South Carolina Revolutionary Warfare Highway Journey
11-Half Collection
Do you know extra Revolutionary Warfare battles occurred in South Carolina than some other state? Exploring the battlefields, historic websites, and studying concerning the historical past takes a while. And the easiest way to do it’s a highway journey. Be taught concerning the Revolutionary Warfare in South Carolina with this 11-part collection of highway journeys protecting all the most effective websites within the state.
All through the American Revolution, South Carolina’s Upcountry was a sparsely populated frontier boundary between the Charleston elites and Native People. Regardless of the shortage of settlements – or possibly due to it – a number of the most important battles occurred on this area. When British brokers entered the realm and threatened its inhabitants, they responded.
And it turned the tide of the struggle in favor of the Patriots.
This highway journey loosely follows the I-85 hall from Charlotte to Greenville, passing by means of Gaffney and Spartanburg. The route features a two-hour drive on the scenic Cherokee Foothills Scenic Byway, a attainable detour into North Carolina, and two nationwide park models preserving Revolutionary Warfare battlefields.
Find out how to use this map: Click on the icon within the top-left nook to open the Map Legend, then click on on any of the legend objects to show extra data. You probably have a Google account, click on the (very faint) star on the finish of the map’s identify to save lots of this map to your account, then entry the map out of your smartphone throughout your journey.
Kings Mountain Nationwide Army Park
Like Captain Christian Huck’s orders, Scottish-born Colonel Patrick Ferguson was tasked with subduing the riot within the backcountry. In mid-1780, Ferguson threatened militias west of the Appalachian Mountains, declaring “he would march his military over the mountains, dangle their leaders, and lay their nation waste with hearth and sword.”
The risk did little to dissuade the militias from mustering and as a substitute hastened them into motion. In September 1780, Colonels William Campbell, Isaac Shelby, John Sevier, and Joseph Winston mustered males from modern-day Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina.
The “Overmountain Males” started a 330-mile march to confront Ferguson on Kings Mountain in a pivotal battle that modified the course of the American Revolution.
Did You Know?
When the Overmountain Victory Nationwide Historic Path was established in 1980, it was the primary nationwide historic path on the east coast. Maintained by a military of volunteers, guests can drive the Commemorative Motor Path to see varied muster grounds and historic websites and hike 87 miles of the historic path.
Start your go to to Kings Mountain Nationwide Army Park on the customer middle. A movie that includes reenactors portrays the battle on the forested mountain summit – it’s top-of-the-line Nationwide Park Service movies concerning the Revolutionary Warfare. Flick through their spectacular assortment of books within the reward store, after which choose up a park brochure earlier than hitting the path.
The 1.5-mile Battlefield Path loops across the mountain’s summit. The paved path options dozens of wayside displays, monuments, and memorials concerning the battle. You’ll see a towering monument devoted to the Patriots who fought there and the gravesite of Patrick Ferguson, who died close to the top of the one-hour battle.
Gaffney, SC
Leaving Kings Mountain behind, it’s a straightforward trek down Interstate 85 to Gaffney. Vacationers alongside the favored commuter freeway acknowledge Gaffney as the house of The Peachoid – a 135-foot-tall water tower resembling a peach that’s change into a roadside icon for selfies. However there’s extra to Gaffney than only a one-million-gallon metallic peach.
In 1804, Irish immigrant Michael Gaffney traveled from Charleston into the South Carolina backcountry. He constructed a tavern on the intersection of two buying and selling routes between the mountains, Charleston, Charlotte, and Georgia. By 1875, Gaffney’s Crossroads formally turned Gaffney.
Mark Your Calendar
The annual South Carolina Peach Pageant is held Thursday – Sunday in the midst of July. The family-friendly occasion started in 1976 to have a good time the “Peach Capital of South Carolina,” connecting prospects with farmers. Discover extra details about the occasion at https://upcountrysc.com/occasions/south-carolina-peach-festival/.
Begin on the Gaffney Customer’s Middle and Artwork Gallery, the place you’ll discover brochures and maps that will help you discover the city and area. Then, stroll alongside North Limestone Road – the “essential avenue” by means of downtown.
If it’s a day on the weekend, you’ll be able to cease at Peach Metropolis Brewing for a chilly craft beer – you’ll have to attend till 4 p.m. on Wednesdays – Fridays. Opened in mid-2022, the family-owned brewery options pale ales, pilsners, and seltzers. You can too seize a 12″ pizza – good for lunch.
