Piecing Together the Past: Letters and Diaries Shed Light on Revolutionary War Soldiers

Amidst the chaos of battle and musket fire, Patriot soldiers fought for freedom not just with weapons, but with relentless effort and ingenuity.

They dug trenches through hard red clay to inch closer to enemy forts, hauled supplies across rough terrain under the cover of night, and used unconventional methods to treat battlefield injuries. These unseen efforts fueled the fight for American independence.

Trevor Woods, a historian and ranger with the National Park Service at Ninety Six National Historic Site, shared the experiences of several Patriots from the 1781 Siege of Ninety Six during a February 6 meeting of the Issaqueena Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution.

“Trevor captivated our Chapter with stories of the hardships faced by soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary War,” remarked Stephanie Bowen, regent of Issaqueena Chapter, NSDAR. “Our members love exploring history to uncover traces of their ancestors’ stories. It’s a way to understand the sacrifices they made and how they helped shape our nation.”

“Muster rolls are very important when doing research of the American Revolutionary War,” said Woods. He explained that while military records provide a snapshot of the soldier’s service – listing their name, rank, regiment and enlistment dates – “they often reveal very little about the person’s life.”

To fill in the gaps, historians rely on personal accounts, using letters, diaries, and firsthand stories to bring the soldier’s experiences to life – which can be a tedious process.

“Citizen archivists at Ninety Six and across the U.S. are translating and digitizing handwritten letters and personal memories of the Revolution,” said Woods. He shared one account of a battlefield surgeonwho used a rare technique to treat a soldier’s serious head wound.

“The surgeon melted and hammered together silver coins to create a metal plate, which he then placed over the wound on the soldier’s skull,” explained Woods. “Remarkably, the soldier survived and lived to be 95 years old.”

Research efforts into the lives of these and other Patriots is ongoing as the Ninety Six National Historic Site prepares to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the 1775 Battle of Ninety Six this November.Learn more at www.nps.gov/nisi.

Photo: Trevor Woods, a historian and ranger with the National Park Service at Ninety Six National Historic Site, shares the stories of several Patriots of the American Revolution who fought at the Siege of Ninety Six during a presentation for the Issaqueena Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution on Thursday, February 6.  Photo by Karen Petit