Burch's Mill

Burch’s Mill, located near the banks of the Little Pee Dee River, was the site of a pivotal moment in South Carolina’s Revolutionary War history. On June 8, 1782, Brigadier General Francis Marion and Major Micajah Ganey, leader of the local Loyalist militia, met here to sign a final treaty of peace. Though they had fought each other in numerous skirmishes over the previous two years, both men recognized the need to bring an end to the partisan warfare that had torn apart the Pee Dee region. The treaty required Loyalists to lay down their arms, return civilian property, and serve six months in the Patriot militia, marking the effective end of open conflict in the area.

The road to Burch’s Mill was a long one. Ganey, once a Patriot officer, had changed sides after his plantation was raided by fellow revolutionaries. He built a formidable Loyalist force—sometimes numbering over 500 men—and became one of Marion’s most persistent opponents. That their final meeting took place at a local mill, rather than a battlefield, speaks to the war’s gradual shift from violence to negotiation in its closing months. Today, Burch’s Mill stands as a symbol of reconciliation in the Pee Dee, closely tied to other Francis Marion sites such as Snow’s Island, Witherspoon’s Ferry, and Port’s Ferry.