On July 11th–12th, 2026, I set my time-traveling compass for a Revolutionary Road Trip to explore the heart of York County, South Carolina’s Historic Brattonsville for the 246th anniversary of the Battle of Huck’s Defeat.
I first traveled to Historic Brattonsville in June of 2025 and fell in love with over 250 years of history at this living history site. Historic Brattonsville is truly a window through time. The scenery of this part of York County remains rural, with winding, bucolic roads and farmland. Brattonsville tells the story of those who lived and worked the land at the Bratton and neighboring Williamson farms from the Colonial era through the Civil War to the modern day. You can tour over a dozen buildings on site across the centuries that tell the story of this community, while also preserving other historic buildings that were moved to the site for conservation and living history.
While Brattonsville and its environs could fill thousands of pages of books from Colonial era to Civil War to today, the site’s role in the American Revolution no doubt helped turn the tide towards liberty.
It was here on July 12th, 1780, that roughly 140 Patriot militia defeated the notorious “Swearing Captain” Christian Huck and his 120 British Provincials in an early morning surprise attack that left the despised Huck dead and helped revitalize patriot fervor in the Carolina backcountry only two months after Charleston fell to the British on May 12, 1780 (the worst surrender of Continental troops in the entire war).
In the weeks leading up to Huck’s Defeat, there were a few smaller victories in the backcountry at Alexander’s Old Field (June 6th, 1780) and Mobley’s Meeting House (June 8th, 1780) and Ramsour’s Mill (June 20th in Lincolnton NC)…
However, what sets Huck’s Defeat apart is that it was the first victory where an all-Patriot militia defeated professionally trained British forces following the fall of Charleston. The defeat of British Provincials at Williamson’s Plantation (Historic Brattonsville) along with the death of the infamous Captain Huck, sent shockwaves through the British command, surprising General Lord Cornwallis and Lord Rawdon, who had dismissed the militia as mere ragtag fighters. This battle not only boosted local Patriot morale, but it also forced the British, who had assumed they could easily quell the backcountry into submission, to recognize the tenacity and volatility of the region’s rebels.
In this post, we’ll start with a timeline of the Revolutionary drama from the fall of Charleston the showdown Williamson’s Plantation, better known as the Battle of Huck’s Defeat. You’ll meet key characters in this real life drama from the much-despised Capt. Christian Huck to Patriots like Colonel William and Martha Bratton, and the hero Watt, an enslaved member of the Bratton household whose role as a messenger helped ensure the Patriots had the intel they needed to win the battle.
I’ll then share my weekend adventures at Historic Brattonsville, which included live reenactments, living history, amazing historic lectures, and a battlefield tour. Plus, I got to time-travel with my friends from the Museum of the Waxhaws, as well as Dr. Walker, to learn about the role of early Presbyterian churches in the fight for liberty, like Bethesda Church in York County.
Brattonsville…History Lives Here
Located in the heart of Revolutionary York County, which played a starring role in the fight for the backcountry as the site of major battles like Huck’s Defeat to Kings Mountain, Historic Brattonsville is a living history museum that truly allows you the chance to travel through time and experience history where it happened.
Fans of Mel Gibson’s The Patriot will instantly recognize Brattonsville, one of the key settings in the film. In fact, living historians and locals from York and neighboring Chester County still have stories from when “Mel Gibson” was filming The Patriot.
While I love watching The Patriot for entertainment value—and you can’t help but love to hate Jason Isaacs’ portrayal of Tavington—the history is off course. What if I told you the real history of the American Revolution in the South Carolina backcountry was more action-packed and drama-filled than The Patriot, Outlander, or any addictive HBO miniseries you can binge-watch on demand?
Make ready because you are able to experience explosive Revolutionary War history.
When you visit a place like Brattonsville, you get invited into the story and given the chance to walk where the people who made history walked centuries ago. What you’ll find is that many of the choices they faced, though different from our day-to-day, were the same struggles we wrangle with—security, liberty, and standing up for others.
While anytime is a great time to visit Historic Brattonsville and York County, there is nothing quite like attending during the Battle of Huck’s Defeat weekend. You truly are transported back to 1780 and have the chance to witness history—not just through textbook dates, but by hearing militia yell “make ready!” as the blast of muskets erupts, and the smell of gunpowder and haze of smoke bring the battle to life. Living history weekends provide you a chance to become part of the story, from hearing reenactors talk about their role in the battle to learning about women like Martha Bratton, whose iron will and courage show the vital role of women in the Revolution.
Quick link to plan your Historic Brattonsville Adventure:
Traveling through Time:
To fully understand the drama that unfolded at Historic Brattonsville on Williamson’s Plantation, you have to travel back in time to understand something called ‘The Southern Strategy.’ The more I study the American Revolution in the South, I realize every scene in this drama is like a domino leading to another series of events. Huck’s Defeat was a culmination of a reign of terror by Christian Huck as well as the resurgence of the patriot cause even in adversity. The local Scots-Irish population in this area was tight-knit, fiercely independent and would play an important role in the turning of the tide towards American Independence.
The New Acquisition District and Carolina Backcountry
Historic Brattonsville is located in York County, which is now part of a region known as the Olde English District. However, in 1780, the area of present-day York County (along with a portion of eastern Cherokee County) was known as the New Acquisition District. This region, along with neighboring Lancaster and Chester counties, was first settled by Scots-Irish immigrants from Ulster who came down the Great Wagon Road from Philadelphia, traveling through the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia and eventually into the Carolinas.
Roots of a Revolutionary Civil War
For years, the people of this region received little to no support from the colonial government in Charleston, and for many of the planter class in the Lowcountry, this area had long been treated as a “backwater.” Settlers did not have local courts and had very little, if any, representation in the legislature. They would often turn across the loosely defined state boundary line to North Carolina and Tryon or Mecklenburg counties for assistance with courts and legal matters.
Eventually, in 1769, the South Carolina Colonial Assembly passed the Circuit Court Act, which created judicial districts across the colony, including Ninety-Six, Camden, and Cheraw in the Backcountry. However, a portion of the area—including what is now York County—was still disputed with North Carolina. That dispute was finally settled in 1772, and the territory transferred to South Carolina was thus named the “New Acquisition District.”
I bring this up because, after their poor treatment by the ruling class in Charleston, those in the Backcountry were deeply distrustful of Lowcountry Patriots in their early stance against “no taxation without representation.” To many in the Backcountry, at least in the early years of the war, the idea of fighting for liberty based on “no taxation without representation” felt ironic, as they believed their own leaders in Charleston were just as dismissive of their needs as citizens of the colony.
As the Revolutionary War began on April 19, 1775, with the first shots fired at Lexington and Concord, the seeds of conflict were already being planted in the Carolina Backcountry as well. The area was deeply divided. Those who had been living in the Carolina Backcountry for at least a generation were more apt to be neutral or Patriots, as they had deeper ties to the land, while those who had just moved to the area were often more likely to lean Loyalist.
