Durant Ashmore has lived in Greenville County, South Carolina for his entire life. His family is Seventh Generation Greenville County, since 1787. He has ancestors who has fought on both sides of the Revolutionary War, and the research into his family’s past has sparked his interest in the time of the Revolutionary War, and the history that has happened in Backcountry of South Carolina.
Durant is a professional nurseryman and landscape designer. He also gives lectures on the history the Revolutionary War, as well as hosts field trips to various locations that historical events have taken place.
In November of 2024, Durant was presented with the DAR Historic Preservation Recognition Award. This award recognizes and honors an individual or group that has done recent remarkable volunteer work at the community level. The Historic Preservation Recognition Award recognizes and honors an individual or group that has done recent remarkable volunteer work at the community level.
This collection of essays have been gathered from lectures and social media posts, and are shared here with permission.
Click on an article in the list below to jump directly to it.
South Carolina Plates
Here’s my take on the new SC license plate –
There are 4 caveats that very briefly describe the Revolutionary War:
The Revolutionary War Began in Boston.
Saratoga was the Turning Point.
The Revolutionary War Ended in Yorktown.
The Revolutionary War was Won in South Carolina.
In the north, the war was at a stalemate after the Battle of Monmouth in June of 1778.
In Dec of 1778 Savannah fell and the British now had a toehold in the south.
15 months later, on May 12, 1780, Charleston fell. The Battle of Camden on Aug. 16, 1780 was an absolute disaster and was the lowest point of S.C. fortunes. 2 Continental armies had been captured or destroyed withinin 3 months.
Then, on Aug. 19, 1780, 200 Patriots defeated 500 Loyalists at Musgrove Mill on the Enoree River at the juncture of Laurens, Spartanburg and Union Counties.
Kings Mountain in Oct. and Cowpens on Jan 17, 1781 in S.C. were incredible victories and the tide had turned.
After Cowpens Patriot General Greene (Greenville’s namesake) then retreated to Virginia to resupply in the Race to the Dan. Greene then recrossed the Dan and fought Cornwallis in NC at Guilford Courthouse in March of 1781.
Guilford Courthouse began a series of battles in which Gen. Greene technically lost, but strategically won. The British kept the fields after these battles, but shortly had to retreat, never to return.
Hobkirk Hill in Camden on Apr. 25, 1781, The 2nd Siege of Ninety Six in May-June and Eutaw Springs on Sept 8 forced the British to retreat, retreat, retreat.
After Eutaw Springs the British were forced to live as refugees in Charleston for the next 15 months until they left in defeat on Dec 14, 1782.
Depending on your definition of a battle, Soutb Carolina had more battles than any other state. New Jersey can make a competing claim.
Over 400 battles were fought in our state. Some of the most heroic, and some of the most horrific, battles occurred here. South Carolina changed hand 3 times, leading to unparalleled death and destruction as each side sought retribution from the other.
South Carolina had a triumvirate of the greatest militia generals in the war. Francis Marion, Andrew Pickens and Thomas Sumter (alphabetical order) were unsurpassed in their ability to lead the common folk in war.
After Guilford Courthouse Cornwallis retreated to Wilmington where he remained for 10 months. After he resupplied, did he return to South Carolina to resume the fight? No. He headed north, where George Washington and the French fleet bottled him up at Yorktown, thus effectively ending the war.
However, the grit, determination and heroism in South Carolina is “Where the Revolutionary War was Won”.
First Thanksgiving
Nov. 21, 2012 Column – The First Thanksgiving
Today is Thanksgiving. It is a time to give thanks for the bounties we receive. However, times have not always been bountiful. Perhaps to put things in proper perspective, it is helpful to note what the conditions were like during the first Thanksgiving.
On Sept. 6, 1620, 102 Pilgrims boarded the Mayflower and set sail from England to begin life in the New World. The Pilgrims were religious separatists. After being persecuted by the Anglican Church and the English government, they moved to Holland. However, Holland did not prove to be far enough away for them. English arrest warrants were issued for their leaders. To avoid the reach of the authorities, the Pilgrims decided to sail to America where they could practice their religion without interference.
The Mayflower arrived off the coast of Massachusetts on Nov. 11, 1620. Since it was winter and conditions were unfavorable to begin settlement, the Pilgrims decided to spend the winter months on board the Mayflower.
During this time, disease struck. 49 Pilgrims perished. It was an inauspicious start to life in the New World.
The Pilgrims disembarked the Mayflower at Plymouth Rock in March of 1621. It was a time of both hope and fear in a land of both promise and despair.
Massachusetts in 1621 had very mixed blessings. According to the reports that the Pilgrims sent back to their creditors in England, it was a land of plenty. There was “codd, & bass, & other fish, of which yey tooke good store” and “ther was great store of wild Turkies, of which they tooke many, besides venison &c.” Indian corn (at times stolen from the Indians, at other times grown by the Pilgrims themselves) was abundant.
On the other hand, the Pilgrims had settled in a land where the Native American population was recently decimated by smallpox. An epidemic three years earlier had wiped out 90% of the population. The land was littered with “skuls and bones”. There were too many dead bodies to bury, besides the fact that no one was left alive to perform the task.
The resolute Pilgrims began the business of starting their new life. They were greatly aided by Squanto, a Native American who had an incredible history. Squanto had been captured by the English and sold into slavery in Spain. He was aided by Spanish monks and eventually made his way to England, where he worked for several years before he was able to find passage back to his homeland.
Squanto taught the settlers how to grow food in the Indian way. In particular, the method of “manuring” corn plants with fish proved to be extremely helpful. He also showed the Pilgrims how to plant squash, pumpkins, beans and potatoes, and taught them the value of crop rotation.
The agricultural endeavors of the Pilgrims were described by Edward Winslow, as transcribed by Caleb Johnson. “We set the last spring some twenty acres of Indian corn, and sowed some six acres of barley and pease, and according to the manner of the Indians, we manured our ground with herrings or rather shads, which we have in great abundance, and take with great ease at our doors. Our corn did prove well, and God be praised, we had a good increase of Indian corn, and our barley indifferent good, but our pease not worth the gathering, for we feared they were too late sown, they came up very well and blossomed, but the sun parched them in the blossom.”
Edward Winslow also describes the first Thanksgiving in the new colony: “our harvest being gotten in, our gouvernour sent foure men on fowling, that so we might after a speciall manner rejoyce together, after we had gathered the fruits of our labors; they foure in one day killed as much fowle, as with a little helpe beside, served the Company almost a weeke, at which time amongst other Recreations, we exercised our Armes, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and amongst the rest their greatest king Massasoyt, with some ninetie men, whom for three dayes we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five Deere, which they brought to the Plantation and bestowed upon our Governour, and upon the Captaine and others. And although it be not always so plentifull, as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so farre from want, that we often wish you partakers of our plentie”.
The last sentence of the Thanksgiving story applies to us today. By the goodness of God, we are far from want. However, the story doesn’t end there. “we often wish you partakers of our plentie”. This is a message of sharing. Please be sure to share your blessings with others who are less fortunate at this time of year.
