As we established last time, James Witherspoon moved his family to Thorntree at its original location near the Black River about six miles from Kingstree in 1749. James himself lived there for only about 15 years, dying in November 1765. We can't be certain what happened between the time of James' death and the American Revolution, but we know from first-hand reports like William James' A Sketch of the Life of Brigadier General Francis Marion that by March 1781, James Witherspoon's oldest son John and his family were living at Thorntree.
Denley Caughman portraying British Lt. Col. John Watson during an "Afternoon at Thorntree."
In March 1781, British Lt. Col. John Watson planned to cross the lower bridge on Black River and advance toward the King's Tree. However, Gen. Francis Marion, who had been tailing Watson, found out about the plan, and when Watson's troops arrived at the bridge, they were met by a force of Marion's Men, including McCottry's Sharpshooters who picked off a large number of British soldiers. The Americans also burned the bridge, keeping Watson's troops on the far side of the river from the King's Tree.
Revolutionary War re-enactors portraying British troops occupy the front porch
of Thorntree on September 29, 2019, much as real British troops must have in March 1781.
Watson moved his remaining troops to the home of John Witherspoon in order to regroup and to lick their wounds from their defeat by Marion. The British troops took over Thorntree, although the Witherspoon family also remained in the house. By the day after the battle at the Lower Bridge, Marion's men had also entrenched themselves around the Witherspoon plantation, with sharpshooters either behind trees surrounding the house or in the trees lining the avenue to Thorntree.
As the British roamed around the property or lounged on the front porch of the house, Marion's sharpshooters constantly harassed them. One of the sharpshooters, Sgt. James McDonald, described as a big, red-haired Scot from the Williamsburgh Militia, drew a bead on British Lt. George Torriano, who was, some sources say, standing 300 yards from McDonald's perch in a live oak tree on the Witherspoon avenue. I might add that other sources say Torriano was lazing about on the piazza with his feet on a bannister, and that McDonald was perched in a hickory tree. Sources agree, however, that McDonald's rifle ball drilled through Torriano's knee, putting him out of commission.
Two re-enactors show the spectators a map, explaining the general vicinity of where the action
they are describing took place.
After this attack, Torriano and others of Watson's men who were in the house began making insulting remarks about Marion and his men, including Capt. Daniel Conyers, who had just made a brief appearance on horseback in a clearing not far from the house. John Witherspoon's daughter, Mary, was engaged to Daniel Conyers, and naturally took offense when she heard the British making these insolent remarks about him. But Mary took more than offense. She took action. Removing her walking shoe, she walloped one of the British officers about the face while exclaiming, "There's Capt. Conyers now. Go out and fight him, you coward!"
Re-enactors lounge on the porch of Thorntree, much as the British must have done in 1781.
As Marion's men continued to assault the British, later that day Watson decided to move down the road to Blakely Plantation. There, however, they were forced to camp in an open field. Marion's snipers followed them at a distance and continued to harass them once they set up camp, keeping them in such a panic that Watson ultimately decided to move on to Georgetown. Marion's men pursued them, turning back only after the British crossed the Sampit River.
Denley Caughman, as Lt. Col. Watson, stands on the porch at Thorntree, much
as Watson must have done in 1781, while making the decision to move on.
Earlier this year, on September 29, Dusty Owens, Denley Caughman, and other re-enactors presented an Afternoon at Thorntree, describing the American Revolution in Williamsburg County–but from the perspective of the British and from those who lived in Williamsburgh District, but who remained loyal to the King. Williamsburg County residents are fortunate to have a place like Thorntree that witnessed events like those described and in which we can re-live those moments in our community's history.
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