One thing was for sure: in the summer of 1775, most even Patriot-leaning citizens in the Backcountry were distrustful of the so-called “radical rice planters” in Charleston who were crying for liberty.
Lowcountry rice planter William Henry Drayton perceived this disconnect early on. He recognized they would need the Backcountry residents to support the Patriot cause if they were to win the war. So, as early as the summer of 1775, he and two ministers—William Tennent, a Presbyterian, and Oliver Hart, a Baptist—went into the areas from Ninety-Six into the New Acquisition District and the Waxhaws area to build alliances.
As we’ll learn during our Revolutionary Weekend at Brattonsville, the role of the Presbyterian church and ministers was crucial for the Patriot cause in particular. By the time the war came to the Backcountry in the summer of 1780, many of the loudest voices for the Patriot cause were Scots-Irish ministers like Rev. John Simpson and Rev. William Martin, whose sermons from the pulpit ignited a call to fight for liberty.
The first battle of the American Revolution in South Carolina took place at Ninety-Six in November 1775 between a group of Loyalists and Patriots. The first Patriot casualty of the war in South Carolina, James Birmingham, died at Ninety-Six. The two sides came to a truce after a few days, but this conflict foreshadowed the intensity of neighbor fighting in what would become a true civil war in the Backcountry by 1780.
The Southern Strategy:
1776: Kicking Britain Out of the Carolinas
Two major patriot victories in 1776, first on February 27th, at Moores Creek Bridge, just north of Wilmington, followed by the Battle of Sullivans Island near Charleston SC on June 28th effectively kicked the British out of the Carolinas until spring of 1780. During this period, South Carolina continued to play a role in the war by sending militia and Continental troops to fight up north, as well as supplying the Continental Army. The port of Charleston was critical for receiving shipments of items like guns and other artillery from overseas.
The Stalemate in the North and the Emergence of The Southern Strategy
By 1778–79, the war in the North had hit a stalemate. Parliament and the British people were spending exorbitant amounts of money to keep the war going without a clear path to victory. Looking for a way to end the war, General Clinton, along with General Cornwallis decided to look once again to the south. They’d both been part of the 1776 fight for the Carolinas and had failed. While Moores Creek Bridge seemed to prove that there wasn’t a loyalist majority that would rise up.
General Clinton was one of many who mistakenly believed that there was an overwhelmingly strong Loyalist population in the Carolinas. If they could take Charleston and target the rebels (Whigs/Patriots), the Loyalist majority would rise up and help the British maintain law and order through a series of outposts.
While there were many Loyalists in the Carolinas, as well as those neutral to the war effort who simply wanted to be left alone, this myth of the Loyalist uprising haunted the British both in 1776 and throughout the later Southern Campaign in the Carolinas from the spring of 1780 through 1782.
The Fall of Savannah: On December 29th, 1778, Savannah was captured and would remain under British control for the remainder of the war. The Patriots attempted to retake Savannah in 1779 (including a few of my ancestors from Beaufort and Bluffton, SC), but it was a disaster that in many ways weakened the defenses of Charleston when the British began a siege in March of 1780.
The Road to Huck’s Defeat:
When you dive into the history of Huck’s Defeat, the road to the battle begins with the Fall of Charleston on Friday, May 12th 1780…followed by the Battle of the Waxhaws on May 29th…the war would soon be at the doorstep of the families in the backcountry of South Carolina and with a devastating repercussions.
The Fall of Charleston: Friday, May 12th, 1780
At 11 a.m., after a six-week siege that began on March 28th, 1780, Major General Benjamin Lincoln surrendered the entire Southern Continental Army to British General Sir Henry Clinton. This was the most devastating loss for the Continental Army in the entire war and one of the darkest days of the American Revolution for the Patriot cause. Lincoln had insisted on surrendering with only the “honors of war” for his Continentals, which was standard in warfare at the time, but civilian morale and anxiety in the midst of the terrible siege forced Lincoln to accept Clinton’s terms.
An estimated 5,600 American prisoners—encompassing twenty-three Continental regiments from four states plus hundreds of Continental Navy personnel—were captured, along with weapons, 300 cannons, and critical supplies. Several of those captured were my ancestors, including Thomas Heyward Jr., Signer of the Declaration of Independence, who was later sent to a British prison in St. Augustine, Florida.
Initially, there was a parole offer where militia members could return home as long as they stayed neutral. Governor Rutledge managed to escape and meet up with Colonel Abraham Buford and his Continental unit from Virginia, who began heading back to North Carolina upon learning that Charleston had fallen. Unfortunately, Clinton and the British learned about Buford’s retreat. On Monday, May 15th, Clinton asked his Lieutenant General, Lord Charles Cornwallis, to follow Buford and neutralize his force.
By May 27th, Cornwallis realized his 2,500-member army was moving too slowly, so he dispatched a man whose name continues to live in infamy in the Carolinas: Lt. Colonel Banastre Tarleton. Tarleton and his 130 British Legion cavalry, also known as the Green Dragoons, caught up with Buford and his men in the Waxhaws region, spanning from what is now Union County, NC, to Lancaster County, SC.
Monday, May 29th: The Battle of Waxhaws
I had the chance to attend a reenactment at the battlefield in 2025, and I also attended the 246th anniversary of the Battle of Waxhaws at the Museum of the Waxhaws. (not far from Charlotte in the town of Waxhaw).
Tarleton and his light cavalry hunted down Buford at breakneck speed, covering 105 miles in fifty-four hours. The fact that they not only caught up with Buford, but also won this bloody fight, shows the tenacity of Tarleton’s men.
In the early afternoon of May 29th, Tarleton’s troops caught up with the rear of Buford’s column in present-day Lancaster County off Rocky River Road. Named after a tribe that once lived in the area, the Waxhaws were mostly Scots-Irish Presbyterians who lived on both sides of the state line. Andrew Jackson was a “boy from the Waxhaws” who lost his entire family during the American Revolution by age fourteen. The Scots-Irish community was tight-knit.
When Tarleton drew near to Buford’s men, he sent a flag of truce demanding Buford surrender or face the consequences. Buford sharply declined and continued his march. By three o’clock, Tarleton’s men attacked Buford’s rear guard and easily routed them.
When you visit the Waxhaws memorial site, several markers break down the battle, showing how misjudgments on both sides led to one of the bloodiest conflicts of the war. Buford chose his defensive position—a single defensive line “in an open wood to the right of the road”—after having already sent his wagons, baggage, and artillery northward. At a distance of 300 yards, Tarleton halted and formed a reserve “upon a small eminence that commanded the road.” He divided his force into three groups to simultaneously attack Buford’s left, center, and right. Tarleton led the attack on the left flank.
Buford’s Folly: Even though Buford had more troops than Tarleton, his strategy was riddled with mistakes that exposed the Continentals to a rout. Buford ordered his line to hold their fire until the charging cavalrymen were only ten yards away. This was a serious tactical mistake, as Tarleton’s horsemen immediately overran Buford’s line.
