USA > South Carolina > Orangeburg County > The history of Orangeburg County, South Carolina : from its first settlement to the close of the Revolutionary War > Part 17
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""""Mankind love a social life, and as the Lord drew me back in many wonderful ways, I came. therefore,
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ORANGEBURG COUNTY.
nearer to him; notwithstanding I always attended to my religious services and prayer, but with a heart cold and averted from God. Through such exercises of the heart I arrived at a knowledge of my sins, and learned how awfully the human race had fallen from God, and how low all mankind, without exception, are sunken in depravity. As soon as I experienced this, I earnestly besought God day and night for forgiveness, for the Holy Spirit, for a pure heart, and for saving faith, and I felt the necessity of retirement to restrain my thoughts, and to prevent the Divine work from being hindered in me. In this retirement I forgot the turmoil of the world. In this light I regarded all vain desires and thoughts and all human works as by na- ture damnable in the sight of God. Fear and sorrow now seized upon my poor soul, and I thought, what shall I do to be saved? It was shown me that noth- ing would suffice but being born again of water and of the Spirit. Realizing that I could not be saved in any other way, I prayed still more earnestly, and it was shown me still more plainly by the Holy Ghost in my heart how sinful I was (Rom. 7), so that I stood there before the judgment of God; but the judgment of God became manifest in me, so that I judged myself, and confessed that I deserved a thousand-fold to be cast from the presence of God, and wondered that the for- bearance of the Lord had not long since hurled me, poor and condemned wretch, into the lowest pit of destruction; and then too, I saw the whole world lay in sin. Feeling myself so lost, I cast myself entirely upon the mercy of God to lead me according to his holy will and pleasure, whether unto life or death, if he would only be gracious unto my poor soul for Christ's sake. and pardon my sin, and purify my heart from all uncleanness. Thus I lay at the feet of Jesus with all my heart in submission, sighing and praying
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THE HISTORY OF
night aud day for his grace, and so continued for sev- eral days, until I had passed from death unto life. Then Jesus revealed himself unto my soul. Then there was great joy in heaven over me, a returning sinner. Then all my sins were forgiven me, and I was full of the Holy Ghost, and rejoiced with a joy un- speakably great. This occurred, or I experienced this joy, A. D. 1756, in the month of May. This grace caused me to despise the joy of the world, and to dis- regard its reproach, and kept me, thenceforth, continu- ally with my surety, Jesus, amid many temptations not now to be mentioned, until finally I found rest for my soul. This peace and communion with God I pos- sessed about two years, under every burden of afflic- tion, for I had the grace to enable me, under all cir- cumstances, to submit my will to the mercy of God. Through the grace which was in me I could govern temporal goods without danger to my soul. Upon this followed the great misery and awful fall into sin, already, alas! too well known. The devil bringing me into a greater temptation and fall than was ever known, of which Peter Schmidt was the origin and in- strument. After this, by the providence of God, I was captured and cast into prison, that I might recover my reason, come to a knowledge of my great sins, and confess them before God, that thus it might awaken great wretchedness in my soul, humble me before God and man, yea, beneath all creatures, yea, that I might account myself as the poorest worm. I often thought each and every person too good to speak to me, and interest himself in me. Nevertheless I sought cordial- ly the forgiveness of my sins in the blood of the Lamb of God, my Redeemer, who loved me and died for all my sins, and for his righteousness' sake arose, all which I heartily believe. because I experience again the witness of the Holy Spirit, which testifies unto
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ORANGEBURG COUNTY.
my spirit that I am a child of God. And now, my children, beloved in the Lord, I must leave this world, and, perhaps, behold your face no more in this life. I commend you, therefore, to the protection and mercy of God! Pray without ceasing, learn and read; injure no one willingly and wilfully while you live; labor in- dustriously and faithfully according to your ability; then, if we should meet no more in this world, we may hope to meet each other in heaven, in the world to come; which may the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, grant to you for the sake of the crucified Jesus, Amen. Such cunning and celerity does Satan possess as to cause so great a schism and injury even among the children of God, and to lead them astray, and make them fall so suddenly against their knowl- edge and consent. May God preserve all persons from so great a fall, and trample Satan under foot, for Christ's sake, Amen. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you and all persons, Amen. And I beseech all persons who have been injured by me to forgive me, for Christ's sake.
"""Written or dictated by
"""Jacob Waeber.
