With the upcoming semiquincentennial (250-year) anniversary of the Declaration of Independence of the American Colonies from Imperial British rule, I decided I should start a series of geocaches highlighting well known and lesser known parts of history regarding the American War of Independence.
Battle of Wadboo Barony (The Avenue of Cedars)
Although the Battle of Yorktown in 1781 was the last major battle between British and American troops, the war did continue with skirmishes between British-led loyalists and revolutionary militia for the next two years until the signing of the Treaty of Paris.
North of Charleston, South Carolina, one such battle took place on the land grant plantation of the loyalist Colleton family called Wadboo Barony.
On August 29, 1782, a loyalist foraging party attacked U.S. Brigadier General Francis Marion and his militiamen at Wadboo, where they had camped the night before. Marion had arranged his Brigade around the main house and along a lane of large cedar trees to secure an ambush on the advancing British.
The British soon realized they were unprepared, out numbered and outgunned and made a hasty retreat back to British held Charleston.
For the next few months until the British abandoned South Carolina in December, Marion made Wadboo his headquarters.
Because of his cunning and elusiveness through his hit and run tactics during war, Francis Marion earned a nickname by the time of the Battle of Wadboo Barony. What was his nickname?
- Desert Fox = N 41° 22.224′ W 88° 33.303′
- Silver Fox = N 41° 21.566′ W 88° 33.375′
- Swamp Fox = N 41° 20.952′ W 88° 32.095′