In the midst of battle, both sides suffered confusion when Tarleton’s horse was shot from beneath him. Thinking their commander was dead or seriously wounded, Tarleton’s troops sabered and bayoneted the Continentals. This is where things get even more complicated. Several Continentals began waving white flags to surrender, but according to the Museum of the Waxhaws historians I spoke with during the reenactment weekend, it is believed they surrendered to the wrong authority within Tarleton’s ranks, while some Continentals did not want to surrender and kept fighting. Their commander had gotten pulled away from the main line and ended up surviving the battle.
The confusion led to a massacre of Continentals, with 113 dying, 150 severely wounded (many of whom later died), and fifty-three taken prisoner. The British suffered only five casualties; they seemed on the surface undefeatable. Yet the rout actually helped ignite even neutral-leaning settlers to join the Patriot cause after witnessing the brutality against Buford’s men.
Many are buried in a mass grave steps from the battlefield off present-day Rocky River Road in Lancaster, SC. It is a somber memorial to the carnage that occurred in an area that is now adjacent to a parks and recreation center. I’m grateful to the Museum of the Waxhaws and the Friends of Buford’s Massacre for keeping the history of those who fought alive. The American Battlefield Trust has also helped maintain the markers that help reveal the history of that bloody day.
In June of 2026, I drove from the battle memorial to the Old Waxhaw Presbyterian Church, where the majority of the wounded were taken by locals via wagon for care inside the meeting house and grounds. What surprised me was the distance. The drive was about twenty minutes by car. I couldn’t help but think of the wounded, mangled by bayonet wounds and musket balls, in agony as they were being moved. I assume some did not arrive at the Old Waxhaw Presbyterian Church alive.
It is here we can enter into the human drama and toll of the war that these farmers and area tradespeople were suddenly thrust into—people like Elizabeth Jackson and her sons, including young Andrew, witnessing the horrors of war and trying to nurse the sick and dying.
Tarleton was not a good guy, but to his credit, he did try to help the wounded afterward. Though he might not have been “The Butcher” they claimed, Tarleton didn’t mind the nickname for his reputation either. In his letter to Cornwallis, Tarleton placed the blame on Colonel Buford and on the fact, Tarleton’s men could not be restrained after they saw him go down. He reported to Cornwallis that he had “cut 170 Off’rs and Men to pieces.”
What shocked many of the locals, including Loyalist or neutral-leaning families in the community, was hearing the injured tell how they’d attempted to surrender, only to be bayoneted with their pleas for “quarter” gone unanswered. The brutality from the British Legion sent shockwaves through these settlers. Throughout the remainder of the conflict, “Buford’s Quarter” was a rallying cry for Patriots remembering the horror at the Waxhaws.
Get to Know the Combatants in the Backcountry
Throughout this article, you’ll hear me refer to several groups. Here is a quick guide for the Battle of Huck’s Defeat.
- Patriots were known as Rebels or Whigs to the British. The Patriots also would refer to themselves as Whigs. During the Battle of Huck’s Defeat, with the surrender of Continental troops in May in Charleston and the defeat of Buford’s regiment at Waxhaws, all of the Patriots in the fight were area militia. Each American colony had militia units consisting of men trained to fight in times of emergency. Mounted Militia, or “rangers,” were the backbone of both Patriot and Loyalist militia regiments in the Carolinas. At the time of Huck’s Defeat, the backcountry Patriot militia was commanded by Colonel Thomas Sumter, aka “The Gamecock.” Sumter’s militiamen were equipped to fight on both horseback and on foot.
- British and Loyalist Forces: During the Revolution, the British army recruited men in the American colonies for service to the Crown who were paid officers in the British army, but not considered “regular forces.” Known as Provincials, these men were uniformed, professional soldiers trained and equipped to fight like the British regular army. Two northern Provincial units fought at Williamson’s Plantation: the New York Volunteers (infantry) and the British Legion (cavalry). Both units also included local Loyalist militia from the Carolinas and Georgia.
- Local Loyalist Militia were not as well trained as Provincials. They were also called Tories.
- African Americans, both free and enslaved, served in the American and British Armies and made significant impacts—including men of Colonel Bratton’s household, like Watt, an enslaved person who played a crucial role in the battle (more on that in a moment).
June 1st, 1780
With Charleston under the control of the British and Buford’s regiment defeated, Cornwallis set about his next priority in subduing South Carolina: he established a series of strategic outposts from Georgetown in the Low Country to Backcountry posts at Camden, Cheraw, Hanging Rock, Rocky Mount, and Ninety Six. On June 1st, he established his temporary headquarters at Camden. Camden was considered the “last of the civilized towns” by some in the Low Country of Charleston, and Cornwallis did not want to stay in Camden longer than he had to. He placed Lt. Colonel Francis, Lord Rawdon in charge. Future adversary of the Backcountry, Major Patrick Ferguson—who died fighting the Overmountain Men Patriots at Kings Mountain (also in York County, SC) on October 7, 1780—was initially placed at Ninety Six.
Lt. Colonel George Turnbull was placed in charge of the New Acquisition District with a post at Rocky Mount (Great Falls, SC, in Chester County).
Among those serving under Lt. Colonel Turnbull was Captain Christian Huck and his cavalry of British Provincials under the wider command of Tarleton’s Legion.
June 3rd
General Clinton had initially offered generous clemency to Patriots to help pacify South Carolinians, allowing them to remain neutral (not fight for the British as Loyalists) as long as they did not help the Patriot cause. With the fall of Charleston, many, even those in the Backcountry, were open to this at the time. However, on June 3rd, Clinton undermined any goodwill he’d secured with the initial proclamation with a secondary one that not only revoked militia paroles, but also required that they renew their allegiance to the Crown and take an active role in restoring British control in the province. Suddenly, there was no neutrality…even though who would rather not fight felt forced to choose sides, a side often that might be father against son, or brother against brother…
Get to Know Christian Huck: The Swearing Captain Who Terrorized the South Carolina Backcountry
Christian Huck was born circa 1748 in Germany and immigrated to Philadelphia in 1772. He studied law under Isaac Hunt and eventually started his own practice, while also getting involved in real estate. Although Huck had Loyalist leanings, even with the onset of the American Revolution, he was initially more concerned with running his law practice.
Patriots in Philadelphia often harassed local Loyalists, even forcibly removing Huck’s mentor, Isaac Hunt, from his home and dragging him through the streets of Philadelphia in September 1775. When I visited Philly in 2025, I was surprised to learn that the home of the Declaration of Independence was actually deeply divided. Many Quakers, who were pacificist leaned loyalist as they didn’t believe in war; although some Quaker did fight or create splinter groups. Some Germans, like Huck also were more loyalist leaning for various reasons, including the fact many felt they were treated well by the British government..
If you are looking for an comic book origin story for this Revolutionary villain, perhaps it was during these days when Huck’s rage against the Patriots began to burn with the fire of revenge.