"""April 16th, 1761." '
"Dr. Hazelius' account of this tragic affair is as fol- lows:
"'It was about this time that a number of our (Ger- man) people, living on the banks of the Saluda River, in South Carolina, being destitute of ministerial in- struction, agreed to assemble from time to time for singing, prayer, the reading of the Scriptures, and mu- tual edification. This was as it should be, but the enemy soon sowed tares among the wheat, by intro- ducing spiritual pride among the small flock. One man, by the name of Weaver, personated Christ, an- other the Holy Spirit, a certain woman, the wife of
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THE HISTORY OF
Weaver, the Virgin Mary, and one poor fellow was doomed to represent Satan. The curiosity of the peo- ple became highly excited by the strange proceedings on Saluda River, in the neighborhood of what is now called Younginer's Ferry. Excess followed excess, until at length Weaver, representing either Christ or God, ordered, in virtue of his dignity, that Satan should be chained in a subterranean hole, and finally that he should be destroyed. For this purpose they met, placed the unfortunate man in a bed, covered him with pillows, on which some seated themselves, while others stamped with their feet on the bed until the life of the man had become extinct. The corpse was then taken out of bed, and thrown into a burning pile of wood, to be consumed to ashes. The perpetrators of this crime were taken to Charleston and tried. Weaver was found guilty, and suffered the penalty of the law on the gallows. His wife was pardoned.'
"The Rev. Christian Theus furnished Dr. Muhlen- berg with a more detailed description of this sect of Weberites, as he was well acquainted with their do- ings, having lived about twenty-five miles from the place where the murder occurred. At a certain time he came unexpectedly into their meeting, and found Jacob Weber contending that he was God, and the said Peter Schmidt insisting that he himself was Christ, and that the unconverted members must be healed through his stripes.
"Pastor Theus opposing such blasphemy, the leaders became enraged, and threatened his life, and coun- selled with their rabble whether to drown or hang him. He escaped, however, from their hands, fled to the river, and fortunately found a negro with his ca- noe at the shore, sprang into it, was conveyed across, and thus saved his life.
"All traces of this abominable heresy have long since
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ORANGEBURG COUNTY.
been obliterated; neither are there even any descend- ants of Jacob Weber and Peter Schmidt to be found in the Saluda Fork. To what region of country they emigrated, or what was their subsequent history, is not known. The object of history in preserving the record of such deeds is that it might serve as a warn- ing to all not to depart from the truth as revealed in God's word, even in their religion." "That Weber was sincere, his confession, which he made with eternity in view, fully proves; notwithstanding his sincerity, so great was his deception in spiritual things, that he became guilty of the most horrid blas- phemy and the greatest crime known to the law."
x
"In this locality, where the Weberites had their ori- gin, and about that period of time, A. D. 1758, accord- ing to the import of Weber's confession, the Gospel was but seldom preached, and the effects of such neg- lect soon manifested themselves; the people generally gave a loose rein to their passions, rioted in their wantonness, and actually believed that in doing so they were rendering service to God."
These were the people who contributed much to- ward bringing about the "Regulation" troubles, and here is where the largest number of German Tories was to be found during the Revolution, and on that account the whole German population of South Caro- lina has been charged with being of Tory inclination. But let it be remembered that the little angle between the Saluda and Broad rivers-partly in Orangeburgh District and partly in Ninety-Six District-constitu- ted a very small part of South Carolina, and the Ger- mans there settled constituted a very small portion of the South Carolina Germans, and they were not all of them Tories either.
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THE HISTORY OF
Section 4. The Civic Officers of the Period.
Up to 1768, when the Province of South Carolina was divided into districts. the townships of Amelia, Orangeburgh and Saxe-Gotha formed parts of Berkeley County, as already stated, and the only civic officers in those townships were the Justices of the Peace, and the Inquirers and Collectors of taxes. After the formation of St. Matthew's Parish in 1765, representa- tion was allowed that Parish in the Commons House of Assembly of the Province; and after the formation of Orangeburgh District in 1768, a Sheriff, a Jailer and a District Clerk of Court were added to the list of office holders. The following is a very incomplete list, made up from various sources, of the civic officers of the period:
Justices of the Peace .* 1734. Charles Russell.+ 1737. George Haig.# Christian Motte.§ 1747. John Chevillette.
1752. Moses Thomson"
*The office of justice of the peace was a far more important position in Colonial days than it has ever been since. +S. C. Gazette, June 7, 1734. ¿ S. C. Gazette, July 2-9, 1737. He was also at that time a Dep- uty Surveyor General, as will appear by the grants of John Hearn, p. 25, Henry Salley, p. 28, and the grant made April 13, 1739, to Mrs. Mary Russell, in trust for her children .- p. 23. ¿ S. C. Gazette, March 26, 1737. TAs appears by an old original document. ºSouth Caroli- na Gazette, 1752.