After leaving the brewery, stroll down the road to go to the Michael Gaffney log home. Restore and relocated into the center of city, the home was the unique house of the city’s namesake. You may examine his life on a roadside means marker.
Itinerary Suggestion
Spend the evening in Gaffney to present your self sufficient time the next day. The Cherokee Foothills Scenic Byway is a beautiful highway journey with numerous alternatives for native purchasing and snapping panorama images. Plan to spend about six hours driving the route, visiting Cowpens Nationwide Battlefield, and eventually arriving in Spartanburg.
The place to Keep in Gaffney
Crimson Roof Inn invented the reasonably priced roadside mannequin, however this location is a step above with safe interior-access rooms. The barebones facilities imply a low worth for the room however no extras. E book with Reserving.com or Expedia.com
Vacation Inn Specific options comfy rooms, an out of doors swimming pool, and a complimentary continental breakfast. E book with Reserving.com or Expedia.com
Hampton Inn options comfy rooms – some with an added sleeper couch for households – an out of doors swimming pool, and the most effective complimentary breakfast of any main resort chain. E book with Reserving.com or Expedia.com
James Williams Gravesite
James Williams migrated to South Carolina in 1773. He rapidly turned a distinguished chief in his group and was elected to the First and Second Provincial Congresses. When the Revolutionary Warfare formally started, he was appointed a lieutenant colonel of the native militia.
Williams fought in regional skirmishes and commanded a unit on the Battle of Musgrove’s Mill in August 1781. Lower than two months later, he joined the Overmountain Males and led a unit on the Battle of Kings Mountain. Williams was killed within the ultimate cost in opposition to Ferguson’s Loyalists.
In 1915, Williams’ physique was reinterred to an anachronistic monument earlier than the historic Carnegie Library in Gaffney. The monument is flanked by two Civil Warfare-era cannons and a bronze plaque labeling him a “Hero of the Battle of Kings Mountain.”
Did You Know?
In the course of the Cherokee Warfare of 1776, James Williams oversaw a detachment below the command of Andrew Williamson. The struggle was fought alongside the frontiers of Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. After the struggle, Williams returned house to present-day Laurens County to command the native militia.
Cowpens Nationwide Battlefield
South Carolina Freeway 11 begins a 120-mile westward journey in Gaffney. Also called the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Byway, the two-lane highway swings by means of the Upcountry towards the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. The primary thirty miles move by means of Piedmont farmlands, resulting in Cowpens Nationwide Battlefield.
After the Fall of Charleston in Might 1780 and the disastrous Battle of Camden a couple of months later in August, the British have been in near-complete management of South Carolina. However the Battle of Kings Mountain in October modified every little thing. Thomas Jefferson recalled the pivotal battle because the “flip of the tide of success.”
Militias commanded by Francis Marion, Thomas Sumter, and Andrew Pickens pinned British Normal Lord Cornwallis in South Carolina. However when reinforcements arrived in Charleston in early 1781, he deliberate to maneuver into North Carolina. Normal Nathanael Greene, the brand new commander of the Southern Division, break up his military with Colonel Daniel Morgan.
Cornwallis despatched Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton after Morgan. However the “Previous Wagoner” didn’t retreat from a struggle. Counting on scouting from Pickens, Morgan devised a plan to face Tarleton at a “cowpens,” the place locals grazed cattle.
On January 17, 1781, Morgan totally defeated Tarleton. It was the one profitable double envelopment of the Revolutionary Warfare – a method that relied on militias feigning retreat, drawing within the British, solely to encompass them with a lethal barrage.
Cowpens Nationwide Battlefield preserves the small battlefield and permits guests to stroll on historical past. Start on the customer middle with the 18-minute introductory movie Cowpens: A Battle Remembered. Then, stroll the 1.3-mile partially paved Battlefield Path and examine key moments of the battle at a number of interpretive websites. Alternatively, you can too drive the three.8-mile Auto Loop Highway, a one-way route across the battlefield with locations to park and see the websites with much less strolling.
Biggerstaff Hanging Tree
In case you’re up for a detour, the Biggerstaff Hanging Tree is a distant cease on the Overmountain Victory Nationwide Historic Path price a go to. The positioning is a 40-minute drive from Chesnee alongside U.S. Freeway 221 by means of Rutherfordton, North Carolina.
