SC-250

Embracing our History

We are dedicated to celebrating York County's crucial role in the American Revolution. As we approach the sestercentennial in 2026, we aim to foster global connections to the historical significance, landmarks, ideas, and critical events that highlight York County's importance during this pivotal time. We plan to commemorate the 250th anniversary of our nation’s fight for freedom in the state where the Revolution was won. As the site of some of the Patriots’ most pivotal victories, South Carolina has a rich Revolutionary history full of significant people, major landmarks, exciting events, and unforgettable stories you haven’t heard yet.

York County's Contribution to the American Revolutionary War

Catawba in the American Revolution:[1]

When the Catawba heard rumors of a new war in 1775, they sent Young Warrior to visit with William Moultrie in Charleston.  A letter was then sent to the Catawba towns explaining that the King was asking more money for goods and may send Redcoats to Charleston.  By July 1775, the Catawba had agreed to join the Patriots and participated in the Battle of Sullivan’s Island in 1776.  Catawba were typically organized as a unit under Patriot leadership, but occasionally they were led by the Catawba leader General New River.  At least one Catawba, Peter Harris, served in the Continental Army.  The Catawba were valuable scouts and warriors and served in the battles of Hanging Rock, Fishing Creek, Rocky Mount, Guilford Courthouse, and Eutaw Springs.  After the fall of Charleston in 1780, Thomas Sumter reorganized on the Catawba Nation where Catawba warriors participated in training and battles under Thomas Drennan while Catawba women provided food for the Patriots.  After the Revolution, the Catawba retuned to find their homes, crops, and stored food destroyed by the British.

Catawba Cultural Center[2]

The Catawba Cultural Center (CCC) preserves and teaches the cultural of the Catawba Indian Nation, the only federally recognized tribe in South Carolina.  The modern-day tribal lands are located near Rock Hill in York County along the river that bears their name.  At the CCC, visitors can view Catawba pottery, baskets, and lifeways rooted in the Carolinas for at least 12,000 years. An artisan shop features pottery and jewelry from Native artisans.  The CCC grounds is a Memorial to honor Catawba men and women that served in the military and supported war efforts.   The Yehasure Trail leads to the Catawba River and includes interpretive signs.  Along the Trail is the Wade Ayers Memorial to honor Native America children sent to government sponsored Indian Schools, especially those that did not return home.

Website: https://catawbaculture.org/

Hill’s Ironworks:[3]

Hill’s Ironworks was located along the banks of Allison Creek in York (SC Historical Marker 46-24). Revolutionary War veteran and industrialist, Col. William Hill, built an ironworks there in 1776. The ironworks was built by 140 enslaved people of African descent, as well as paid white artisans from North Carolina’s Troublesome Creek Iron Works. Through their efforts, it grew to include two furnaces, a forge, two forge hammers, four grist mills, two saw mills, and a two-story brick house.

Hill’s Ironworks quickly became the center of the Patriot community in the area. Not only did it produce an estimated 106 tons of war materials for the Patriot cause, but it also became the unofficial headquarters of the local Patriot militia after the fall of Charleston.

In June of 1780, a combined force of Loyalist militia and British Legion Dragoons under the Command of Capt. Christian Huck was sent to destroy Hill’s Iron Works and disperse the small contingent of Patriots camped there (12-15 men). On June 18, 1780, Huck’s forces caught the Patriots by surprise.  After trading a few volleys, the Patriots mounted their horses and retreated to North Carolina. In the retreat, seven Patriots were killed, and four were taken prisoner. Following the skirmish, the British burned the ironworks to the ground. Hill lost his home, grain mills, sawmills, slave cabins, and ninety enslaved people. The loss of Hill’s ironworks was a significant blow to the Patriot cause and was felt by farmers and soldiers throughout the backcountry.[4]

Those who want to visit the South Carolina historical marker erected near the site of the ironworks can do so by visiting York County’s Allison Creek Park. Those interested can also visit a stone monument erected by the Kings Mountian Chapter of the DAR commemorating Hill’s Ironworks. It is located on the east side of Hands Mill Hwy. near the intersection of Old Clay Hill Road.

