Vol. 3 Nos. 6-7-8____________________ Dog Days Issue __________ __June-July-August 2006 “A Perfect Circumvallation” - Augusta Falls to Patriots – Finally! Mural of the 2d Siege of the British stronghold of Augusta, Georgia painted by Dick Westcott and owned by the Augusta Museum of History. The Maham tower shown in the distance is where the Patriots mounted their six pounder to fire into the Loyalists holding Fort Cornwallis. Patriot militia Gen. Andrew Pickens, operating with Continentals under Lt. Col. Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee and Georgia Patriot militia Lt. Col. Elijah Clarke dislodged Loyalist Lt. Col. Thomas Brown and his Kings Rangers from their Augusta posts at Forts Grierson and Cornwallis [besieged from May 23 to June 5, 1781]. Learn the story beginning on page 32. In This Edition Upcoming Eutaw Springs Conference……………….….2 Augusta - 225th Anniversary… ……….…….…….…....13 Sacred Relics: the $17 million flag sale……..…….….….3 Fort Granby - 225th Anniversary… ……..……….…....16 Editor’s / Publisher’s Notes……………..……….….……7 Archaeology Report……………………………….…….16 Corps of Discovery…………………….………..…...……7 Francis Marion Trail Commission……………….…….17 Event Planning………………………… ………………...8 New Southern Revolutionary War Institute…….…….18 New Francis Marion Statue…………………...…………9 Ninety Six – 225th Anniversary Events…………..…….20 US House Passes Two RW Bills…………………...……10 Calendar of Upcoming Events……..……………...……21 Ramsour’s Mill – 226th Events…………………..……...11 Hopsewee Visit……………………………..……………25 Georgia Patriots Day Celebration………………….…..11 Indians in the Revolution…………….…………………27 Beckhamville – 226th Events………..…….…….…...…..12 2d Siege of Augusta………………………………..….…32 1 Battle of Eutaw Springs Campaign, Thomas Sumter, and Nathanael Greene Conference & Tour symposia. Assisted by military historians Dr. Lee F. McGee, Steven J. Rauch and Dr. Jim Piecuch, with th geologist Dr. Irene Boland and archaeologist Scott Saturday -- September 9 , 2006 Butler, this on-the-ground tour of the huge Eutaws battlefield will point out the battle chronology, tactical The Eutaws deployments and topography. Wrongly thought by Campaign of many to be submerged under Lake Marion, the major Maj. Gen. battle fought on this preservation challenge was undoubtedly General Greene’s greatest victory. Nathanael Greene Afternoon program includes a commemorative ceremony to honor those who fought at Eutaw Springs “Giving the enemy a deadly blow. at the memorial park conducted by the Battle of Eutaw I have a good mind to put all to the Springs Chapter of the SAR and the Eutaw Springs and Col. William Thomson Chapters of the DAR at hazard...” 5:25 pm. Attendees are also invited to a closing reception at Numertia Plantation Saturday evening Southern Campaigns of the Revolutionary War and the complete with a “groaning board” of hors d'oeuvres. historic Church of the Epiphany in Eutawville, South Carolina proudly presents a conference on the Eutaw To insure your Springs military campaign of “The Fighting Quaker” - seat and catering, Major General Nathanael Greene and Eutaw Springs please take battlefield tour. advantage of the early registration. The conference will be held at the historic Church of Registration fees the Epiphany in Eutawville, South Carolina and on the include the Eutaw Springs battlefield from 9:00 am - 7:30 pm on morning scholarly Saturday, September 9th, 2006. Keynote presenter, Dr. presentations, Dennis M. Conrad, historian for the United States snacks, included Navy and editor of the final volumes of the Saturday encyclopedic Papers of General Nathanael Greene, luncheon, Eutaw will discuss Lt. Col. “Light Horse Harry” Lee’s role Springs battlefield and reactions to Gen. Greene concerning the fight at guided tour, and Eutaw Springs. Dr. Lee F. McGee will discuss Lt. closing reception. Early Registration deadline: August Col. William Washington and this Continental 5, 2006. Early Registration fees: $60.00 person or Dragoons at Eutaw Springs. All aspects of the battle, $100.00 couple. Final Registration deadline: the troops engaged, strategy, and aftermath of the September 6, 2006. Final Registration fees: $75.00 battle will be covered by Eutaw Springs scholars: person or $130.00 couple. Payment may be made by author Dr. Christine Swager; historical novelist check made payable to the Church of the Epiphany Charles F. Price; author Robert M. Dunkerly; author and mailed to P.O. Box 9, Eutawville, S.C. 29048. Dr. Jim Piecuch; and US Army military historian All registrations are non-refundable after September 6, Steven J. Rauch. Gen. George Fields and Eutaw 2006. Springs battlefield project archaeologist Scott Butler will be on hand to discuss the modern battlefield For more information call Rev. John Scott at The research and preservation planning. Church of the Epiphany Post Office Box 9 Eutawville, SC 29048 (803) 492-7644 or see the Saturday afternoon tour of the Eutaw Springs symposium postings on battlefield on the shores of Lake Marion will put you www.southerncampaign.org/eutaw or on the ground where Gen. Nathanael Greene pushed http://www.piety.com/epiphany/index.htm the British from the midlands of South Carolina to their tidewater enclave around Charleston. Guides www.southerncampaign.org/eutaw will be David P. Reuwer (director of first battlefield survey project) and Charles B. Baxley, both renowned battle sites tour guides of the Tarleton, Camden i (Excerpt from a painting of Gen. Nathanael Greene by Werner Willis.) 