On this day 250 years ago in South Carolina, the first Siege of Ninety Six ended after three days in a truce between the Patriots and the Loyalists. The Patriots were almost out of ammunition and were outnumbered by the Loyalists, so they Loyalists would have won the battle had they continued the siege. Although the South Carolina Militia had to abandon their fort at Ninety Six, they escaped intact and inflicted more casualties on the Loyalists than they sustained. So I consider this battle as a victory for the Americans. The Loyalists lost one man killed and 52 wounded but the Patriots had only 12 men wounded and one man killed — Private James Birmingham of the Long Cane Militia. Private Birmingham was the first man to lose his life fighting for American freedom in South Carolina.

Sources: https://www.nps.gov/nisi/learn/historyculture/birmingham.htm; https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=11312; https://allthingsliberty.com/2025/02/contributor-question-underrated-events-of-1775/