The Independent
·24 Aug 2026
This tree witnessed one of America’s bloodiest battles. Now it’s fighting to survive
A nearly 300-year-old live oak at South Carolina’s Eutaw Springs battlefield, which witnessed a major 1781 Revolutionary War battle, is threatened by the chains and cables installed decades ago to stabilize damage from lightning. Preservation groups and SavATree are loosening compacted soil, restoring nutrients, installing lightning protection and replacing the constricting supports with a modern system designed to let the tree move naturally. The effort aims to preserve the historic tree for at least another century.