STEWART, ALEXANDER
Stewart, Alexander
(ca. 1741–December 1794)
English Army Officer
T
he enigmatic Stewart was a fine profes-
sional soldier and an astute tactician.
His surprising victory at Eutaw Springs
was the last major encounter in the south dur-
ing the American Revolution, but it failed to
arrest the tide of events.
Alexander Stewart was born in England
about 1741, although little is known of his
background and early life. He joined the army
as an ensign of the 37th Regiment of Foot on
April 8, 1755, and remained so stationed until
July 1775. That month he transferred to the fa-
mous Third Regiment (the Buffs) as a lieu-
tenant colonel. He was dispatched to America
in 1781 and arrived at Charleston in June. The
British strategic situation throughout the
south had deteriorated dramatically since the
previous summer, as the bulk of their army
was concentrated in Virginia under Gen.
Charles Cornwallis. His departure from the
Carolinas reduced British influence to a hand-
ful of garrisons scattered about the two
states. Shortly after Stewart’s arrival, he
pushed inland to succeed Francis Rawdon-
Hastingsas commander of field troops gar-
risoned at Orangeburg, South Carolina. De-
spite his junior rank, Stewart was the senior
field army commander in the Carolinas
through the fall of 1781. The thin red line had
been stretched to the breaking point, and
many Americans anticipated that one good
shove might snap it altogether.
After the Battle of Guilford Courthouse in
January, and the departure of Cornwallis for
Virginia, American forces under celebrated
Gen. Nathaniel Greene had turned south for
the purpose of picking off isolated British out-
posts in the Carolina backcountry. That Sep-
tember Greene gained intelligence about
Stewart’s command, which was stationed at
Eutaw Springs on the Santee River, and de-
cided to attack. Gathering up 2,200 men, in-
cluding two brigades of Continentals and two
squadrons of cavalry under Col. William
Washington and Harry Lee, he set out to drive
Stewart back to Charleston, thereby freeing
the state’s interior of British control. He com-
manded a veteran force, well appointed and
led, and covered the last 90 miles with such
celerity that Stewart remained unaware of his
approach until it was almost too late.
Anticipating a stout fight, Stewart quickly
deployed his men in a linear fashion to await
Greene’s onslaught. He had the Third, 63rd,
64th Regiments, as well as a Loyalist battal-
ion, drawn up with the Santee River protect-
ing his right flank, a deep ravine covering the
left. To his rear stood the British camp with a
two-story brick house that, once barred and
loopholed, made a formidable obstacle. Fi-
nally, he sent a select battalion of elite light
troops and grenadiers, culled from the other
formations, into a dense thicket at right an-
gles to his right flank. If the Americans at-
tacked, they would be forced into a frontal en-
gagement while sustaining enfilade fire.
Greene appeared so swiftly in the vicinity
that he captured 60 British out foraging for
sweet potatoes. When Stewart’s Loyalist cav-
alry trotted forward to investigate the com-
motion, they were ambushed and lost another
40 men. The Americans completed their de-
ployment around 9 A.M. by arraying them-
selves in three lines. The first consisted of
militia and partisan troops under Francis Mar-
ion and Andrew Pickens. The second was
formed by three veteran Continental regi-
ments, while the third line consisted of two
squadrons of cavalry. The Battle of Eutaw
Springs began when Greene sent his militia
forward with orders to fire a few rounds to
soften up the British line before withdrawing.
They fought exceptionally well, unleashing 17
volleys before giving way. Stewart then or-
dered an immediate counterattack when the
scattered militia withdrew. However, his line