Musgrove Mill State Historic Site captures a moment that shows what a true \\"civil war\\" the American Revolution was, a bloody struggle that in that particular encounter may have included only one British-born soldier among hundreds of combatants from across the Carolinas upcountry.
The state park and its interpretive center are now a hub for the Cradle of Democracy project, which seeks to further the understanding of South Carolina�s pivotal role in the creation of the nation.
The battle occurred on Aug. 19, 1780, after about 200 Patriot militiamen rode hard all night to strike what they thought was an equal number of Tories encamped at Musgrove Mill on the Enoree River in South Carolina�s Lower Piedmont.
Instead, they found themselves badly outnumbered, the Tories having been joined by 300 provincial regulars from the British post at Ninety Six.
Retreat was impossible, a frontal assault suicidal. So the Patriot force took a strong defensive position and lured the Loyalists into a fierce fight that turned into a near rout after the British attack collapsed.
The victory marked one of the few times that Patriot militia bested a larger force of provincial regulars and Tory militia. It also exemplified the hit-and-run tactics that marked the struggle in the upcountry.
The site provides interpretative programs, and has a fishing pond, picnic area, hiking trails, and provides recreational access to the Enoree River.
