Colonel Francis Marion in the eastern part of the state. Lee and Marion met on April 14, and first targeted Fort Watson, a small stockaded fort on the east side of the Santee River, which fell after a short siege. They chased after John Watson, the fort's usual commander, who had led a force away from it in search of Marion, but was forced onto the defensive when Lee arrived. Lee and Marion then targeted Fort Motte, a key British supply depot and communication point not far from the confluence of the Congaree and Wateree Rivers. The British had taken over Mount Joseph Plantation, owned by Miles Brewton and then occupied by his sister, the widowed Rebecca Brewton Motte and her children, who had left the city of Charleston. The British fortified the area around the mansion, building palisades, ramparts, trenches and abatis. They garrisoned a force of roughly 175, made up of British soldiers, Hessians, and Provincials under Capt. Lt. Donald McPherson at the fort. Siege Arriving May 8, Lee and Marion immediately surrounded the fort, which was dominated by the two-story Motte residence and garrisoned by about 140 British and Hessian regulars under Capt. Lt. McPherson. On the approach of the Americans, the British had evicted the widowed Rebecca Motte from the main house, and she had taken up residence outside the fort at the overseer's house. As the forces of Watson and Rawdon were still active and might come to relieve the siege, Marion and Lee needed to bring the siege rapidly to a conclusion. At Fort Watson they had constructed a tower from which the attackers could fire into the fort, but this idea was not workable under the conditions at Fort Motte. The idea was then put forward to set fire to the buildings within the defenses. Mrs. Motte, apparently sympathetic to the Patriot cause, provided the arrows that were used to ignite the roof of the house on May 12. When the defenders tried to go onto the roof to extinguish the flames, the attackers fired on them with their six-pound gun, driving them off. The garrison surrendered shortly after, and the Americans moved quickly to put out the fires before the whole house was engulfed. Aftermath The captured garrison was released on parole to return to Charleston. Before they left, Mrs. Motte and the American and British officers shared a meal. General Marion