- Speaking of comic books, did you know that SC250 partnered with the amazing Eric Barnes aka History Man 1781 for a comic book series about Revolutionary War Battles? You can even watch a video version of the comic book about Huck’s Defeat here
The British occupied Philadelphia from September 1777 to June 1778, during which time Huck was able to live without fear—until May 13th, 1778, when an issue of the Pennsylvania Packet included a list of Philadelphia Loyalists accused of high treason. The British were still in control of Philadelphia, but Huck knew local Patriots would seek revenge once the British left the city.
In June of 1778, he joined the British Army and enlisted in Emmerich’s Chasseurs, a provincial corps made up of light infantry and dragoons. This unit was disbanded in August 1779, and Huck was then given command of a troop of dragoons attached to the British Legion under the notorious Lt. Colonel Banastre Tarleton (Source: The Day It Rained Militia).
Huck was known for his violent temper and extreme mood swings. He certainly did not live up to his first name, “Christian”—often taking the Lord’s name in vain and cursing so much that he was nicknamed the “Swearing Captain.” For the deeply religious Scots-Irish Presbyterians, hearing his blasphemies and constant swearing felt like pure apostasy. It infuriated even the more neutral-leaning locals.
Huck hated Presbyterians in general, viewing them as the most virulent of rebels. While some British officers detested Presbyterians simply because their denomination went against the grain of the Anglican Church of England, for Huck, the hatred went beyond theology. As we’ll see in our timeline leading up to Huck’s Defeat, this was a man who burned churches, attempted to burn Bibles, and threatened anyone who stood in his way. According to the American Battlefield Trust: “His favorite pastime was terrorizing the local rebel population.”
You’d think his superiors would have reined him in, recognizing that his terrorizing threats only riled up Patriots—and even turned some Loyalists against him—but British command didn’t seem to understand that the key to winning hearts and minds wasn’t through subjugation and fear. This became a recurring theme in incidents involving Tarleton, Huck, and Ferguson…
Patriots Rising
While Thomas Sumter did not fight in the Battle of Huck’s Defeat, he was instrumental in rallying Patriot militia in the days leading up to the battle. Sumter, who had fought previously at Sullivan’s Island (June 1776) and was an officer in the Continental Army before stepping down from his post, was at home in his area near the High Hills when Buford’s men and subsequently the British Legion under Tarleton were nearby. Sumter knew that he would be a wanted man by the British and fled with his enslaved manservant, Soldier Tom.
Tarleton dispatched Captain Charles Campbell to hunt down Sumter. However, by the time Campbell arrived, only Thomas’s wife, Mary, who was partially paralyzed, and their thirteen-year-old son, Young Tom, were at home. While one might expect the British to leave his family alone, Campbell forced Mary to sit outside the home with her son as his men burned it. The small bit of empathy was leaving a ham under Mary’s chair. Nancy, a neighbor girl, was helping Mary at the house that day, and in an effort to keep the valuables from falling into enemy hands, threw the key away in the yard before they arrived.
This is just one story of many from the Backcountry—from both the Patriot and Loyalist sides—where a civil war emerged. Destroying the home of a Patriot was psychological warfare at its core. It essentially destroyed any remnant of their life, from family mementos to financial goods. The idea was to drive fear, but burning homes with disabled wives watching only infuriated neighbors, many of whom flocked to join Sumter’s militia.
Tuesday, June 6th: Alexander’s Old Field
While many Patriot militiamen had initially decided to lay down their arms with the surrender of Charleston, events like the Waxhaws massacre and the burning of Sumter’s home only rekindled Patriot fires.
This skirmish became the first Patriot victory after the fall of Charleston, and a major morale booster for Patriot forces. On June 6th, at a place called Alexander’s Old Fields (now Beckhamville in Chester County), Captain John McClure and his small force of about thirty men—wearing hunting shirts, wool hats, and deer-skin caps, each armed with a knife and rifle—attacked British Lt. Colonel Henry Houseman’s men and routed about 200 gathered Loyalists.
Meet Captain John McClure:
Though not a household name like Sumter, McClure was an important hero for the Patriot cause. In addition to his organizing the first successful patriot victory after the fall of Charleston, he also was involved in important skirmishes at Mobley’s Meeting House, Huck’s Defeat and at Hanging Rock, where he sadly died in the aftermath from injuries. This article from the Journal of the American Revolution does a great job highlighting his life and career.
Thursday, June 8th: Mobley’s Meeting House
On June 8th, a group of Whigs (Patriots) heard that a group of Loyalist militiamen commanded by Colonel Coleman was meeting at Mobley’s Meeting House near Winnsboro. Colonel William Bratton led a group of Patriots to attack the Loyalists, taking them by surprise. This was a small win that helped boost morale among Patriots, but it also incensed British Lt. Colonel George Turnbull, who was headquartered at Rocky Mount on the Catawba River.
With two Patriot victories—no matter how seemingly small—in less than three days, Turnbull was determined to stop the rebels for good, and he knew it would have to be done with a hard show of force.
Though Turnbull was of Scottish parentage, he had little regard for the Scots-Irish settlers who made up most of the Backcountry. In his letters to Cornwallis, he referred to them sarcastically as his “good friends the Bounty Irish,” and described them as “the Greatest Skum of the Creation.” He wasn’t thrilled that he had been forced to be stationed in the “worst spot in it” (South Carolina). Furthermore, the New York Provincials struggled with the Carolina heat (which, as a native Carolinian, I can attest our summers can be brutal).
Livid at these ragtag rebels, Turnbull decided to send the no-holds-barred Captain Huck to wreak havoc on the Patriots in hopes of restoring order. Unfortunately for Turnbull, Huck would only add gasoline to the fire.
June 11th: Huck’s Day of Terror
Captain Huck, fueled by his hatred for rebels, arrived in the upper Fishing Creek settlement in Chester County early on Sunday, June 11th, with his dragoons and a detachment of Tory militia under James Ferguson. Turnbull believed that Bratton and McClure were near the Presbyterian Meeting House, and Huck expected to find them attending worship services that morning to catch them by surprise.
On the way, he stopped at the home of church neighbor Janet “Jenney” Strong, a widow and sister of Justice John Gaston. Huck knew her family to be staunch Whigs and wanted to make an example of them. While there are several local traditions regarding this story, Huck and his men plundered her home, carrying away wheat and corn.
According to tradition, Huck accidentally scattered some of the wheat on the ground, and as a bird came down to eat it, he killed the bird and mocked the Holy Ghost, turning to Mrs. Strong: “Madam, I have cut off the head of the Holy Ghost.” She is said to have replied: “You will never die in your bed, nor will your death be that of the righteous.”
At this point, Huck and his men continued outside. Though accounts differ slightly, they shot her younger son, William, dead as he was reading his Bible. Turnbull simply recorded the incident as: “Two men with Rebell uniforms were discovered running through a field of Wheat. The militia fired upon them, killed one and wounded the other.”
