James Steen

Who was James Steen?

Lt. Col. James Steen was a successful planter who, at the time of the American revolution, resided in the Thicketty Creek area of what was once the northern part of Union County and is now part of Cherokee County, South Carolina. Steen, a stanch Presbyterian, had been born in County Antrim, Ulster Province, Ireland in about 1734. In the 1750s, he moved to America along with his father's family, that included his brother John Steen. Originally residing in Pennsylvania for only a few years, John and James both had recorded land deeds on Thicketty Creek 1766 & 1767.

Both John and James Steen, as well as many other local natives of Thicketty, South Carolina, were heavily involved in the American Revolution. There were families who were British loyalists, as well as families such as the Steen's who were Whigs and Colonial Militia Officers. In quite a few instances, Thicketty Creek neighbors found themselves on opposite sides and battles throughout the war, in surrounding areas.

According to Lyman Draper, as written in his well-known book titled Kings Mountain and Its Heroes: