Tarrar Springs

Front: At this location on Nov. 16, 1781 Patriot militia under Capt. Sterling Turner met Tories under Col. Hezekia Williams as part of Maj. William Cunningham’s “Bloody Scout” raid. The Tories had stolen a herd of cattle in the Mt. Willing area of Ninety Six District (now Saluda Co.) and were taking them toward Charleston. After exchanging gunfire, both sides negotiated a settlement allowing for a return of the cattle and for Williams’ command to leave the field. Reverse: The next day much of Turner’s force was killed by Cunningham and Williams during an engagement called the Clouds Creek Massacre near current-day Batesburg-Leesville. These battles were among roughly a dozen Revolutionary War engagements that occurred in what is now Lexington Co. In the early 20th Century the area served as a granite quarry operated first by Dr. Crawford Long and then by Caspari’s Stone Company. A pond remains at the quarry site.