And if plundering a widow’s home and shooting her son while reading the Bible wasn’t enough, Huck and his men proceeded on their ride of terror. Huck’s force proceeded up the road to the Fishing Creek Meeting House. The Loyalists surrounded the building, thinking the congregation, including Reverend Simpson, was inside. However, the rebel militia and congregation had been tipped off that Huck was coming and had fled prior to his arrival.
Huck then sent his men to Reverend Simpson’s home, but luckily his family had heard the gunfire and received word that Huck was coming. According to early historian Elizabeth Ellet: “They rifled the house of everything valuable, took out four feather beds, and ripped them open in the yard, collected all the clothing, from which they selected such articles as they fancied for their own keeping…” They burned the house as well as an outhouse that served as the Reverend’s library and study.
Many churches of various denominations were burned throughout the colonies for different reasons. Some Anglican churches were burned by the British because they felt they had been corrupted by the rebels who worshipped there. In the South Carolina Backcountry, meeting houses were also used by local militia and Patriots for battle strategy and meetings. By burning their meeting places, British forces made it harder for Patriots to organize.
Reverend William Martin preached at the Covenanters Church at Rocky Creek in Chester County. On June 11th, there were so many people at the church that they couldn’t fit everyone into the little log meeting house, so they moved Martin’s pulpit out into the churchyard and assembled under the shade of trees. Though not yet aware of Huck’s actions at Fishing Creek that day, they were fully aware of the violence and brutality in the wake of the Battle of the Waxhaws.
Reverend Martin, in his Scots-Irish dialect, did not mince words: “My hearers, talk and angry words will do no good. We must fight!..”
The Presbyterian community was tight-knit, and when their ministers spoke up, most in the congregation listened. Add in the fact that men like Captain Huck went out of their way to show disregard and hatred for Presbyterians and religion in general, and many felt this was not just a fight for the Patriot cause, but a fight for their faith.
During my visit to York County during Huck’s Defeat weekend, local historian Dr. Robert “Bobby” Walker took time to give me a tour of his parish, Bethesda Presbyterian—the church of his ancestors, the Brattons of Brattonsville, and the final resting place of Colonel William Bratton and Martha Bratton. Bobby explained that John Simpson preached here, helping to stoke the fires of liberty in the congregation. The cemetery is home to thirty-four documented Patriot veterans, many of whom were active in the fight against Capt. Huck. I’ll be sharing more about the history of Bethesda Presbyterian Church and its important role in the American Revolution in a future post. Stay tuned!
Burning of Hill’s Ironworks – June 18th
The Patriots began to set up camp at Hill’s Ironworks on Allison Creek near the town of York in York County, SC. The site is now submerged under Lake Wylie. The ironworks were built around 1776 by William Hill and his partner Isaac Hayne. The ironworks helped supply the Patriot defenses in Charleston with cannons and ammunition. They also manufactured swivel guns, kitchen utensils, and various farm tools. It operated with two furnaces, a forge, two forge hammers, four gristmills, two sawmills, and a two-story brick house. The iron was mined from nearby Nanny’s Mountain, named for William Hill’s wife Jane, aka “Nanny” McCall. By 1780, it was the largest operation of its kind in the South Carolina Backcountry.
Connected History: Isaac Hayne was a prominent Patriot who was later executed by the British on August 4, 1781, in Charleston. His death was one of the most tragic accounts from the last days of the war. It is fascinating that he had connections with the New Acquisition District through his partnership with Hill at the ironworks, as he is more commonly associated with the South Carolina Lowcountry region.
When Turnbull learned that the “rebels” were meeting at the ironworks, he sent Huck and his men to destroy the facility. On June 18, 1780, Huck burned Hill’s Ironworks to the ground and seized ninety enslaved laborers. While some of the enslaved individuals had hoped to find freedom with the British, that promise was never guaranteed.
With each passing day, Huck grew hungrier to exact fury on the rebels and force them into submission. Yet, each of his fiery actions—from burning churches to destroying the ironworks—only emboldened the resolve of the tight-knit Backcountry communities. A standoff between Huck and the Patriots was becoming inevitable…
July: Harvest Time for a Battle
By early July, Turnbull heard rumors that local Patriot militia leaders, Colonel William Bratton and Captain John McClure, were returning to their homesteads to monitor the wheat harvest and enlist new recruits. Turnbull ordered Huck and his legion to capture the rebel leaders.
On July 10th, Huck set off with 120 men in pursuit of Patriot forces. On July 11th, Huck arrived at McClure’s homestead. Enraged to discover McClure was not there, Huck terrorized McClure’s mother (Mary Gaston McClure who is buried in Chester County and considered a DAR patriot) and sister, set fire to the house, and captured McClure’s younger brother James and his brother-in-law Edward Martin. In the swift Backcountry justice that occurred on both sides, Huck sentenced the men to be hanged the next morning for aiding the rebels by molding lead musket balls. Huck proceeded to arrest three more of McClure’s and Bratton’s neighbors under similar charges and sentences.
Huck then continued to Colonel Bratton’s home ten miles north. Prior to his arrival, neighbors warned Martha Robertson Bratton that Huck was on his way. She immediately dispatched Watt, a young enslaved man who was in his early teens, to carry a message to her husband warning him of Huck’s approach. Watt’s heroism played a vital role in ensuring Huck’s eventual defeat, as he reached the Patriot camp in time. Upon receiving word from Watt, Bratton and 140 Patriot militiamen set out to confront Huck.
The Steel Courage of Martha Bratton
Before Huck arrived, a detachment of Loyalist New York Volunteers under his command approached the Bratton home (which you can still visit today at Historic Brattonsville). This squad of soldiers was under Lt. Stephen Adamson. Martha Bratton stepped onto the porch to meet the men, where one of the most harrowing and defiant acts of the war transpired.
According to Bratton’s son, “Young William,” who was present as the British approached: “At last they were seen coming up the road, a long line of ‘Red Coats’ followed by a multitude of Tories…”
Adamson stated that he was trying to learn the whereabouts of her husband. Martha, keeping her composure, informed him that she did not know where Colonel Bratton was. While Adamson tried to keep the conversation polite, a Loyalist referred to in local tradition as the “red-haired ruffian” grabbed a nearby reaping hook from the porch and placed the blade against Mrs. Bratton’s neck.
Holding the sickle tightly against her throat, he threatened that if she did not immediately reveal where her husband was, he would cut her head off. Young William, clinging to his mother, remembered the terrifying moment. Martha, despite the horror of the situation, remained calm and defiant, replying: “I told the simple truth and could not tell if I would, but I now add that I would not if I could.”
The soldier was ready to strike her, but thankfully Lt. Adamson intervened and stopped him. Adamson offered his sincere apologies, a kindness that would not be forgotten by Mrs. Bratton, who showed him great grace in the aftermath of the battle.
When Huck arrived at the Bratton home, he initially attempted a show of friendliness, even holding young William on his knee and letting the boy play with his pocket watch and seals. Huck explained to Mrs. Bratton that he wanted to offer her husband a commission in the Royal Militia commensurate with his current rank in the rebel forces, urging her to persuade Colonel Bratton to join the Crown.
