The Key to the Carolinas

The Key to the Carolinas. . , The coastal plain of South Carolina covers two-thirds of the state and is crossed by numerous waterways flowing down from the mountains and piedmont regions. Rivers like the Congaree, Wateree, and Santee posed formidable challenges to travellers in the 1700s. There were no bridges crossing these rivers at that time and, unlike rivers further upstream, there were no places shallow enough to ford. Therefore ferries like the one operated by the McCord family were vital to keeping the colonial transportation, trade, and communication networks open., Ferry crossings gained even more importance during the American Revolution, as both royalist and revolutionary forces sought to control them in order to gain the upper hand over their enemy. Seeking to crush any remaining resistance in South Carolina following the capture of Charleston in 1780, the British began moving troops deeper into the backcountry, establishing outposts at key locations. To maintain contact with these isolated posts and keep them well supplied, it was crucial that the British establish control of the road network and the many ferry operations that linked those roads together., For revolutionaries, control of these river crossings were also a vital part of their strategy to push the British out of the South Carolina backcountry in 1781. Because of the ferries' strategic importance, revolutionary militia would often destroy or remove ferry boats. Ambushes were also set against British troops, supply trains, and enemy couriers as they sought to cross the rivers. In fact, some of the most important and well known battles to take place in South Carolina occurred at or near ferry crossings., (captions) , Revolutionary War hero General Francis Marion and his soldiers were very familiar with the roads and waterways of South Carolina. They used this knowledge to their advantage, both to surprise and evade their royalist opponents. Ferry crossings played a key role in Marion's campaigns against the British, including several of his best known battles such as Parker's Ferry, the Bridges Campaign, and the sieges of Fort Watson and Fort Motte. The illustration above shows Marion and his militiamen crossing the Pee Dee., McCord's Ferry was one of several important ferry crossings that operated during the Revolutionary War. These ferries (marked by stars) acted like bridges do today, and permitted travellers to cross at convenient places along their route. Each was a vital part of the transportation network of South Carolina in the 1700s. The star directly above Fort Motte near the center of the map indicates the location of McCord's Ferry.