Parson’s Plantation, South Carolina
7 August 1781
Major Thomas Fraser and his South Carolina Royalists attacked Major John Cooper and eighty-six men of Harden’s Regiment at Parson’s Plantation. Fraser reported that he killed fifteen of the Rebels and captured four, while only having two of his men killed and one wounded. The swamp where the action took place was so deep that the British horses were mired up their bellies.
Major Cooper tried to get the four captured men exchanged for British prisoners. He sent Captain John Melton and Simon Fraser to Major Thomas Fraser with a flag of truce. The two partisans were brought into the Loyalist camp. When Major Fraser noticed Simon Fraser’s name on the flag of truce, he asked if this was the same Simon Fraser who had killed a man named Ingles. Simon Fraser stated that he was the same man.
Earlier in the year Colonel Harden had sent his men out to round up any Loyalists officers. Simon Fraser and some other men had surrounded the house of Major James Clitherall, the surgeon of the South Carolina Royalists. Fraser ordered Clitherall to open the door. A man named Ingles answered the door, and seeing the armed partisans quickly tried to slam it shut. Fraser fired through the door, hitting Ingles in the chest and killing him. Fraser took Major Clitherall prisoner.
Major Fraser had Simon Fraser arrested and placed in irons. This was in direct violation to the flag of truce and was considered a serious breach of protocol in the 18th century.
