I have been a fan of history since junior high. When I became an American History teacher, I made it my goal to make my course as interesting as possible. I did this through anecdotes that I encountered over the years. When I retired, I started this web site to pass on those anecdotes. Starting with my collection, I have proceeded to add more as I have run into more stories. I sometimes kick myself for not being able to use the new ones with my students. (Not that I have considered returning.) Most of these new stories I have run across through reading, but this one was suggested by a member of one of my Facebook groups.
James Wemyss was considered to be the second most hated British officer in the Revolutionary War. Second only to Banastre Tarleton. Wemyss was born on November 7, 1748 in England. He joined the army at age 17 and one year later he purchased a lieutenant’s commission. (Back then, officers were not chosen by ability or seniority, upper class individuals would literally buy their position.) He was a captain in the infantry when he was shipped to Boston in 1775. He impressed his superiors and was given command of the Queen’s Rangers. His unit fought in the New York City command and at the Battles of Brandywine and Germantown. In 1778, he was made a major in the 63rd Foot and one year later, it was sent to South Carolina to participate in the British pacification of the Southern colonies. He became a favorite of Gen. Cornwallis. After the Battle of Camden, he escorted 150 prisoners to Charlestown. Along the way, Francis Marion surprised his camp and killed or captured 22 of the Redcoats. He was one of the captives, but was paroled. Cornwallis assigned him the job of sweeping the region between the Santee and Peedee Rivers. By this time, he had convinced himself that the South was not a hotbed of loyalists. He believed a vast majority of the citizens were in patriot guerrilla bands or supported them. He thought most colonists who were caught and paroled or signed oaths of allegiance had returned to act against the British. Most of our information about Wemyss comes from a patriot named William James who wrote a book about his leader entitled “Swamp Fox: General Francis Mation and His Guerrilla Fighters of the American Revolution”. In it he describes how Wemyss locked his family in a room for two days to get his mother to reveal the whereabouts of her husband, William’s father who was Marion’s second in command. Later, their home was burned down. According to James, Wemyss and his men burned and pillaged their way through the region. “The country through which Wemyss had marched, for seventy miles in length, and at places for fifteen miles in width, exhibited one continuous scene of desolation”. Houses were burned, slaves were taken (since they were property), and livestock were killed, especially sheep so the rebels could not clothe themselves. (Sounds like Sherman’s March, if you win, you’re a hero. If not, you’re James Wymess.) He even burned a church (with no one in side). In one infamous incident, he hanged Adam Cusack. Cusack had apparently taken a shot at the British. He was given a trial and hanged, despite the pleas of his wife and children. All of these actions were approved by Gen. Cornwallis. Ironically, his activities increased the guerrilla forces as men wanted to get revenge. Wemyss returned his unit to the army. He learned of the whereabouts of Thomas Sumter’s camp. He led the attack on the camp, but although it was a surprise, some of the enemy grabbed their muskets and opened fire. Wemyss was wounded in the arm and knee and unhorsed. Although the rebels ran, some started to snipe at the camp. The young officer who assumed command for Wemyss panicked and retreated, leaving Wemyss to be captured. He was paroled, but his war was over. He returned to England and later settled in the United States where he became a farmer. He died in 1833, ironically the same year as Banestre Tarleton.
https://losthistory.net/bansite/friends/wemyss.html
https://allthingsliberty.com/2018/11/major-james-wemyss-second-most-hated-british-officer-in-the-south/
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