Where Did Dicey Langston Live as a 15- to 16-Year-Old-Girl?

If you’re a descendant of Dicey Langston and Thomas Springfield or if you’re in the DAR or are interested in Revolutionary War heroines, you may have read about Dicey Langston’s heroic deeds. As a 15- or 16-year-old young woman, Dicey spied for the Patriot cause, carrying messages to her brothers (James and Solomon) who fought for the Patriots. On one occasion, she took a middle-of-the-night trip across a river and saved an entire settlement of people.

The city of Traveler’s Rest, South Carolina is raising funds for a monument in Dicey’s honor. But Traveler’s Rest is where Dicey lived after she was married to Thomas Springfield. It’s where they reared their 15 children who reached adulthood. (Dicey actually gave birth to 22 children according to her obituary.)

Dicey’s heroic adventures as a 15 to 16-year-old young woman did not take place in Traveler’s Rest. They occurred in Laurens District, SC, in a town which is called Clinton, SC today. This is where her parents, Solomon and Sarah Langston, had a farm and reared their family.

Visiting the Home of Dicey Langston’s Youth

My husband and I took a day-trip to Laurens, SC in search of the various locations of Dicey’s adventures. For example, we found the location where she most likely crossed the Enoree River in the middle of the night to save the Elder Settlement at Little Eden. (Click here to watch a video which shows the place she most likely crossed.)

The Solomon Langston home is no longer standing, and the farmland and the Langston Family Cemetery on Solomon’s land is now private property. If you are a Langston descendent, you can arrange to see the cemetery by contacting the owners of the land ahead of time. This is what we did and arranged to visit the cemetery on Friday (11/3/23).

The Solomon Langston farm (now private property) is about 1/2 mile from Langston Baptist Church (formed in 1773 on land donated by Solomon Langston). The address for Langston Baptist Church is 1474 Langston Rd., Clinton, SC.

Visiting the Langston Family Cemetery

Dicey and Thomas are not buried in the Langston Family Cemetery. They are buried on private land in Traveler’s Rest, SC. But Dicey’s father Solomon Langston is buried in the Langston Family Cemetery. The DAR has replaced his headstone because most of the headstones in the cemetery are severely decayed and unreadable. I’m assuming Solomon’s wife Sarah Langston’s grave is beside his, but there is no readable marker there. Some of the other gravestones are readable. They are Henry Langston and his wife’s grave and some of their children’s graves. Henry is Solomon and Sarah’s son and Dicey’s brother. Henry is one of the family members I included in The Patriot Wore Petticoats.

Here is a video we made at the Langston Family Cemetery in Laurens District (Clinton) South Carolina on 11/3/23. You’ll also see what used to be the road leading to the house. It is believed that the house is within viewing distance of the cemetery. The current owner has a new home on the property, but it isn’t where the Langston home would have been located. The owner told us that they found some old broken dishes and things further behind their house in the opposite direction of the cemetery.

My Experience Sitting by Solomon Langston’s Grave

The cemetery felt like hallowed ground to me. I sat on the rock wall in front of Solomon’s tombstone and reflected on my 5th great grandfather and grandmother, their daughter Dicey (my 4th great grandmother), and her siblings who sacrificed so much for the liberty that I enjoy today. I almost felt as if I were at a family reunion of sorts, surrounded by my progenitors who know me from their place in heavenly realms.

As I sat there at the grave, I felt the need to remove my shoes and socks and sit on the rock with my feet nestled into the soft leaves and soil of my origins. It felt as if I had come home in some way… not to a home I needed to reside now, but to the home of my roots. I felt like I belonged there, and I felt welcomed by the land and by the people who were laid to rest on this family property.

As I sat reflecting, I could almost hear Dicey’s horse’s hooves riding up the road to the Langston home. The road would have been to my right as I sat facing Solomon’s grave (see photo).

I felt a sense of family love that the Langston’s had for each other and that they even have for me. I felt as if they knew I was there, knew I’d written a book about them, knew my thoughts. I’ve been considering making a second edition of The Patriot Wore Petticoats. My novel writing skills have improved significantly since I wrote that first novel, and I’d love to do more justice to the story now that I know how. I felt as if they knew I was considering it and liked the idea.

In the peaceful stillness of the cemetery, I felt as if I came to know the Langston family on a deeper heartfelt level. I felt I better knew their hearts and the love that they shared for each other and for their country. I knew that when I rewrite the novel, I will include more of that – more interaction between the Langston family members and will bring more of their values shining through in the stories.

Have you visited the Langston Family Cemetery? If you’re a descendent of Solomon Langston, did you feel a connection? I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences!