Trail Commission reports on Black Mingo Battlefield Site

By: Staff Reports | SCNOW
Published: December 08, 2009

The Francis Marion Trail Commission has completed work on the Black Mingo Battlefield Site for the American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) with a “very good outcome for this site,” according to the ABPP.
The project came in substantially under budget and ahead of schedule, members of the commission were told during their most recent meeting at Francis Marion University.
Final reports were accompanied by a large number of supplemental documents and maps which were not part of the required report. Sel Hemingway, Jody Tamsburg and other landowners played a critical role in this outcome.
The archeologist was Scott Seibel of Environmental Services Inc.
The commission is supporting efforts by Barry Jurs of the Lord Berkeley Conservation Trust in cooperation with Santee Cooper and several other organizations to preserve a Revolutionary War fort in the Lowcountry.
A ceremony honoring Oscar Marion, a servant and lifelong friend and companion of Gen. Francis Marion, recently took place at Arlington National Cemetery. Marion, sometimes known as “Buddy,” accompanied the Swamp Fox on his exploits and fought along side him with the militia.
Alex Palcovich and his wife served as local representatives at this event organized by Tina Jones, a descendent of Marion, with whom the commission has been corresponding for some time.
People of many different ethnic and social groups fought in Marion’s militia and part of the purpose of this event was to give recognition to that fact.
The commission was involved in a number of civic and community group meetings and activities in the region including a kayak trip down Wambaw Creek to historic Hampton Plantation, site of a narrow escape by the Marion.
A reception honoring artist Peggy McGill, mother of state Sen. Yancey McGill of Kingstree, immediately followed the commission meeting. Sen. McGill and Peggy McGill have donated to the prints of a painting depicting Francis Marion moving through a swamp in Williamsburg County to the commission.
Old slides of an expedition on what is now the Woodbury Tract and of importance to the history of Snow Island have been discovered by librarians at FMU along with a substantial number of manuscripts related to the Swamp Fox written by James Rogers.
Rogers worked for the Florence Morning News and was one of the founders of FMU.
Also, a large body of additional information concerning the location of the historic Burch’s Mill site recently has been obtained.
In other business, an application for a NEH planning grant related to media or theatrical production of Marion stories is in process. A large NEH planning grant for the “Trail” has recently been submitted.
A Pee Dee tourism study, colors and fonts to be used by the commission and a meeting with Berkeley County representatives about involvement with Cypress Gardens and funding also were discussed. Contacts with two organizations involved with black history were reported with the connection being the different ethnic groups that fought in Marion’s militia.

Trail Commission reports on Black Mingo Battlefield Site

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