Revolutionary War driving tour being set up in Upstate county

LAURENS CO., S.C. (FOX Carolina) - More than 200 Revolutionary War battles happened in South Carolina and some of the most important ones were fought in the Upstate.

In Laurens County, there are 14 sites related to the Revolutionary War that have historical significance.

“We are in the middle of so much history, it’s so much right here,” explains Battlefield Preservationist Durant Ashmore. “And we need to know about that.”

Sites like Hayes Station, Fort Williams, Hammond’s Store, and names like Bloody Bill Cunningham, Joseph Hayes, and James Williams are engrained in the history of this area.

Ashmore is helping put together a driving tour to all the Revolutionary War sites in Laurens County.

Work is still underway to find the exact location of all the battlefields and get the landowner’s permission for the tour.

The goal is to have everything ready for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, which is 2026.

“When four years happen we are going to have this tour up and running so that the public can go from site to site and learn what happened here. They can see what happened here. They can walk the ground where these heroes walked,” said Ashmore.

When Ashmore walks on the grounds, it gives him chills knowing the sacrifice that was given.

It’s those feelings he hopes people will take away when they visit the sites he is working to bring them.

“The grit, the determination, the bravery. The struggle for self-determination. If they understand that they will understand the backcountry of South Carolina and the Revolutionary War,” said Ashmore.

The hope is that each site has signs and information about the battle, as well as a QR code that will bring people to videos about the history among more.

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