City Directories and History: The Battle of Blackstock was another of the important defeats of local Tory and British troops under the leadership of General Thomas Sumter. Many of the troops fighting at the battle were from Chester, York, and Spartanburg counties. One of Sumter’s militia Colonels, William Bratton from York County, South Carolina led a group some distance to participate in the battle as did other local leaders from across the Broad River.
In this period, the area around Blackstock was known as a tobacco growing area and had a number of buildings. No evidence of these early dwelling are visible. In the fall of 1780, Gen. Thomas Sumter was moving his troops to engage the British. He had about 600 troops under his leadership including local militia under; Henry Hampton, William Bratton, Thomas Taylor, William Hill, and James McCall. William Hill was the famous iron master from Allison Creek in York County who had successfully routed a spokesman at his ironworks sent by the British to entice loyalty amount the upcountry settlers.
Banastre Tarleton was detached by Lord Cornwallis, the British commander, to engage Sumter. Reaching the Enoree River on Nov. 19th, Tarleton made camp. The next day Tarleton pursued the enemy and was met by troops under the leadership of Col. Edward Lacy. Lacy is known to have often worked in conjunction with his neighbor Col. William Bratton who also lived in York County. By the end of the 20th of Nov., the fighting was over and General Sumter had been wounded. The British lost approximately 50-100 troops during the engagement.
(Blackstock’s Plantation) At Blackstock’s tobacco barn on the Tyger River, British troops under Colonel Banastre Tarleton battled with American militiamen under General Thomas Sumter on November 20, 1780. The Americans drove off the attacking British infantry and cavalry. Although the Americans dispersed and were unable to attack the British post at Ninety-Six as originally planned, they did serious damage to the morale of Tarleton’s Legion, as well as inflicting heavy casualties, demonstrating that the British did not have as firm a hold in South Carolina as believed. The Blackstock’s battlefield is located south of the Tyger River, immediately east of the Spartanburg County line, in a hilly, wooded region. In the eighteenth century much of the land of the battlefield was cleared, but has since overgrown with small pines and brush. No above-the-surface evidence remains of Blackstock’s barn or house, which were located in the area of the historical marker that designates the battle site, and there are no modern buildings in the area of the battlefield. Listed in the National Register December 16, 1974. [Courtesy of the S.C. Dept. of Archives and History]
General Thomas Sumter’s American command was surprised and defeated by Lord Banastre Tarleton and his feared Green Dragoons on 18 September 1780 at Fishing
Creek in present Chester County, South Carolina. General Sumter, humiliated, barely managed to escape with his life. On 6 October, South Carolina Governor John Rutledge commissioned Sumter to a brigadier general and ordered him to attack and cut the British supply lines leading to the South Carolina backcountry, also to concentrate on the British outpost at Winnsboro. Soon after, General Sumter placed his newly formed army into motion down the Sandy River in present Chester County, unaware that British Major Wemyss, with his own troops and forty-five of the Green Dragoons, was pursuing him. On 8 November, General Sumter moved his army to Fish Dam Ford on the Broad River and went into camp on the east bank, still in what was to become Chester County. Earlier that day, he had captured a well-known Loyalist of that area, a Mr. Sealey, but had released him that afternoon. Sealey immediately rode to Major Wemyss and informed him of Sumter’s camp.
Major Wemyss devised a plan of attack. Since Sealey knew the location of General Sumter’s tent, he was ordered to take a few men and kill the general during the assault. The strike came in the pre-dawn hours. General Sumter, in his underwear, managed to fight off the Sealey group and escaped to the Broad River where he hid under a bank until dawn, again humiliated. Meanwhile, his troops managed to defeat the British and took many captive. It was then that General Sumter learned that Lord Tarleton and the main force of Green Dragoons were pursuing him. He had to make the decision whether to run or fight. During a meeting of all of his officers, they decided the time had come to fight. Included in the group was Colonel Thomas Brandon, who had lived in the area for twenty-five years. He suggested William Blackstock’s plantation as the place to make a stand. The buildings were of sturdy log construction and, due to the topography, the hills and river allowed only one avenue of attack and could be well defended. There was also a rear escape route to the Blackstock Road that, if necessary, could be used to slip away to the safety of the mountains. General Sumter immediately set his army in motion for the Blackstock plantation and called in his ranging forces. By the following day, he had reached Hawkins’ Mill on the Tyger River, where he went into delayed camp to wait for the rangers, all of whom joined him within a few days. His army then consisted of over a thousand men and seasoned officers, including colonels Edward Lacy, Richard Winn, William Hill, William Bratton, Thomas Taylor, John Twiggs, Henry Hampton, James McCall, William Few, and Elijah Clarke.
On 19 November, Sumter again set his army into motion and reached the immediate area by 18 November and was moving down the Enoree River in pursuit. General Sumter reached Blackstock’s on the early afternoon of the 20th, and his men immediately began forming battle positions as word had been received that Tarleton was crossing the Enoree River in hot chase. It was at that time that Mary (Irwin) Blackstock ran from the home and informed General Sumter she was not going to tolerate any fighting on her property! Sumter had all of the family placed in an outbuilding for safety. The attack came as expected. Although Sumter took a chest wound, his men defeated the Green Dragoons for the first time on American soil, ninety-two of them killed nearly instantly. Another name went into history there, that of Golding Tinsley who killed British Major Money. Tinsley lived near Cross Anchor and had already gained some fame during the Battle of Musgrove’s Mill on 18 August 1780.
During the British retreat across the Enoree River, one soldier had dropped his pants and contemptuously displayed his bare buttocks to the Americans. Tinsley put a rifle ball into his exposed bottom. Tinsley had two brothers killed in the war and must have taken some satisfaction in killing Major Money. He was offered the personal effects of Money, but declined according to his son, Isaac Tinsley. “During the action my father and a small squad moved down the hill and took Trees near the enemy and finally succeeded in Killing their leader, Maj. Money, which ended the battle.” “Who shot Money, I never heard any say who did it, but when the party went down to where he lay one of them pulled out of his pocket a fine gold watch and presented it to my faith and said he was entitled to it and his reply was he had no use for it.” The ninety-two British dead were buried in nine common graves on the Blackstock property, and the three African casualties buried nearby, all the graves still visible as depressions.
And, so, the name of Blackstock was born into the books of South Carolina and Revolutionary War history. It is significant to note that Lord Tarleton reported the battle to his commander, Lord Cornwallis, as a British victory and that he had killed General Sumter! Courtesy of the Chester Dist. Genealogy Society
Stay Connected
Explore history, houses, and stories across S.C. Your membership provides you with updates on regional topics, information on historic research, preservation, and monthly feature articles. But remember R&R wants to hear from you and assist in preserving your own family genealogy and memorabilia.
Visit the Southern Queries – Forum to receive assistance in answering questions, discuss genealogy, and enjoy exploring preservation topics with other members. Also listed are several history and genealogical researchers for hire.
User comments welcome — post at the bottom of this page.
Please enjoy this structure and all those listed in Roots and Recall. But remember each is private property. So view them from a distance or from a public area such as the sidewalk or public road.
Do you have information to share and preserve? Family, school, church, or other older photos and stories are welcome. Send them digitally through the “Share Your Story” link, so they too might be posted on Roots and Recall.
User comments always welcome - please post at the bottom of this page.
Share Your Comments & Feedback: