Database

Two Sisters Ferry.

What: Ferry, skirmish, ? vs. ?

Other names: Three Sisters Ferry?

Where: 32.5143493 -81.2323276

Maps: [map notes]

Sources:

  • This ferry must not be confused with another of similar name, Sisters Ferry, 2 miles downstream, apparently used sometime after 1820.

  • Elliott, Daniel T. , Ebenezer Revolutionary War Headquarters: A Quest to Locate and Preserve, LAMAR Institute Publication Series, Report Number 73, The LAMAR Institute, Inc. Box Springs, Georgia, 2003. A Search for sisters ferry yields 7 returns, 5 for Two Sisters Ferry and 2 for Sisters Ferry. All mentions of Sisters Ferry appear to be a shortened form of Two Sisters Ferry. A search for two sisters yields 29 returns, all relevant. A search for three sisters yields no returns. There is no mention of another ferry within 2 miles of Two Sisters Ferry. It is also apparent in this study that the name Two Sisters was also used for the locale of the ferry. This treatment in a thoroughly researched study of the area by professional archaeologists makes it highly doubtful that a separate "Three Sisters Ferry" or "Sisters Ferry" existed during the Revolutionary War. It is apparent that at some later period, especially during the American Civil War that a ferry by some such name existed 2 miles downstream from the Rev. War Two Sisters Ferry.

  • 1820 Mills Atlas map for Beaufort shows Two Sisters Ferry and Sisters Cut:

    Two Sisters

    The Two Sisters Ferry location is shown is consistent with the modern GNIS location with the same name.

  • GA Historical marker for Two Sisters Ferry.

  • This RevWar pension statement [Thomas Cook, S31618] mentions Sisters Ferry and Two Sisters Ferry in the same account. He also mentions Black Swamp, Turkey Hill, etc.

  • Two Sisters Ferry guarded during War of 1812.

  • Ramsay (SC in the Rev.), Prevost crossed at Two Sisters Ferry.

  • NBBAS:Two.p.121. "Two Sisters, Savannah River, South Carolina". Ref"s given as Clark, Loyalists in the Southern Campaign, Vol.1, p.453, Johnson, Memo of Occurrence, p.4, Hayes, Saddlebag Almanac, Volume V, pp.73-75, Volume VI, pp.10-13, Allaire, Diary. RevList post, 11 Mar 2005:
    Two Sisters, Savannah River, South Carolina
    Charlestown Campaign
    12 March 1780
    After Captain Tawse was killed at Savannah, the command of the Georgia Light Dragoons fell to Lieutenant Archibald Campbell. On March 5th Patterson left Savannah with a column of 1,500 men and marched for the siege of Charlestown. On March 11th the column crossed the Savannah River at Two Sisters and encamped a quarter mile from the river. The next day a foraging party led by Captain Campbell dispersed a party of Patriot light horse. Campbell was slightly wounded in the skirmish.

  • Sherman, "Calendar..." Search for two sisters. 3 returns, all relevant. To avoid long downloads, use option to "Save and view this PDF in Reader".

    4 June [1780]. Pickens wrote to Greene reporting that about 150 enemy regulars and militia have collected at "the Two Sisters," a bluff near Ebenezer on the Savannah river. A party of this force crossed the river and "killed two men in Carolina."2565

    10 March [1780]. Allaire (with Paterson's detachment): "Friday, 10th. The American Volunteers and British Legion marched three miles up the Augusta road to Tuckasse-King. Here we encamped, and took breakfast in the morning. A Rebel Lieut. Johnson with twenty men surrounded a poor man"s house here this morning. They heard we were in motion, but not being certain of it, they came to find out the truth. They did no damage to the family; neither did they tarry long, being informed that we were in possession of the Two Sisters, they thought it proper for the brothers to take themselves off. This is the first Rebel party we have heard of. At three o"clock in the afternoon received orders to take the ground we left in the morning, where I and part of the detachment lay all night. One division crossed the river -- the others to follow as expeditiously as possible."

    11 March [1780}. Paterson crossed the Savannah River near Two Sisters.365

    18 March [1780}. J. Lewis Gervais, at Charlestown, to Henry Laurens: "...A few militia are coming in. Col. Garden brought in 100 two days ago. But the enemy have crossed a body of three or four hundred men from Georgia, at the Two Sisters, and some horse from Port Royal, which, it is said, are at Sheldon. ..."382

    2565 NGP8 p. 347. [NGP ~ The Nathanael Greene Papers (Richard K. Showman, Dennis M. Conrad editors-inchief) The number following “NGP” refers to which volume of the series.]
    365 ADI, 11 March, [ADA ~ (Anthony Allaire's, Lieut. of the Loyal American Volunteers) “Diary of Lieutenant Anthony Allaire” (see Draper's King's Mountain & Its Heroes)]MSC1 p. 446.[MSC1 ~ (Edward McCrady's) History of South Carolina in the Revolution: 1775-1780}
    382 LOC

  • RevWar75  
  • listing. Two Sisters: 12 Mar 1780. Shown as draw. Per O"Kelley. Last update given as 13 Oct 2001.

    Related sites: Three Sisters Ferry, Black Swamp, Ebenezer

    Submitted by: John Robertson

    Confidence level: 5