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Database
Esseneca
Other names:
What:
1 Aug 1776, Skirmish, Col. Wm. Thomson vs. *Alexander Cameron
Where:
34.66279 -82.857230 Esseneca (west side)
34.66279 -82.85167 Esseneca (east side)
Maps: [map notes]
Sources:
- From "A Map Showing the Marches of Gen. Andrew Williamson in 1776...". Note large town on west side of the river and the smaller town on east side.
- Sophie Lee Foster, Revolutionary Reader: Reminiscences and Indian Legends, 1913, Byrd Print. Co., p.69
An Extract from another report gives further particulars:
"The Indian spies had observed the Major's march and
alarmed their camp; upon which about thirty Indians and as
many white men went to Seneca and placed themselves in ambush.
The Indians had one killed and three wounded.
Seneca, four miles long on each side of the river with six
thousand bushels of corn, &c, burned August 1st.
Sugar Town and Keowee, Aug. 4th. [1776]"
- Edward McCrady, The History of South Carolina in the Revolution, 1775-1780, 1901
Macmillan & Co., Ltd., p.195ff
Accordingly,
about six o'clock in the evening of the 31st of July [1776],
taking with him two prisoners as guides, under threats of
instant death in case of misbehavior, he put himself in
motion with a detachment of 330 men on horseback, hoping
to surprise the enemy by daybreak. The river Keowee
running between Williamson's forces and Cameron's
party, and being only fordable at Essenecca, Williamson
was obliged, though much against his inclination, to take
the road to that ford. Unfortunately he proceeded without
scouts or guard sufficiently advanced to be of any service
in warning his main body of danger. He was ambushed
about two o'clock on the morning of the 1st of August in
Essenecca town. The Indians, suffering the guides and
advanced guard to pass, poured a heavy fire into the Williamson
men, and they were thrown into confusion. Major
Williamson's horse was shot under him ; Mr. Francis
Salvador, who had brought to Williamson the first news
of the Indian uprising, was shot down by his side, and
unfortunately immediately discovered by the Indians. He
was scalped alive before he was found by his friends in the
dark. What added to this misfortune was that after the
action it appeared that Captain Smith, son of the Captain
Aaron Smith who had been murdered with his family, saw
the Indians while in the act of taking off the scalp ; but
supposing it was Mr. Salvador's servant assisting his
master, did not interfere to save his, frieffd. Mr. Salvador
died without being sensible of the savage cruelty
which had been inflicted upon him.1
Major Williamson's forces, completely surprised, broke
away and fled in the greatest confusion. The enemy kept
up a constant fire, which the retreating militia returned at
random as dangerous to their friends who were willing to
advance against the enemy as it was to the enemy themselves.
Fortunately Lieutenant Colonel Hammond rallied
a party of about twenty men, and, making an unexpected
charge, repulsed the savage foe and escaped. The Indians
lost but one man killed and three wounded; of Major Williamson's
party three died from their wounds and fourteen
were badly injured. When daylight arrived he burnt that
part of Essenecca town which was on the eastern side of
the Keowee River, and later Colonel Hammond crossed
the river, burnt that on the western side as well, and
destroyed all the provisions, computed at six thousand
bushels of Indian corn, besides peas and other articles.
1 For an interesting sketch of this gentleman, see Memoirs of the
Revolution (Drayton), vol. II, 247, 248.
- Gibbes, R.W., Documentary history of the American Revolution, 1853-1857,
p.125-126
Col. Thomson To W. H. Drayton.
[Original.]
Camp Two Miles Below Keowee, Aug. 4, 1775.
SIR: I received your Excellency s favors of the 26th and 27th ult.
by express. In my last letter to your Excellency of the 31st ult., I in
formed you of my spies, being returned with two white persons, who
gave an account of Cameron s being arrived from over the Hills with
twelve white men, and that he with the Seneca and other Indians, were
encamped at Oconee Creek, about thirty miles distant from Twenty-
three Mile Creek, where I then lay encamped ; this intelligence induced
me to march immediately to attack their camp before they could receive
any information of my being so far advanced, I accordingly marched
about six o clock in the evening, with thirty-three men on horseback,
(taking the two prisoners with me to show where the enemy were en
camped, and told them before I set out if they deceived me, I would
order them instantly to be put to death) intending to surround their
camp by day-break, and to leave our horses about two miles behind with
a party of men to guard them ; the river Keowee lying on the route,
and only passable at a ford at Seneca, obliged me (though much against
my inclination) to take that road ; the enemy either having discovered
my march or laid themselves in ambush with a design to cut off any
spies or party I had sent out, had taken possession of the first houses in
Seneca, and posted themselves behind a long fence on an eminence close
to the road where we were to march, and to prevent being discovered
had filled up the openings betwixt the rails, with of and
corn blades ; they suffered the guides and advance guard to pass, when
a gun from the house was discharged (meant as I suppose, for a signal
for those placed behind the fence, who a few seconds after poured in a
heavy fire upon my men), which, being unexpected, staggered my advanced party. Here Mr. Salvador received three wounds, and fell by
my side my horse was shot down under me, but I received no hurt.
