| Unit Name: | 3rd South Carolina Regiment (Rangers) |
| Country: | United States |
| Type: | Ranger |
| Dates: | 1775–1781 |
| Command Structure: | Continental Army |
| Battles: | Savannah and Charleston |
| Notable Commanders: | Lt. Col./Col. William Thomson |
The 3rd South Carolina Regiment was an infantry regiment of the South Carolina Line during the American Revolutionary War. Raised in the western part of South Carolina, the regiment fought in the Siege of Savannah and the Siege of Charleston, surrendering to British forces in the latter.
The regiment was originally designated as the South Carolina Regiment of Horse Rangers and authorized on 6 June 1775 as part of the South Carolina State Troops. It was organized in the following months at Ninety Six among other places and ultimately consisted of nine companies recruited in the western part of the state. The Regiment of Horse Rangers was redesignated as the 3rd South Carolina Regiment on 12 November 1775, and joined the Southern Department of the Continental Army on 24 July 1776. Simultaneously, the Independent Company of Captain Ezekiel Polk was absorbed into the regiment as its 10th Company.[1]
The regiment had one commander, Lieutenant Colonel/Colonel William Thomson, although Major James Mayson served as the initial highest-ranking member of the regiment. William Cattell, James Mayson, and William Henderson served as Lieutenant Colonels. Known Majors include Lewis Golsan Jr., Charles S. Myddleton (not to be confused with Hugh T. Middleton), Thomas Pearman, John Purvis, unknown Speers, and Samuel Wise. Regimental Adjutants included John Eason, John Knapp, Merry McGuire, and John Purvis.[1]
The 3rd South Carolina participated in the First Siege of Charleston in 1775–1776, and became part of the 1st South Carolina Brigade on 23 November. It fought in engagements in the Piedmont and transferred to the 2nd South Carolina Brigade on 26 August 1778. Detachments of the regiment served in the Cherokee War of 1776 and in the expeditions to Florida during 1777 and 1778. The 3rd South Carolina was relieved from the latter on 3 January 1779 and became part of the South Carolina Brigade on 1 February.
The regiment fought in the Siege of Savannah from 16 September 1779 to 18 October 1779 and was reduced back to nine companies on 11 February 1780. Between March and May it participated in the Siege of Charleston, and surrendered to the British Army there on 12 May 1780, together with the rest of the Southern Department. The regiment was disbanded on 1 January 1781.
Known engagements:[1]