235 years ago this Father’s Day week, another generation of Americans fought for our nation’s future in a place called Ninety Six, South Carolina. This forgotten siege and desperate assault on a British-held fort, at a moment when the outcome of the Revolution was far from certain, captures the essence of who we are as Americans.
This week marks the 235th anniversary of one of the most protracted, yet forgotten, battles of the American Revolution: the siege of Ninety Six.
Perhaps the greatest mystery of the American Revolution is the location of the mass grave of “Washington’s Immortals,” one of the most heroic units in the war.
In 1777, the swampy area, called Mud Island, became the site of one of the Revolution’s longest sieges and greatest bombardments.
The Battle of Hobkirk’s Hill, also known as the Second Battle of Camden, pitted Patriots against Loyalists and British regulars in a fight that epitomized American tenacity in the face of defeat.
“Defend the bridge to the last extremity!” Washington shouted to his officers and men, as he stared at the massive British army coiling in front of the stone arched bridge that stood between his men and their destruction. “To the last man, Excellency,” one of Washington’s officers responded to his commander in chief, as a phalanx of Cornwallis’s army readied to charge the bridge.
This February 22 marks the 283rd birthday of George Washington, and there is no better time to reflect on what true leadership is than on the Federal holiday dedicated to the Father of Our Country.
