FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 27, 2023
Contact:
Marie Cheek
Community Relations Coordinator
Culture & Heritage Museums of York County, S.C.
803.909.7312
The Southern Campaign of the American Revolution comes alive through cavalry engaged reenactments during the annual “Battle of Huck’s Defeat” event 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. Throughout the weekend on July 15 and 16, reenactments of two pivotal American Revolution battles are on the itinerary. The Battle of Huck’s Defeat, a significant patriot victory during the American Revolution, takes place on Saturday at 2 p.m. and, following an 18th-century church service at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday morning, the reenactment of the Battle of Stallings’ Plantation takes place at 2 p.m.
In addition to battle reenactments with live cavalry and musket-firing, military reenactors show what life was like in the operational camps set up on the grounds of Historic Brattonsville. Period-dressed interpreters bustle about doing their 18th-century chores such as cooking, woodworking and blacksmithing. Children’s militia drills, games, and educational activities will be ongoing. Preservation tours highlight the current work to preserve the original Bratton family homes. Guided tours of the actual Huck’s Defeat Battlefield disclose the details of the historic event.
Fast facts:
Battle of Huck’s Defeat is Sat., July 15 from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. and Sun., July 16 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
As a participant in Museums for All, Historic Brattonsville, as well as all CHM sites, provides reduced admission for low-income families. CHM sites are also Blue-Star-Museums and offer free admission to the nation’s active-duty military personnel and their families, including National Guard and Reserve, from Armed Forces Day through Labor Day.
Images:
1. Dragoons in action 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 Site:
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 include 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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