What: Skirmish, 8 Aug 1780, Col. Elijah Clarke vs. Capt. Dunlap

Where:
34.901499 -81.910700, Clarke's camp 7 Aug 1780, site arbitrarily selected.
34.922363, -81.851790, if at Peach Orchard
33.8048 -80.4233, if at Green Savanna, near 1821 Burwick's Mill, Sumter County

Maps: [map notes]

• 34.901499,-81.910700, Clarke's camp, 7 Aug 1780. site arbitrarily selected
• ACME Mapper.
• National Map
• Google
• Confidence:
  0 (for Green Spring)
  3 (for Clarke's camp 7 Aug 1780)

• 34.922363,-81.851790, if at Peach Orchard (JR-est. from Mills laid over 1:250K topo)
• ACME Mapper.
• National Map
• Google
• Confidence:
  0 (for Green Spring)
  1 (for Peach Orchard)

• 33.8048,-80.4233, if at Green Savanna, near 1821 Burwick's Mill, Sumter County
• ACME Mapper.
• National Map
• Google
• Confidence: 0.

Sources:

• Elizabeth F. Ellet, The Women of the American Revolution, 1849, places Green Sring in Spartanburg District near Berwick's iron works. Use control-f and search for green spring.

• This account, given as from Noble Deeds of American Women, by Jesse Clement (possibly quoting from the Ellet book, above.

• Boatner: Encyclopedia. p. 451. "A body of 210 mounted Tories under Capt. Dunlap preceded Patrick Ferguson's main column in the advance toward Gilbert Town during the movements that eventually led to the Battle of Kings Mountain. Warned of Dunlap's approach, Col. Elijah Clarke's 196 rebels were awaiting when the enemy attacked before dawn..."

• Per this Elijah Clarke timeline:
  1780
  August 1 - Elijah Clarke skirmishes with Loyalists at Green Spring, South Carolina
  August 8 - Elijah Clarke and Andrew Pickens skirmish with Major Patrick Ferguson at Cedar Springs, South Carolina.
  August 18 - Elijah Clarke and Andrew Pickens skirmish with Loyalist at Musgrove's Mill, South Carolina.

• Wes Hope, The Spartanburg Area in the American Revolution, privately published, 2003, contains no mention of Green Spring.

• Draper, Kings Mountain and It's Heroes, describes the activities of Capt. James Dunlap during July and August of 1780 and makes no mention of a Green Spring skirmish. Elijah Clarke was camped 2 miles west of Cedar Spring prior to hearing of Dunlap's approach. They then moved to a suitable defensive position near the peach orchard, 1 mile from Cedar Spring and and 1.5 miles from Wofford's Iron Works (p.90).

• Mills 1821 Sumter District map shows a "Burwick's Mill" near a "Green Savanna".
  Burwick's Mill was near 33.7817,-80.45219.
  Green Savanna was near 33.80484,-80.42329.

  

  

• John Robertson map "Three months ending with the Kings Mountain Battle...", p.22, Christine Swager, The Valiant Died, History Press, 2006, shows Ferguson's movements during July and August 1780. He was in the Spartanburg District area. He was not in the Sumter District area. Per Boatner, Dunlap moved in advance of Ferguson. Dunlap is known to have been at McDowell's camp on N. Pacolet/Fort Prince on 15 July 1780, and at Wofford's Iron Works on 8 Aug 1780.

  

• It appears that Col. Elijah Clarke and Capt. James Dunlap were the opponents in the skirmish of Green Spring. It also appears that both were in the Spartanburg area during the time when the battle is supposed to have occurred. There appears to be some possibility that the skirmish at Green Spring may be no more than a garbled account of the Peach Orchard/Wofford's Iron Works skirmishes.

• NBBAS:Two, Not found.

• Southern Campaigns of the American Revolution n/l. Search for green springs. 1 return.

• Sherman's Calendar.... p.156. To avoid long downloads, use option to "Save and view this PDF in Reader".
  

  Maj. James Dunlop (also Dunlap), Queen’s Rangers, and Ferguson’s Corps Dunlop was one of Ferguson’s officers, and assisted Ferguson in training and leading the loyalist militia in the Ninety-Six and surrounding areas. He fought at McDowell’s Camp at Earle’s Ford, and Prince’s Fort in July 1780, and later also at Second Cedar Springs. On September 12th, he was wounded at Cane Creek. By December, having sufficiently recovered, he was given temporary command of a militia corps of mounted infantry and cavalry based at Ninety-Six. In March, Dunlop was defeated and himself captured by Elijah Clark at Beattie’s Mill. Afterward, while being held prisoner in Gilbertown, he was murdered by a guard, or someone connected with those guarding him. The motive presumably was one of revenge. His unit was formally disbanded in July 1781.

• RevWar75
  8/1/1780 Green (Greene's) Spring. Draw.
  8/8/1780 2d Cedar Springs (Wofford's Iron Works, Green Springs, Buffington, Peach Orchard). American victory.

  Related sites: Peach Orchard, Wofford's Iron Works, Clarke's camp

  Confidence level: 0