African American History at Historic Brattonsville

09/02/2026

☀️ A wonderful couple of days ahead at Historic Brattonsville for 🗓️

- Thurs. Sep 3: “A Good Simple Sallat” and seasonal vegetables
- Fri. Sep. 4: “Rations of the Enslaved People” - 19th century foodways
- Sat. Sep 5: Woodworking at 18th Century Living History Saturday

09/01/2026

08/28/2026

This year’s By the Sweat of our Brows centers on the experience of enslaved people of African descent during the Revolutionary War in honor of this year’s . At By the Sweat of our Brows, you'll have the chance to meet the descendants, hear untold stories, and go on a Huck’s Defeat battlefield tour, featuring the stories of Watt, Weaver George, and Miller Sam. Today, we'll discover a brief snapshot of Watt's story.

Unfortunately, very little is known about Watt. What we know for sure can be summed up as follows: he was a person of African descent who was enslaved by William and Martha Bratton at the time of Huck’s Defeat in July of 1780. It is unclear as to how Watt came to be enslaved by the Brattons, and we do not know when he was born. Family tradition suggests that on July 11, 1780, Martha Bratton, sent Watt to inform her husband of Huck’s presence in the area. An article in the Charlotte Observer dated September 28, 1930 recounts the story: “While the British were still at the Bratton house, Mrs. Bratton resorted to a stratagem to send word to her husband of the enemy’s presence. Ostensibly sending a faithful slave named Watt for the cows, she dispatched him to meet Colonel Bratton and apprise him of the developments at his home.”

Samuel Mendenhall also recounts the story of Watt in his 1989 book, entitled 𝘛𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘠𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘺. Mendenhall states that Watt took it upon himself to find Col. Bratton: “quietly, without arousing the suspicions of the British, he stealthily moved away from the troops, found a horse and when at a safe distance, mounted it and rode as fast as he could to Colonel Bratton’s camp on the Catawba River…” Regardless, it is evident that the Brattons held Watt in high regard, as evidenced by the tombstone which was erected for Watt and his wife, Polly, after their deaths in 1837 and 1838, respectively.

The tombstone reads: “Sacred to the memory of Watt, who died December, 1837. During the American Revolutionary War he served his master, Col. William Bratton, faithfully, and his children with the same fidelity until his death. Also Polly his wife who died July 1838 who served the same family with equal faithfulness.”

Both Watt and Polly are mentioned by name in Colonel Bratton’s will, dated December 27, 1813, along with 21 other enslaved individuals. In his will, William Bratton left both Watt and Polly to his youngest son, John Simpson Bratton, along with two other enslaved people named Jim and Nelson. It has been suggested that Jim and Nelson could have been Watt and Polly’s sons.

Join us on Saturday, Sept. 12 from 10-4. Tickets and event details are available at chmuseums.org/event/sweat/

08/17/2026

What can history tell us when we look at it from the perspective of someone whose story has too often been left in the margins?

This year’s centers on the experience of enslaved people of African descent during the Revolutionary War in honor of this year’s .

One of these key people is Polly. While many details are not known about Watt and Polly, we do know they were enslaved by the Bratton family. Watt’s name is known from the stories surrounding the Battle of Huck’s Defeat in 1780 when he warned Col. Bratton of the British advance and both Watt and Polly are named in William Bratton’s 1813 will. After their deaths in 1837 and 1838, a headstone was erected in their memory, recording their years of service to the Bratton family. It is available to view at Historic Brattonsville’s Enslaved Ancestral Burial Ground.

More than names on a document or gravestone, Watt and Polly have untold stories. At By the Sweat of Our Brows on Sep. 12, visitors will have the opportunity to explore an 18th-century house through a special “Look With Your Hands” tour from Polly’s perspective. Consider her work, knowledge, skill, and lived experience through looking at the past through her eyes.

Tickets and event details are available at chmuseums.org/event/sweat/

South Carolina 250

08/13/2026

The 800-acre York County living history site was honored for interpreting the Carolina Piedmont’s past, including its Enslaved Ancestral Burial Ground, where 48...

08/12/2026

In honor of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, this living history event centers on the experience of enslaved people of African descent during the war. These are candid conversations that need to be shared! Join us on Saturday, September 12 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. for By the Sweat of our Brows. Meet descendants and hear their stories, experience site tours, a “Look with Your Hands” tour of an 18th century house, and more.

Tickets are on sale now at chmuseums.org/event/sweat/