One of the most powerful stories of the American Revolution in South Carolina is not about a general or a battle. It is about a teenage girl.
Laodicea “Dicey” Langston was a young patriot who is now inspiring the next generation through music, art, and her compelling story of heroism.
Born in 1766 in South Carolina’s Ninety Six District, which is now Laurens County, Dicey was a teenager when she risked her life to defend her family and warn Patriot forces during the Revolutionary War. Her bravery helped save lives and disrupt Loyalist attacks at a critical moment in the fight for independence. Nearly 250 years later, her story continues to inspire South Carolinians in powerful and unexpected ways.
Dicey Langston grew up along an important colonial road, in an area that brought frequent Loyalist activity near her family’s home. Her father, Solomon Langston was a Patriot supporter, and her brothers served as Patriot soldiers. Because of the family’s close proximity to troops, Dicey started overhearing plans made by Loyalists.
Dicey understood the danger, but also knew it was important to pass along the information she was learning to help protect her brother and other Patriot forces. When Loyalists discovered her actions, she was warned to stop or face deadly consequences. Her father’s life and property were directly threatened.
Dicey paused briefly, but when she learned that a group of Loyalists known as the “Bloody Scouts,” led by William “Bloody Bill” Cunningham, planned to attack the Eden settlement where her brother and others were camped, she knew she could not stay quiet. In 1781, she traveled miles through the night by foot, horseback, and water, crossing rivers and nearly losing her life. She reached the Patriot camp in time to warn the soldiers, who then alerted nearby residents and prevented the attack.
Another time, Loyalists arrived at the Langston home and threatened to kill any supporters of the Patriot cause. When they pointed a gun at her father, Dicey stepped directly in front of him, daring them to shoot. The Loyalists left, shaken by her courage.
Dicey continued to support the Patriot cause throughout the war. After independence was secured, she married Thomas Springfield and later moved to Travelers Rest, where she spent much of her adult life, raised twenty-two children, and it is now where her legacy is being honored in meaningful and visible ways.
One of the most unexpected and moving tributes to Dicey Langston is coming through music.
The Greenville Symphony Orchestra has partnered with local teenage girls to help tell Dicey’s story through a newly commissioned orchestral work. Supported in part by an SC250 grant, the project brings together historians, professional musicians, and students who are close to the age Dicey was during the Revolution.
Through workshops, the students shared their ideas with composer Peter B. Kay and Greenville Symphony musicians to translate Dicey’s journey into sound. Their goal was to capture fear, determination, movement, and bravery. The process invited young people to see themselves in Dicey’s story and to understand that courage and leadership are not limited by age or gender. Among the students invited to take part, was a high school sophomore who is a descendent of Dicey!
The world premiere of Dicey Langston: The South Carolina Girl Who Defied an Army will be performed by the Greenville Symphony Orchestra on Saturday, April 25, 2026, and Sunday, April 26, 2026, at the Peace Center’s Gunter Theatre. Tickets are available through the Greenville Symphony Orchestra.
In keeping with the spirit of the project, the Greenville Symphony Orchestra is casting a teenage female narrator to portray Dicey herself. The role allows the story to be told in the voice of a young woman not unlike Dicey, reinforcing the connection between past and present.
Auditions will be held at Centre Stage in Greenville on Saturday, January 31, 2026, with girls ages thirteen and older invited to apply. The selected narrator will perform alongside the orchestra and participate fully in rehearsals and performances. Learn more and register here.
The public can learn more about Dicey Langston’s story and the creative process behind the symphony’s work through a Lunchbox Learning program at the Upcountry History Museum on March 18, 2026.
This program explores how a musical commission begins, how composers develop themes and structure, and how collaboration between historians, musicians, educators, and students brings new work to life. Lunchbox Learning programs are free for museum members and included with general admission for all other guests.
Dicey Langston’s legacy is also preserved through historic interpretation and public spaces designed to educate and inspire.
In 2025, a historical marker was unveiled at Langston Baptist Church, organized in the 1770s on land donated by Dicey’s father. The church stands near the Langston homeplace and family cemetery, connecting visitors directly to the landscape where Dicey’s story unfolded.
In Travelers Rest, a life-sized statue of Dicey Langston is being created by artist Nick Ring as part of the Dicey Langston Heritage Park near the historic Spring Park Inn. Look for it to be unveiled in late spring or early summer. The project includes a botanical garden, a children’s learning garden, a Revolutionary War themed “Spy Hunt” trail, and interpretive signage featuring the Charters of Freedom.
As South Carolina approaches the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, Dicey Langston’s story reminds us that the fight for independence was shaped not only by soldiers and statesmen, but by young people willing to act with courage.
Through music, education, and historic preservation, SC250 continues to elevate stories like Dicey’s. By inviting young people to help tell these stories today, we ensure that the values Dicey Langston embodied, including courage, conviction, and service, continue to inspire South Carolina and America for generations to come.