The raids along the Catawba River in North Carolina we talked about on July 1 were just the beginning of the Cherokee-American Wars; the next major effort was an attack on Fort Lindley, not far from modern-day Greenville, South Carolina.

It’s not entirely clear when Fort Lindley was first constructed; there are indications here and there that it was already considered “old” in 1776. In the 1760s there were some Native American disturbances going on in the area, so it’s possible that the fort was built by an individual looking for personal protection.

The structure was called Fort Lindley, or “Lindley’s Fort” because at the time it was most recently owned by a Loyalist named James Lindley. Unfortunately for him, when the Patriots fled to the fort and Major Downs moved in to assist, Lindley, who was part of the battle, essentially wound up attacking his own home.

As noted in the episode, the attack was unsuccessful and Downs pursued his attackers, eventually capturing about ten men. They were immediately brought to the jail in the Ninety-Six District, which we talked about a little bit back in November.

The photo in today’s artwork was probably taken in the 1970s as part of the application for the site’s historical marker; it’s a photo of the land where the fort most likely stood. What’s not entirely clear is what happened to it after the 1770s, as no efforts have been made to excavate the site and determine what parts of Fort Lindley still remain to be found, or even what sort of layout it had. There is evidence of a ditch about three feet wide, and possibly two rock pits nearby, but not much else. And given that the historical marker notes that the fort was about “600 yards south” of its location, chances are that the site itself is on private land rather than a public park of some kind.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed