alternatehistory.com

12 August

A patrol of one British cavalry troop some miles north of Charleston is ambushed by the entire 2nd South Carolina regiment, who were behind a hedge. The storm of musket balls kills or injures several of the men before they can react, as well as unhorsing a number of the survivors.
Three men are immediately detached to carry news back to Charleston, and the rest of the troop endeavours to rescue their injured or unhorsed survivors - an instinct which, while admirable, results in further casualties.

This small skirmish serves as the catalyst for a battalion-scale engagement at Hanahan, where the 41st (Welsh) regiment of foot runs into the 2nd SC and bloodies them. The 41st (Cleburne's old regiment, as it happens) are still armed with the Enfield rifle-musket rather than the Snider, and their fire is slow and accurate as their 4th and 6th companies advance in skirmish order - resulting in a retreat by the 2nd SC, falling back on the main force.

This in turn results in a general concentration order going out to South Carolina troops (and volunteers from other states), instructing them to concentrate on Summerville in case of a more general British advance. Embrasures are established.


Meanwhile, in Mexico, a major blow to the Republican faction occurs when a battalion of the French Foreign Legion captures Batopilas (a centre of silver production). Several counterattacks are mounted over the course of the day by what eventually becomes a full Republican division, resulting in very heavy casualties for the Legion, but they are still in possession of the town when their relief force arrives in the middle of a thunderstorm.
These dramatic events form a not inconsiderable part of the historiography of the Foreign Legion. In particular, no fewer than a hundred and thirty legionnaires become Francais par la sang verse over the course of the day (and subsequently survive to claim the citizenship in question).