Take note of the original Thanksgiving feast. If you want to have an authentic Thanksgiving dinner, serve plenty of corn, venison and turkey. Feel free to fry up a shad or two. Pumpkin pie and potatoes would also be appropriate. However, under no circumstances serve pease, for as we now know “the sun parched them in the blossom”
Marion Attacks Georgetown
Marion attacks Georgetown…..again.
Francis Marion really had it in for Georgetown. He wasn’t at Kings Mountain and he wasn’t at Cowpens. Why? Because he was attacking Georgetown!
And, because Marion was attacking Georgetown, valuable British men and resources weren’t at Kings Mountain or Cowpens, either.
Nathanael Greene knew the value of Marion attacking Georgetown. When Greene was sent south by George Washington with the third Continental army tasked with saving South Carolina, Greene divided his army. He sent Daniel Morgan into the Carolina backcountry. Greene then sent America’s best cavalry under William Washington to join with Morgan. And, Nathanael Greene sent America’s best fighting legion to join up with Francis Marion – to attack Georgetown!
Lt. Col. Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee arrived at Lt. Col. Francis Marion’s secret hideaway on Snow’s Island on Jan 22, 1781. The two Lt. Cols. took an immediate liking to each other and quickly resolved any conflicting command issues. It was acknowledged that Marion was the senior officer.
By the next day, Marion’s 3rd attack on Georgetown was underway.
The plan was to divide forces and attack Georgetown from the seaward and landward sides. Lee’s 90 stalwart infantrymen boarded flatboats and floated 30 miles down the Peedee River. They arrived close to the Georgetown waterfront and hid out til nightfall.
Marion with about 100 mounted militiamen and Lee with about 150 cavalry approached Georgetown on the Black River Rd. The plan was to attack during the night when both forces were in place. However, Marion and Lee were late.
By 4am Lee’s infantry had seen no sign of Lee and Marion, and time was running out. The infantrymen didn’t want to attack during daylight. They began the attack by capturing outlying private domiciles.
The British had almost 400 Provencials (Americans fighting for the British) garrisoned in Georgetown. The main defense was a formidable brick jail surrounded by an earthen redoubt. There was an adjoining open parade ground. The soldiers were housed in the brick jail (fort), a barracks and in private homes.
The initial action was the silent capture of the unpopular Lt. Col. Charles Campbell who was most likely staying at the extant house at 222 Broad St. He was paroled and eventually made his way back to Charleston.
The next action occurred at the inn located at 719 Prince St. Maj. Matthew Irvine and Adj. John Crookshank were roused from their peaceful slumber. Maj. Irvine tried to escape and was bayoneted to death by Lt. James Cryer. Lt. Cryer had a serious grudge against Matthew Irvine. Earlier in the war, Irvine had ordered Cryer to receive 500 lashes.
Adj. Crookshank was spared. The naked daughter of the innkeeper draped her arms around his neck and pleaded for his life.
The element of surprise was now lost. Marion and Lee arrived on the scene and were surprised to find no Provencials anywhere. The troops remained boarded up in their barracks, the jail and the private homes.
The plan was to surprise the garrison and attack them as they ran across the parade ground to the shelter of the jail. The Patriots thought that surely some soldiers would come to the defense of Lt. Col. Campbell. It’s possible, however, that some soldiers were not overly disappointed that Campbell was captured.
As day broke Marion and Lee looked at the fortified jail and the open parade ground and decided that the position was too strong to assault. They had suffered 1 dead. The Provencials had suffered 1 dead officer and 3 officers captured. Marion and Lee retreated to fight another day.
On June 6, 1781 the British abandoned Georgetown as their fortunes in South Carolina continued to decline. On Francis Marion’s 4th attempt to take Georgetown, he was able to waltz right in.
Posted to Facebook 10/12/2025
Eutaw Springs
Today, Sept 8, marks the 244th anniversary of the battle of Eutaw Springs.
This battle entailed a fight between two of my favorite Revolutionary War heroes – Lt. Col. William Washington of the 3rd Continental Light Dragoons and Major John Marjoribanks (pronounced Marshbanks) of the British Flank Battalion.
55 year old John Marjoribanks joined the British army at age 16. During his career he fought in only one battle, which was an unsuccessful assault on a French island in a previous war.
In June of 1781 he arrived in Charleston from Ireland with the 19th Regiment of Foot and promptly marched with Lord Rawdon to break Nathanael Greene’s Siege of Ninety Six. By September the two armies were fighting again at Eutaw Springs.
Notice the painting by Don Troiani. This scene is the wounding and capture of William Washington.
As the tide of the Eutaw Springs battle ebbed and flowed, Major Marjoribanks became ensconced in the British stronghold, which was a brick mansion. William Washington wanted to flank the mansion, but he was thwarted by a thicket of black jack oak. In a rash decision, Washington charged in front of the mansion.
Washington’s horse was killed and landed on top of him. A British dragoon ran him through with a bayonet. As the dragoon raised his musket for another stab, Marjoribanks stayed his hand and saved William Washington’s life. Lt. Col Washington spent the remainder of the war in Charleston as a POW (and had a grand wedding as a prisoner, but that’s another story).
Marjoribanks stand at the brick mansion saved the day for the British. He was wounded during the battle and also came down with a fever. As the British retreated to Charleston he couldn’t keep up. He was placed in a slave cabin at Wantoot plantation to recuperate. His reputation proceeded him and he was well cared for, but he died and was buried there. He was only in America for 3 months.
When Lake Marion was built Wantoot Plantation was flooded. Maj. Marjoribanks’ body was moved to the Eutaw Springs battlefield and placed near the spot where he made his heroic stand near the brick mansion.
Every American today owes British Major John Majoribanks a huge debt of gratitude.
Augusta,GA
USE YOUR IMAGINATION
If you want to study significant Revolutionary War sites in Augusta, GA, you have to use your imagination.
Look at the tower on the building to the left. Now, notice the tower in the background.
The building to the left is the old Cotton Exchange building (for sale!) and the building in the background is St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. The church is built on the location of famed Ft. Cornwallis, and the tower on the Cotton Exchange building is the approximate location of the Maham tower built by Andrew Pickens and Light Horse Harry Lee on June 5, 1781. The 30’ tall Maham tower was built to overcome the Ft. Cornwallis’ defenses.
Now, imagine a six pounder cannon hauled to the top of the tower and pounding Ft. Cornwallis into submission. The surrender of the fort kept Augusta in Patriot hands for the remainder of the war.
Imagine that. If you want to study significant Revolutionary War activities in Augusta, it helps to have an active imagination.
The city itself is sorely lacking in providing this information.
The Healing of America
Yesterday I posted a picture of Mt. Vernon in disrepair and the efforts of Ann Pamela Cunningham and the Mt. Vernon Ladies Association to restore it to its glory. However, there is much more to this story.
Ann Pamela was a member of the most ardently Loyalist family in America. I say that without equivocation.
Her grandfather Patrick was the wealthiest man in the Little River District (present day Laurens County). He was a Loyalist colonel who fought with distinction. Her great uncle was a Loyalist general, the highest ranking Loyalist in the state.
And, Ann Pamela’s cousin was none other than the notorious Loyalist psychopath Bloody Bill Cunningham.
