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Martyr of the American Revolution: The Execution of Isaac Hayne, South Carolinian Hardcover – January 2, 2017
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An examination of how a local incident ended in the execution of a prominent American by the British for treason
In 1781 South Carolina patriot militiamen played an integral role in helping the Continental army reclaim their state from its British conquerors. Martyr of the American Revolution is the only book-length treatment that examines the events that set an American militia colonel on a disastrous collision course with two British officers, his execution in Charleston, and the repercussions that extended from the battle lines of South Carolina to the Continental Congress and across the Atlantic to the halls of British Parliament.
On August 4, 1781, in Charleston, South Carolina, the British army hanged Col. Isaac Hayne for treason. Rather than a strict chronological retelling of the events, which led to his execution during the British occupation of Charleston, what is offered instead is a consideration of factors, independently set in motion that culminated in the demise of a loving father and devout patriot.
Hayne was the most prominent American executed by the British for treason. He and his two principal antagonists, Lt. Col. Nisbet Balfour and Lt. Col. Francis Lord Rawdon, were unwittingly set on a collision course that climaxed in an act that sparked perhaps the most notable controversy of the war. Martyr of the American Revolution sheds light on why two professional soldiers were driven to commit a seemingly wrongheaded and arbitrary deed that halted prisoner exchange and nearly brought disastrous consequences to captive British officers.
The death of a patriot in the cause of liberty was not a unique occurrence, but the unusually well-documented events surrounding the execution of Hayne and the involvement of his friends and family makes his story compelling and poignant. Unlike young Capt. Nathan Hale, who suffered a similar fate in 1776, Hayne did not become a folk hero. What began as local incident, however, became an international affair that was debated in Parliament and the Continental Congress.
- Print length200 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherUniversity of South Carolina Press
- Publication dateJanuary 2, 2017
- Dimensions6 x 0.8 x 9.1 inches
- ISBN-101611177189
- ISBN-13978-1611177183
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"An excellent contribution to Revolutionary War scholarship, C.L. Bragg presents a thoroughly researched and fresh look at one of the most well-known, but heretofore not completely understood moments in South Carolina's past. Bragg offers an intriguing account of the events, principal actors, and legacy of the tragedy that was Isaac Hayne."―Carl P. Borick, director, Charleston Museum
"Although the British execution of South Carolina militia colonel Isaac Hayne in 1781 produced international repercussions at the time, both Hayne and the controversy surrounding his death have since languished in obscurity. Bragg refocuses needed attention on the importance of Hayne's execution in this tightly written, meticulously researched account of the incident."―Jim Piecuch, author of Three Peoples, One King: Loyalists, Indians, and Slaves in the Revolutionary South, 1775-1782
"The execution of South Carolina patriot Isaac Hayne was just one of the many atrocities that the British army of occupation committed in South Carolina. And, it had the opposite effect than what had been intended. Instead of cowing Carolinians, it infuriated and emboldened them. Anyone interested in trying to understand the American Revolution, especially the conflict in the South, will want to add Chip Bragg's book to their bookshelf."―Walter Edgar, author of Partisans and Redcoats: The Southern Conflict that Turned the Tide of the American Revolution
"Isaac Hayne was one of the most tragic figures of the American Revolution, but his story has remained obscure. Making extensive use of original source materials, C.L. Bragg reveals the very human story of a man who fell victim to forces in the war that were largely out of his control."―David Wilson, author of The Southern Strategy: Britain's Conquest of South Carolina and Georgia, 1775-1780
"Caught between the demands of his British captors and his fellow Whigs, Isaac Hayne was forced to make a difficult political choice that produced tragic consequences. Hayne has long deserved a historian as thorough and thoughtful as C. L. Bragg. In his sensitive examination of Hayne's dilemma and the motivations of British officials, Bragg has produced a book that is both riveting and definitive."―Greg Massey, Freed-Hardeman University
"Although mostly unknown and forgotten today, Hayne's case is another example of the lengths to which patriots will go when they feel their rights and liberty are threatened and certainly have no hesitation in sacrificing themselves for their country."―The Journal of America's Military Past
About the Author
C. L. "Chip" Bragg is a practicing anesthesiologist in Thomasville, Georgia. His lifelong passion for American history has resulted in three previously published books: Distinction in Every Service: Brigadier General Marcellus A. Stovall, C.S.A., the critically acclaimed Never for Want of Powder: The Confederate Powder Works in Augusta, Georgia, of which he is coauthor, and Crescent Moon over Carolina: William Moultrie and American Liberty.
