April 15- 23, 1781
Fort Watson, near Scott’s Lake and the Santee River, was part of a vital communication and supply network for the British during their occupation of South Carolina. After an eight-day siege here by Patriot forces under the command of Brigadier General Francis Marion and Lieutenant Colonel Henry Lee, this strategic outpost fell to the Americans, who used an ingenious structure called Maham’s Tower to fire down into the fort and trap the enemy.