After the war Patrick Cunningham applied for readmission to the state. While he had fought with distinction, he had also fought with honor. He was allowed to return after being fined 12% of his holdings. In the 1780s former Loyalist Colonel Patrick Cunningham was even elected to a term in the South Carolina legislature!
Robert Cunningham and Bloody Bill Cunningham were not allowed to return, and they both moved to the Bahamas.
Ann Pamela was born in 1816. Her father (named Robert) was now successfully running Rosemont Plantation, and her mother (Louisa Bird Cunningham) had created the most impressive garden in the Upcountry.
Ann Pamela lived in luxury and seemingly had a charmed life – until disaster struck. She had a horseback riding accident that left her an invalid for life.
Ann Pamela spent her summers in Philadelphia while she was receiving doctor’s treatment. Her mother escorted her to and fro. While her mother was returning to Rosemont by way of the Potomac River she noticed a decrepit mansion on a hill. She was aghast when she learned that mansion was none other than George Washington’s beloved Mt. Vernon.
George Washington had no children. Mt. Vernon passed to his nephew Bushrod Washington, who also died childless. By the 1850s Mt. Vernon belonged to John Augustine Washington, who was George Washington’s great- grand nephew. He was an absentee owner who could not keep the place up.
When Louisa Cunningham told her daughter about the decrepit state of Mt. Vernon, Ann Pamela began a letter writing campaign to raise money to save it. Perhaps her most famous quote is “If the men of America are allowing the home of its most respected hero to go to ruin, then why can’t the women of America band together to save it.”
Ann Pamela then formed the Mt. Vernon Ladies Association and the women of America raised $200,000 to buy and preserve Mt. Vernon.
The story of Ann Pamela Cunningham and Mt. Vernon is the story of the healing of America. The American Revolution was a bitter civil war with bloody retributions abounding. Murderous retaliations occurred at whim throughout America, but nowhere more so than in Laurens County, SC.
Ann Pamela Cunningham – the granddaughter of a Loyalist colonel, the great niece of a Loyalist general and the cousin of the most notorious mass murderer in South Carolina history – saved Mt. Vernon.
America was unified. Every state contributed. The glory of George Washington prevailed! Until, alas, the fabric of America was torn asunder.
However, the spirit of George Washington, and the spirit of Ann Pamela Cunningham, remained.
That spirit is what healed America, and that very same spirit is what inspires us today.
Posted to Facebook 5/10/2025
Francis Marion and Slavery
The picture on the top shows Francis Marion and Buddy, his manservant.
Now, look at the picture of Buddy on the bottom.
Francis Marion owned 20 enslaved persons and he believed in slavery. He also had a reputation for paternalism and freed 3 of his enslaved persons at his death.
Buddy was Marion’s slave for life. On the day Francis Marion was born, the infant Buddy was bequeathed to him. Buddy’s parents also became the property of Francis Marion on that very same day. As an infant, Francis Marion was the owner of a family of three.
Buddy’s father was named June. June was an extremely talented man, and as Marion reached maturity and owned a plantation, June became his plantation manager. There was no overbearing overseer on Francis Marion’s Pond Bluff Plantation, June kept things running on an even keel.
In his 1773 will, upon his death Marion freed June. In addition, June was given an annual “pension”of 20 pounds sterling and a new suit of clothes.
Marion’s will also freed his nurse Willoughby and a young half African-American “Mustee” named Peggy.
Neither Buddy nor his mother were freed.
Buddy and Francis were childhood friends and played together as babies. Buddy was always by Marion’s side, and that relationship continued when war came. Buddy was one of the original ragtag group of 18 men who volunteered for service to Horacio Gates just before the Battle of Camden.
Manservants for officers were common during the Revolutionary War. In fact, Andrew Pickens and Thomas Sumter both had manservants.
It was in a manservant’s best interest to be fully loyal to his owner. If a manservant was ever captured – or if he sought British protection – he would face an unknown fate. He would be whisked from his family, never to see them again. Enslaved people were the most valuable assets of all things in Revolutionary War times, more valuable than land or homes. The enslaved were always the first prize of plunderers.
It is not surprising to see Buddy riding side by side with Francis Marion in the picture on top. It is also not surprising to see Buddy groveling in abject subservience in the picture on the bottom.
The picture on the bottom is a depiction of the famous “Sweet Potato Supper”. In this scene a British officer is in Marion’s camp for a negotiation. Marion invited him to supper and offered him a sweet potato served on a pine bark plate.
When the officer returned to his superiors he informed them that Marion and his men could never be defeated. Men who were tough enough to survive on sweet potatoes served on pine bark were too dedicated of foes to ever conquer.
Buddy’s cringing posture is a stark reminder of the master and slave relationship. The paternalism of slave owners can only go so far.
The facts expressed herein come from John Oller’s book “The Swamp Fox”. The opinions expressed herein are mine.
Posted to Facebook 4/27/2025
Legend of Liberty Springs
The Legend of Liberty Springs occurs during the very beginning of the Revolutionary War. In the Backcountry of South Carolina, people werebitterly divided in their allegiances. As the war progressed, it deteriorated into a bloody civil war with neighbors fighting neighbors. The Legend of Liberty Springs provides one instance in this war when peace prevailed, although, unfortunately, it was a fleeting instance indeed.
Laurens County was part of the Ninety Six District during this time, and there was a great deal of activity in the area. Both Loyalist and Patriot armies were gathering their support and heading toward a siege at the district capital at Ninety Six (the First Siege of Ninety Six, Nov. 19-21, 1775). The road to Ninety Six was heavily trampled with opposing forces.
As these armies were preparing to fight each other, they were suddenly struck down with a greater foe than either one of them could defeat. The opposing armies became infectedwith smallpox, which at that time was the leading cause of death in South Carolina. Both armies headed for the healing powers of a local spring, which today is located on the property of Liberty Springs Presbyterian Church.
The two sides made an agreement in the face of their common foe. If the afflicted men would lay down their arms, they would be allowed to garner the cooling succor of the flowing waters. Peace prevailed, albeit for a short time only. These men were neighbors who knew each other, and they were each were willing to die for their cause. Unfortunately, over the next 8 years, each side was given ample opportunity to do just that.
Thus holds the Legend of Liberty Springs. In a time of bitter and bloody conflict, even enemies can unite in the face of a greater foe. The healing waters of Liberty Springs provided a brief, welcome respite during this tumultuous time of strife and conflict.
Posted to Facebook 3/25/2025
Revolutionary War Blast Furnaces
The only industry in the Backcountry of South Carolina during the Revolutionary War consisted of 3 blast furnaces used for smelting iron ore and producing pig iron. One furnace was located in present day York County and the other two were located near each other on Lawson’s Fork in Spartanburg County.
Blast furnaces were rather primitive structures that by 18th century standards were the leading edge of technology. The product from these furnaces led to the establishment of blacksmiths, charcoal producers, loggers, wagoners, iron ore collectors, limestone miners, brick and stone masons and all other associated professions contributing to the production of pig iron.
These blast furnaces were all begun in 1776. The most prolific was Hill’s Iron Works located in present day York County and now under the waters of Lake Wylie. In addition to household and agricultural items, Hill’s Iron Works produced swivel guns (small cannons) and cannon balls for Patriot forces. The iron works were destroyed by British Provencial Capt. Christian Huck on July 20, 1780.
