Le Marquis de Lafayette Chapter NCSSAR

07/14/2025

The Battle of Huck's Defeat
On this day in 1780, Philadelphia lawyer Captain Christian Huck and 130 Loyalist cavalry, belonging to British Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton's legion, suffer defeat at the hands of 500 Patriot militiamen at Williamson's Plantation in South Carolina. The plantation was in South Carolina's New Acquisition District along the border with North Carolina.
Huck and his Loyalists arrived at the Bratton plantation on the evening of July 11 to find only Martha Bratton at home, while her husband, Patriot William Bratton, was leading raids against Tory gatherings with his militia. While Martha was questioned by the Loyalists, a slave named Watt, notified Bratton of Huck's presence near his home. Bratton, in turn, brought his Patriot militia back to the plantation and launched a surprise attack at dawn on July 12 on the Loyalist encampment at neighboring Williamson's plantation. The Patriots surrounded Huck's camp under cover of darkness and then opened fire as the soldiers emerged from their blankets at dawn, scoring a total defeat of the Loyalist forces, and killing Huck. The British lost between 25 and 50 men killed, including Huck, at least twice as many wounded and 29 captured. Only one Patriot died, and Continental morale received a significant a boost.
In the aftermath of the Patriot success, Martha earned recognition for her refusal to divulge her husband's whereabouts under extreme duress. In addition, Watt's endeavor to notify Bratton that Huck was in the area won him a place in local history. Both have markers in their honor. Historic Brattonsville is now a living history museum, which reenacts the battle for two days each July. Its historic buildings appear in the film The Patriot (2000), starting Mel Gibson.

09/12/2024

Congress Founds U.S. Treasury
On this day in 1789, the United States Treasury Department is founded.
The institution's roots can be traced to 1775, when America's leaders were looking for ways to fund the Revolutionary War. Their solution--issuing cash that doubled as redeemable "bills of credit"--raised enough capital to fuel the revolution. but also led to the country's first debt. The Continental Congress attempted to reign in the economy, even forming a pre-Constitutional version of the Treasury. Neither this move, nor the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which enabled the U.S. to seek loans from foreign countries, proved effective. The debt kept mounting, while war notes rapidly deflated in value.
With the ratification of the Constitution in 1789, the American government established a permanent Treasury Department in hopes of controlling the nation's debt. President George Washington named his former aide-de-camp, Alexander Hamilton, to head the new office. The former New York lawyer and staunch Federalist stepped in as Secretary of the Treasury on September 11. Hamilton soon outlined a practical plan for reviving the nation's ailing economy: the government would pay back its $75 million war debt and thus repair its badly damaged public credit.
Hamilton had been elected to the Continental Congress from New York in 1782. He demonstrated a near-reactionary political philosophy and quickly became known as a determined proponent of a stronger national government. Hamilton published several papers with James Madison and John Jay arguing for the ratification of the U.S. Constitution that are now known as the "Federalist Papers." As the first secretary of the treasury, Hamilton established most of the centralized monetary institutions of the new nation, including the national bank, before resigning in January 1795. Hamilton then returned to the private sector and a law practice in New York City, but remained a close advisor to President Washington.
In 1800, Hamilton became embroiled in a bitter dispute when he threw his support behind President John Adams' reelection campaign instead of presidential candidate Aaron Burr's. After his defeat, Burr ran for governor of New York in 1804; Hamilton again opposed his candidacy. Humiliated, Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel on July 11, 1804, in Weehawken, New Jersey. Alexander Hamilton was shot in the duel and died of his wound the following day, July 12, in New York at the age of 49.

10/21/2022

04/13/2013

Pictures of SAR JROTC and ROTC Medals Awarded

04/13/2013

Andrew Underwood recipient of the SAR Eagle Scout Award and SAR Knight Essay Contest Award reads his winning essay to the chapter during the March meeting.

04/13/2013

Prior to the ceremony in Old Halifax, NC the chapter members present walked from the site just a few hundred yards to the very historic Royal White Hart Mason Lodge for lunch. Built in 1820, the Marquis de Lafayette visited the Lodge during his tour of the US in 1824-1825. In the picture are our Lafayette Chapter compatriots Dick Bishop (State Color Guard Commander), Chuck Yard, VP Clark Wiser, and Pres. Lee Harford.

02/07/2013

Tell me what you think about the picture that I created here.

02/07/2013

Events that the Chapter has participated in.

02/05/2013

Chapter meetings in Fayetteville, NC

02/05/2013

The 2013-2014 Chapter President Lee Harford!

02/05/2013

The video is from a live broadcast by WRAL on November 10th, 2012; when members of the le Marquis de Lafayette Chapter, North Carolina Society, Son's of the American Revolution Color Guard had the distinct honor of marching in the Veterans Day Parade in Fayetteville, NC honoring all that have served this great nation past and present!