Martha was no fool. While Huck may have presented the offer pleasantly, she knew the intelligence could easily be used to track down and kill her husband. Both she and Colonel Bratton were deeply committed to the Patriot cause, and she continued to deny any knowledge of his location. Huck grew more incensed by the minute until Martha plainly stated: “It is useless to prolong the interview if that is its purpose. My husband is in Sumter’s Army, and I would rather see him die there, true to his Country and cause, than have him live as a traitor in yours.”
According to young William recalling the incident later in life: “Huck then behaved very badly. He sprang up from his chair and stamped about the room swearing fearful oaths of vengeance against the Rebels, and my father particularly. The suddenness of his movement threw me from his knee on my face to the hearth, and the result of my misplaced confidence will attend me to my grave in the shape of a broken nose.”
In a rage, Huck forced Mrs. Bratton to prepare a meal for his officers. After supper, he ordered the women and children into the garret. During the battle the next morning, they could only wait and pray as the sound of gunfire echoed nearby.
After supper, Huck made the tactical decision to move his force to the neighboring Williamson Plantation due to its proximity to an oat field, as their horses needed forage.
Huck forced his way into the Williamson home. Though the original house no longer stands, visitors taking the historic trail from Brattonsville to Williamson’s Plantation can view a ghost-frame structure marking where the “strong log house two stories high” once stood. Huck used Williamson’s corncrib as a makeshift jail for the prisoners captured that day.
Huck was already despised in the area, and he did little to endear himself to sixty-year-old James Williamson, his wife, or his daughters. He cursed and threatened them despite their hospitality. Though the Williamsons were staunch Patriots, they offered food and shelter under the circumstances as best they could.
The Northern Lights in a Southern Night
According to historical records, the sky was unusually bright on the evening prior to the Battle of Huck’s Defeat, filled with the rare display of the Aurora Borealis. In the 18th-century Backcountry, the vivid colors of the Northern Lights across the night sky were viewed by many as a powerful omen of the conflict to come.
July 11th: Patriots on the Move
There are two primary accounts of how the Patriot militia received intelligence about Huck’s movements. In addition to Watt’s message reaching Colonel Bratton, McClure family tradition holds that James McClure’s sister, Mary McClure, having faced Huck’s raid on their home, rode thirty miles on horseback to warn the militia forces as well.
With this intelligence in hand, Bratton and the Patriot commanders decided to launch a surprise attack. Learning from local farmers that Huck and his British Provincials were camped at Williamson’s farm—with the New York Volunteers positioned along a fenced lane near the road—the Patriots made their silent approach.
July 12th: The Day of the Battle
Just before dawn, the Patriots prepared their plan of attack. Bratton, McClure, and Lacey chose to leverage the element of surprise, knowing Huck’s men would not expect an assault before daybreak.
The Patriots divided into two main detachments: the York County men under Bratton would attack from the west side of the lane, while the Chester County men under McClure and Lacey approached from the east.
Huck had posted sentinels to keep watch, but they had fallen sound asleep. The Patriots quietly surrounded the sleeping guards, placing men over them with orders to shoot if any attempted to raise an alarm.
“The Day It Rained Militia…”
Early that morning, as the Williamson family served Huck breakfast, Huck cursed and declared that even if it rained militia from the heavens, he would not value them. James Williamson led his family in prayer, asking for deliverance from Captain Huck. Huck’s arrogance would prove to be his undoing, as the first shots of battle rang out moments later.
It was six o’clock in the morning when the firing began. Many of the Loyalist soldiers were still asleep and entirely unprepared. Those who were not hit fled into the surrounding woods, leaving the camp in total chaos.
Hearing the gunfire, Huck rushed outside onto the porch to assess the situation. He had left his green dragoon jacket inside the house. The moment he stepped outside, the Williamson family locked the doors behind him. Realizing he was locked out without his coat or weapons, Huck pounded on the door, but it was too late.
Mounting his horse, Huck attempted to rally his men to form up and charge. It was pure bedlam as the rattled British Provincials and Loyalist militiamen scrambled to defend themselves. Huck shouted at the Patriot militia, declaring that if they did not surrender, they would all be put to the sword. The New York Volunteers, trained in traditional line formations, found themselves trapped in the narrow lane with no room to execute a standard bayonet charge.
The Patriots, having learned from previous disasters like the Waxhaws, utilized the terrain to fight in guerrilla fashion. They took cover behind the split-rail fences, as well as the peach and apple orchards, preventing Huck from gaining momentum.
As the battle turned into a rout, Huck and a few officers attempted to spur their horses up the lane to escape. During the attempt, Huck was struck by musket fire and fell dead from his horse.
In the aftermath of the battle, Lt. Adamson was among the men captured. Some of the Patriots wanted to kill him, but he pleaded that they take him to Martha Bratton in hopes she’d show kindness to him after he’d saved her life from the Red Ruffian. Mrs. Bratton stood up for Lt. Adamson and ensured he was set free. She also insisted on nursing the wounded British soldiers in her home, showing her character.
Lt. Adamson later gave Mrs. Bratton a beautiful glass berry bowl after the war in thanksgiving for her kindness, which was recently donated to the Historic Brattonsville museum.
The prisoners whom Huck had captured on the way to Williamson’s Plantation survived the battle in the corncrib. Huck, who had threatened to execute them all for treason, met his own end instead.
- The Battle only lasted about 15 minutes but it was a complete blow to the British with thirty British Provincial and Loyalist soldiers dead and another fifty wounded or captured. The Patriots only had one casualty.
The Death of Huck
The death of the Swearing Captain—a much-hated figure in the Backcountry—instantly infused even forlorn Patriots with hope and reignited the flame of liberty. While other Patriot victories like the one at Ramsour’s Mill in NC (June 20, 1780), Alexander’s Old Fields, and Mobley’s were important, those were against local Loyalist militia. Defeating Huck and his Provincials marked the first time area Backcountry militia not only defeated professionally trained British officers, but by killing the terror of the district, they silenced one of the primary agents sent by Turnbull and Cornwallis to force Patriots into submission. The fights would continue, with wins and losses on both sides, but Huck’s Defeat was a crucial victory.
It also was one of the victories that helped dissuade local Loyalists from joining up to fight. The British would be plagued by a war of attrition where they might not lose major battles—and they would secure an immense victory a month later at Camden (August 16, 1780, against the Continental Army as it returned to South Carolina under newly appointed General Gates)—but they would not be able to recruit and replace the number of Loyalists they needed to maintain the order Cornwallis required to successfully move into North Carolina.
Cornwallis, who had all but boasted weeks earlier to Clinton that the Backcountry was secure, was infuriated by Huck’s Defeat. He wrote to Rawdon on July 15th warning of the danger of sending small detachments into the frontier settlements, noting that “if the enemy comes within any possibility of reaching you, be compact, and prefer that to any other considerations.” The Loyalist majority they had hoped would quell South Carolina and the Backcountry was proving to be a treacherous civil war that was harder to maintain than Cornwallis, Rawdon, and Turnbull could imagine.
