The Gamecock

SUMTER: Ancestor Anna Sumter, wife of Thomas Land, was the sister of one of South Carolina's most noted historical figures, General Thomas Sumter - known as the "Gamecock."

Born in Hanover Co., Virginia in 1734, Thomas Sumter became the most famous member of his family. Along with Francis Marion [the Swamp Fox] and Andrew Pickens, he raised havoc with the British troops in the Carolinas and Georgia.

Thomas Sumter was educated in common schools. He worked as a surveyor and in his father's mill. After his father died in 1752, Thomas cared for his mother's sheep and plowed a neighbor's fields.

Thomas served with the Virginia Militia during the French and Indian War. He served under Edward Braddock and John Forbes in their campaigns against Fort Duquesene in Pennsylvania. Sumter accompanied a delegation to London as interpreter for the Cherokee chiefs when they met with King George III. Returning to the colonies on 28 October 1762, he landed at Charleston and spent the winter with the Cherokees. During his stay with the Indians, Thomas single-handedly captured Baron Des Onnes, a French emissary sent to stir up trouble between the Cherokees and the British. Sumter returned briefly to Virginia. He was arrested for an old debt, escaped from Stanton Prison and fled to Eutaw Springs, South Carolina. He invested his savings in land and slaves, opened a crossroads store, and was made a justice of the peace in 1766. Sumter married widow Mary Cantey Jameson, seven years his senior, about 1767. The couple took up residence on the plantation in St. Mark's Parish left to Mary by her first husband. Their son, Thomas, Jr. was born 30 August 1768.

Sumter was an ardent supporter of the Patriot cause. Thomas Sumter was elected as a delegate to the Second Provincial Congress at Charles Town [Charleston] in 1775 and 1776. He was made a member of the Council of Safety. Thomas was a Captain in the Rangers sent to subdue the upcountry Tory forces in the "Snow Campaign" of December 1775. Thomas was made Lt. Colonel of the 2nd South Carolina Rifle Regiment in March 1776. The regiment was assigned to guard the frontier. He was engaged in the Battle of Sullivan's Island on 28 June 1776, Williamson's Campaign against the Cherokees in the fall of 1776, and the Georgia Campaign against Fraser's raid from St. Augustine. Sumter resigned his commission in 1778 and returned home.

After the fall of Charleston in 1780, Sumter came out of retirement to form a militia unit that would operate out of the swamps of the Santee River. Governor Rutledge had moved the South Carolina capitol to North Carolina leaving Sumter's militia as the "government" on the home front.

While recruiting in North Carolina at Gillespie's Settlement, Sumter stepped into the Gillespies' cockpit and called on the men to join him. The Gillespies were famous for their cock-fights and owned a blue hen of the game species. Impressed with Sumter, one of the Gillespie brothers proclaimed, "He is one of the Blue Hen's chickens!" The nickname of "The Gamecock" was born.

1780 was an active year for Sumter. His forces were repulsed in an attack on Tumball's camp at Rocky Mount on 30 July. They destroyed the Prince of Wales Regiment at Hanging Rock on 6 August. Colonel Banastre Tarleton's Legion was sent after Sumter and defeated his troops in a surprise night attack at Fishing Creek on 18 August. On 6 October, Governor Rutledge commissioned Sumter a Brigadier General in the service of the state. General Sumter defeated the British at Fish Dam Ford and captured the commander, Col. Wemyss on 9 November. Sumter next prepared to march on the British garrison at Ninety-Six; but changed plans when he heard that old nemesis Tarleton was on the way. The Gamecock met Tarleton at Blackstock's on 20 November and won the day. Sumter was wounded in the back and chest.

General Sumter was out of commission for several months. In early 1781 Sumter destroyed the munitions magazines at Fort Granby. The next day, his men ambushed a convoy of supply wagons enroute from Charleston to Camden. The British losses were 13 dead and 69 taken prisoner. British Major Fraser attacked Sumter near Camden, but left the field with 20 dead. General Nathanael Greene, now in command of the Continental forces in the South, sent a letter to Sumter requesting him to do everything in his power disrupt British communications. By that time, The Gamecock was in the field, sweeping through the countryside between the Broad, Saluda, and Wateree Rivers. On 10 May, Sumter's forces took the British garrison at Orangeburgh.

General Sumter became embroiled in a dispute with Col. Lee, and feeling that General Greene was unfairly partial to Lee, sent his commission to the general. This was neither the first, nor the last time that Greene would have to placate the vanity of Sumter. Greene returned the commission with expressions of kindness and compliments to his subordinate officer. The Gamecock once again resumed his duties. Fatigue and wounds shortly took their toll on Sumter, who took refuge in the mountains. When he was fit for duty, the war was drawing to a close.

After America had won her independence, Sumter continued to serve his state and country. He had been elected to the first General Assembly under the new Constitution in 1778. Thomas was elected to the South Carolina State Senate, which met at Johnsonburgh, in 1782. The Sumters moved from the Santee plantation to Stateburg in the Camden District. The Gamecock was elected to the Assembly which met at Charleston in 1785. He was re-elected and a member of the Assembly when the Proposed Constitutional Convention was received. His last session was 1789. After that he refused further nominations to the State Assembly.

Thomas Sumter was elected to the First U.S. Congress which met in New York City in 1789. He was re-elected to the Second Congress, but was defeated in the 1793 election. Sumter won the Congressional election again in 1796. Congress met for the first time in Washington City. He was the only member of the South Carolina delegation to vote for Jefferson over Burr when the election was thrown into Congress.

Sumter was elected to fill out the remainder of Charles Pinkney's unexpired term in 1801. Pinkney had been sent to the Court of Spain. The General was then elected to two full terms in the Senate. At 76, weary of public service and facing problems with his business interests, Sumter retired to his home at Statesburg. In 1832, he took a stand favoring the "States Rights" issue. The Gamecock died that same year at the age of 98.

General Sumter was both a blessing and a curse for the commander of the Southern Campaign, General Nathanael Greene. He was often at odds with Greene and frequently allowed his ego to get in the way. In his book, The Fighting Quaker:Nathanael Greene, [1972, American House Publishing, Mattituck, NY, p. 230] Elswyth Thane is quoted in his discussion of Greene's preparation for the Battle of Hobkirk's Hill: "The incorrigible Sumter was nowhere to be seen, as was his habit. He sent in some supplies to Greene's camp, but he could never bend his independent spirit to subordinate command under Greene and found many excuses not to join the main army. Greene was afraid to press him lest he take offense and resign altogether, and so left him to pursue his main usefulness, which was to encourage the spirit of resistance in the countryside and control roving bands of Tories who did violence to friend and foe alike."