The two Lawson’s Creek furnaces were individually built by William Wofford and Joseph Buffington. William Wofford built a fort at his location to provide settler protection during the Cherokee War of 1776. Later, there was a running gun battle at his Iron Works on Aug 8, 1780. Woffords Iron Works was later destroyed by Bloody Bill Cunningham on Nov. 21, 1781.
After 3 years in operation, Joseph Buffington sold 3/4 interest in his furnace to William Henderson. In Feb. 28, 1780 Buffington used this money to buy 550 acres from Col. John and Jane Thomas on Fairforest Creek. After the war Buffington produced pig iron at this new location.
Please note the diagram provided. Blast furnaces were built into the side of a hill. They were 20 or so feet tall and built out of bricks and hand chiseled granite. The interior was lined with quartz for heat resistance.
Charcoal was produced by local homesteaders and charcoal manufacturers. They would dig a pit and line it with hickory logs. The logs would then be set on fire and covered with dirt. The slow burning, non aerobic fire would then smolder, producing hot burning charcoal after a few months time. The charcoal producer would then sell his product or trade it for pig iron.
Iron ore was literally just picked up off the ground. In colonial times it was everywhere. It wasn’t mined, it didn’t need to be. While almost all surface iron ore has now been collected, if you look for iron ore today you can readily note its presence.
Limestone is also readily available in the backcountry. In fact, the mountain chain which includes Kings Mountain was a rich source of both iron ore and limestone. These ancient mountains are said to be 600 million years old, and the erosion of these mountains left behind rich minerals.
To smelt pig iron, charcoal, iron ore and limestone would be dumped by wheel barrows from the hillside into the blast furnace charging hole. Once the fire was set the burning mixture was heated by a large bellows, producing a blast of air further heating the ore. The temperatures would reach 700°.
The bellows would be powered by a water wheel in somewhat the same fashion as a grist mill. Sometimes a mule walking in a circle would power the bellows.
As the charcoal, ore and limestone heated up, the limestone would combine with the impurities in the ore and create slag, which would float to the top. The slag would then be skimmed off.
The heavier iron would sink to the bottom where it was literally allowed to flow into hand dug dirt troughs. The troughs had smaller troughs emanating from the central one. The result appeared to resemble suckling pigs, which is how pig iron got its name.
Most of the information and the diagram contained herein comes from the 2010 article “The Ironworks on Lawson’s Fork” by Jim S. Brooks, produced by the Piedmont Historical Society.
For further information, please reference this article, linked here
https://www.piedmont-historical-society.org/records/pdf/TheIronworksonLawsonsFork.pdf.
Posted to Facebook 3/25/2025
Battle of Hillsborough
The Battle of Hillsborough occurred in the latter stages of the war. It was 6 months after Guilford Courthouse. The British were in Wilmington and Greene and the Continental army were in South Carolina. This left a void in the Hillsborough area.
Patriot Governor Thomas Burke was headquartered at Hillsborough with his state government officials. He had less than 100 soldiers and militiamen providing security. They were not expecting trouble.
Loyalist militiaman Major David Fanning entered the void with about 600 Loyalist militiamen. They overwhelmed the town, capturing the governor and 200 state and local officials and 71 soldiers. Walter Burnside would have been one of those captured soldiers.
Fanning then led a fighting withdrawal all the way to Wilmington. He was wounded at the Battle of Lindley’s Mill.
Fanning’s capture of the governor and his entourage, and the withdrawal to Wilmington are regarded as one of the most dramatic feats of the war. If Fanning had been a Patriot, books and movies would have celebrated this event.
After Wilmington the prisoners were then transported to Charleston.
I study massacres and atrocities in the American Revolution. The greatest atrocity of all occurred on those British prison ships in New York and Charleston harbors.
In Charleston, the prison ships were the Torbay, the Success-Increase and the Packhorse. Disease was rampant in these ships. The bottom six inches of the holds were covered in human filth and sloshing bilge water.
The fact that an ancestor could survive these conditions for 11 months is a huge testament to his strength and endurance.
Survivors of those prison ships are American heroes.
Posted to Facebook 2/15/2025
Fort Prince
Fort Prince was the largest of the colonial era forts in Spartanburg County. It was a place of refuge for settlers during the times of Cherokee attacks.
On July 15, 1776 it was the base from which John Thomas, Sr of the Spartan Regiment and Thomas Neal of the New Acquisition Regiment left to attack Richard Pearis’ plantation at the falls of the Reedy River in present day downtown Greenville.
Pearis was in jail in Charleston at the time, but his wife and 3 children were present.
After loading up 3 wagons of goods from the plantation and confiscating 9 enslaved persons, the plantation home, mills, store, still and all outbuildings were burned to the ground.
The goods were auctioned off at Ft. Prince for 7,000 pounds ($1.3 million in today’s money). The slaves were the most valuable items.
In 1777 Patriot Lt Col. James Steen was in command at Ft. Prince.
After Charleston fell in May of 1780, Ft. Prince became a British stronghold, sending out foraging and plundering parties throughout Spartanburg County. Ft. Prince was commanded by British Col. Alexander Innes.
In July of 1780 Ft. Prince was the culminating battle of “5 Battles in 4 days in Spartanburg County that Pushed British Lines Back 40 Miles”. Since these battles were individually fairly small, when viewed as a whole they take on a significant importance that presently seems lost in the study of Revolutionary War history.
The Battle of Cedar Spring occurred on July 12, 1780. Ft. Gowen on July 14, Earle’s Ford on July 15, Shiloh Church and Ft. Prince on July 16. All these battles were related, and occurred one after another. The British soon realized that Spartanburg County was a hornet’s nest, and they retreated, never to return.
Preservation of the site of Ft. Prince is threatened. I would hope that preservationists in Spartanburg County would band together to consolidate efforts towards this goal.
Posted to Facebook 2/2/2025
Sketch of Fort Prince from the bicentennial celebration of the Battle of Fort Prince in 1976. Image Credit: Kennedy Room, Spartanburg County Public Libraries
The Causeway at Rantowles Bridge
Many thanks here to Harold Blitch for directions and background information.
Tarleton’s first battle in the Southern Campaign was fought here. This line of scrub cedars define a Revolutionary War causeway leading to the bridge over Rantowles Creek, south of Charleston.
In Feb of 1780 Banastre Tarleton was at the very spot where this picture was taken. He was eyeing the plantations on the other side of the bridge, and he wanted those plantation horses. Below is the action from the British point of view, as described in the diary of Anthony Allaire, a Loyalist Provencial doctor under Tarleton’s command.
“Monday, 27th. Two companies of Light Infantry, American Volunteers, and one company of Dragoons, crossed at Rantowle’s in scows; the rest of the army crossed yesterday. Col. Hamilton, of the North Carolinians, and Dr. Smith, of the Hospital, proceeding about a mile in front of the army, to Gov. Rutledge’s house, were immediately surrounded by three hundred Continental Light Horse, and they consequently made prisoners. The British Dragoons fell in with them soon after, and had a skirmish; the Rebels soon gave way, and showed them the road, as is customary for them to do. Qr. Master Sergeant Mcintosh, of the Georgia Dragoons, badly wounded in the face by a broadsword. Several Dragoons of the Legion were wounded. How many of the Rebels got hurt we can’t learn; but they did not keep up the combat long enough for many to receive damage.”
