Commission seeks grant to study Battle of Black Mingo

The Francis Marion Trail Commission is working on the last stages of an American Battlefield Program grant to study the Battle of Black Mingo.

The final reports remain to be completed, members were told during their most recent meeting at Francis Marion University.

The battle was fought in modern Georgetown and Williamsburg Counties.

Scott Seibel, the archaeologist for this project, used a type of land title research, called Kings Grants Research, and numeric calculations, as well as more conventional archaeological methods, to uncover secrets of the battle, which Francis Marion won 230 years ago.

Seibel said he thinks he has identified the location of a key structure on the battlefield at Dollard’s Tavern. Much has been learned about the terrain, roads and features of the battlefield.

The Francis Marion Trail Commission and friends and academics affiliated with it have participated in many events during the past three months, including a meeting with Native Americans to learn more about their role in the revolution.

All four regional development committees have met and been provided with information on historic sites in their respective areas and copies of the strategic plan.

An application to the National Endowment for the Humanities for a grant to fund an interpretive plan has been completed.

Efforts to begin an e-mail newsletter, establish a Web site and decide issues related to trail markers have all seen progress.

Officials in Georgetown have requested assistance in identifying the location of the old fort, which was occupied and destroyed by Marion near the end of the Revolutionary War. Information provided by volunteers in Georgetown and personnel at FMU has yielded clues and identified resources previously unknown to the commission.

The effort also has identified other historic sites and positions fortified during the Revolutionary War near Georgetown.

One commissioner reported an effort to preserve an important Francis Marion battle site and other efforts to obtain donation of tracts of property in or near wetland areas where Francis Marion was active.

A donation of prints of a painting by Peggy McGill also was announced. This painting is a beautiful and somewhat mystical depiction of Francis Marion moving through a swamp.

State Sen. Yancy McGill of Kingstree provided information to the trail commission about these prints, which will be used to provide funds for the commission’s projects and operations.