Cimeterre de figurines

1780, cinquième année de la guerre d'Indépendance Américaine : Le conflit s'étend vers le sud du pays. Les troupes britanniques ont pour objectif de s'emparer de Charleston en comptant sur l'appui des loyalistes de l'Etat de Caroline du Sud (qui soutiennent la couronne britannique).

Les troupes britanniques (7600 hommes) commencent leur avance à la mi-Février et commencent à bombarder Charleston à la mi-avril. Après un mois de résistance la ville capitule, 2600 soldats de l'armée continentale et 800 miliciens se rendent au britanniques.

Mais le vent tourne, car en juillet va bientôt débarquer à Newport le corps expéditionnaire francais du vicomte de Rochambeau...

Ma mise en scène montre une poignée de miliciens qui tente de ralentir la progression des troupes britanniques vers Charleston.

1780 saw the emphasis of the war continue to shift to the south. While other plans were made for the year, none of them came to anything. On 26 December 1779 7,600 troops under General Clinton had set sail from New York for South Carolina. The British plan for South Carolina was to combine military strength with a policy of conciliation that would allow the Loyalists in the state to take control and help restore British control. 

On 11 February the British landed near Charleston, and advanced steadily until on 13 April the siege of Charleston began with a British artillery bombardment. On 9 May the British positions had moved close enough to the city for the bombardment to set houses alight, and with the town burning around them the citizens finally gave way. After some negotiations over the terms of their surrender, the American garrison in Charleston surrendered on 12 May 1780. Clinton had captured 2571 members of the Continental Army, as well as 800 militia.

Feel that things will change, in a few month , the french troops of Rochambeau will land in Newport!

My display shows a handful of patriots trying to stop british troops en route to Charleston.