Lt. Col. William Washington was the commander of the 3rd Continental Light Dragoons. In this battle his forces captured 2 officers and 15 privates. The narrow causeway decided the fate of this battle. Tarleton couldn’t transition his men from column to line formation, and had to charge single file. It was too much even for Tarleton, and he called off the attack.
Banastre Tarleton fought in six significant battles in S.C. He was overwhelmingly successful at Monck’s Corner, Lenud’s Ferry and Buford’s Massacre. He got his tail whipped at Blackstocks and Cowpens.
In the pictures, notice the “canal” running the length of the causeway. That’s typical (even today) of how roads were built through swamps. The dirt from the canal was used to build up the roadway. This was done over 250 years ago, and is still in place. A secondary benefit is that the canal could now be used for transportation by boats.
Notice the marsh grass. This is where the lucrative rice fields were.
The causeway, the canal and the rice fields were all built by enslaved labor. The plantations of Charles Elliott and his neighbor, Gov. John Rutledge, each had hundreds of slaves. Many examples of their labor are abundant throughout the S.C. Lowcountry.
Posted to Facebook 12/17/2024
Battle of Stono Ferry
Video narrative of the Battle of Stono Ferry
June 20, 1779
Charleston, County, SC
Posted to Facebook 12/16/2024
The Battle of Great Cane Brake
Dec 22, 1775
The Battle of the Great Cane Brake is the only pitched battle ever to occur in Greenville County. 200 Tories who had stolen shot and powder intended for the Cherokees were hiding in the most remote area they could possibly imagine. They were hiding in the midst of a dense thicket of river cane growing along the banks of the Reedy River in southern Greenville County.
When William “Danger” Thompson got word of this location he led a group of 1300 Patriot militiamen from a camp at Hollingsworth Mill on Rabon Creek in Laurens County. It was bitter, bitter cold and the militiamen travelled all night.
They reached the Cane Brake at dawn and began to circle the Tory camp. Before the encirclement was complete, shots rang out and a short battle began. 4-6 Tories were killed, one Patriot was wounded. 130 Tories were captured and 70 escaped to Richard Pearis’ plantation at the Reedy River falls.
As soon as the prisoners were bound for a two week journey to Charleston, it began to snow. It snowed for the next 30 hours. The last hour and a half was a soaking, blinding sleet with no shelter. This was the heaviest snowfall ever recorded in Greenville County. The snow was 18” deep. As the prisoners marched to Charleston there were bloody footprints in the snow. This event has forevermore been known as the Snow Campaign.
The picture provided is Patriot’s Grove. This is where the battle occurred. In 1876 the Hopkins family planted a grove of about 40 pecan trees to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The trees you see here are 148 years old.
The Hopkins family has owned this site since 1834 and, after 7 generations, maintain it to this day.
Posted to Facebook 12/21/2024
Photo above is from a visit to Patriots Grove, June 2024 – LMB
Commentary on the Site of the Battle of Great Cane Brake
Here’s the controversy. This 1785 plat when Richard Winn bought the property will help in the explanation. The Reedy River runs from west to east. In 1786 Samuel Harrison bought this property from Richard Winn for “one black horse”. He built his homeplace on the north side of the river, and his family is still present in a nearby location.
In 1834 the Hopkins family bought the land on the south side of the river. They have lived there for 7 generations.
In 1876, in honor of the centennial of the DOI, the Hopkins family planted a grove of pecan trees on the accepted location of the battle. This location is on flat bottom land, large enough for 200 men to camp in a cane brake. The Hopkins family named this spot Patriots Grove.
There isn’t any flat bottomland large enough for 200 men on the north side of the river. It’s very hilly.
In 1941 the DAR erected a monument to the battle on the north side of the river. Celebrations and reenactments were held on the north side for the next 50 yrs.
About 20 years ago a couple from England bought the property on the north side of the river. They are excessively private, and want nothing to do with the monument. They took it down.
At that time John Hopkins offered to take the monument and place it on his property. He felt that now the monument was in its proper place. Unfortunately, John Hopkins died 4 years ago.
3 years ago John Allison and his team searched Patriot’s Grove and found nothing. This is the case in all bottomland battlefields. This bottomland has floods that are 8’ deep. In addition, the soil level has silted in and is 2’ higher than it was 250 years ago.
John Allison contacted the owners on the north side and was rebuked. It will take a search of the north side to definitively eliminate that area from consideration.
However, the historical record and the topography clearly point to Patriot’s Grove as being the true location. This is a situation where archaeology will not give us the answer.
Posted to Facebook 12/3/2024
The Most Romantic Love Story in South Carolina’s History
William Washington and Jane Elliot
The spring of 1780 was a foreboding time in South Carolina history. British General Sir Henry Clinton and 8,000 soldiers had landed unopposed on Seabrook Island on Feb. 11. Banastre Tarleton had landed in Savannah with his British Legion, which were actually all rough shod Americans from up north.
Tarleton’s trip south was a nightmare. The ships ran into a tempest off of Cape Hatteras, and, to keep the ships from foundering, 400 horses were thrown overboard. Tarleton now had to resupply his men as he began marching north towards Charleston, raiding plantations for horses as he went.
William Washington (George Washington’s 2nd cousin once removed) was America’s finest cavalryman, even though it would be several months before he firmly established that accolade. In the meantime, George Washington sent his cousin south in December of 1779 to counter British activities emanating from Savannah, which had fallen a year earlier.
Tarleton and Washington met in combat for the first time on March 27, 1780. This would be the first of five dramatic battles they would fight, with William Washington prevailing in the end.
Tarleton had set his sights on raiding Gov. John Rutledge’s plantation on the Stono River. The neighboring plantation belonged to Charles Elliott.
In order to raid these plantations, Tarleton had to cross Rantowle’s Creek. A narrow causeway led to the bridge. Washington and his men crossed this bridge and captured 2 officers and a few other men 100 yds. from Tarleton’s lines, then they retreated as Tarleton gave chase.
Tarleton’s men were strung out single file along the narrow causeway and Washington saw an opportunity for attack. He charged and was able to capture additional prisoners. By the time this minor battle was over Washington had captured 15 prisoners with only minimal casualties to his troops. Tarleton retreated.
The battle, however, is not the end of this story. As Washington and his men were celebrating the victory they received the sincere gratitude of widower Charles Elliot and his only child, a 17 yr old daughter named Jane, who is described as “fetching”.
William Washington was a 28 yr old bachelor. He spent less than a day at the Elliot plantation before leaving to fight other battles in the Siege of Charleston. While William was at the Elliot plantation Jane asked him what flag he fought under. William replied that he had no flag.
Jane then took a pair of scissors to her father’s imported red damask curtains and cut out a square. The square contained the national symbol of Scotland, which is a thistle bud.