2 Sacred Relics Unfurled for Auction: the garrison commanded by General Benjamin Lincoln. By the time Buford’s regiment arrived at the Santee River in early May Revolutionary War Flags Fetch More 1780, they learned that the British siege was successful in Than $17,000,000 surrounding Charleston and cutting off further reinforcements for the American garrison trapped inside the city. Charleston soon by Scott A. Miskimon surrendered and the British captured all of the Continental troops in South Carolina, except for Buford’s regiment, which was then Smashing all previous sales records for Revolutionary War flags, retreating toward Salisbury, North Carolina. four captured American flags were sold last month at auction for a total of $17,392,000. The owner of the flags, Captain Christopher Lord Cornwallis then dispatched Tarleton and the British Legion to Tarleton Fagan, sold them on June 14, 2006—Flag Day—at run to ground the last remaining Continentals in the province. Sotheby’s auction house in New York City. Captain Fagan is the Buford’s regiment had a ten-day head start, but the British Legion great-great-great-great-nephew of Lieutenant Colonel Banastre gave a spirited chase and caught the Virginians near the Waxhaw Tarleton, commander of the British Legion. The sale of the flags, settlement. Although Buford’s 350-400 man detachment along with their pre-auction displays, garnered worldwide media outnumbered the British Legion, Tarleton’s combined cavalry and coverage and new attention to battles little known beyond students bayonet assault crushed the Americans. By Tarleton’s count, his and scholars of the Revolution. Legion killed 113, wounded 150 so severely they could not be moved, and 53 were taken prisoner and marched off to Camden jail. The remaining Americans, including Buford himself, escaped the carnage. The events of that steamy afternoon remain hotly debated. Was the lopsided outcome merely a rout caused by Buford’s tactical miscalculations? Or was it a massacre in which the British Legion killed the Virginians as they tried to surrender and thereafter murdered the wounded? In Tarleton’s after-action report, he mentioned the captured flags by listing them as “Taken, 3 stand of colours . .”2 Tarleton’s biographer, Robert D. Bass, also referred to the captured colors, writing in the 1950s that “[t]he flag of Colonel Buford’s regiment is in Sir Banastre’s effects in the possession of Mrs. Helen M. Fagan.”3 Beyond those two references, there appear to be no other reports published prior to 2005 that mention the flags’ existence or offer a description. The decision to sell the flags changed that, and now images of all three flags have been nationally televised and Captain and Mrs. Fagan greet Sheldon’s Legion have appeared in newspapers around the world. Reenactor with Colonel Sheldon’s “Pound Ridge” flag in the background. Photo by Scott A. Miskimon. The colors of Buford’s regiment consist of two “Grand Division” flags and a battle flag, all of which are made of French silk. The Of greatest interest to readers of this publication are the three flags three Waxhaw flags are in remarkably good shape, considering the that Banastre Tarleton’s dragoons captured at Buford’s Defeat near circumstances under which they were captured and the fact that the Waxhaw settlement in South Carolina. Until 2005 when the they remained in a private residence for flags were placed for sale with Sotheby’s, very few people outside the next two centuries. One Grand of Tarleton’s circle of friends, family and descendents had seen Division flag is sky-blue, the other Buford’s regimental colors since they were captured on May 29, yellow-gold, and in the center of each, on 1780. No image of them had ever been circulated prior to the both sides of the flags, is a painted, announcement that they were to be auctioned. An anonymous scrolling white ribbon containing the buyer bought the Waxhaw flags for $5,056,000. This price word “Regiment.” The blue divisional includes a $556,000 commission that the buyer paid to Sotheby’s. flag has an arc of stains across its center, The net price realized by Captain Fagan for the three Waxhaw which are possibly blood stains. One flag flags was $4,500,000. The same anonymous buyer bought the expert who has seen this flag says that the stain pattern resembles 1 other flag captured by Tarleton. that found on Civil War flags, caused when an attacker cut open a major artery of the flag bearer. The sale of the Waxhaw flags adds a new dimension to the battle known as Buford’s Defeat, the general outline of which is well Buford’s battle flag is a large banner of gold silk approximately known to most students of the American Revolution.