Book Review:
Parker’s Guide to the Revolutionary War in South Carolina; Battles, Skirmishes and Murders (2nd edition)
By John C. Parker, Jr. Infinity Publishing, West Conshohocken, PA, 2013. Paper. $39.95 ISBN 978-0-9841058-1-6; 530 pages, 8.5 x11.
Historian John C. Parker, Jr. has created an incredible resource for anyone caring to trace the Revolutionary War in South Carolina from the armchair or in the field. This book has no peer. It is a tool unlike any other.
Over 500 South Carolina battles, skirmishes, ambushes, murders, assaults and other documented acts of war are covered in this 530 page book. Each incident, or action as they are called, is grouped in the 21st century county where it took place. Very specific directions are provided to enable the reader to go in to the field and stand on the very ground where the action took place. GPS coordinates are given. In addition, Parker gives the location a “confidence rating” of 0-5 based on his judgment as to the accuracy of the indicated position. A description of the action along with a detailed map of the area and often photographs completes the entry.
There are over 500 detailed maps. For those who want to know where the information was obtained endnotes are provided….535 of them. There is a complete index as well as a chronological order of actions with the page number and county where the information can be found.
This is not a guide to where historical markers (often miles from the places they describe) or major battlefields are located. While those are included, this is a superb guide that takes the reader to the sites of the lesser known actions which are often virtually unknown and unmarked.
If one were to seek only well-known sites such as Cowpens or Fort Sullivan this guide would not be necessary. Its real value comes into play when learning about the less well-known locations. Take for example Fort Lyttleton. Parker’s Guide provides a map and gives specific driving directions which includes: “Watch the houses on your right closely. There will be a pink house, then a one story brick house. Fort Lyttleton is under the pink house with part of a tabby wall extending, above ground, to the back of the driveway of the one story brick house. The GPS location…was taken on the road in front of the pink house. These are private residences. Do not trespass.” Parker’s Guide also includes a photograph of the exposed tabby wall of Fort Lyttleton.
Don’t feel ignorant if Fort Lyttleton is not immediately known to you. Providing obscure information is an area where Parker’s Guide shines. In this case it advises, among other things, that Fort Lyttleton was built during the French & Indian War to guard Beaufort. Americans seized the fort in 1775 but then abandoned it February 2, 1779 when a British force approached. It was later reoccupied and then burned to prevent the British from taking it again.
There are hundreds of entries of such little known places – in fact, the book covers virtually every documented locale in South Carolina. Parker’s Guide will take you back into history to the actual turf where the struggle over Independence was contested. I am eager for Spring to take to the road in seek of history.
8 Comments
This sounds like an incredible book, Hugh! And you would know from your experience and specialty. How 21st century can one get by having this book give GPS coordinates of the spot where action happened, along with a confidence level number of the same spot? I have the 2003 book on the SC battles of the RevWar by John Gordon, but this John Parker book looks incredible. Great review; I’m going to pick up this book.
I’m currently in the thick of editing my novel of the Revolution, set in South Carolina… I think this just went on my must-have list. Thanks!!
Thanks for the review. I have Daniel Barefoot’s TOURING SOUTH CAROLINA’S REVOLUTIONARY WAR SITES, and PARKER’S GUIDE is now on my TBR list. Maybe the author will do North Carolina next.
Suzanne – Parker’s Guide is like nothing you’ve ever seen before. And, after looking it over, it won’t come as any surprise to learn that Jack Parker won’t be tackling any other state. This is a monumental effort far exceeding that done by any other mortal.
Jack Parker has a website to provide additional support for his book.
http://screvwarguide.com/
Sample pages are provided including a full listing of the actions. For additional sites identified after publication (1 so far!), pages will be provided indefinitely which you can print and insert into your copy to keep it up to date. A listing of errors and corrections (2 found so far!) will be maintained. All locations (including relevant landmarks) are included in a Google Earth map and a Google Custom map (providing distance/area ruler, driving directions and a choice of map backgrounds). A couple of printable maps are also provided.
John – Thanks very much for posting this additional information about the website and the updated sites and corrections. Plus the mapping! This is excellent. Had I known I’d have mentioned it in the review.
I need a copy of John C. Parker’s article on the Towles/Turner conflict in Rev War in Edgefield Co. I am researching the Towles family who moved down from Culpeper Co., VA, just in time to fight as rebels for SC. Father John died in the war as did sons Oliver and Stockley. Son, Joseph, became an officer and lived a long life after the war. My thanks to anyone who can lead me to Parker’s article.
John C. “Jack” Parker can be emailed at parkerdist [at] shtc.net. Jack lives in Patrick, SC.