For the rest of the war, Jane Elliot was behind enemy lines. For the next 16 months William Washington achieved fame and glory as America’s best cavalryman. He was instrumental in the victories at Rugely’s Fort, Hammond’s Old Store, Cowpens, the Race to the Dan, Guilford Courthouse, Hobkirk’s Hill and Ninety Six (many of these “victories” were tactical defeats, but strategic victories).
By August and September of 1781 the British forces had been pushed back to within about 50 miles of Charleston. William Washington had been operating under the command of Gen. Nathanial Greene, and Greene caught up with the British Army at a place called Eutaw Springs on Sept 8, 1781. This became the bloodiest battle ever fought in South Carolina.
As was William Washington’s style, he charged the British right flank. However, a thicket of black jack oak thwarted his charge and his horse was killed. His horse then fell on him and helpless William Washington was bayoneted. As soon as another bayonet was raised to deliver a final death blow, William Washington’s life was saved by British Maj. John Majoribanks, who is a true British hero in his own right.
William Washington was now a POW, and he was escorted to Charleston, where he remained as an injured paroled prisoner until the British sailed away in December of 1782.
Our love story, however, does not end there. Wounded William Washington received special nursing care from none other than the fetching lass Jane Elliot. They hadn’t seen each other for 16 terrifying months. There is no record that they communicated during this time.
As William Washington recovered, the couple began to be seen strolling arm in arm along the streets of Charleston. The British commander at this time was Gen Alexander Leslie. He and William had fought against each other at Guilford Courthouse.
Gen Leslie permitted a grand wedding between William and Jane to occur on April 21, 1782.
When William married Jane he became instantly wealthy. Her father died in the spring of 1781, and she was his only heir. William devoted his activities to raising and racing horses, a lifelong passion of his.
The couple had two children, a boy and a girl. They built a house in Charleston on South Battery, a house that still stands today. William died in 1810 and Jane died in 1830.
Before Jane died she donated the square of damask curtain to the Washington Light Infantry Museum. This piece of curtain has forevermore been known as the Eutaw Flag. There is no recorded instance of it ever having flown in battle, other than Jane’s assertion. Whether the flag flew or not, the Eutaw Flag is an everlasting memorial to the greatest love story in South Carolina history.
Posted to Facebook 11/29/2024
Parker’s Ferry Road – where Francis Marion had his greatest victory
This road is over 275 years old. It is a narrow causeway that leads to the ferry crossing over the Edisto River.
Francis Marion had been tracking a 500 man Hessian and British Provincial force that had been raiding rice plantations along the Combahee River. The only way for this group to return to Charleston was to cross the Edisto River at Parker’s Ferry. Francis Marion knew that, and placed his men 40 yds deep in the swamp. The rifles and muskets of his men were armed with buckshot.
Loyalist Gen. Robert Cunningham and 100 Loyalist militia were guarding the ferry. Gen Cunningham sent out a scouting party from the ferry, and they spotted Marion’s men. Shots were fired and the British forces were alerted.
Hessian commander Leopold Von Brock was approaching from the south. Upon hearing the shots fired he ordered his cavalry under Maj Fraser to charge ahead and support Cunningham’s loyalist militia. Those men charged down this narrow causeway right into the teeth of Marion’s awaiting ambush.
125 British forces were killed and 80 were wounded. Marion had one killed and 3 wounded, most of the casualties were in the initial exchange.
This was Francis Marion’s greatest victory.
Posted to Facebook 11/12/2024
Rocky Mount
This is Rocky Mount. No visible trace. Obscure. Unheralded. Remote. A story untold.
Rocky Mount was the acclaimed (but not official) General Thomas Sumter’s first battle as a South Carolina Militia General. The site is on private land and not accessible to the public.
After Charleston fell on May 12, 1780, the British set up a series of major forts in Georgetown, Camden, Ninety Six and Augusta. From these major forts the British set up a series of satellite forts. Camden set up the sister satellite forts of Hanging Rock near Heath Springs in Lancaster County and Rocky Mount in Fairfield County, just south of Great Falls. These forts were on either side of the mighty Catawba River.
The Rocky Mount fort wreaked havoc in the north central part of the state. Forays from this fort burned Fishing Creek Presbyterian Church, burned the home and library of John Simpson, its pastor, brutally murdered 16 yr old William Strong and razed Hill’s Ironworks, the only industrial enterprise in the area.
Christian Huck was the leader of these raids. He met his demise when William Bratton and his militiamen killed him in the Battle of Huck’s Defeat on July 12, 1780. This significant battle was the first time (but not the last) that local homesteading farm boy militiamen defeated trained British Provincials (who were Americans equipped and trained in the British way).
After Huck’s death, Thomas Sumter decided to put an end once and for all to the depredations emanating from Rocky Mount. He attacked the fort with 500 men on Aug 1, 1780.
Rocky Mount sat on top of a hill with a 360 degree view. There were 2 stout log buildings and a saw cut planked home. The woods were cleared for 200 yards, and a ring of abatis surrounded the fort 50 yards out. Abatis consists of cut saplings with sharpened tips pointing outwards. It is 18th century barbed wire.
There were 150 Provincials and150 Loyalist militiamen guarding the fort. Sumter attacked 3 times, but was unsuccessful with every attack. The abatis held and did its job.
Rocky Mount earned its name. The battlefield was strewn with large rock boulders. Sumter noticed that the fort could be approached by running from boulder to boulder, even though there was a 100 yard gap at one point. Sumter wanted to get close enough to the buildings to set them on fire. He asked for volunteers.
Col. William Hill and Sergeant Jemmy Johnson volunteered. These men then strapped fat pine lighter to their bodies and made makeshift wooden armor to protect themselves.
Hill and Jameson ran the gauntlet, and made it to safety, having suffered numerous near misses. The British launched a bayonet attack and drove them back down the hill.
The men then made another assault, this time supported by militia riflemen who kept the Loyslist bayonets at bay. They lit their fat pine firebrands, and the roof of one of the buildings caught fire. Mission accomplished. Or so it seemed.
As fate would have it, just when victory was at hand, fate had a different plan. A drenching thunderstorm arose and squelched the flames. All that bravery, all those attacks and 4 dead men (6 wounded, 2 captured) were in vain. After 8 hours, Sumter had to call off the attack. His first battle as a militia General was his first defeat.
Today, the forested site of Rocky Mount is damn near forgotten. Secrets lie underneath its soil. The site is private property, and private property owners have every right to do with this property as they wish. Hopefully, one day, private property owners may wish to preserve this history and see what additional stories unfold. As with the Battle of Rocky Mount, the preservation of Rocky Mount depends on fate.
Posted to Facebook 10/31/2024
Hurricane Baptist Church
Hurricane Baptist Church, along with Duncan Creek Presbyterian Church, are the oldest churches in Laurens County, SC. These churches were each granted 7 acres in 1764 by the British Colonial Government as a payment to settlers for services rendered in the French and Indian War. However, it was illegal for the congregants to refer to themselves as churches. Only the Church of England (Anglicans) could do that. The Baptists and Presbyterians could only refer to their places of worship as ”meeting houses”.
