South Carolina

The South Carolina tapestry commemorates the role the backcountry played in the American Revolution.

The upper vignette illustrates the Battle of Esseneca Town which took place on August 1, 1776, near the Seneca River in what is now Oconee County, South Carolina. Esseneca was a Cherokee "Lower Town" and became a site of significant conflict during the Revolution. Throughout 1776, the Cherokee launched a series of attacks in coordination with the British against frontier settlements throughout Western South Carolina. The Cherokee had allied with the British in hopes of preserving their native land which was under increasing threat of colonial encroachment.

Loyalist and Cherokee forces are seen ambushing Andrew Williamson's militia at Esseneca Ford. Captain Francis Salvador, who became the first Jewish American killed in the Revolution, is illustrated on horseback. Catawba General New River is seen with his musket poised. The Catawba Indians allied with the Patriots early in 1775 in the hopes of preserving their ancestral land. Until his death in 1804, New River fought for hunting and land rights for his people.

The lower image depicts John McCord, a 13 year old resident of the Long Canes District. His family was Scotch-Irish immigrants who first established themselves in Virginia before journeying southward. At age 13, McCord volunteered to serve with Captain Joseph Pickens. Considered too small for field duty, the young Patriot engaged in the important work of a camp follower, shelling corn, assisting with food preparation, caring for the ill, and carrying messages. John would later serve as a soldier in the Continental Army and eventually petition for a military pension in 1832.

The Pension Act of June 7, 1832 granted every surviving officer and soldier who served at least two years in the Continental Army or other eligible units full pay for life. It was the most inclusive and generous pension act for Revolutionary War veterans up to that time.