10/07/2026
The 267th Anniversary of
the Long Canes Massacre
The Long Canes
Troy, South Carolina
What - 9th Commemoration Service of
The Long Canes Massacre
By - Greenwood Historical Society, Abbeville History Friends, & Others
When - Sunday February 7, 2027 2:00 PM Where - Lower Long Cane Presbyterian
www.longcanearp.org
1591 Long Cane Road, Troy, SC
--33.99484 -82.33935 --
Lower Long Cane Presbyterian Church was organized in 1771 and constructed in 1856. Dr. Tim Drake, Clemson University and descendant of Long Canes survivor Andrew Pickens, will speak on Andrew Pickens Patriot leader from the Long Canes and others and their importance in the American Revolution. This is relevant as we continue our Sestercentennial celebrations.
Several of the “Long Canes Players” will present a skit on the women’s view of the events during the massacre, “Havoc at Home - Ladies in the Long Canes”. Eric Williams, a resident of Greenwood, retired Park Ranger from the Ninety Six National Historic Site, history re-enactor, and artist of historic sites will lead that effort. Chip Tinsley, President of the Greenwood County Historical Society, Co Chair of the Greenwood County 250 Committee, and retired local history educator, and descendant of William Calhoun, will speak to the reason for the remembrance of the massacre and its place in our history.
Historic period artifacts will be on display immediately before and following the ceremony.
A candle lantern remembrance and wreath laying service will be held during the service. Period music will accompany the service.
The Long Canes Massacre Site is significant to the history of exploration and settlement in South Carolina and for its association with the Cherokee War of 1760-61 and the Calhoun settlement of The Long Canes. The property includes the gravestone which marks the place where twenty-three of the Long Canes settlers were killed in a massacre by the Cherokee Indians on February 1, 1760. Among those killed was Mrs. Catherine Calhoun, matriarch of the Calhoun family, who figured prominently in the settlement of upcountry South Carolina. The Long Canes Massacre can be attributed in part to a boundary dispute between the Cherokee and settlers over a parcel of land lying between Long Cane Creek and Little River. The site is located in a private secluded area, contributing to the preservation of the site’s historic integrity. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
