Graham's Historic Farm has been in the family since William Graham founded it in 1738. At the time of the Revolution, his grandson, Hugh Graham, who served under Francis Marion owned the farm with his father Nielson. British prisoners were brought to Hugh's farm after the battle of Tearcoat on their way to General Harrington in Cheraw. 

 

Hugh's uncle, John Graham was a Captain in the 2nd South Carolina Regiment and in the SC militia under Major Francis Marion. Documents show Captain John Graham, Major Francis Marion, and Colonel William Moultrie marched from Georgetown district with the 2nd SC Regiment to build a fort out of sand and palmetto trees. This fort later became known as Fort Moultrie. The successful defense of Charleston in late June 1776 gave the founding fathers the courage to send out the Declaration of Independence on July 4th. Hugh's brothers William and Arthur Graham also served in the Continental Army.  Both died from injuries sustained in the war.

Original documents show that the farm actively supplied food for the Continental Army during the war, and was also used as a stop-over camp site for Patriot forces, including Francis Marion's brigade of partisans and captured British troops. Graham's farm played an important role in support of Patriot forces during the "dark days" of the southern campaign at significant risk to the family.

The farm remains with the Graham family today. All of the period buildings have been lost to time, but the farmland itself remains in active use, and the site is largely untouched by modern intrusions.

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Florence and Williamsburg counties had several hundred militia and full-time Continental soldiers fighting for America's freedom from British rule. Many of their descendants still live in the area today.

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British Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton & Francis Marion "The Swamp Fox": 

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Colonel Banastre Tarleton was sent to capture or kill Marion in November 1780; he despaired of finding the "old swamp fox", who eluded him by traveling along swamp paths. It was Tarleton who gave Marion his nom de guerre when, after unsuccessfully pursuing Marion's troops for over 26 miles through a swamp, he gave up and swore "[a]s for this damned old fox, the Devil himself could not catch him."[1] Once Marion had shown his ability at guerrilla warfare, making himself a serious nuisance to the British, Gov. John Rutledge (in exile in North Carolina) commissioned him a brigadier general of state troops. [2]

 

One of many family receipts, the below reads: "Received November 10, 1780 of Mr. Hugh Grimes* two bushels of corn and dinner for eleven men being a detachment from Colonel Marion carrying prisoners to General Harrington."
*Grimes was a pseudonym for Graham that was used during the Revolutionary War. 

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The present day proprietors of Graham's Farm are direct descendants of the following: 

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- Hugh Graham ( Grimes) Private - Francis Marion's Brigade  45 days service

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- Zacharia Owens- Private  - Francis Marion's Brigade 334 days service and 26 Battles from      August 1, 1780 to August 24, 1781.

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- James McCutchen - Dragoon - 42 days service in 1779.

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- William Cox - Private - Numerous short term stints from 1779 to 1783

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In all 12 members of  Hugh's family fought for and supported the cause for freedom in the

American Revolution.  Those include wealthy land owner, Thomas McCrae who frequently supplied Marion, and Peter Horry; and William Thompson, who fought with Sumter.