Partisans and Redcoats 

Review by George Thurmond (Georgia Society SAR)

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This is a story of untold brutality of the civil war that occurred in the South Carolina Backcounty during the American Revolution. Whigs were against Loyalists and the fights were numerous and deadly. Generally the older men of the family remained Loyal to King George III whereas the younger generation had had enough of the tyranny imposed by the occupying British soldiers. During the Revolution, Charleston remained one of the three main harbors in the Colonies - thus a natural target of submission by the British. While the majority of the population was living in the lowlands, the Backcountry remained and interesting challenge for those who sought to make a living out of the readily available land upcountry. As the British changed their strategy to focus on suppressing the South, a great number of Whigs developed from the offensive tactics used by the occupying British. Partisan warfare erupted everywhere. From July 1780 to January 1781, 27 battles were fought with 19 being won by the Patriots. In the process, there was considerable destruction to home and family in the Backcountry. A turning point occurred when Captain Christian Huck was sent by Lt Col Banastre Tarleton to track down the rebels in the New Acquisition District (near the SC/NC state line towards Charlotte). Huck assembled a group of old men (the young men were away with the Partisans) and told his listeners that "it appeared that God almighty had become a Rebel and if the Rebels were as thick as trees, and Jesus Christ himself were to command them he would defeat them." During this proclamation, the horses were confiscated and the old men had to walk back home. As angry as they were about losing their horses, these devout Presbyterians were infuriated that Huck would take the Lord's name in vane. Huck would pay a dear price for this transgression in a battle that became known as "The Battle of Huck's Defeat." This book contains a number of stories of courage displayed by men and women during the British occupation. The author has captured the spirit of the times in this publication. Walter Edgar is the George Washington Distinguished Professor of History at the University of South Carolina. He has published South Carolina: A History. Professor Edgar presented a lecture at the 2002 Anniversary Celebration of the Battle of Cowpens and has appeared on C-Span.

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