Buford's Massacre

Buford's Massacre took place on May 29, 1780, in the Waxhaws region of South Carolina, when Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton's legion overtook Lt. Col. Abraham Buford's retreating Virginia Continentals, who had arrived too late to aid in the defense of Charleston. The battle was an impressive display of Tarleton's tactical ability, but the Patriots chiefly remember it for the brutal slaughter of Buford's defeated troops. This tragedy aroused a spirit of vengeance among the Patriots, and "Tarleton's Quarter" became the byword for no quarter. The site contains granite monuments, one dating from before the Civil War. Over 100 American soldiers are buried there in mass graves.