Note the road in front of the church. This is he old Ninety Six Road. Armies travelled this route. In August of 1780, Patrick Ferguson and 1,000 Loyalists from the Ninety Six District passed through here on the way to Kings Mountain. In Nov of 1780, 500 Loyalists in small groups who had escaped captivity from Kings Mountain returned through here going back to Ninety Six.
In December of 1780, 250 of those same Loyalists passed through here again on their way to plunder the Fairforest area in Spartanburg and Union Counties.
At this time, Daniel Morgan was camped at Grindal Shoals on the Pacolet River. He sent Lt. Col. William Washington (George’s cousin) and 80 men of the 3rd Continental Light Dragoons after those plundering Tories. This was the best cavalry command in the American Revolution, and they fought right here inLaurens County.
Along with William Washington’s command were 200 mounted militia riflemen from Laurens, Newberry and Spartanburg Counties.
These men were locals, and knew the area well. At Hurricane Meeting house William Washington captured 3 Loyalist stragglers. He found out that the plundering Tories were camped at Hammond’s Old Store, just a few miles down this road. The resulting battle was one of the most severe slaughters of the Revolution. 150 Tories were killed or wounded, 40 captured and 60 escaped to fight the Battle of Ft. Williams the next day, which was another Patriot victory. There were 0 Patriot casualties.
Posted to Facebook 9/2/2024
A Pantheon of Heroes!
This is my newest favorite painting by South Carolina artist Dale Watson. Dale has been commissioned by the American Battlefield Trust to depict Revolutionary War battle scenes for South Carolina’s Liberty Trail. The Liberty Trail is a driving tour of 78 battlefields throughout the state. This trail will be up and running in time for the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The scene here is a meeting of heroes making plans at Burrell’s Tavern in preparation for the upcoming battle at Eutaw Springs on Sept 8, 1781. This was the last major battle in the state, and it was the bloodiest.
Starting on the left, the seated individual is no other than Francis Marion, crooked nose and all. He’s is wearing his worn Continental officer’s uniform. Francis Marion was the commander of the SC Militia in this battle, fighting on the front line.
Next is Andrew Pickens, wearing typical militia homespun. Andrew Pickens was shot square in the chest while leading his men on horseback.
As his limp body fell to the ground, his men wailed at his death. However. Andrew Pickens didn’t die. The musket ball hit the buckle on his sword belt, leaving a one inch depression for the rest of his life. Andrew Pickens was saved by the Grace of God. He wasn’t called the Fighting Elder for no reason.
Standing in the middle is the immortal Gen. Nathanael Greene. Nathanael Greene was George Washington’s most valuable and brilliant general. In this battle, Greene imitated the battle plan used by Daniel Morgan at Cowpens. He had a line of militia (under Marion) in the front line. Next was s line of experienced Continental regulars under Col. Otho Holland Williams. The third line consisted of the cavalry under Lt. Col. William Washington and Col. Light Horse Harry Lee (Robt. E. Lee’s father).
Daniel Morgan’s plan is referred to as Defense in Depth. Greene successfully used this plan at Guilford Courthouse. However, at Eutaw Springs Greene used this plan to go on the offense. It was Offense in Depth.
The officer beside Greene wearing the green jacket is Light Horse Harry Lee. The battle started when Lee captured 400 British soldiers who were harvesting a field of sweet potatoes. During the battle, Lee protected Greene’s right flank.
Next is Col. Otho Holland Williams with the 1st Maryland Regiment (Washington’s Immortals – arguably America’s best fighters). The 1st Maryland plugged a gap in the militia line, and then overran the British camp, and, unfortunately, imbibed too strongly of the British rum supply.
The seated officer on the right is Lt. Col. William Washington, commander of the 3rd Continental Light Dragoons. William Washington and Henry Lee were America’s premier cavalry officers. In this battle William Washington guarded Greene’s left flank.
As the battle progressed, the British established a strong post on their right flank at a brick plantation house and the surrounding fenced gardens. Washington wanted to turn this flank, but couldn’t maneuver his horses through a dense oak thicket.
Rashly, he charged in front of the brick house. His horse was killed and pinned him underneath. Washington was now a sitting duck, and a British regular ran him through with a bayonet.
William Washington’s life was saved by British Maj. John Marjoribanks. As the British regular was about to plunge his bayonet again in a death dealing blow, Maj Marjoribanks stopped him. William Washington was captured and remained a POW in Charleston for the remainder of the war.
British Maj John Marjoribanks is also a Eutaw Springs hero. He died six weeks after the battle and was buried by the Americans with honor on the battlefield.
This painting by Dale Watson depicts some of the most heroic figures that America has ever produced.
Posted to Facebook 8/14/2024
Carolina Day!
The Day an Unfinished Palmetto Log Fort Blew the Hell out of the Best the British Navy had to Offer.
The Battle of Sullivan’s Island, on June 28, 1776, is arguably the most important of the many momentous Revolutionary War battles fought in South Carolina. If not for the bravery of the 435 defenders of this unfinished three sided fort, the course of the Revolutionary War would have taken a drastically different turn.
Charleston was the wealthiest city in America. And, with a relatively large loyalist population and an established aristocracy, the British thought that the southern states were ripe for the picking, and they adopted a “southern strategy” early in the war. The Patriots defending Charleston, however, had different ideas, and the resulting Battle of Sullivan’s Island thwarted British activity in the state for the next four years.
Charleston sits on a peninsula formed by the Ashley River to the south, and the Cooper River to the north (these rivers meet in Charleston harbor to form the Atlantic Ocean). Anyone entering Charleston Harbor had to pass by two islands – Sullivan’s Island to the north, and then James Island to the south.
Continental Army General Charles Lee was in command of roughly 5,000 militia and continental soldiers, and in March of 1776 Col. William Moultrie was placed in charge of building a fort on the southern tip of Sullivan’s Island.
Sullivan’s Island had few natural resources. It did, however, have an abundance of Palmetto logs – and sand.
The fort was intended to be a four sided square. The seaward face of the fort was completed, built with inner and outer walls made from Palmetto logs. These walls were 16’ apart, and the interior was filled with sand. Slaves and militiamen reluctant to work beside them provided the labor. The western side, facing the city, was unfinished.
The finished walls were 20’ high with wooden plank gun embrasures. A dark blue flag with a silver crescent designed by Col. Moultrie proudly flew over the fort. The crescent was a symbol the Patriots of Charleston adopted to display their allegiance when wearing their Liberty caps.
The fort mounted 31 guns of various and assorted calibers. These guns ranged from nine pounders to a few eighteen and twenty-six pounders. Shot and powder were in short supply.
When General Lee inspected the fort shortly before the battle, he was not impressed. He ordered the fort abandoned. It was only through the intervention of Provincial Governor John Rutledge that the fort remained defended. As a compromise, half the powder was removed to prevent it from falling into British hands.
On the morning of June 28, 1776, an imposing British Armada came in to view. Previous Intelligence reports had made the Patriots aware of the impending invasion.
The British landed an army of 2,200 men on Long Island (now Isle of Palms). Long Island is located north of Sullivan’s Island, separated only by a narrow channel of water called Breech Inlet .
British intelligence had erroneously indicated that Breech Inlet could be forded at low tide. In fact, Breech Inlet is six feet deep at low tide with strong rip currents. The British soldiers were never able to cross, and the threat of an infantry attack from the landward side was negated.