Within only two months, Overmountain Patriots from Georgia to Virginia would take on another much-despised British figure in the Backcountry, Major Patrick Ferguson, after he threatened to go “over the mountains” to destroy their homes. The Overmountain Patriot militia would defeat Ferguson at Kings Mountain about thirty miles north of Brattonsville (still in York County) on October 7, 1780. This proved to be the turning of the tide for the Patriots and set the stage for the road to Yorktown, Virginia, on October 19, 1781.
York County and the New Acquisition District, though often overlooked on the national stage, were critical to the eventual Patriot victory at Yorktown. Without these battles, however small, Cornwallis might have been able to consolidate his control in the Carolinas.
While on the Historic Battleground Walking Tour, I asked where Huck and his men were buried. I was told that Huck was initially buried in an unmarked grave nearby. Years later his body was dug up by Col. Bratton’s son-in-law Dr. James Simpson (who was also the son of Rev. John Simpson), and Huck’s skeleton was put on display in Dr. Simpson’s office, with the two rifle ball holes still visible in the skull. Talk about a grim tale!
The 246th Anniversary of the Battle of Huck’s Defeat: A Revolutionary Weekend
I’ll be doing another feature diving into more of the history and activities of the Revolutionary Weekend at Brattonsville, but here is a whirlwind recap of the jam packed weekend of living history at Historic Brattonsville.
July 11th–12th
I arrived on the grounds of Historic Brattonsville just after nine-thirty, where I met up with Dr. Robert “Bobby” Walker, a friend who is part of the York 250 committee and a passionate advocate for spreading the word about South Carolina and York County’s important role in the American Revolution. Dr. Walker has a special connection with Brattonsville, as Colonel William Bratton is a relative, and he has ties to the McClure and Gaston families who fought not only at Huck’s Defeat, but at other important battles in South Carolina as well. I’m grateful for the wealth of knowledge Dr. Walker provided as I researched this article, as well as the new information I continue to discover about the interconnectedness of families and their ties to churches like his family’s parish at Bethesda.
Day One officially kicked off by the Martha Bratton Monument near the Visitor Center with a moving memorial and wreath-laying service led by area SAR and DAR representatives. I loved hearing the tribute to Martha Bratton and her courage by the Director of Historic Properties for Brattonsville (Culture and Heritage Museums of York County), Carey Tilley. There was also a moving speech by a Bratton descendant, who gave a history of her family’s connection to the battle, as well as the history of the monument itself.
The stone monument, known as the “Field of Huck’s Defeat Marker,” was erected by the Kings Mountain Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The marker lists the date of 1902, but due to financial issues, it wasn’t actually completed until 1903.
The rear marker reads:
“To the Memory of Mrs. Martha Bratton, Wife of Colonel William Bratton”
Loyal in the Face of Death
Brave in the Hour of Danger
Merciful in the Moment of Victory
While the opposite side reads:
Field of Huck’s Defeat: Where 75 Whigs led by Colonel William Bratton defeated a British and Tory force… July 12, 1780.
(This marker was placed on the north side of the stone in 1953.)
The ceremony also included a moving prayer led by Rev. Gaston (who has ties to the Battle of Huck’s Defeat and is a cousin of Dr. Walker), presentation of the wreaths by a number of organizations to honor the Patriots of Huck’s Defeat, the retiring of the colors, and a musket salute.
Following the moving commemoration ceremony, I explored the Historic Brattonsville grounds, including the original Bratton homestead, which still exists to this day! This building is such a witness to history. While it was later added onto, you can walk in the exact same home where Martha defied the threats of Huck and his men, even at the risk of her life.
One highlight was that the Charlotte Museum of History was on site with a truly revolutionary mobile exhibit allowing guests to travel back to the events of July 11–12, 1780. Using a tablet, you can “choose your own Revolutionary Adventure” and select from 2026 back to 1780. As you move with the tablet, you can see the area around you transformed from modern-day Brattonsville to the scene of Huck’s visit to Martha Bratton’s home on July 11th, as well as scenes from the battle itself. They also allowed you to travel to other battle sites in the region through augmented video technology. It’s a bit of virtual reality meets history, which sets this apart—since each augmented scene has been carefully and painstakingly researched, rather than slop AI, this really brings the story to life. While the main exhibition is at the Charlotte Museum of History in the city’s oldest home, The Hezekiah Alexander House, with the mobile tech, I was able to experience the exhibit steps away from the Brattons’ home. A truly remarkable experience! The exhibition is open through April 2027. Huzzah!
My favorite part of any battle weekend is the ability to walk through the living history camp, where you can speak with members of the Patriot militia, British Provincials, and hear from camp followers. I spoke with a surgeon who pulled teeth and wanted to make sure I’d had my smallpox inoculation, as well as a doctor who told me about various medicinal treatments during the war. I met with sutlers and traders selling 18th-century wares. I also loved watching a fencing lesson and visiting the blacksmith shop.
*[I’ll be doing a separate feature covering all the historic buildings at Brattonsville. The site is massive, with several homes owned by the Brattons as well as other historic homes brought to the site for preservation.]
One of the highlights of the weekend was a special lecture about the role of the mail during the Revolutionary War. In partnership with the Smithsonian, the National Postal Museum’s Lynn Heidelbaugh gave a fascinating talk titled “Lines of Communication in Revolutionary America.” The mail wasn’t as common as you’d think, as it cost a lot to send a letter; however, throughout the 18th century into the American Revolution and beyond, it became more standardized. I learned that the first city that had street addresses in America was Philadelphia. Also, Benjamin Franklin was appointed the first Postmaster General by the Continental Congress on July 26, 1775. He had previously served as a deputy postmaster for the Crown for years beginning in 1753. After the talk, Lynn had several historic letters on display, which helped bring the history to life. I can’t wait to make a road trip to the National Postal Museum now!
While the mail didn’t play a direct role at Huck’s Defeat, Watt’s role as a messenger taking a letter to Colonel Bratton shows just how important delivering intelligence was in the war, whether via mail or through secure couriers. Lynn spoke about the concern for privacy when sending mail during the Revolution, where “handle with care” was often inscribed if the letter was of a personal nature. Both sides used the mail and letters to spy and also to confound the enemy.
I grabbed a hot dog and ice cream from the concessions on site. The volunteers had tons of food available at a great price. It was a hot, muggy day, but fortunately, temperatures were only around ninety degrees, versus the 100-degree heat we’d experienced in NC and SC days before. Staying hydrated was critical throughout the weekend.
On Saturday, Historic Brattonsville and the reenactors decided to reenact the Battle of Eutaw Springs, which was another important battle fought in September 1781 closer to Charleston in the Berkeley County area.
Historian Zach Lemhouse explained that Historic Brattonsville, in addition to the Huck’s Defeat battle reenactment, also reenacts different battles from South Carolina each year to help expose visitors to other historic battles they might not be aware of. It is also a fun opportunity for reenactors to partake in two separate battle scenarios.