After the Battle of Kings Mountain, the Overmountain Males had over 100 captive Loyalists. On October 13, lower than every week after the battle, they settled for the evening on the homestead of Aaron Biggerstaff, a Loyalist killed on the battle.
Desperate to make an instance, an impromptu trial started that evening. 30 males have been convicted and sentenced to dying. The boys have been hung from a stay oak tree in teams of three. However after simply 9 have been executed, the militia commanders ended the hangings.
The interpretive website incorporates a kiosk with a historical past of the realm. A path results in the supposed tree the place the boys have been hung.
Did You Know?
Captain James Chitwood was a Virginia native who served within the Loyalist militia through the Revolutionary Warfare. On October 13, 1780, he was convicted of treason and was within the final group of three hung from the Biggerstaff Hanging Tree. James Chitwood was my seventh great-granduncle. However don’t fear – I additionally had kin who fought for our independence, and one has a monument at his gravesite in Kentucky.
Within the spring, the peach bushes placed on an impressive show. A number of months later, you should buy a bucket of freshly picked strawberries for a highway journey snack.
Strawberry Hill U.S.A.
Within the early 1900s, Perry Cooley began a cotton farm in South Carolina’s Upcountry. In 1947, he transferred a small portion of the farm to his son and WWII veteran Gene, who transitioned from cotton to peaches. It was the start of one of many largest family-owned farms within the state.
In 1995, Gene’s son, James, planted six acres of strawberries on the household farm. That preliminary funding grew to change into South Carolina’s largest strawberry farm. And that’s how Strawberry Hill U.S.A. turned what you’ll discover at the moment.
The household farm surrounds SC Freeway 11 so far as you’ll be able to. 115 acres of strawberries and 1,000 acres of peaches, blackberries, squash, cucumbers, and beans. Large peach tree orchards beside the highway flip sensible shades of pink within the spring, a frequent backdrop to portraits and selfies.
A big, coated produce stand is open seven days every week. Tables are coated with recent vegetables and fruit, and cabinets are stocked with preserves and butters. Throughout the road, the restaurant serves breakfast and lunch with savory objects like pancakes topped with recent strawberries and thick burgers cooked to order.
Professional Packing Tip
The produce stand might have freshly picked strawberries, peaches, or many different vegetables and fruit, relying on the time of yr. However taking them on a highway journey is problematic – it’s essential to hold them chilled to last more. In case you pack a 12v fridge just like the EUHOMY 37-quart or Dometic 35-Liter, you’ll be able to take some scrumptious snacks for the remainder of the highway journey.
Spartanburg, SC
Spartanburg was based in 1787, shortly after the top of the American Revolution. The city was named after the Spartan Regiment, an area militia commanded by Andrew Pickens through the Revolutionary Warfare. The militia was named after the well-known Spartans due to their toughness on the Battle of Cowpens.
You could be famished after the one-hour-ish drive on SC Freeway 9 from Strawberry Hill U.S.A.. Luckily, Spartanburg is a foodie city.
Park wherever alongside Major Road on this walkable small metropolis and discover the outlets and eating places. Delaney’s Irish Pub is a delightfully genuine expertise with Irish-style beers on faucet and a menu replete with Irish meals. Give Italian meals a attempt at Sophia’s, basic southern dishes at The Tulip Tree, or spend your night at Preliminary Q with the “greatest gastro-smokehouse expertise” within the metropolis.
Get pleasure from a night outside at FR8yard, an out of doors bar constructed from repurposed transport containers. Sip chilly craft beers from native breweries and chow down on a “yard canine,” monumental connoisseur hotdogs.
Itinerary Suggestion
Spartanburg has heaps to discover past the Revolutionary Warfare, like downtown purchasing and eating. Plan to spend at the least one evening, however you may prolong your journey with two nights within the “Hub Metropolis” and revel in a break from the driving.
The Clevedale Historic Inn presents a uncommon and thrilling alternative to sleep inside a splendidly renovated caboose!
