"H" is for Huck, Christian (d. 1780)

"H" is for Huck, Christian (d. 1780). Soldier. Christian Huck was a loyalist captain of dragoons under Banastre Tarlton. A Philadelphia lawyer, Huck was known for viciousness and his intense hatred of all patriots, especially Scots-Irish Presbyterians. He commanded British outposts around Camden and participated in actions involving Tarleton’s Legions. In June 1780 he and his command burned the houses and plantations of known patriots in the Catawba Valley of Upper South Carolina. In response, a loosely organized group of five hundred up countrymen set out to destroy Huck’s force. On June 12, 1780, the patriots attacked at dawn, catching Huck and his men totally by surprise. While trying to escape, Christian Huck was mortally wounded and all the men of his command either captured or killed in the battle that became known as “Huck’s Defeat.”