"The people of the districts of Enoree and Tyger Rivers
had been with the Loyalists in the South Carolina Militia
since the siege Charles Town (now Charleston). Col. Andrew
Neal, who had been a commanding officer of the SC Militia
regiment, had fled the area due to his persecution of the
loyalist. Lt. Col John Lisle, who had belonged to the same
militia corps, had been banished to the islands. Later, for
his exemplorary behavior, he was paroled and given a
certificate for being a good citizen and was made second in
command. When the battalion was equipped by the British with
arms and ammunition, Lt. Col Lisle carried the regiment to
Col. Neal, who had joined Col. Thomas’s SC militia, which has
camped with the Catawba Indians.
Now, having Col. Neal’s reinforcement added to his
ranks, Col. Sumter was looking to attack some of the British
posts on the frontier. Having gained the necessary
intelligence about the British posts, Col. Sumter directed
his efforts towards the loyalists regiment at Rocky Mount.
Nearing the end of July 1780, Col. Sumter crossed the
Catawba River to the west side with about 900 men and
advanced south upon Lt. Col. George Turnbull (British
commander at Rocky Mount), whose forces were composed of 150
NY Volunteers provincials and as many of SC loyalist
militia. Their defenses consisted of two log houses, a loop-
holed building, and abbatis placed upon an eminence with
a view of the neighboring country.
Not having a cannon to destroy the abbatis or the
building, Col. Sumter selected some of his bravest followers
to remove the abbatis and the set fire to the buildings.
Meanwhile, the rest of the troops under the cover of trees
and rocks maintained heavy fire upon Rocky Mount. After
three attacks, in which they were able to finally penetrate
the abbatis, the Americans retreated with loss and
precipitation.
In defense of the post at Rocky Mount, Lt. Col. George
Turnbull had one officer killed and one wounded. About 10
more men were killed and wounded."
If you would like information about this battle, please go to http://www.southerncampaign.org/newsletter/v1n1.pdf. This is a great site.
Even if battles aren’t your thing, the historical
reenactments are quite interesting and entertaining. They're also
quite popular, so arrive early to get a good seat. There is a
lot of work that goes on for these battles, and it pays off
handsomely in the end with a stunning battle recreation. It
can get loud here, so if noise bothers you, you may want to
consider earplugs. I couldn’t help but notice that after
the reenactment, the "British" troops received a
rousing round of applause. I could only guess that was due
to the fact that it was right after the bombing in London had
happened. Otherwise, I can not imagine red coats getting
cheers from die-hard Southerners.
Brattonsville normally has two battle weekends during
the year. They are normally held in the summer and fall. Your
admission ticket is for the battle and to tour the houses
here. I would suggest bringing either a blanket to sit on or
captain's chairs to sit on. Also make sure to bring your
children to this event. First of all, little boys love guns.
But there are also a number of children dressed in period
costumes who are with their families and show what life was
like for the whole family. This is a sure bet for anyone
looking for a fun way to take in some SC history.