaded for a second time and quickly defeated the Continental army and the State militias. Conquering the Carolinas was fairly easy but keeping it was another matter. The partisan war conducted by Marion, Sumter and Davie wore down British supply lines and it also made the British post needed troops in supply points.
The war in the Carolinas concluded with the war of attrition conducted by Greene and Morgan. Even though they did not win the battles against the British, the British were not able to hold the ground that they had just “won”, due to their losses. The British realized that to stay in a territory that was held by the enemy and plagued with numerous guerilla bands that could cut off their supplies would be suicidal. The British did not lose the battles, but they lost the war of logistics.