Failed Explorer

Last year, my work had me driving past a historical marker a few times each week.  The sign marked the Long Cane Massacre and is north of McCormick, South Carolina. 

I wasn't sure what happened there, but I thought I would drive down the road and find out.  I headed down a road with a few houses on it and it soon turned to a single lane dirt road.  I continued.  I was now in the middle of nowhere and the excitement of exploration kept me going.  

I then came to this old bridge.  There were signs that warned of a weight limit.  

I stopped my car and thought about it.  How heavy is my car?  How much farther would the historical site be?  What happens if the bridge doesn't hold?

I thought that my car was under the weight limit, probably MUCH under the limit but I wasn't sure.  I decided to turn around. Falling into an old creek with no way to get rescued was not on my agenda that day.  It's usually not on my agenda ANY day.

I felt like a failed explorer.  I gave up too easy.  I headed home and looked up the place on Google - like a normal person would do.

Here's what happened at Cane Creek Massacre:

Three miles west is the site of an attack by Cherokee Indians upon settlers of Long Canes in the Cherokee War of 1759-1761. There on February 1, 1760, about 150 settlers, refugeeing to Augusta, were overtaken by 100 Cherokee warriors. Twenty-three victims left on the scene of action are there buried in one grave.

The Long Cane settlement was a border between the settlers and the Cherokee and was a dangerous place to live.  The leader of Long Cane was Patrick Calhoun, father of John C Calhoun (congressman, senator, and vice president of the US).

This LINK has more information including the names of people that lived in the Long Cane settlement as well as those that died in the massacre. 

Although I initially felt like a failed explorer when it came to crossing the old bridge, I continued the exploration at home and still came away learning a piece of South Carolina history. I wouldn't consider that a failure.