Military officer; born in
Virginia in 1734; was a volunteer in the
French and Indian War, and was present at
Braddock's defeat in 1755.
In March, 1776, he became lieutenant-colonel of a South Carolina regiment of riflemen, and was stationed in the interior of the
State to overawe the Indians and Tories.
After the fall of
Charleston in 1780,
Sumter hid in the swamps of the
Santee; and when his State was ravaged by the
British,
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476]
he retreated to
North Carolina, where he raised a larger force than he could arm, and with these he fought and defeated a British force at
Hanging Rock, and totally routed a British force on the
Catawba (July 12, 1780), but was afterwards (Aug. 18) surprised and defeated at
Fishing Creek by
Tarleton.
He soon raised another corps and repulsed
Colonel Wemyss near the
Broad River (Nov. 12), and at Blackstocks defeated
Tarleton, who attempted to surprise him. So vigilant and brave was
Sumter that the
British called him the β
South Carolina Gamecock.β
Raising three regiments, with
Marion and
Perkins he dreadfully harassed the
British and Tories in
South Carolina.
He received the thanks of Congress, Jan. 13, 1781.
Cornwallis, writing to
Tarleton, said of him, βHe certainly has been our greatest plague in this country.β
He captured the
British post at
Orangeburg (May, 1781), and soon afterwards those
at
Dorchester and
Monk's Corner.
General Sumter was a warm friend of the national Constitution, and was member of Congress under it in 1789-93, and again in 1797-1801.
He was
United States Senator in 1801-10, when he was appointed
United States minister to
Brazil.
He died at South Mount, near
Camden, S. C., June 1, 1832.