Website: https://www.yorkcountygov.com/1033/Allison-Creek-Park

Huck’s Defeat (Williamson’s Plantation) at Historic Brattonsville:[5]

The Battle of Huck’s Defeat (Williamson’s Plantation) was fought near present-day Historic Brattonsville in McConnells (SC Historical Marker 46-61). On July 10, 1780, British Captain Christian Huck was dispatched with a detachment of Loyalist Militia, British Legion Dragoons, and New York Volunteers to apprehend Patriot leaders in the area. Brig. Gen. Thomas Sumter, who was encamped with his Patriot militia at the Old Nation Ford of the Catawba River, had sent many of his men home to assist their families in reaping the wheat harvest. Huck felt this was a prime opportunity to catch them unawares.

Huck and his men reached Col. William Bratton’s plantation (present-day Historic Brattonsville) on the afternoon of July 11. When they arrived, Col. Bratton’s wife, Martha, was home alone with her five children. According to family tradition, Martha dispatched an enslaved man named Watt with a message notifying Col. Bratton of Huck’s arrival. After being threatened by Huck and his men, Martha and her children were locked in the attic of their home, and the British made camp at the neighboring plantation of James Williamson.

When news of Huck’s movements reached Sumter’s camp, a detachment of Patriots was sent under the command of Col. William Bratton. In the morning of July 12, 1780, they ambushed the British. During the brief fifteen-minute battle that followed, 30 British and Loyalist soldiers were killed, including Capt. Huck. This Patriot victory boosted morale and inspired many recruits to join the fight for independence.[6]

Today, visitors to Historic Brattonsville can tour the battlefield and explore the history of this important engagement.

Website: https://chmuseums.org/history-hb/#history

Stallings Plantation[7]

The plantation of John Stallings (Stallions) was located along present-day Highway 5 about four miles east of York (SC Historical Marker 46-63). Stallings settled there around 1768, and when the American Revolution erupted in 1775, the Stallings Family, like many other families in the South Carolina Backcountry, found their loyalties divided between the Patriots and the Loyalists. John was a Loyalist, but his wife, Sarah Love, supported independence. Sarah’s brother, Andrew Love, was also a Patriot and served as a captain in the local militia.

In the late summer of 1780, a group of loyalists assembled at Stalling’s Plantation. Capt. Andrew Love, along with approximately fifty Patriots, was dispatched to disperse the Loyalists gathered there. They decided to divide their forces. Half approached from the front of the plantation, while the others approached from the back. When the Patriot force arrived, Sarah Stallings pleaded with her brother not to fire upon the house.

One of the veterans of the battle, Thomas Young, described what followed:

She [Sarah Stallings] ran back to the house and sprang upon the doorstep…. At this moment, the house was attacked in the rear…and Mrs. Stallions [Stallings] was killed by a ball shot through the opposite door.”

Young reported that “After the fight, [Andrew] Love and [John] Stallions [Stallings] met and shed bitter tears” over Sarah’s death. [8]

White’s Mill

Whites Mill was located along Fishing Creek near the present-day intersection of Saluda Road and Strait Road, about three and a half miles southwest of Rock Hill (SC Historical Marker 46-22). Hugh White established his mill here around 1766, and it quickly became an important landmark for the surrounding community. On September 14, 1780, the British Legion Dragoons, under the command of the infamous Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton, camped at White’s Mill while on a foraging expedition. While there, Tarleton became “dangerously ill” with a fever (most likely Yellow Fever). He remained there until September 23, when he was finally healthy enough to be safely moved across the Catawba River.[9]

Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail[10]

In the fall of 1780 Loyalist forces under the command of Major Patrick Ferguson moved into the western North Carolina region to restore British authority. This was perceived as a threat by those living along the frontier, including the famed Overmountain men, who began to gather their forces. These Patriot militiamen then began an epic 330-mile-long march along the trails of the Blue Ridge Mountains and Carolina piedmont. The Blue Ridge Mountains and Carolina Piedmont were crisscrossed by a network of hunting and trading trails created by the Native Americans who lived in the region. With the arrival of European colonists, starting with the Spanish in the 16^th century, these trails were used for exploration and settlement. As the Patriots moved south, they were joined by additional frontier militiamen along the way. Eventually, they caught up with Maj. Ferguson’s army at the battle of Kings Mountain, where the Loyalist army was destroyed. Following the battle, the Overmountain men made the grueling return journey with their prisoners in tow.

Today, these trails and the route that the Overmountain men travelled are preserved as the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail, which is part of the National Trail System. There are only 21 National Historic Trails in the United States of America, compared to the hundreds of national park sites. Visitors can follow the route retracing the steps of the Patriot militiamen who fought at the battle of Kings Mountain. Along the way, stop and enjoy the many historic sites, markers, and museums that help keep the story alive. While it is possible to hike portions of the trail, it is primarily a driving trail.

