Clouds Creek, Flagging History, and Chimney Rock State Park
Plus, ‘The Legend of Betsy Ross’ and ‘The Promise of a Nation’
This week, we complete Tom Poland’s four-part series on Revolutionary War battles in the Southeast, with a focus on the Battle of Clouds Creek, and revisit the legend of Betsy Ross. We also introduce you to a book commemorating America’s 250th birthday, and visit a park that symbolizes regional resilience amid continued recovery.
The Battle of Clouds Creek
Part 4 of Three Battles and a Massacre
By Tom Poland
Clouds Creek | November 17, 1781
For many years I’ve driven Highway 378 from Columbia, South Carolina, to my hometown of Lincolnton, Georgia. Along that route I plunge downhill over Clouds Creek. I knew a massacre was connected to this creek but had no idea where it took place. Now I do. On a cool and cloudy Sunday I made my way to the site in heavy woods near the Saint John CME Church.
A Patriot turned prominent Loyalist, Maj. William Cunningham would become notorious for his brutality in a war that set South Carolinians against one another. Cunningham grew up near Ninety-Six, a Loyalist community. His cousins were Loyalist organizers. Cousin Robert Cunningham refused to sign an early truce with Patriots in South Carolina in 1776 and fought until he was imprisoned.
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Flagging History
1775 to 1783
Flags used during the American Revolutionary War varied widely. Early banners like the Grand Union Flag, which symbolized the unity of the thirteen colonies against British rule, combined British symbolism with colonial ideals. Meanwhile, regimental flags often featured mottos such as “Liberty or Death.”
The Betsy Ross flag symbolized the new nation’s unity, though its origins are debated. The 3rd Maryland Regiment flag represented disciplined Continental troops at the Battle of Cowpens in South Carolina’s back country. Militias also carried unique designs reflecting local identity and political loyalty.
The Legend of Betsy Ross is a popular American tale, but largely unverified. According to family lore, Philadelphia seamstress Elizabeth “Betsy” Ross was visited in June 1776 by George Washington, Colonel George Ross, and prominent merchant Robert Morris. They showed her a flag sketch with six-pointed stars. She suggested five-pointed ones and allegedly sewed the first Stars and Stripes.