The British Armada consisted of two fourth-rate ships of the line mounting 50 guns each, 6 frigates mounting 28 guns each, and one bomb ketch mounting mortars.
At dawn on June 28, as soon as the fort came in to view, the British Navy anchored. They were so sure of their superiority they saw no need to present moving targets. The battle began with the bomb ketch launching mortar shells.
Palmetto logs had never been used before to build a fort. No one really knew how they would stand up to a 32 lb. cannonball smashing in to them. As is turned out, palmetto logs are extremely effective in withstanding that impact. The soft pithy core of the logs absorbed the blows, and the fort remained intact. In the meantime, the slow and deliberate fire from the fort began to have a devastating effect on the anchored British ships.
About halfway through the battle, Sir Peter Parker, the British commander, sent three frigates into the channel on the unfinished back side of the fort. A successful foray here would have been devastating. Seemingly by the Grace of God, these ships ran aground on a sandbar that later became the site of Civil War Ft. Sumter. Disaster avoided.
The accuracy of the small and poorly supplied cannons firing from the fort was incredible. In the middle of the battle the powder that had been removed previously was rowed back – this time under heavy fire.
The British ships were being blown to pieces. Sir Peter Parker suffered an ignominious wound to his backside from a 3’ wooden splinter. William Campbell, the Royal Governor of South Carolina standing beside him, was mortally wounded. He suffered from his wound for 2 years before he died.
After a full day of bombardment, the British Navy limped away. The frigate Acton, still stuck on the sandbar, was set afire as the British left.
The indigo blue battle flag was forever immortalized in South Carolina history. During the battle the flagstaff was shot in half, giving the British hope that the fort had struck its colors. Sgt. William Jasper quickly attached the flag to a cannon ramrod and braved deadly cannon fire as he proudly proclaimed the fort’s continued resistance.
Today, in honor of the staunch defenders of the fort on Sullivan’s Island – now named Ft. Moultrie – South Carolina is known as the Palmetto state. And, our state flag is a crescent on a dark blue field – now, with a steadfast palmetto tree standing proudly in the center.
Happy Carolina Day!
Posted to Facebook 6/27/2024
History Made Here – Long Cane Creek
This is Long Cane Creek, perhaps the most notable waterway in pioneer South Carolina.
What’s the big deal? The big deal is in the name. This creek was named after the vast tall stands of river cane (Arundinaria gigantea) that grew in its bottomlands. Early settlers – following the counsel of the Native Americans – knew that wherever river cane grew, corn would thrive. Corn and river cane both belong to the plant family Poacea, and both require the same growing conditions.
When the early settlers arrived in the SC backcountry in the 1750s, they saw river cane 20’ tall. This was the tallest cane in they had ever seen. These pioneers realized they were looking at the most fertile land anywhere around, and it was a prime spot for development.
Long Cane Creek originates in Abbeville County and flows through McCormack County until it reaches the Savannah River. When the settlers arrived after the Treaty of Saluda (1755), the boundaries were undefined. The lack of a proper survey was one of the many conflicts and misunderstandings with the Cherokees, and the Long Cane Massacre (Feb 1, 1760) occurred on this creek during the 1st Cherokee War (1758-1761).
In the Revolutionary War there were two significant battles fought along this creek. This area was dominated by the British fort at Ninety Six, roughly 30 miles distant. Frequent foraging parties from the fort roamed throughout the area.
On Dec 11, 1780 the Battle of Long Canes was fought. A group of Georgians returning home after the Battle of Blackstocks (Nov 20, 1780) ran into a party of British provincials. This was a Patriot defeat in which Patriot commanders Elijah Clarke and James McCall were both wounded.
Then, on March 21, 1781, the Georgians were returning to the SC backcountry to link up with Andrew Pickens. They ran up against a foraging party led by the notorious Queen’s Ranger James Dunlop. This battle, known as Dunlop’s Defeat, was an overwhelming Patriot victory. This battle has been formerly known by some as the Battle of Beattie’s Mill, but extensive recent research has shown there was never such a mill or place in South Carolina.
Long Cane Creek. A beautiful and productive site. Ironically, a source of great conflict simply due to its fertility and productivity. The beauty of this area today gives scant clues to the blood stained history that lies underneath.
Posted to Facebook 11/2/2023
Willie O’Ree
Doesn’t this picture look funny? A black man in a hockey uniform? From Canada, no less! And what on earth does this have to do with the Revolutionary War?
That man is Willie O’Ree, the first black hockey player in the NHL. He is also the first black hockey player elected to the NHL Hall of Fame. Willie O’Ree is known as “Hockey’s Jackie Robinson”.
A few years ago Henry Louis Gates wanted to do a feature on Willie O’Ree for his PBS show “Finding your Roots”. The producers were able to trace his roots back to 1783 when they found a reference to his great, great, great grandfather in the “Book of Negroes”.
This book of 3,000 Negro names was compiled by British officials in Canada as they recorded recently freed enslaved persons from “Charlestown”.
During the Revolutionary War the British in Charleston promised freedom to any enslaved person who entered their lines. 5,000 enslaved persons took them up on the offer and made the dangerous trek to freedom.
The British did not adopt this policy due to any altruistic abolitionist sentiment. They thought that losing the labor of these people would weaken Patriot forces. And, the freed slaves were soon put to work strengthening British defenses.
Of the 5,000 people who entered those British lines, 3,000 were shipped to Canada after the war. Sadly, 2,000 of them were sold back into slavery in the Caribbean by corrupt British officials.
That’s how Willie O’Ree’s 3rd great grandfather wound up in Canada. The Book of Negroes states “Paris, 19, stout lad, (Cornet Merrell). Formerly the property of Col. Oree, Charlestown, South Carolina;
Left him 4 years ago & joined the British troops. GMC. (SCERA, Transcription of the Book of Negroes, Book 1, p77)”
Now, the show producers had a clear line of Willie O’Ree’s ancestors all the way back to South Carolina. But, who is this Col. Oree? There was no such Colonel by that name in South Carolina.
However, South Carolinians are quite familiar with this name. They just spell it differently. We know that name today as Horry, the name of the county where Myrtle Beach is located.
Once the researchers at the South Carolina Dept. of Archives and History realized how the name was spelled, they were able to research the records of Col. Elias Horry. By reading the family wills the researchers not only identified Paris O’Ree, they were also able to identify his parents and siblings. Paris’ family was “Doublin and his wife Bess and her children Paris, Harriott, Harry, and Lusey”.
When 15 year old Paris Oree entered British lines, he left his family behind forever. He never saw them again. Such was the fate of every one of those 5,000 individuals who fled bondage for strange and unknown circumstances. The lure of freedom led to difficult choices.
This commentary is not written to honor Willie O’Ree. He has earned enough accolades to last anyone a lifetime (he is 89 as of the time of this writing).
This commentary is written to honor his family, and the families of every other enslaved person who lost their family ties during the tumultuous times of the American Revolution.
Doublin and Bess. Harriet, Harry and Lusey. This is Paris Oree’s family, and this commentary is written for them.
Posted to Facebook 2/5/2025
