Looking for a taste of slave history?

No need driving far.

About an hour southwest of Charlotte sits Historic Brattonsville, a 775-acre homestead that predates our nation’s founding.

At its peak in 1843, this plantation covered some 6,000 acres and included 139 slaves. Visitors today can tour what’s left of that cotton and corn plantation.

Each Sunday through Dec. 5, guests can take a 45-minute guided tour. The program, sponsored by the York County Culture and Heritage Museums, is called “Through the Looking Glass.” It is designed to explore plantation life through the eyes of both slave owner and slave.

Background:
Brattonsville, located in McConnells, S.C., might be lesser known were it not for the Battle of Huck’s Defeat.

On July 12, 1780, Col. William Bratton, who had helped settle the area in the early 1760s, led a handful of patriot troops to defeat a superior force loyal to the British crown. But the outcome might have been different were it not for a slave named Watt.

When the loyalist troops showed up unexpectedly at the Bratton plantation to arrest the colonel and others who fought for American independence, Watt rode out to warn his master, who was miles away.

Michael Scoggins, a county historian who has written books on the topic, said little is know about Watt, except that he married a slave named Polly. Scoggins estimates that Watt may have been, perhaps, 20 years old at the time.

When Watt died in 1837, the Bratton family paid $200 to $300 to have a marble headstone made – a rare tribute to a slave. The following words were inscribed on the marker: “Sacred to the memory of Watt, who died Dec. 1837. During the Revolutionary War he served his master, Col. W. Bratton, faithfully, and his children with the same fidelity until his death.”

The stone also mentions Polly, who died in July 1838.

What I liked:
I came away with a better sense of regional history, especially as it relates to the Brattons. I toured the Bratton home and visited a slave house.

I was surprised to learn that some of the Bratton slaves lived in small, one-room brick structures – far better than some of the slave shacks I’ve seen in places like Charleston.

Debbie Newby, interpretation manager for the Culture and Heritage Museums, said the brick dwellings were probably reserved for house slaves. Field slaves, she said, probably lived in wood structures much farther from the big house.

At one point, she said, Col. Bratton's son, Dr. John Simpson Bratton, housed 139 slaves in 20 slave houses. (That comes to about seven people per one-room structure.)

Unlike some slave owners, Newby said, records show that the Brattons generally did not sell their slaves or separate families.

“Whether they were kinder or what, we don’t know,” she said “But they were mostly acquiring slaves, not selling them.”

What I found disappointing:
Most of the tour pertained to the Brattons. Newby said that’s because so little is known about the slaves who cooked, cleaned, made bricks and worked the fields there.

Still, she said, museum officials felt strongly that Brattonsville should tell the story of slaves as much as possible.

“There are lots of (historic) places that are afraid to tell the story because of the controversy,” she said. “We try to be sensitive, but we feel it is important that we not leave that part of the story out.”

The biggest disappointment was that I could not visit a little-known slave cemetery, the location of which is kept secret.

Scoggins said the cemetery is not on any maps to protect it from vandals. In fact, the county removed Watt’s grave marker from the burial site and is keeping it in a safe location. A replica stands in an area where tourists can see it.

Scoggins said visits to the cemetery, which has been overtaken by weeds and other vegetation, may be arranged upon requests. He said his long-term desire is to clear the area and document the individual graves.

Interesting fact:
Scoggins said descendents of the Bratton slaves still live in the county, some in the McConnells area. They generally go by the names of Bratton, Smith, Moore and Williams.

Some of the families, he said, volunteer at the site and are consulted about some issues.

IF YOU GO:
Travel Time: About an hour for uptown Charlotte, but give yourself extra time.
Address: 1444 Brattonsville Road, Mc Connells, SC, 29726-8768
Phone: (803) 684-2327
Website: http://chmuseums.org/brattonsville/
Tour Times: 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. each Sunday through Dec. 5 (On the second Sunday of each month, the 3 p.m. tour is devoted to plant life at the plantation.)
Cost: Free with $6 general admission. ($5 for seniors, $3 for children ages 4-17)
Dress: Wear comfortable attire and flat shoes. The buildings are not air conditioned, and the tour this time of year can be extremely hot.
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Editor's Note: Day Trippin' is a summertime feature that spotlights educational or fun desinations that are an easy drive from Charlotte. (Photos below)
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Historians say slave quarters made of brick, like the one shown here, were reserved for house slaves, who were required to live close to their masters. (Photo: Qcitymetro.com)

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This grave marker is a replica of one taken from the Brattonsville slave cemetery. The original was erected by the Bratton family in memory of Watt, a slave who played a critical role in the Revolutionary War's Battle of Huck's Defeat. (Photo: Qcitymetro.com)
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This photo shows what a dinning room in the big house might have looked like. (Photo: Qcitymetro.com)
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While slaves were consigned to one-room shacks, slave owners lived considerably better. This structure, called the Homestead House, was completed in 1826 by Dr. John Brartton, son of Col. William Bratton. (Photo: Qcitymetro.com)

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