The American army rather exceeded three thousand six hundred men, of whom not quite two thousand five hundred were effective.

Something more than one thousand were continental troops, part of whom were new levies; the rest were militia.
[Sidenote: Major Gardiner defeated by General Moultrie.] The theatre of action was so well adapted to defensive war, that, although General Prevost was decidedly superior to his adversary, it was difficult to extend his conquests into South Carolina.

With the view of entering that state by the way of the sea coast, he detached Major Gardiner with about two hundred men, to take possession of the island of Port Royal.

That officer, soon after reaching his place of destination, was attacked by General Moultrie, and compelled to retreat with considerable loss.

This repulse checked the designs of Prevost on South Carolina.
[Sidenote: Insurrection of the Tories in South Carolina, who are defeated by Colonel Pickens.] From the commencement of the war, a considerable proportion of the western inhabitants of the three southern states had been attached to the royal cause.