The Charleston Light Dragoons are more famous for their punch recipe now but this was once the most socially elite militia organization in the state of South Carolina. The Punch Recipe is at the end of the thread.


The story of the Charleston Light Dragons is interwoven with the social and military history of South Carolina from early colonial days.  The roots of the unit could date back as far as 1706. It is clear that the corps existed at least as early as 1733, being called then with British loyalty the "Charleston Horse-Guards," a title changed, doubtless in deference to Republican sentiment, at the Revolution, into "Charleston Light Dragoons.

Old Waxhaw Presbyterian Church was founded ca 1750 and organized in 1755. This is the oldest church north of Orangeburg in South Carolina. It’s believed over 100 veterans of the American Revolution are buried in the church yard.





President Andrew Jackson’s father is buried here and a statue in memory of his mother is nearby. His father died shortly before he was born and his mother caught smallpox caring for Patriot soldiers and died leaving him an orphan at 14.

Today is the anniversary of the Battle of Cowpens, fought on this date in 1781. This battle was the beginning of the end for the British in the Southern Campaign and would put into motion a chain of events that would end at Yorktown Virginia. General Greene made the decision to divide his small army and sent General Daniel Morgan west of the Catawba River to help raise the morale of the locals and find supplies well away from the British army. By this time the backcountry of South Carolina had been in the middle of

This monument on the Fredericksburg Battlefield commemorates a brave young South Carolinian and his act of kindness that was once well known throughout the country. It’s a story worth retelling. Richard Rowland Kirkland was born in Kershaw District, South Carolina in 1843. His birthplace is about 20 miles north of Camden. Kirkland was reared in the Baptist church and educated locally. When South Carolina seceded he enlisted and was soon bound for Virginia.

Edgefield South Carolina ca 1880-1900. The town square still looks almost exactly like it does in these pictures. Edgefield county has produced 10 governors of the state and numerous other public officials. The governors: Andrew Pickens Jr, son of the Revolutionary War general of the same name. George McDuffie, Pierce Mason Butler, James Henry Hammond.

The Jamestown Massacre of 1622 lived on in the memory of Virginians for generations, close to 1/4 of the population died when the Powhatan decided it was time to rid themselves of the colonists. This event had profound effects on the future of English North America The origin of this event dates from the very beginning of the colony. Virginia was initially settled by men who knew very little about agriculture and neglected to raise enough food to be self sufficient. This led the early colonists to barter with the natives for food.

The Ride of Emily Geiger is one of South Carolina’s legendary tales of the Revolutionary War. In the last century historians have questioned the tale but a good southerner never lets the truth get in the way of a good story. This is her tale. Emily was the daughter and granddaughter of German palatine immigrants who settled in the middle country of South Carolina around 1737. The main part of this settlement are Orangeburg, Lexington, and Calhoun counties today. By the late years of the Revolution she was a teenager.

Many theories and myths have been put forward to explain the fate of the Lost Colony of Roanoke over the last 400 plus years. Some of them are plausible and others a bit of a stretch. In the last couple of decades however some tantalizing clues have come to light. Over the centuries it’s been said the colonists were thought lost at sea, washed away by a hurricane, moved southwest to become Lumbee Indians, killed by Powhatan in Chesapeake, or captured by the Mandoag in Chowanoke. Maybe one, all, or none are true.

During the last years of the Santa Elena colony while the Spanish were massacring the French another country planted a settlement in what is now Carolina on Roanoke Island in modern day North Carolina. The first English colony in North America is better known as the Lost Colony The English briefly claimed St John’s Newfoundland in 1583 under the royal prerogative of Elizabeth I but the leader of the expedition, Sir Humphrey Gilbert, was lost at sea on the return voyage near the Azores.

After the French attempt to settle on the Carolina coast the Spanish had to act to protect their claim. In 1566 Santa Elena was established on what is now Parris Island directly over the ruins of Charlesfort. This time the Spanish were better prepared. St Augustine is older than this settlement by a year but the deep water port of Santa Elena was more attractive to the settlers. It may surprise some but the capital of Spanish Florida was in what is now South Carolina from 1566-1587.

