Almost 250 years ago in the woods of what became Laurens County, South Carolina, a teenage girl risked her life for the cause of American freedom. Dicey Langston served as a spy and rescued family members and Patriot militiamen from vengeful Loyalists. Dicey’s most daring effort was to sneak away from the family cabin after dark. She walked five or so miles to the Enoree River, crossed it, walked another five miles, and found her brother. She warned him and his troops of an imminent attack by Loyalists. After preparing an early breakfast of hoecakes, Dicey re-crossed the Enoree and sneaked into her bed before daybreak.
On another occasion Loyalists broke into the Langston’s cabin and pulled a gun on her father. They suspected Dicey was interfering with their plans, so they demanded that her father tell them about Dicey’s comings and goings. She darted in front of the gun and offered to take the first bullet. The Loyalists left without firing a shot.
Another time, the opponents of the Revolution stopped Dicey on a local road. Pointing a gun straight at her, they demanded she share military intelligence with them. She pulled aside a kerchief and told them they could shoot her in the heart, but she would not tell them anything. They gave up, remounted their horses, and rode away.
A few years back, the South Carolina 250 Commission recruited me to explore the Dicey Langston stories. Were any of the accounts true? Where did she live? What age was she? I proved she lived near present-day Clinton, SC, and Musgrove Mill State Historical Park. She undoubtedly performed some if not all of the heroic deeds that have riveted readers and listeners since the end of the Revolution. And she was only fifteen!
The following year, at age sixteen, Dicey married Thomas Springfield. Before long she started having babies, twenty-two, in fact. The Springfields moved to Travelers Rest, SC, in Greenville County. Nowadays, two South Carolina counties, Laurens and Greenville, claim Dicey as their own. Laurens County has placed an historic marker at Langston Baptist Church, near the homestead. It’s on the Laurens County Revolutionary War Driving Trail.
In April 2026, the Greenville Symphony Orchestra performed at the world premiere of Dicey Langston: The South Carolina Girl Who Defied an Army. Glorious music! Dicey is also the protagonist of numerous plays, songs, and video recreations. She recently became the focus of a new exhibit at the Children’s Museum of the Upstate. It is “Life in the Upstate: 1776.” While at the museum, children learn by playing. The kids have plenty of both in the new Dicey exhibit.
And most recently the Town of Travelers Rest erected a more-than-life-sized statue of Dicey in a prominent spot on the Swamp Rabbit Trail.
When I finish presentations about Dicey, I often close by saying, “Dicey was the real deal!” She was, and I am happy to have played a small role in helping her find her proper place in the annals of heroines of the American Revolution. Find my article at SC250.com/Resources/EducationResources/Publications. See also https://southcarolina250.com/dicey-langston-a-revolutionary-story-still-inspiring-new-generations/.