Near Union in Union County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Otterson's Fort
November 2006
1. Otterson's Fort Marker
One mile east of this point, built by the pioneers of Union County, was one of the several stockades used as refuges during the Cherokee War, 1759-1761. It was probably named for James Otterson, an early settler on Tyger River.
Erected 1957 by Fair Forest Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. (Marker Number 44-1.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Forts and Castles • Military • Settlements & Settlers • Wars, US Indian. In addition, it is included in the Daughters of the American Revolution series list.
Location. 34° 35.353′ N, 81° 35.277′ W. Marker is near Union, South Carolina, in Union County. It is on Whitmire Highway (U.S. 176) north of Beatty's Bridge Road. Marker is located between Union and Whitmire, South Carolina. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Union SC 29379, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Upstate and in the Olde English District. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 10 other markers are within 8 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Poplar Grove School (approx. 4 miles away); Field to Forest (approx. 4.4 miles away); A Lasting Mark (approx. 4½ miles away); Rose Hill Mansion (approx. 4.6 miles away); Gist Cemetery
this page online
Another marker is no longer nearby. The Old Quaker Cemetary (was approx. 6.4 miles away but has been confirmed missing).
Also see . . . Anglo-Cherokee War. The Anglo-Cherokee War (1758–1761) (Cherokee: "war with those in the red coats" or "war with the english"), also known (from the Anglo-European perspective) as the Cherokee War, the Cherokee Uprising, the Cherokee Rebellion, was a conflict between British forces in North America and Cherokee Indians during the French and Indian War. (Submitted on February 22, 2009, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.)
Additional commentary.
1. About James Otterson and His Family
James Otterson's wife was named Rebecca. They migrated from Pennsylvania to
Photographed by Brian Scott, November 8, 2008
2. Otterson's Fort Marker Looking North Along Whitmire Highway
1) Major Samuel Otterson. Wife: Ruth Gordon. Daughter: Sarah Otterson, married to Amos Lay. Major Otterson took his family to Greene County, Alabama in 1821. Ruth Gordon was the daughter of Thomas Gordon and Elizabeth Caldwell.
2) Sarah Otterson. Husband: John Johnston, a Patriot who was captured by the British in 1780 at the Battle of Blackstock's Ford. By the order of Col. Banastre Tarleton, Johnston was taken to his nearby home and hung while his wife and six children watched helplessly. (Source: http://magnolia.cyriv.com/GreeneAlgenweb/Surnames/PattonReprint/Patton110-111.pdf.)
— Submitted June 11, 2009, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 21, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 6, 2008, by M. L. 'Mitch' Gambrell of Taylors, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 2,823 times since then and 63 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on September 6, 2008, by M. L. 'Mitch' Gambrell of Taylors, South Carolina. 2. submitted on November 9, 2008, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.
