In May 1780, after Charleston, South Carolina fell to the British, they quickly overran much of the state, while the only part of South Carolina to mount any sizable resistance to the British and Tory campaign was the area of present-day York and Chester Counties. Under General Thomas Sumter, William Bratton and other local men formed militia companies, and Colonel William Bratton became active in raids on British outposts and Tory meetings. In response, the British sent a combined Provincial and Tory force to arrest him. Captain Christian Huck and about 130 men arrived at the Bratton home on the evening of July 11, 1780, and Martha Bratton was questioned about William Bratton's whereabouts. After Colonel Bratton received word from Watt, a Bratton slave, of Huck's presence near his home, he hurried back with other militia regiments led by Colonels Hill, Lacey, and McClure. Early on the morning of July 12, the patriot force of about 500 men found the Tories encamped at the nearby Williamson farm, surrounded the British encampment during the night, and opened fire at dawn as the British were rising from their bedrolls. Completely surprised and outnumbered, the British and Tory forces could not mount an effective counterattack, and Captain Huck was killed in the battle. Historians credit the victory as the first link in the chain of events in the South that ultimately led to victory at Yorktown, Virginia, and the battle, along with several other small fights in the area, served as an important morale booster for the patriots and helped lead to later American victories such as Kings Mountain.