The place to Keep in Spartanburg
Clevedale Historic Inn and Gardens is an beautiful mattress and breakfast in a 1913-era Colonial home owned by South Carolina native Pontheolla and her husband, Paul. A crimson caboose parked behind the house presents an opportunity to comfortably sleep in a singular setting. E book with Reserving.com or at clevedaleinn.com
Tru by Hilton is modeled after faculty dorms, with a pool desk within the foyer and loads of cozy locations to learn or work on a pill. E book with Reserving.com or Expedia.com
AC Resort by Marriott is Spartanburg’s premier downtown lodging that includes comfy rooms with spectacular metropolis views, an out of doors swimming pool, and inside strolling distance to the native eateries round Morgan Sq.. E book with Reserving.com or Expedia.com
Finest Western Plus is a budget-friendly possibility with a couple of perks, like an out of doors swimming pool and an honest complimentary breakfast. E book with Reserving.com or Expedia.com
Hampton Inn & Suites is in a busy a part of city beside the shopping center, however you received’t discover with the indoor swimming pool, spacious foyer, and the most effective complimentary breakfast of any main resort chain. E book with Reserving.com or Expedia.com
Daniel Morgan Statue
Earlier than the American Revolution, Daniel Morgan was a Virginia planter and wagoner. However when the Revolutionary Warfare started, he left that life behind to serve within the Continental Military. He was captured in Canada and held prisoner for six months, fought on the victorious Battle of Saratoga, and devised the sensible technique that received the Battle of Cowpens.
On the west finish of Morgan Sq. in Spartanburg, a bronze statue towers over the general public park atop a 21′ tall granite column. Erected in 1881 on the a hundredth anniversary of the Battle of Cowpens, the statue is devoted to Colonel Daniel Morgan. All 13 unique states and Tennessee funded the granite column.
No want to maneuver the automotive – the Daniel Morgan Statue is close to the eating places within the coronary heart of the town.
After visiting the statue, proceed a block additional south on Major Road to Smallcakes Cupcakery and Creamery. The dessert store bakes a dozen cupcake flavors day-after-day. However you don’t eat the cupcakes. As a substitute, the cupcake is mixed with home made ice cream to create a thick, scrumptious milkshake.
Walnut Grove Plantation
In 1765, Charles and Mary Moore settled on a 1,000-acre land grant close to present-day Spartanburg. With a big household of eight youngsters – and two extra within the following years – the Moores constructed the one-story Manor Home that tour information John described as “the backcountry’s model of a Charleston mansion.”
In the course of the Revolutionary Warfare, their son-in-law Andrew Barry and son Thomas Moore served within the native Spartan Regiment militia. Charles and Mary supported the Patriot effort by providing provides and hospice for injured troopers.
Native tales, although, are targeted on the exploits of Margaret Catherine Moore Barry. The legend of “Kate” Moore Barry features a heroic midnight experience to warn her husband about an impending British assault. However Lauren Friedrich, Director of Training and Outreach on the Spartanburg County Historic Affiliation, factors out that though no proof exists of the notorious experience, “We all know that ladies’s tales have been as a rule unnoticed of the narrative, plus, what lady wouldn’t warn her husband that the enemy was on its means?”
Walnut Grove Plantation is without doubt one of the must-see Revolutionary Warfare historic websites in South Carolina. Take a guided tour of the Manor Home and hearken to the docents’ tales concerning the Moore household. Then, go for a brief stroll to the household cemetery to see the place Charles and Marry Moore are buried alongside their daughter, Margaret Moore Barry, and Patriot hero Andrew Barry.
Greenville, SC
One of many sudden outcomes of the Cherokee Warfare of 1776 was the Treaty of Dewitt’s Nook. After rowdy bands of Cherokee, armed with British weapons and black powder, didn’t retake the frontier settlements, they have been crushed again by a mixed expeditionary power led by Andrew Williamson. In 1777, the Cherokees have been compelled to cede all their remaining land in South Carolina, together with present-day Greenville County.
In 1797, Lemuel Alston bought 400 acres and established Pleasantburg. The city was renamed Greenville in 1821. Immediately, Greenville is without doubt one of the largest cities in South Carolina and the proper base for exploring the upcountry and Appalachian Mountain foothills.
Downtown Greenville is gigantic, unfold throughout dozens of metropolis blocks. Begin your night on North Major Road at Mast Normal Retailer, a regional chain mimicking the final shops of the previous with clothes, outside gear, and collectibles. Get a savory dinner of roasted hen or pan-seared scallops on the informal upscale Roost, or cease subsequent door at Antonio Bertolo’s Pizza for scrumptious garlic knots, spaghetti, or made-to-order pizzas. End your night on the rustic Sip Whiskey and Wine Bar with craft cocktails and native wines.
