Bronco of 96: The Cherokee War

Patsy H. Manley is a retired public school teacher. She taught English Composition and Literature for 35 years. She and her family lived on 34 acres of land at the end of a dirt road 2.5 miles east of Ninety Six, SC. Her students often commented that she should be teaching history, not English. Her fascination with history led her to research the town of 96 and Star Fort National Historic Site. She and her husband have been involved in several activities where she gained knowledge to use in her books. They raised and showed Appaloosa horses, participated in muzzleloader competitive shooting, and enjoyed primitive camping in a 20 foot teepee. Her philosophy for teaching composition is to first give them something to write about. Whether it was bringing deer jerky for the students to sample, hides for the students to feel, or small teepees for the students to decorate, Mrs. Manley would tease their imaginations and then ask them to put their thoughts into words. At the present, Ninety Six is undertaking a revitalization. There is so much history behind this small rural town and the British Fort known as Star Fort. She hopes her series of adolescent historical fiction novels will assist this movement by encouraging the young people in the Ninety Six School District to investigate the history and promote their historical hometown.