This could be the location of George and Martha Washington’s wedding. St Peter’s Church in New Kent Co Virginia was built between 1701-3 at a cost of 146,000 weight of tobacco. At this time tobacco was used as currency in the colony. The tower was erected 12 years later. One tradition says the couple married in this church. The other tradition is that they married in the parlor of White House Plantation which is nearby. It was later the home of Rooney Lee, son of R E Lee. The house was burned by the Yankees in 1862. They also stabled horses in

St Luke’s Smithfield is the oldest church in Virginia and the oldest church of brick construction in British North America. Tradition dates it’s construction to 1632 but other evidence points to 1682. Also known as Newport Parish Church this has been a place of worship since the earliest days of the Virginia colony. It is possible that their was an earlier brick church on the site or that the 1632 structure was extensively remodeled in 1682 however most historians go with

Bacon’s Castle in Surrey Co Virginia is the oldest documented brick house in the United States. Built in 1665 it is the only surviving high Jacobean style home in the country and one of three in the Western Hemisphere. Constructed by Arthur Allen, it was originally known as Allen’s brick house. Because the mansion was fortified during Bacon’s Rebellion in 1676 it became known as Bacon’s Castle by the late colonial period. Nathaniel Bacon probably never visited the house. The wing on the right and the entrance are antebellum additions. The original

South Carolina has had it’s fair share of hurricanes since 1670. In the past with no way to know about hurricanes you only had a few hours warning. Drayton Hall has survived numerous hurricanes, this picture is from the aftermath of Hugo in 1989. The 1700 Hurricane caused many Scottish colonists on their way home from Darian a failed Scottish colony in what is now Panama to perish when their ship capsized. Only 15 people survived and the city was flooded and damaged.

The late queen made several visits to Virginia over the course of her reign. It may surprise some that she had colonial Virginian ancestry through her mother. The Warner family is one of the FFV’s established in the first part of the 17th century by Augustine Warner I of Norwich. He arrived in the colony of Virginia in 1628 and later sat in the House of Burgesses and was a member of the kings council in the colony until is death.

A forgotten hero of the American Revolution fell at the Battle of Camden in 1780. A Major General, he was one of the highest ranking officers in the Continental Army to die of wounds received in combat. The Baron Johann De Kalb should be better known today. Kalb was born in Hüttendorf, a German village near Erlangen, Principality of Bayreuth, the son of Johann Leonhard Kalb and Margarethe Seitz. Fluent in French and English he received a commission in the French army at the age of 22. He had a distinguished career and was a seasoned

The Carolina Dog is an ancient breed that has been found in the southeastern US for thousands of years. Modern animals still have a decent amount of pre columbian DNA. How many of you have seen a stray that looks like this? I grew up hearing these dogs called a yellow or yaller dog and they’re still somewhat common in the south. They’re great dogs, I’ve had several that just “showed up” over the years and every single one was a great dog. I miss them all.

Many people have seen cypress trees in the swamps of the south. We can only imagine what old growth cypress swamps would have looked like since logging claimed most of the giants. However a few escaped the loggers in the 19th century and their age will shock you. This tree is in a swamp on the Black River in North Carolina. It is at least 2,624 years old but probably older. Being in the presence of something that was living at the time of Christ and already over 500 years old then is quite an experience.

Brunswick Stew is arguably the king of southern stews. You will find it in many BBQ restaurants and many families have their own recipe. Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia all claim to have invented this stew but I think it’s origins go back further in time. Most likely this stew is of native origin. All of the early recipes call for game meat like rabbit, squirrel and deer for example. The vegetables added are almost all new world crops plus a stew very similar to this has been described as a common food of the Creek Indians.

To some this may look unappetizing but it’s a BBQ staple unique to South Carolina. Barbecue Hash is basically a meat gravy or it could be called liquid sausage. While you can find four distinct barbecue sauces in South Carolina you can find endless variations of hash. Some have liver, some are thickened with potatoes and in the middle part of the state you will find mustard based barbecue sauce another SC original recipe in the hash.

Tea was so valuable in the 18th and early 19th century it was kept in a locking tea caddie. Here are some examples. At this point in history hot water would be brought from the kitchen to the parlor or dining room and the lady of the house would add the valuable tea to the water. It was late in the 19th century before sugar would be added and the mixture chilled.