You may take into account spending a night on the different finish of downtown beside Falls Park on the Reedy, the final cease on this highway journey itinerary. Passerelle Bistro is the one restaurant with outside seating overlooking the waterfall – their French-inspired menu contains herb-crusted trout and crème brulee. Jianna is an Italian restaurant with a twist – additionally they serve freshly shucked oysters in a beautiful, fashionable eating area. Expertise Persian delicacies with dinner at Pomegranate on Major or keep nearer to house at Smoke on the Water, a “saucy southern tavern” with American-style meals.
The Whale Collective is a craft beer faucet room to expertise craft beers on faucet worldwide. After opening their first location in Asheville, North Carolina, a second location was opened on South Major Road in Greenville in 2019. Their faucet menu contains virtually two dozen beers at any time, many from throughout america. Seize a comfortable seat on the bar or slide into one of many light-weight aluminum chairs on the high-top tables and revel in some nice craft beer.
Itinerary Suggestion
In case you’re restricted on time, Greenville is the most effective place to spend an additional evening on this highway journey. Spend the primary evening exploring downtown. Then, take a brief drive to Traveler’s Relaxation for dinner and drinks on the second evening. In between, take into account visiting Paris Mountain State Park or spending a day at Falls Park on the Reedy.
The place to Keep in Greenville
Grand Bohemian Lodge is the head of lodging in South Carolina’s Upcountry. Modeled after the grand lodges in western nationwide parks, you’ll discover impeccable visitor rooms, beautiful metropolis views from upper-floor balconies, and an on-site restaurant and bar. E book with Reserving.com
Hampton Inn & Suites is a handy location close to Falls Park, that includes suites with a sleeper couch good for households, beautiful metropolis views from many of the rooms, and the most effective complimentary breakfast of any main resort chain. E book with Reserving.com or Expedia.com
Hyatt Place options comfy rooms with metropolis views, an indoor swimming pool, and an on-site restaurant. E book with Reserving.com or Expedia.com
La Quinta is about fifteen minutes from downtown and is a superb budget-friendly possibility with comfy rooms. E book with Reserving.com or Expedia.com
Upcountry Historical past Museum
Visiting the Upcountry Historical past Museum is extra like strolling by means of time than merely studying about it. The museum options life-size historic units deciphering the area’s historical past. The interactive tabletop map will stroll you thru the early frontier days, the Revolutionary Warfare, and the early days of Greenville County. Then, discover the museum’s displays to find out how the frontier turned an industrial middle and metropolis within the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.
Falls Park on the Reedy
In 1768, Richard Pearis was the primary European settler to determine roots on this space of South Carolina’s backcountry. He constructed a grist mill powered by a waterfall on the Reedy River and a buying and selling publish on his 50,000-acre tract. Pearis operated as an Indian dealer and constructed a robust relationship with the natives.
However through the Revolutionary Warfare, he was accused of serving to Loyalist Patrick Cunningham steal a cargo of gunpowder close to Ninety Six. The incident led to the Battle of Ninety Six, South Carolina’s first battle of the American Revolution.
Pearis was later arrested and despatched to Charleston for trial. Whereas languishing in jail, rumors circulated that he was harboring violent Cherokees and Loyalists on his plantation on the Reedy River. Colonel Thomas Neel took a regiment of 300 males to the plantation however discovered solely his spouse and kids. Nonetheless, Neel burned the plantation, seized his property, and Pearis was banished from South Carolina.
Within the early 2000s, Falls Park on the Reedy opened to the general public. The park is constructed across the waterfall on the Reedy River in the midst of downtown Greenville. However the primary attraction is the 355-foot lengthy, curved Liberty Bridge – a concrete and metal suspension bridge solely open to pedestrian site visitors.
It’s an awesome place to take pleasure in a stroll the place historical past occurred, although you wouldn’t comprehend it by the appears of the city park at the moment.
South Carolina Revolutionary Warfare Highway Journeys
Learn the opposite articles of this 11-part collection:
Half 1 – The Olde English District
Half 2 – The Upcountry (this text)
Half 3 – Lake Hartwell Nation (coming quickly)
Half 4 – The Previous 96 District (coming quickly)
Half 5 – Thoroughbred Nation (coming quickly)
Half 6 – The Lowcountry (coming quickly)
Half 7 – Charleston (coming quickly)
Half 8 – Georgetown (coming quickly)
Half 9 – Pee Dee Nation (coming quickly)
Half 10 – Santee Cooper Nation (coming quickly)
Half 11 – The Capital Area (coming quickly)