Battle Summary from SC250: A hotly contested battle lasting five hours, the Battle of Eutaw Springs took place on September 8th, 1781. The Patriots, led by Major General Nathanael Greene, attacked a British camp on Eutaw Creek, and suffered 692 losses which included 251 killed, 367 wounded, and 74 missing. British Colonel Alexander Stewart lost 693, which included 85 killed, 351 wounded, and more than 500 missing and captured. Despite the battle ending in a British tactical victory, this battle saw the Patriots drive back British forces towards Charleston, confining them to the coast and breaking up their hold on the South. This would become the last Revolutionary War battle in the Carolinas. Seen here is “The Battle of Eutaw Springs,” a painting by Charles Henry Granger.
Because Sunday was the actual anniversary of Huck’s Defeat (July 12th), I was able to witness the thrilling battle the next day. I recently found out I have an ancestor (Richard Gough) who fought at Eutaw Springs and am now eager to learn more about the history of that battle as well (stay tuned for a future Revolutionary Road Trip!).
At two-thirty, I joined a fascinating battleground tour led by expert Carey Tilley, who took us on a step-by-step journey through the history of Huck’s Defeat—from the days leading up to the battle and tensions in the Backcountry, to an hour-by-hour timeline of the battle itself—all as we walked where the drama unfolded. We followed the half-mile trail, stopping along the way where key events occurred. We even saw a “ghost house” beam structure that shows where Williamson’s Plantation would have been.
One of the highlights of the tour was that we had a direct descendant of Colonel William Bratton and Martha Bratton on the tour, who shared family stories passed down through generations. He was equally passionate about sharing the history of Watt and encouraged us to go see Watt’s marker in the African American Enslaved Cemetery. While the majority of the graves are unmarked, there is a beautifully carved stone monument in the burial ground dedicated to Watt, honoring his help during the Revolutionary War. He also shared information about the “By the Sweat of Our Brows” Living History Weekend, which commemorates the descendants of those enslaved at the plantation every September.
I wrapped up Day One by touring the museum and watching the wonderful film about Huck’s Defeat, Liberty Awakes, which includes interviews with historians Michael Scroggins, who wrote the preeminent guide to the battle, The Day It Rained Militia, and Dr. Walter Edgar, whose Partisans and Redcoats is one of my favorite books on the Southern Campaign.
It was also exciting to see the recently donated Berry Bowl, which tradition holds Lt. Adamson gave to Mrs. Bratton after the war in gratitude for her kindness after the battle.
Bethesda Cemetery in York County – Burial Ground of Patriots
About five o’clock, Dr. Walker, along with a few friends from the Museum of the Waxhaws and I, drove over to the Historic Bethesda Presbyterian Church Burial Ground. Dr. Walker’s family has been parishioners at Bethesda since the Revolutionary War, and many of his Patriot ancestors are buried here. He shared that his Eagle Scout project as a teen was making an inventory of all the Patriots buried in the cemetery and working to maintain the stones. Thanks to his continued research, the stories of those Patriots continue to be told through the history of Bethesda.
Bethesda became a preaching station in 1760, during which worshipping families of the community built a plain wooden building about a mile from the current church location. It was formally organized in 1769 with the help of Reverend William Richardson, who was stationed at Waxhaw Church at the time.
In the early years, Bethesda was supplied with ministers from neighboring churches, such as Rev. Richardson, Rev. Joseph Alexander (who served Bullocks Creek), and Rev. Hezekiah J. Balch of Bethel. In 1774, Rev. John Simpson of Fishing Creek, whom we met earlier in our “Road to Huck’s” timeline, supplied Bethesda with spiritual guidance. Simpson was an ardent Patriot who actually joined the militia, which no doubt left a mark on his congregation.
I’ll be sharing a “Buried History: Bethesda” feature soon. Stay tuned! So much history here.
For dinner, we enjoyed local favorite Sweet Caroline’s, known for its BBQ and Prime Rib. I highly recommend checking out this local gem while in the area! No matter how full you are – save room for the delicious cheesecake. I got the key lime flavor (I figured I burned off the calories during the battle walk)
Day Two: July 12th
Sunday morning, I enjoyed finding spiritual renewal with a moving 18th-century Anglican service led by Rev. Timothy Weiss. Weiss is an Anglican minister in real life and uses the 18th-century Morning Prayer rite, similar to how colonists would have worshipped in the days leading up to and during the American Revolution. I’ve attended his services at Waxhaws and Ramsour’s Mill as well, and what strikes me is that he uses sermons from period preachers, including George Whitefield.
I then had the pleasure of meeting up with a few of my “history besties” from the Museum of the Waxhaws, Meaghan and Ben. Together, we moved around the camp and interviewed living historians, hearing their takes on why they started reenacting. You can hear some of those stories on the Museum of the Waxhaws social media pages!
We also checked out the cavalry and artillery demonstrations by Living Historians.
The battle began: at two o’clock, suddenly we were taken back to dawn on the morning of July 12, 1780.
Zach Lemhouse did a great job narrating the action as it unfolded. Using the historic structures on the property as Williamson’s Plantation, the scene was set for the drama to begin.
It began with Huck inside the home, hearing the gunshots and rushing outside without his beloved Green Dragoon jacket to see what was going on. He angrily demanded the Williamsons let him back in as they slammed the door shut behind him. Suddenly, Huck mounts his horse.
Over the next few minutes, we see the Patriots rout the British Provincials, and in the intense moments of the battle, Huck (played by Dean Withers, an awesome reenactor) falls to his death. Meaghan and I were concerned about Dean and checked on him after the battle, but he survived—even if Huck didn’t!
While you can never fully recapture the exact moments of history, attending a reenactment like this brings the story to the present in a way that helps it come to life and make sense. You begin to understand the who, what, and why. It was wonderful to see so many people excited to experience the history—from kids who were fascinated by the action to those who never “got” history until they saw the drama of the past unfold right in front of their eyes.
Before heading home, I made a point to stop by the enslaved cemetery to pay homage to Watt and all those who are buried there. I said a Divine Mercy prayer. It is a powerful cemetery and a place that everyone should visit while they are at Brattonsville.
I’ll be sharing more features (and social media posts) about Historic Brattonsville soon.
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Thanks for taking this Revolutionary Journey with me to one of the most important, but often overlooked, battles of the Southern Campaign. Huzzah for History!
Sources: In researching this I used many wonderful sources including:
- The Day it Rained Militia by Michael Scroggins
- The Road to Guilford Courthouse by John Buchanan
- Partisans and Redcoats by Dr. Walter Edgar
- Research with help from Historic Brattonsville and Dr. Walker
- American Battlefield Trust
About American Nomad:
Hi, I’m Adele Lassiter, aka the American Nomad Traveler. I started American Nomad out of a passion to share my love of history, travel, good coffee, music, art and national parks with others. I focus on Deep Dives on this page, but also have a Substack for additional features. When I’m not blogging I’m a singer-songwriter in the Americana genre and you can purchase my album here.
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