Musgrove Mill State Historic Site’s peaceful setting in the Piedmont woods stands in sharp contrast to the bloody struggle waged there on Aug. 19, 1780. A group of 200 Patriot militiamen rode to strike what they thought was an equal number of Loyalists at Musgrove Mill on the Enoree River. Instead, they found themselves badly outnumbered, the Tories having been joined by 300 provincial regulars from the British post at Ninety Six.

Retreat was impossible, a frontal assault suicidal. So the Patriot forces took a strong defensive position and lured the Loyalists into a fierce fight that turned into a near rout after the British attack collapsed.

The park’s visitor center is filled with interpretive exhibits which focus on the Battle of Musgrove Mill and also detail South Carolina’s pivotal role in the Revolutionary War.

The park’s nature trail highlights the Enoree River, Cedar Shoals Creek and Horseshoe Falls, where legend has it Mary Musgrove, the mill owner’s daughter, hid a Patriot soldier from the British. The park also offers picnicking and a popular fishing pond.

Musgrove Mill State Historic Site, located not far off Interstate 26 near Clinton, regularly holds special events, including encampments and living history programs.