FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 21, 2022
Contact:
Marie Cheek
Community Relations Coordinator
Culture & Heritage Museums of York County, S.C.
www.chmuseums.org
803.909.7312
mcheek@chmuseums.org
Reenactments of two pivotal American Revolution battles take place during the annual “Battle of Huck’s Defeat” event on July 16 and 17 at Historic Brattonsville
McCONNELLS, S.C. – Historic Brattonsville is the actual site of the Battle of Huck’s Defeat, the 1780 battle between the local Patriot militia and Loyalist troops commanded by the loathed British commander Capt. Christian Huck. The battle reenactment of Huck’s Defeat, a significant patriot victory during the American Revolution, takes place on Sat. at 2 p.m. New this year, a reenactment of the Battle of William Hill’s Ironworks takes place on Sunday at 2 p.m.
Throughout the weekend, the American Revolution in the Backcountry comes alive through cavalry and camp life. In addition to battle reenactments, military interpreters demonstrate musket firing and what life was like in the operational camps set up on the grounds of at Historic Brattonsville. Period-dressed interpreters bustle about doing their 18th century-style chores such as cooking, laundry, woodworking and blacksmithing. Children’s militia drills, games, and educational activities will be ongoing. Tours of the original Bratton family homes highlight historic preservation in the works. Guided tours of the actual Huck’s Defeat Battlefield disclose the details of the historic event.
Fast facts:
Battle of Huck’s Defeat is Saturday, July 16 from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. and Sunday, July 17 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Historic Brattonsville is located at 1444 Brattonsville Rd. McConnells, S.C. 29726
Note: Brattonsville Road closed from 9:30 a.m.-4:45 p.m. for public safety. Look for detour.
Admission: $10.; free for CHM members and ages 3 and under.
For online tickets and more information, go to Tickets at CHMuseums.org
or call 803.684.2327
Historic Brattonsville is a Blue Star Museum and offers free admission throughout the summer to the nation’s active-duty military personnel and their families, including National Guard and Reserve. https://www.arts.gov/national-initiatives/blue-star-museums
Images: 1. Dragoons charging in during the 2021 Battle of Huck’s Defeat reenactment. 2. Military reenactors set up camp for the weekend event. 3. Period-dressed interpreters do historical cooking at the barbeque pit. Photos courtesy of Robert Clay. For high resolution images, contact Marie Cheek.
About the battlefield of Huck’s Defeat:
Visitors can walk the grounds of the actual American Revolution battlefield site at Historic Brattonsville. An interpretive trail tells the story of how Captain Christian Huck, a Loyalist officer noted for his “particular dislike for the Scotch-Irish Presbyterians in the South Carolina backcountry,” was shot and fell from his horse to his death in his furious pursuit to impede the liberty and freedom of the early colonists.
Huck’s Defeat is also known as the Battle of Williamson’s Plantation. James Williamson’s 18th-century plantation is part of the 800-acres that comprises today’s Historic Brattonsville. For over one hundred years, the exact location of the revolutionary war site had remained a mystery. Culture & Heritage Museums initiated the archeological research in 2006 that lead to the precise mapping of the battlefield.
The battlefield site of Huck’s Defeat and interpretive trail at Historic Brattonsville first opened to the public in 2014. “Huck’s Defeat Battle Research, Interpretation, and Exhibit Project” received the 2015 award for Achievement of Excellence from the Confederation of South Carolina Local Historical Societies.
Artifacts collected during the battlefield’s archeological surveys are displayed in the Visitors Center. The collection of artifacts includes rifle balls, uniform buttons, and horse gear as well as domestic artifacts such as earthenware and colonoware.
About Historic Brattonsville:
Historic Brattonsville features over 30 colonial and antebellum structures, including three house museums. The plantation spreads over 800-acres and includes farmed land with heritage breed animals, a Revolutionary War battlefield, and a nature preserve with miles of walking trails. Seasonal events, reenactments, and living history programs interpret Southern rural life in 1780, 1855, and 1871. New exhibits in the recently restored Brick House tell the story of the Brattonsville community during the Reconstruction Era.
Historic Brattonsville is included in “The Green Book of South Carolina” – a travel guide to African American cultural sites. https://greenbookofsc.com/
Culture & Heritage Museums is a family of museums in York County and includes Historic Brattonsville in McConnells, Main Street Children’s Museum and Museum of York County in Rock Hill, and the McCelvey Center, which includes the Historical Center of York County and the Southern Revolutionary War Institute, in York. The mission of CHM is to communicate and preserve the natural and cultural histories of the Carolina Piedmont, inspiring a lifetime of learning. www.chmuseums.org
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