Historic Brattonsville, July 9-10, 2011

It was a typical hot summer day in South Carolina and many visitors walked from building to building to meet  volunteers and reenactors , as they explained what life was like in the upcountry of Carolina during the Revolutionary War. In one home, there was a spinning demonstration at a small spinning wheel. Her hands moved with assurance as the yarn moved through her fingers.

John took my picture on the same porch that Martha had the sickle put to her throat in the 18th century. To walk, stand, and sit where ordinary people made extraordinary decisions that changed the course of history can take your breath away.

Michael C. Scoggins, the Historian Cultural and Heritage Museums, spoke on both Saturday and Sunday on Huck's Battlefield Archaeology. His power point  presentation was full of information, and he led a tour of the battlefield on Saturday. 

As guests entered the Visitor's Center, they were greeted by Michael. He answered many questions, including mine. John and I were seated at a table right next to his desk.

On Sunday, we gathered at the stage area for worship. The Reverend Donald A. Lowery read from the Old Testament and then shared from a sermon that was preached two weeks after the Battle of Waxhaws. He led the congregation in singing from the Psalter and encouraged everyone to remember the freedom we have came at a cost from men, women, and children that chose liberty two hundred years ago. It was moving to look over and see those in colonial dress seated by others in modern clothes sitting on half log benches; it brought Reverend Lowery's words to life. Hats were doffed by all the men for the prayers.

On Sunday afternoon visitors enjoyed the entertaining and stirring monologue presented by Howard Burnham.  In costume and using the words of long ago, he became General Thomas Sumter. He shared the General's biography and ended his presentation with " in South Carolina, there will always be a fighting gamecock."

As we walked to the Battle of Huck's Defeat Reenactment, we were greeted by violin music. Drawing the crowds closer to the battlefield was a musician playing eighteenth century music. The soloist took us back to a simpler, but a harder way of life. I was glad of the modern technology that enhanced the tunes.

Here are some of the reenactors that helped us all picture the reality of those days and encouraged us to two days of remembrance. I was quite excited that my fictionalized biography, Fearless Martha, A Daughter of the American Revolution, had its debut in Historic Brattonsville. Martha Bratton was a woman who stood tall, along with her family and many others, to make sure the British did not stay in Carolina in 1780.

"The British Are Coming, Ya'll"

I hope that everyone enjoyed their Fourth of July celebrations this week. We visited the King's Mountain Military National Military Park for a few hours, and there were many families walking the trails, watching the movie, and exploring the museum and bookstore. We are blessed in South Carolina to have many state and national parks to visit.

During this week of the Fourth, another Revolutionary War author, Suzanne Adair, asked several authors to write on her blog about different aspects of the Revolutionary War. I thought you might be interested in visiting the site to read our discussions. suzanneadair.typepad.com/blog/2011/04/index.html -

On the early evening of July 4, one of the HBO stations rebroadcast the last episode of the phenomenal PBS series about the life of John Adams. As soon as it was over, the Capitol Fourth, sponsored for the thirty-first year by PBS, began with stars and music to celebrate America's birthday. If you missed this, you can catch most of the music at http://www.pbs.org/capitolfourth/ It is a hand-clapping concert that is over much too quickly, and the fireworks were spectacular over the Washington monuments.

Happy birthday, America!