The colony of South Carolina proved an inhospitable host to American forces fighting for their independence at the opening of the sixth year of the Revolutionary War. After the British forced the capitulation of Charleston on May 12, 1780, the western portion of South Carolina erupted into civil war, marked by brutality and terror (recently captured by the motion picture, The Patriot). Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton, the spirited subordinate of General Lord Cornwallis, led his loyalist dragoons on a reign of terror, thundering through the countryside and devastating adherents to the patriotic cause throughout the late spring and summer of 1780. Two dozen bitter clashes—small in scale but huge in fury—scarred the Carolina countryside for four unforgiving months of the war. Eight months later, the colorful, swashbuckling American general, Daniel Morgan, tricked, stunned, and destroyed Tarleton’s dragoons at the Battle of Cowpens. British control of South Carolina had waned and nine months after Cowpens, Cornwallis was forced to surrender his army to George Washington at Yorktown, Virginia.

 

Our tour will focus on those thrilling but elusive months when South Carolina hosted the most active portion of the Revolutionary War. After a Thursday night overview from our base in Spartanburg, South Carolina, we will head out Friday morning into the contested South Carolina theater. Our first stop will be the Waxhaws battlefield, scene of the “Buford Massacre” of May 29, 1780, where scores of American colonists became victims of “Tarleton’s Quarter.” From Waxhaws we will fight our next battle at Rocky Mount and Hanging Rock. In the afternoon, we will strike at the battlefield of Camden, the scene of General Horatio Gates’ inglorious defeat on August 26, 1780.

 

On Saturday of our tour, we will first visit Winnsboro which served as Cornwallis headquarters sites and then cover the actions at the sites of Fishdam Ford and Blackstock, two more battlegrounds where British fortunes turned against them. After lunch we will close our tour by trudging the ground at the Battle of Cowpens, where Daniel Morgan outsmarted and whipped Tarleton’s legion on January 17, 1781.

 

Don’t miss the opportunity to see—in chronological order—the sites of these significant clashes that comprised the South Carolina theater of operations for eight months of the American Revolutionary War! We hope to see you in the Carolinas!

About Our Tour Leaders

Gary Ecelbarger is a leading authority on the American Revolution and the Civil War. He is the author of several books including“We are in for It!” - The First Battle of Kernstown, March 23, 1862; Frederick W. Lander: The Great Natural American Soldier; and Black Jack Logan: An Extraordinary Life in Peace and War.

 

Scott C. Patchan is a leading authority on the American Revolution and the Civil War, particularly the 1864 Shenandoah Valley Campaign. He is the author of The Forgotten Fury: The Battle of Piedmont and Shenandoah Summer: The 1864 Valley Campaign, and was a consultant and contributing writer of Shenandoah 1864 (Time-Life Books Voices of the Civil War series).

Program Schedule:

Thursday, October 30

8:00 PM-8:45 PM                   Overview - at Hampton Inn & Suites, Spartanburg, South Carolina

Friday, October 31

8:00 AM                        Depart for tour

5:00 PM                          Arrive Back at Hampton Inn & Suites 

Saturday, November 1

8:00 AM                         Depart for tour

5:00 PM                          Arrive Back at Hampton Inn & Suites

 

Registration Fees (Lodging not Included):          $ 325         Under Age 23:  $ 95

 

You can reserve a space on this tour by making a $50 Deposit per Person.

 

If You Must Cancel we will refund 100% of your fees paid. However, to receive a 100% refund, you must allow 30 days from the date of our receipt of your notice of cancellation

 

What is Included in your Registration Fee:

·        the services of expert historians chosen for their knowledge and experience

·        transportation to sites as indicated

·        Friday & Saturday lunches

·        refreshments and snacks during the tour

·        map package

 

Base Location & Lodging: We will be based at the Hampton Inn & Suites-Westgate Mall, 801 Spartan Blvd., Spartanburg, SC where we have reserved a block of sleeping rooms at the special nightly rate of $90 + tax. Included is a hot continental breakfast. To reserve a room under our block, call 864-699-2222 and identify yourself as a registrant for the American History Forum tour. You should MAKE YOUR HOTEL RESERVATIONS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

Directions: From I-26, take Exit 21-B, turn left at light onto Blackstock Road, go three lights, left at Westgate Crossing, right at top of the hill, to hotel driveway on left.

Airport Shuttle from Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport is available, courtesy of the Hampton Inn-Westgate Mall. Arrange your shuttle in advance of your flight by calling the Hampton Inn & Suites at 864-699-2222.