Website: Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail (U.S. National Park Service)

Battle of Kings Mountian at the Kings Mountain National Military Park[11]

On the 7^th of October, 1780, Patriot forces from Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, and Overmountain men from what is today Tennessee arrived at Kings Mountain. They were pursuing a force of Loyalist militiamen, mostly from North Carolina and South Carolina, which also included a detachment of Royal Provincials from Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey. This force was commanded by Major Patrick Ferguson, the Inspector of Militia for Georgia and the Carolinas, and the only British soldier in the Loyalist army.  Splitting into two columns the Patriot militiamen surprised and surrounded the Loyalists, who were encamped atop Kings Mountain. The Patriots gradually wore down the Loyalists as they fought their way up the slopes of the mountain. Eventually, Major Ferguson was killed by the Patriots as he attempted to lead a cavalry charge to break out from the encirclement. Shortly after the death of Major Ferguson, the surviving Loyalists surrendered. The entire Loyalist army had been either killed or captured. Since Kings Mountain was the first major Patriot victory during the Southern Campaign, it became known as a turning point of the war.Today, visitors to Kings Mountain National Military Park can explore the history of this pivotal battle. Notably, the park preserves the battlefield in its entirety, which is rare for Revolutionary War battlefields as most have disappeared because of urban development. The 1.5-mile Battlefield Trail takes visitors on a walk around the well-preserved battlefield and where they can view its monuments and memorials, including the grave of Major Patrick Ferguson. The park also features an impressive visitor center and museum, which exhibits a variety of artifacts related to the battle including a rare Ferguson Rifle, an innovative firearm designed by Major Patrick Ferguson.

Website: Kings Mountain National Military Park (U.S. National Park Service)

Cornwallis’ Camp in Fort Mill:[12]

Cornwallis’ camp was established on and around the property of Thomas Spratt, Junior, located in present-day Fort Mill near the historic Nation Ford of the Catawba River. With his left flank exposed following the defeat of Patrick Ferguson at Kings Mountain, Lord Charles Cornwallis decided to leave the Hornet’s Nest in Charlotte town (present-day Charlotte), North Carolina in order to regroup in Winnsboro, South Carolina.  As the troops of Lieutenant Colonel Tarleton traveled down the road to York County, South Carolina, “owing to the badness of the road, the ignorance of the guides, the darkness of the night, or some other unknown cause, the British rear guard destroyed, or left behind, near twenty wagons” along with many other supplies.

When the British forces totaling over 2,000 arrived at the Catawba River, they found it to be flooded due to recent heavy rains, making the crossing difficult for many of the troops.  They decided to camp on the east side of the river near the home of Thomas “Kanawha” Spratt.  While there, the British killed several of Spratt’s calves and burned the wooden split rail fencing that surrounded the houses for fire wood. They remained for several days, partly due to the dangerous river crossing of the Catawba and because Lord Cornwallis had become sick with a dangerous fever.  Command was passed to his second in command, Colonel Lord Rawdon.  He directed the army to cross Sugar Creek and continue the retreat to Winnsboro.

Hillhouse Plantation[13]

The plantation of Patriot William Hillhouse was located along present-day Blanton Road, about seven and a half miles west of McConnells. Established by Hillhouse in the early 1770s, this plantation was occupied by British forces under the command of Lord Charles Cornwallis for three days in January of 1781. The British arrived there on January 16, the day before the Battle of Cowpens. On January 18, British General Alexander Leslie and 578 men rendezvoused with Cornwallis, and the following day the combined force departed. Before leaving, they destroyed Hillhouse Plantation. In his pension statement, William Hillhouse attested to the fact that “British Commander in Chief Lord Cornwallis made my plantation his place of rendezvous…stripping me of all my possessions except the land which he could not destroy.”[14]]

About SC 250

Chartered by the SC General Assembly in 2018 … “which shall have the authority and responsibility to plan and execute, insofar as authorized and funded by the General Assembly, a proper observance of the Sestercentennial of the American Revolution in South Carolina, and in cooperation with the South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust; a national organization, if any; and other similar commemorative organizations in other states. This proper observance of the Sestercentennial must include the role of persons of African-American descent in the Revolutionary War.

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