Andrew Williamson (soldier)
Encyclopedia
Andrew Williamson was a Brigadier-General in the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...

 in the American War of Independence.

Williamson was born in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

. As a youngster he emigrated with his parents to British Colonial America and settled in Ninety Six, South Carolina
Ninety Six, South Carolina
Ninety Six is a town in Greenwood County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 1,936 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Ninety Six is located at ....

. Williamson grew up to became a prominent businessman in South Carolina. At the start of the War of Independence Williamson built a small fort at Ninety Six. He participated in campaigns against local Loyalist
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...

 forces and took part in an expedition against the British in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

. After the fall of Charleston
Siege of Charleston
The Siege of Charleston was one of the major battles which took place towards the end of the American Revolutionary War, after the British began to shift their strategic focus towards the American Southern Colonies. After about six weeks of siege, Continental Army Major General Benjamin Lincoln...

 he capitulated to the British and tried to persuade others to follow his lead. His actions were considered traitorous by his former compatriots, who took him prisoner on two occasionsthe first time to persuade him to reconsider, and the second time to stand trial. However, after the second abduction, the raiding party
Raid (military)
Raid, also known as depredation, is a military tactic or operational warfare mission which has a specific purpose and is not normally intended to capture and hold terrain, but instead finish with the raiding force quickly retreating to a previous defended position prior to the enemy forces being...

 led by Colonel Isaac Hayne
Isaac Hayne
Isaac Hayne He was one of the most prominent Americans to be executed by the British during the American War of Independence....

 was intercepted within 24 hours by a British column, who freed Williams and took Hayne prisoner.

After the war Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. When the war began, Greene was a militia private, the lowest rank possible; he emerged from the war with a reputation as George Washington's most gifted and dependable officer. Many places in the United...

 revealed that Williamson was not the turncoat he appeared to be, as he had been providing intelligence
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...

 to the Continental Army, but to many of his contemporaries he remained a controversial figure.

Further reading

  • WILLIAMSON, ANDREW (c. 1730–Mar. 2I, I786), freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com, retrieved 2009-11-03. Page states the text is from the Dictionary of American Biography
    American National Biography
    The American National Biography is a 24 volume biographical encyclopedia set containing approximately 17,400 entries and 20 million words, first published in 1999 by Oxford University Press under the auspices of the American Council of Learned Societies. A 400-entry supplement appeared in 2002...

    .
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