Even small fields can be great battlefields The Battle of Beckhamville
Beckhamville, Chester County
British under Housman surprised and defeated by a band of 33 Patriots under Capt. John McClure with 9 Gaston brothers
and neighbors, who struck first blow for liberty and resisted attempt to subject people to the oath of allegiance to
the King. Erected by citizens of Chester Co. and Mary Adair Chapter DAR May 10, 1942."
The granite monument has seen better times, but there is a resurgence here that could save the memorial from further degredation. A re-enactment group now meets in this field each year to celebrate the action of the 33 men that found the courage to stand against the Crown.
Loyalty oaths had been around in England since the 15th century. They were used as a tool to intimidate the local populace, and identify those that could be troublemakers for the official representatives of the King. No doubt these 33 men had certainly placed their families at risk just to assemble - to attack the Loyalists was to ensure their position as enemies of the Crown.
It's unclear why the DAR marker shows the date of the battle as May 1780 and most of the research references I found show the date as June.
