Due West in Abbeville County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Action at Pratt's Mill
The last action of the Revolution in this part of S.C. was at Pratt's Mill, a grist mill on the Little River owned by Joseph Pratt. On October 30, 1781, an outpost of 30 Patriots at the mill, under Capt. John Norwood, was surprised by 30 Loyalists and Cherokees under Col. William "Bloody Bill" Cunningham. Norwood, who was wounded, was the only casualty on either side.
The Patriots fled, leaving behind 30 horses and most of their weapons; the Loyalists burned the mill. The Pratt family later rebuilt the mill, which appears in Robert Mills's Atlas of S.C. (1825). They later built another mill on Hogskin Creek, about 500 yds. N of the first mill. That mill, which operated throughout the 19th century, was destroyed by a flood in 1908.
Erected 2007 by Abbeville County Historical Society. (Marker Number 1-13.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Settlements & Settlers • War, US Revolutionary • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical date for this entry is October 30, 1781.
Location. 34° 18.383′ Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Due West SC 29639, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 10 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. John Callaham - Zachariah Carwile Memorial (approx. 2.9 miles away); Camp-Walker Plaza (approx. 3.3 miles away); William Moffatt Grier (approx. 3.3 miles away); Bryson College Memorial (approx. 3.4 miles away); Erskine College (approx. 3.4 miles away); Abbeville County (approx. 3.4 miles away); Angela Marlow Newton (approx. 3.6 miles away); Rev. J.I. Bonner Monument (approx. 3.6 miles away); Due West (approx. 3.6 miles away); Bowie Family Memorial (approx. 4.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Due West.
Regarding Action at Pratt's Mill. There is some discussion as to the exact date of the battle. The marker says October 30. Other sources cite October 3 and some site October 13. The Pratts were ancestors of President Jimmy Carter.
Also see . . .
1. The Battle of Pratt's Mill. On October 3, during the night, a large body of Loyalists and Cherokee Indians, commanded by Col. Bill Cunningham, raided Pratt's Mill. (Submitted on July 14, 2009, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.)
2. Biographical Sketch of William “Bloody Bill” Cunningham. William Cunningham, (or as he was commonly called Bloody Bill Cunningham,) acted too prominent a part in the partisan warfare of Laurens, Newberry and Edgefield Districts, in the Revolutionary times, not to be remembered and first noticed. (Submitted on July 14, 2009, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.)
3. Lindsay Cemetery. Lindsay Cemetery, established ca. 1820, is significant as the first cemetery in the Due West vicinity of what was then Abbeville District, and for its association with seventeen prominent early families of Abbeville District (later Abbeville County), from the early through the late nineteenth centuries. (Submitted on July 15, 2009, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.)
1. Pratt’s Mill dedication at 4 p.m. Sunday
The Anderson Independent-Mail
September 27, 2007
The first and only Revolution battle site in Abbeville County will be dedicated at 4 p.m. Sunday at S.C. 184 — Little River Bridge three miles west of Due West.
The text of the Pratt’s Mill Historical Marker’s is as follows:
Side 1 — Action at Pratt’s Mill — The last action of the Revolution in this part of
The Patriots fled, leaving behind 30 horses and most of their weapons; the Loyalists burned the Mill. The Pratt family later rebuilt the mill, which appears in Robert Mill’s Atlas of S. C. (1825). They later built another mill on Hogskin Creek, about 500 yards north of the first mill. That mill, which operated the 19th century, was destroyed by a flood in 1908.
Erected by Abbeville County Historical Society, 2007.
Please bring your own chairs for the presentation. Following the dedication there will be trash picked up from S.C. 184 to the shoals of Little River. For further information, contact Jenny Hagan Kelly (864) 379-2753 or Dr. Lowry Ware (864) 379-2267.
— Submitted July 14, 2009, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.
2. Pratt's Mill
The mill was located on the shores of the Little River, a river flowing through Abbeville County and into the Savannah River. (This is not the same Little River which flows from North
The region is bounded by three roads, forming a triangle which points northeast towards Due West: Highway 184 forms the northern boundary; Highway 201 is the western; and Lindsay Cemetery Road is the southern. Within the boundary of these roads was a settlement which predated the town of Due West.
Along with the Pratts, the region was home to the Ellis family, the Cowans, Simpsons, and Millers, among others. These families had settled in the area in the years immediately following the Revolutionary War, making it one of the oldest settled regions in Abbeville County. Many of the ancestors of these families are buried in a newly restored cemetery: the Lindsay Cemetery.
Recently listed in the National Register for Historic Places (May 27, 2009), the restoration of the cemetery has been going on for nearly 25 years and led by Jenny Hagan Kelley. The cemetery contains over 100 graves, with sixty marked with stones or rocks. The earliest grave dates from 1820; the final grave was dated 1927. One of the graves is for Joseph Pratt, son of William Pratt, owner and operator of Pratt's Mill.
For more information on the Lindsay Cemetery, see the National Register link.
— Submitted July 15, 2009, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.
I am a relative of William Pratt (ca. 1734-1797) and attended the marker dedication. It seems there used to be a Wikipedia site that listed all the patriots who served under Norwood at Pratt's Mill. Is that information still available?
Note from the Editors: Thank you for your comments, but we are not aware of that list you mention. If you have any additional photos of the nearby markers or area we would gladly consider publishing them here or on associated pages of HMdb.org.
— Submitted July 29, 2021, by James Pratt of Tucson, Arizona.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 22, 2021. It was originally submitted on July 14, 2009, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 3,059 times since then and 175 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on July 14, 2009, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.