Preservationists are working to extend the life of a rare Revolutionary War ‘witness tree’
Eutaw Springs, South Carolina witnessed the final open field battle of the American Revolution over 245 years ago. Historian Garrison Marcoux, with the South Carolina Battlefield Preservation Trust, contemplates the events that unfolded beneath the branches of a massive live oak. The tree potentially bore witness to the conflict, including the deaths of soldiers and the combatants' movements.
The oak is now a 'witness tree' that faces its own battle for survival. Despite multiple attempts to save it, the tree is being choked by chains and cables meant to support its structure. Preservationists are actively working to save this unique, living reminder of an often overlooked chapter in U.S. history.
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