Lieut. Farar, of Captain Prince's Company, immediately supplied me
with his. I desired him to take care of Mr. Salvador, but before he
could find him in the dark, the enemy unfortunately got his scalp,
which was the only one taken. Capt. Smith, son of the late Capt.
Aaron Smith saw the Indian, but thought it was his servant taking care
of his master, or could have prevented it. He died about half after two
o clock, in the morning, forty-five minutes after he received the wounds,
sensible to the last. When I came up to him after dislodging the enemy, and speaking to him, he asked whether I had beat the enemy, I told
him yes, he said he was glad of it, and shook me by the hand, and bade
me farewell and said he would die in a few minutes. Two men died
in the morning, and six more who were badly wounded I have since
sent down to the settlements, and given directions to Dr. DeLaHowe
and Russell to attend them. I remained on the ground till day break
and burnt the houses on this side the river and afterwards crossed the
river ; the same day reduced Seneca entirely to ashes. Knowing that the
Indians would carry immediate intelligence of my strength to the place
where Cameron lay encamped, who would directly move from thence,
and having ordered the detachment from Col. Neil's and Thomas Regi
ment to attack and destroy Estatoe and Taxaway and join me
at this day at Sugar Town obliged me to march that way, which this
day a strong detachment consisting of four hundred men has
totally reduced to ashes, only one Indian was found there, who said the
enemy had deserted the town four days ago, on hearing by a white man,
that an army was advancing against them.
- Terry W. Lipscomb, Names in South Carolina, XX, "South Carolina Revolutionary Battles, Part One", Univ. of South Carolina, Engilish Dept., Winter 1973, p.16,
At the same time the British attack was being
repelled at Charleston, agents of the Crow were
instigating an Indian uprising on the frontier. To give
the British their due, massacre was not exactly what
they had in mind, but it proved impossible to control
the Indians once they had been induced to take up the
war club. At dawn on July 1, they descended on the
settlements of the Carolina back country.24 By this
time a skirmish had already taken place in the
Cherokee Nation, when a small band of Patriots sent
to arrest Alexander Cameron, the British Deputy
Indian Superintendent, were ambushed near the
Indian town of Seneca.25
Andrew Williamson began mounting an expedition
to oppose the Cherokees, and moved at a gradual pace
into the Indian country, while the Patriot commanders
of the up country joined him with their detachments.
On the morning of July 15, a group of settlers who had
taken refuge in Lindley's or Lyndley's Fort, near
Rabon Creek in Laurens County, were attacked by a
force of Indians and Tories, some of whom were
disguised as Indians. Unluckily for the aggressors, a
party of one hundred and fifty soldiers on their way to
join Williamson happened to be in the fort at this time,
and the Tory assault ended in a rout. The Patriot
commander in this instance was Major Downes.
Lyndley's was one of many old forts in this area dating
from before the Revolution.26
Hearing that Cameron was encamped on Oconore
Creek with a force of Indians and Tories, Williamson
decided tp march against them on the evening of July
31. The only place where the Patriot army could cross
the Seneca River to get at Cameron was at the Indian
village of Seneca, and as they approached the outskirts
of that settlement in the early morning hours of August
1, they rode into an ambush. The Indians and Tories
concealed themselves behind a fence paral1eling the
road and fired into the flank of Williamson's column.
The Patriots were thrown into confusion, and the
outcome of the battle was in some doubt until Colonel
Leroy Hammond saved the situation by rallying a
group of men and charging the fence. One of the most
regrettable casualties of this battle was the young
Jewish Patriot, Francis Salvador. The Indian town of
Seneca was located some miles east of the mo.dern
town of Seneca, on both banks of the . Seneca River.
The battle took place near the present site of
Clemson University.27
Williamson destroyed Seneca, and advanced into
present Oconee County, destroying Indian towns along
the route of his march.
25 McCall, pp. 311-312; Drayton, Vol. 2, pp. 338-3:
note.
26 Drayton, Vol. 2, pp. 342-343, 368.
27 A. L. Pickens, Skyagunsta, pp. 20-22; State Hitorical Society of Wisconsin, Draper Manuscript 3VV136-138;
Drayton, Vol. 2, pp. 345-349
- Terry Lipscomb, Battles, Skirmishes and Actions of the American Revolution in South Carolina, 1991, SC Dept of Archives and History, p.12.
| Action |
Date |
County |
Reference |
|
1776
|
| 16. Seneca |
1 Aug |
Pickens |
NSC 20: 22 |
- NBBAS:One p.39, 157-160
Revlist post Seneca, South Carolina, 1 August 1776
- RevWar75
- Aug 1775 listing 8/1/1775 Senaca Town. American victory. Per O'Kelley.
- Aug 1776 listing 8/1/1776 Seneca (Oconore Creek, Essenecca Ford). British (allied) victory). Per Heitman, Peckham, O'Kelley, Widmer.
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