What:Raid, *Ralph Izard vs. Capt.George Dawkins, 28 May 1782

Other names:

Where: 32.98054, -80.18005

Maps: [map notes]

• 32.98054,-80.18005 , Fair Spring Plantation (Fairspring Court, Summerville)
• ACME Mapper.
• National Map
• Google.
• Confidence: 1

• 32.9848934 -80.2053723 Newington Plantation subdivision (1.5 miles from this location?)
• GNIS record for Newington Plantation subdivision. Note mapping options.

• 32.9585052 -80.2014835 Bacons Bridge (1 mi. above this location?)
• GNIS record for Bacons Bridge. Note mapping options.

Sources:

• The location for Fairspring Court, Summerville, is arbitrarily selected as that for Fair Spring Plantation. Its distance from Bacon Bridge and from Newington Plantation subdivision is reasonably consistent with following descriptions of both.

• Terry Lipscomb, "South Carolina Revolutionary War Battles", Part Nine, Names in South Carolina, XXVIII, Winter 1981:

  [Ref 28 May 1782, Fair Spring]
  [p.35] The British cavalry continued to make excursions north of Charleston, and the following month Dawkins was again involved in an action with the American dragoons. On May 28, he was defeated below Dorchester by a party under the command of John Laurens. The Patriots had three men wounded and two horses killed, but they captured' one lieutenant, seven dragoons,and ten horses.7 There is reason to believe that this may have been the same action mentioned by Alexander Garden in his anecdote concerning Ralph Izard's narrow escape. Izard had been visiting his plantation, Fair Spring, which was located on the eastside of Ashley River about a mile above Bacons Bridge. The British dragoons surrounded the house, intending to capture him, but Mrs. Izard concealed her husband in a clothespress and put on a brave front for her unwelcome guests. As soon as the British departed, Mr. Izard, who was John Lauren's aide-de-camp, hurried across Bacons Bridge and alerted the American cavalry. The enemy detachment was overtaken and routed as it was returning southward.

• NBBAS:Four P.72-73:

  Fair Spring, South Carolina
  Siege of Charlestown
  28 May 1782

  Ralph Izard was an aide to General Huger and had been visiting his plantation known as Fair Spring. Fair Spring was located on the east side of the Ashley River a mile above Bacon's Bridge.

  Captain George Dawkins and thirty of his South Carolina Royalists discovered that Izard was at his home and surrounded the plantation house. Mrs. Izard concealed her husband in a clothespress and let the Loyalists come into her home to search.

  After the Loyalists had left Izard went across Bacon’s Bridge and notified the Patriot cavalry that the Loyalists were near. The cavalry were Baylor’s Consolidated Regiment of Dragoons led by Lieutenant Colonel John Laurens. Laurens overtook the Royalists and in the skirmish he lost three men wounded and two horses killed. The Royalists were defeated and had one lieutenant and seven dragoons captured, along with their ten horses.

  During the summer of 1782 desertions from the British and Loyalists in Charlestown increased dramatically. In one instance two officers and twenty Loyalist refugees deserted while on patrol. They brought with them their arms and equipment.

  William Seymour wrote,

  The British deserters come in now every day, and may be averaged thirty per week, and numbers more would come off, but are prevented by the Negro Horse, as they are kept constantly patrolling for that purpose.

• Henry A.M. Smith, "The Town Of Dorchester, In South Carolina - A Sketch Of Its History", South Carolina Historical and Genealogical Magazine, Vol VI - No 2, April 1905, p. 62 - 95:

  Just below on the Ashley, on its north bank, was the plantation of the Wrights now called "Oak Forest",and below that the residence of one of the branches of the Izard family called "Cedar Grove",well known for the style of its buildings and its gardens. Above and beyond the road to Bacon's Bridge was the seat of another one of the Izards, on the old grant to William Norman, and called "Burton", and afterwards "Fair Spring", where are still to be seen the remains of a laroe brick house. Above this was the site of the original grant to Benjamin Waring, the ancestor of the Waring family, and which during the Revolutionary War was owned by Dr. David Oliphant, a member of the Council of Safety and Surgeon-General of the Continental forces in South Carolina. Above this again was the old grant and residence of Col. Andrew Percival, always known as "The Ponds" - the chief pond now being "Shulz's Lake". The most pretentious buildings and mansion were those at "Newington", the old Axtell settlement, which through Lady Axtell'ss daughter, Lady Elizabeth Blake (Lady as the wife of a Landgrave and Lord Proprietor), had descended to Col.Joseph Blake. The Newington house was said to have been one of the largest brick houses built in lower Carolina at that period, and with its double avenue of live oaks and wide gardens was at the time of the Revolutionary War one of the "show places", so to say, of the country side. The Ralph Izard who settled at "Burton", afterwards "Fair Spring,", about a mile and a half distant, had married a daughter of Col. Blake, and a straight road or avenue led from one house to the other.

• Burton Plantation – Ashley River – Dorchester County

  # Location – Ashley River, Dorchester County
  Near Bacon's Bridge
  ...
  # Other names – Fair Spring

• Newington Plantation – Summerville – Dorchester County

  # Location – Dorchester Creek (a branch of the Ashley River), Summerville, Dorchester County
  Original plantation lands were located off SC 165 in the vicinity of Newington Plantation Estates.
  # Origin of name – Named after the Axtell's family estate in England
  # Other names – Lady Blake's House
  # Current status – Residential subdivision

• Sherman, "Calendar..."   online. Too late for this work. To avoid long downloads, use option to "Save and view this PDF in Reader".

• RevWar75   online listing. 5/28/1782 Dorchester (Fair Spring). Shown as American success.

  Related sites:
  Fort Dorchester   Dorchester   Horse Savannah   Dorchester Creek  

  Submitted by: Patrick O'Kelley.

  Confidence level: 1