On July 11, 1780, Martha Bratton, wife of Colonel William Bratton, was harvesting wheat with her children and neighbor when she learned that British soldiers led by Captain Christian Huck were marching toward the Bratton plantation. Martha sent the family's trusted African American slave, Watt, to carry a message to her husband 20 miles away at General Sumter's camp. Captain Huck arrived at the Bratton home that afternoon with 40 British Legion cavalry, 20 New York Volunteer infantry, and 600 Loyalist militiamen. After Martha refused to assist the British cause, Huck locked the Bratton family in their house and then rode to the James Williamson plantation to camp for the night.
"My husband is in Sumter's Army and I would rather see him die there, true to his Country and cause, then have him live a traitor in yours."
Mrs. Martha Bratton to British Captain Christian Huck
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • War, US Revolutionary • Women. A significant historical date for this entry is July 11, 1780.
Location. 34° 51.958′ N, 81° 10.366′ W.
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Marker is near McConnells, South Carolina, in York County. It can be reached from Brattonsville Road (South Carolina Route 165) north of Percival Road ( Road 46-380), on the right when traveling east. The marker is on the Huck's Defeat Battlefield Trail, located at Historic Brattonsville. The trail is to the east of the visitors center or to the north of the parking lot. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1444 Brattonsville Rd, Rock Hill SC 29730, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Midlands and in the Olde English District. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. 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.
3. Martha and Watt Marker on Huck's Defeat Battlefield Trail
Photographed by Mark Parker, May 3, 2025
4. Battlefield Trail entrance to the left. Brattonsville parking lot on the right
Note: battlefield trail is a part of the entry fee, which is paid at the visitors center
Photographed by Mark Parker, May 3, 2025
5. Battlefield Trail sign behind the visitors center
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 11, 2025. This page has been viewed 192 times since then and 36 times this year. Last updated on June 16, 2025. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on June 11, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