Product details
- Publisher : University of South Carolina Press (January 2, 2017)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 200 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1611177189
- ISBN-13 : 978-1611177183
- Item Weight : 1.1 pounds
- Dimensions : 6 x 0.8 x 9.1 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,234,077 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #562 in Historical France Biographies
- #880 in American Revolution Biographies (Books)
- #2,636 in U.S. Revolution & Founding History
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“Had the enemy wit enough to play a generous game, we should be ruined; but with them humanity is out of the question. They will treat people with severity…till they accomplish their own destruction.” - General Francis Marion
The name “Isaac Hayne” probably doesn’t conjure up visions of heroism and heart swells of patriotism within you. In fact, I’d be surprised if you knew the name Isaac Hayne at all.
Once again, local author Chip Bragg has rediscovered and illuminated another golden nugget of our national and regional history through his new book, Martyr of the American Revolution: The Execution of Isaac Hayne, South Carolinian. In it, Bragg shares the remarkable story of Hayne and his date with the gallows through the work of the near-defeated British army in Charleston.
Of course, most with even an elementary knowledge of our national history know the name Nathan Hale, how he was a spy for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, eventually captured by the British and executed in 1776.
The story of Hayne is no less stirring or significant historically. A part of South Carolina society, a strong supporter of the cause of American liberty, and through series of somewhat spiteful events (quite fueled by British frustration), Hayne was found guilty of (at best questionable) treason charges and publicly executed for his ‘crime’ on August 4, 1781.
His name became a rallying cry for many southern patriots. Forced by the British to choose which side held their allegiance, Southerners that otherwise might have been loyal to King and crown were so embittered by what happened to Hayne they wholly dedicated themselves to the cause of American liberty.
Hayne’s execution became one of the more well-known controversies of the Revolutionary War, written about by such historically regarded figures as “Light Horse” Harry Lee and William Moultrie. So, the question must be asked – how is it that a name as clearly historically significant could be so relegated to obscurity?
Bragg delves deeply into this question. Basically, his legacy was steamrolled by what can only be described as a ‘northern’ form of selective memory.
When most Americans are asked about their knowledge of the Revolutionary War, images of George Washington crossing the Delaware come up. Everyone knows about Valley Forge, or Yorktown. But how many Americans know about King’s Mountain, or Cowpens?
And if someone associated with the near miracle of the Revolution could be identified as its martyr, most would go straight to Hale, who uttered his famous quote “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country” on the gallows.
As Bragg mentions in the book, a review of the history in question shows that the north and south saw the Revolution through two very regionally colored sets of glasses. When you think of the bitter regional divide regarding states’ rights and slavery that grew in the decades following American independence, it’s easy to see how even historians themselves saw the events of the Revolution quite differently.
And, to be sure, after the War for Southern Independence ended, the northern view of the narrative became even more prominent, as almost all of the publishing houses were located there. So, interestingly enough, by winning the Civil War, the north not only got to write the history of that war but also essentially took control of the eventual view of the Revolution as well.
A colonel in the South Carolina militia, Hayne was taken prisoner in Charles Town. British Gen. Clinton, threatened confiscation of all property of all who continued to resist the Crown, but offered full pardons to all who would return their allegiance excepting those who had executed loyal subjects.
Hayne returned home under the terms of parole only to be approached by a Tory neighbor, Colonel Robert Ballingall, with orders to return to Charles Town as a prisoner or to swear allegiance to the Crown. His wife and children sick with smallpox, Hayne felt he had no choice but to agree with the British demands. He signed an agreement that he would act as a British subject only while the British controlled the area and only as long as their protection benefited him or until the patriots regained the land.
By the spring of 1781 the British were losing the war and held control of little of South Carolina other than Charles Town. Hayne believed he was no longer bound by his agreement and resumed his active efforts on behalf of the Patriot cause. He organized a new troop of militia and set about gaining supplies for his troops and the patriot supporters in the area.
In July he and his men captured Gen. Andrew Williamson, an American who had gone over to the British. The British retaliated by surprising Hayne, capturing him and returning him to Charles Town where he was held until – mostly out of spite – he was ordered to be hanged as an example to others who supported the patriot cause.
Bragg adds even more spice to the tale by offering the reader an in-depth look at the men who sealed Hayne’s fate, as well as the official documents associated with his story.
For any real student of American history, Martyr of the American Revolution is a must-read. As with so many other things, the question “how have I never heard of this before?” will resonate in your head – and your heart.
(Available from The Bookshelf and at Amazon.)