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ORANGEBURG COUNTY.
Christian Minnick .* 1753. Moses Thomson, ¡ Christian Minnick.# 1754. Moses Thomson.§ 1756.
Jacob Motte. Moses Thomson,
Tacitus Gailliard, John Chevillette,
Christian Minnick. 1762.
Jacob Motte, Tacitus Gaillard,
Moses Thomson, John Chevillette,
James Mayson. 1765.|
Moses Thomson,
Christian Minnick,
John Chevillette,
Gavin Pou,
Lewis Golson. 1768. Thomas Bond, T Lewis Golson,° Moses Thomson ** William Thomson.++
*South Carolina Gazette, 1752. +South Carolina Gazette, Aug. 6, 1753. ¿ South Carolina Gazette, March 26, 1753. ¿ South Carolina Gazette, March 19, 1754. | "In and for Amelia and Orangeburgh Townships."-From the South Carolina Almanac, 1765. John Govan is mentioned in the same authority as one of the justices of the peace for Granville County. He had probably removed to Granville Coun- ty, for in the Gazette of July 18, 1768, (No. 1711-Supplement) under the caption "Provost-Marshal's Sale", appears the following notice: "On Thursday 25th of August next, will be sold, at public vendue, at the usual place in Charles-Town, All that valuable plantation or tract of 520 acres of land", &c., "whereon John Govan, Esq., deceased, lately lived, situate in Prince Williams parish, Granville-county", &c. TS. C. Gazette, May 9, 1768. ºS. C. Gazette, April 18, May 9, July 4, Sept. 5, Oct. 10, 1768. ** S. C. Gazette, July 11, 1768. ++S. C. Gazette, August 8, 1768.
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THE HISTORY OF
1768-9. Benjamin Farrar,* Barnabas Arthur,* Philip Pearson, (Saxe-Gotha.); Tacitus Gaillard.#
1769-70.§
Moses Thomson, John Chevillette,
William Hopton, Gavin Pou,
Lewis Golson,
Christopher Rowe,
William Thomson, William Arthur,
George Strother.
1770-71.9
Moses Thomson,
Lewis Golson,
William Thomson,
Gavin Pou,
Christopher Rowe,
William Hopton,
John Chevillette, George Strother,
William Arthur.
1775°
Gavin Pou,
Christopher Rowe,
Benjamin Farrar,
John Savage,
John Fairchild,
James Thomson,
Henry Felder,
Donald Bruce.
Justices of the Quorum .* *
1775.
Gavin Pou, Thomas Green, Moses Kirkland,
Christopher Rowe,
Benjamin Farrar,
John Savage,
*See page 219. +S. C. Gazette and Country Journal, June 13, 1769. #The South Carolina Gazette of February 23rd, 1769, announced that the day before the Governor had ordered Tacitus Gaillard's name "struck out of the Commission of the Peace; and at the same time, the said Tacitus Gaillard, as Colonel". ¿ For the townships of Ame- lia, Orangeburgh and Saxe-Gotha in Berkeley County .- The South Carolina Gazette, Oct. 18, 1769. TSouth Carolina Gazette, Oct. 18, 1770. ºS. C. Gazette, Jan. 7, 1775. ** For Orangeburgh District.
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ORANGEBURG COUNTY.
David Pou,
John Fairchild,
Henry Patrick,
Thomas Young,
Joseph Kirkland,
Samuel Rowe,*
William Tucker,
Arthur Symkins,
David Holmes,
John Dicks,
Johannes Beard,
Michael Dickert,
John Chestnut,
Isham Clayton,
Malcolm Clark,
James Thompson,
William Housell,
Henry Felder,
Ephriam Mitchell,
William Brown,
Donald Bruce,
Evan McLaurin,
Lewis Golson,
William Arthur.
Inquirers and Collectors.
1758.+
Amelia and adjacent places:
William Seawright.
Orangeburgh, with the forks of Edisto river and the adjacent places:
Gavin Pou.
The Township of Saxe- Gotha and forks between the Congaree and Wa- teree rivers and adjacent places:
James Leslie, John Lee,
Thomas Kennelly,# Isaac Pennington.
1760.§
The Township of Ame- lia and adjacent places: William Sabb.
