A tale of two islands: Hilton Head’s forgotten clashes with Daufuskie during Rev. War
Locals might know that South Carolina played a key role in fighting the Revolutionary War. They might even know of the famous Battle of Beaufort that happened across the Port Royal Sound almost 250 years ago.
But as the spotlight of history shines on Beaufort, less attention has been paid to the stories of Hilton Head Island during this pivotal moment in American history.
Although no major battles were fought on Hilton Head during the Revolutionary War, the plantation owners on Hilton Head and Daufuskie were divided by more than just the waterway between them: historians write of “intra-island wars” that took place between the neighboring islands as Americans fought for independence elsewhere in the country.
Neighboring islands at odds
At the time of the Revolutionary War, Hilton Head was occupied by about twenty-five families, most of whom were staunch patriots in favor of independence. Yet just across the Calibogue Sound, residents of Daufuskie remained loyal to the British Crown.
“So it was that while the battles raged from Bunker Hill to Yorktown, Hilton Head and Daufuskie islanders fought out the revolution in miniature between themselves,” writes Virginia C. Holmgren in her book, “Hilton Head: A Sea Island Chronicle”.
Hilton Head’s fertile plantations became a target for foraging and raiding parties of British soldiers, oft aided by Loyalist Daufuskie planters. The fighting continued even after the surrender of Lord Cornwallis on October 19, 1781.
Plantations razed to the ground
Lieutenant John Talbird, who owned a home on the banks of Skull Creek with his wife, Mary Ann, was wounded and captured by the British during the Revolutionary War, Holmgren wrote. His wife, pregnant with their second child and caring for their firstborn son, was at home when a party of British soldiers marched up the path to her home and began lighting torches.
When Mary Ann met with the British officer leading the party, she was surprised to find that he was the husband of her sister, Isaac Martinangel. The officer informed her he had orders to burn the houses along Skull Creek to the ground.
Perhaps feeling sorry for his sister-in-law, Martinangel ordered his troops to haul all of the furniture outside and place them between a large oak tree before burning down the house. According to author Margaret Greer in her book, ”The Sands of Time: A History of Hilton Head Island,” the British burned down every plantation on Skull Creek and carried off captured slaves to be sold in the West Indies during the war.
The story of a father’s death avenged
After the Skull Creek raids, Hilton Head patriots were on high alert. Word came one night in December 1781 that another raid was planned. The patriots saddled their horses and patrolled the southwest shore to look out for raiders, but no one came. Just before dawn, the lookout party decided to head back to their homes.
As the party rode through the northeast corner of the island, where the road bends around Broad Creek, planters Charles Davant and John Andrew were riding ahead of the others when they something moving in the trees ahead. A shot rang out, and Davant slumped in his saddle. His horse reared and raced for home, with Davant still clinging to the saddle, bleeding from the chest.
As the story goes, Davant caught a single glimpse of his murderer as he dashed away. He arrived home to his young son standing outside. As he fell from his horse, Holmgren writes, he uttered the name of his killer with his last breath: “‘Martinangel ... Get Martinangel ...’”
A band of Island patriots called the Bloody Legion sought revenge later that year. Led by John Leaycraft, the patriots raided and pludered the Martinangel residences on Daufuskie Island and slaughtered Captain Martinangel.
“Whether the killers were murdering wretches or heroes depends on the point of view,” Holmgren writes.
To this day, Davant is known as Hilton Head’s only Revolutionary War fatality. A historical marker at the intersection of U.S. 278 and Folly Field Road keeps the story alive for passing islanders and tourists.
This story was originally published July 5, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
