The Spanish fleet arrived off the harbor bar on September 4 (this date is recorded in contemporary English documents and histories such as Francis Le Jau's diary, as August 24 due to differences between the Julian calendar then in use in the English colonies, and the modern Gregorian calendar).
 Despite the absence of the Brillant, which carried much of the French force, including "the campaign guns, shovels, spades, shells, and the land commander" (the latter being General Arbousset), Captain Lefebvre and his fleet crossed the bar on September 7, and delivered an ultimatum the next day.
 He demanded a ransom of 50,000 Spanish pesos, threatening to destroy Charles Town if it was not paid.
 Governor Johnson contemptuously dismissed the demand as paltry, claiming the town was worth 40 million pesos, and that "it had cost much blood, so let them come".

On September 9 the invaders landed two separate forces.
 One large force, numbering about 160, plundered some plantations near the Charleston neck, but was recalled when the Governor Johnson sent militia out in boats to oppose them.
 A second smaller force was landed on James Island, but was also driven away by the threat of opposition.
 Late that night Johnson received word that the party on the neck was still active, and sent Lieutenant Colonel Rhett with 100 men to investigate.
 Arriving around daybreak on the 10th, they apparently surprised the invaders.
 The invaders fled after a brief skirmish, but about 60 were captured, and as many as 12 invaders were killed along with one of the defenders.
 On September 11 Lieutenant Colonel Rhett sailed the colonial flotilla out to find the invaders, only to discover that they had sailed off.

The next day the Brillant showed up, unaware of what had just transpired.
 Her captain had misjudged the distance from St. Augustine and had made landfall further north before turning around.
 General Arbousset landed his troops east of Charles Town, but the Brillant was captured by the colonial fleet; Arbousset and his men surrendered after suffering 14–30 killed in a brief battle with the English militia.
 The prisoners included 90 to 100 Indians; most of these were "sold for slaves".
The Spanish fleet arrived off the harbor bar on September 4 (this date is recorded in contemporary English documents and histories such as Francis Le Jau's diary, as August 24 due to differences between the Julian calendar then in use in the English colonies, and the modern Gregorian calendar).  Despite the absence of the Brillant, which carried much of the French force, including "the campaign guns, shovels, spades, shells, and the land commander" (the latter being General Arbousset), Captain Lefebvre and his fleet crossed the bar on September 7, and delivered an ultimatum the next day.  He demanded a ransom of 50,000 Spanish pesos, threatening to destroy Charles Town if it was not paid.  Governor Johnson contemptuously dismissed the demand as paltry, claiming the town was worth 40 million pesos, and that "it had cost much blood, so let them come".
On September 9 the invaders landed two separate forces.  One large force, numbering about 160, plundered some plantations near the Charleston neck, but was recalled when the Governor Johnson sent militia out in boats to oppose them.  A second smaller force was landed on James Island, but was also driven away by the threat of opposition.  Late that night Johnson received word that the party on the neck was still active, and sent Lieutenant Colonel Rhett with 100 men to investigate.  Arriving around daybreak on the 10th, they apparently surprised the invaders.  The invaders fled after a brief skirmish, but about 60 were captured, and as many as 12 invaders were killed along with one of the defenders.  On September 11 Lieutenant Colonel Rhett sailed the colonial flotilla out to find the invaders, only to discover that they had sailed off.
The next day the Brillant showed up, unaware of what had just transpired.  Her captain had misjudged the distance from St. Augustine and had made landfall further north before turning around.  General Arbousset landed his troops east of Charles Town, but the Brillant was captured by the colonial fleet; Arbousset and his men surrendered after suffering 14–30 killed in a brief battle with the English militia.  The prisoners included 90 to 100 Indians; most of these were "sold for slaves".
Lefebvre's Charles Town expedition