Patriots earn victory at Williamson’s plantation

The war has been concentrated in the south for some time now. The British have maintained a strong force in the New York area effectively isolating the northeast from the rest of the country. Now in 1780 we have lost Charleston, S.C. in May and the British have also taken Camden and built a strong force in Rocky Mount. We have learned that the British force in Rocky Mount is commanded by Lt.Col. George Turnbull and includes loyalists from New York and Pennsylvania together with a troop of British Dragoons or light cavalry commanded by a Capt. Christian Huck who is known for his hatred of us patriots.

We know well as he decimated our militia outposts at Fishing Creek Church and Hill's Iron Works in June. Those who survived moved up the east side of the Catawba River and recruited members along the way as they moved to join up with Gen. Thomas Sumter. After joining with Sumter, we were given a brief respite from the fighting and Sumter permitted many of the men to take time off to return home and see to their crops.
The British were of no mind to let us have an easy time of it just now and Turnbull sent Huck with about 100 men to seek out patriots in the area. On July 11 Huck captured the younger brother of patriot Capt. McClure and McClure's brother in law. He immediately sentenced them to be hanged the following day. He burned the McClure home and then proceeded north toward the Bratton plantation.

McClure learned of the marauding of Huck and with Bratton set out to intercept Huck before he got to Bratton's plantation. We were soon joined by Col. Edward Lacey and Col. Andrew Neal and their men. Huck beat us to the Bratton place but we received word of his arrival and plans were made to end this marauding by Huck and his men. That evening Huck and his men moved to the next plantation, owned by James Williamson, where fields of oats were to be had for his horses. As we were moving to engage Huck we arrived at Bratton's before dawn on the 12th and thus learned that he was encamped at Williamson's.

Huck was no fool and had positioned his men carefully. He had his militiamen placed in front of the house; his New York volunteers were aligned along the lane which ran from the road to the house; his Dragoons were stationed around the house. Bratton set our attack to occur at dawn. We were formed into two groups with one coming from the east and the other from the west which would prevent any escape. At dawn we attacked and caught Huck and his men completely unaware. They could do little and many of them scattered while others threw down their arms and surrendered. Huck tried to rally his men but one of our boys shot him dead.

At the end of the fight we counted 35 dead, 30 wounded and most of the remainder of Huck's force captured. We suffered but one casualty. This battle restored the confidence of the people of South Carolina in the patriot cause and resulted in many new recruits joining our fight for independence.

Jim Bayne is the immediate past president of the Virginia Society, Sons of the American Revolution. He can be reached at .