*See page 218, foot note. +Stats. of S. C., Vol. IV, page 56-7. ¿ On Dec. 14, 1758, an Ordinance was passed "for rectifying Mistakes in the names of two of the Inquirers, Assessors and Collectors, for the Town- ship of Saxegotha, and the forks between the Congree and Wateree Rivers, and adjacent places, appointed by the Tax Act, passed the 19th May, 1758". James Leslie and Thomas Kennelly were by the mistake in the said Act, called "John Leslie and John Kennelly" .- Stats. of S. C., Vol. IV, pages 73 and 74. ¿ Stats. of S. C., Vol. IV, page 132.
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THE HISTORY OF
Orangeburgh Township, with the forks of Edisto river and adjacent places:
Michael Christopher Rowe.
Saxe-Gotha Township and the fork between the John Pearson, Congaree and the Wa- William Harson, teree rivers and adjacent places:
William Raiford.
1764 .*
For Amelia Township and adjacent places:
Major William Thomson.
Orangeburgh Township, with fork of Edisto river and adjacent places:
Gavin Pou.
Saxe-Gotha Township and the fork between the Congaree and Wateree rivers, and adjacent places:
Robert Goodin,
Andrew Allison.
1765.1
Amelia Township and adjacent places :
Thomas Platt.
Orangeburgh Township, with the forks of Edisto river and adjacent places: !
Gavin Pou.
Saxe-Gotha Township and the fork between the Congaree and Wateree rivers and adjacent places:
John McCord, 1 Isaac Ross.
1766.1
The Parish of St. Mat- } Thomas Platt, thew: Samuel Rowe.
*Stats. of S. C., Vol. IV, page 193.
¡Stats. of S. C., Vol. IV, page 217. Stats. of S. C., Vol. IV, page 242.
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ORANGEBURG COUNTY.
Saxe-Gotha Township and the fork between the Congaree and Wateree rivers and adjacent places:
John Hamilton,' 人 John McCord.
1767 .*
For the Parish of St. 1
Matthew:
John Thomson, John McNichols, Christopher Rowe.
John Thomas,
For the Congarees:
S Thomas Corker, Jr., Thomas Green.
For both sides of Broad
river:
Thomas Kennedy, John Freydig.
Members of the Provincial Assembly. 1765-67.
It will be remembered that when the Parish of St. Matthew was erected in August, 1765, that two rep- resentatives in the General Assembly were allowed that parish. At an election held in October following William Thomson and Tacitus Gaillard were returned as representatives for the parish, and took their seats in the assembly that met on the 28th of the same month, and closed its session on April 12th, 1768. From the journal of that unusually long session we learn that; "His Majesty having been pleased to Re- peal, the Act for establising St Matthews Parish, Ma- jor Gaillard and Collo Thomson quitted their seats in the House the 10th day of November One thousand seven Hundred and sixty-seven."
1768.
It will also be remembered that a second Act was passed, in April 1768, establishing St. Matthew's Par-
*Stats. of S. C., Vol. IV, page 272.
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THE HISTORY OF
ish, and that provision was made therein for one rep- resentative, in the Provincial Assembly. The Southe Carolina Gazette for Monday, September 5th, 1768, contains the following announcement:
"Wednesday last ended the general election of members to represent the inhabitants of the several parishes into which this province is divided, in the ensuing general assembly, which is to meet here on Monday the 25th instant ;* when the following gentle- men were elected, viz." * * "For St. Matthew's. William Thomson. Esq."
1769.
The South Carolina Gazette for March 16th 1769. contains a list of the members elected to the General Assembly on the 7th and Sth of that month. William Thomson is named as the representative elected for St. Matthew's Parish.+
1772.
The South Carolina and American General Gazette. for March 31st, 1772, announced that Isaac Huger had been elected a member of the Provincial Assembly for St. Matthew's Parish.# The same paper for September 29th, 1772, again announced Isaac Huger as a member of the Assembly for St. Matthew's Parish.§
1773-75.
The South Carolina and American General Gazette. for December 29th, 1772. announced that at the late elections, Tacitus Gaillard had been returned as the representative from St. Matthew's; but Mr. Gailliard was not permitted to sit easy in his seat, for the South
*Met Nov. 15, 1768. fThe Assembly met on the 26th of June fol- lowing. ¿ The new Assembly met soon after. ¿ The Assembly met on October 8th, following. |The new Assembly met on Jan. 17th, 1773.
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ORANGEBURG COUNTY.
Carolina und American General Gazette, for March 26th, 1773, announced that Isaac Huger would contest the election of Tacitus Gaillard; and the journal of the House of Representatives for Saturday, March 20th, 1773, contains the following:
"Petition of Isaac Huger Esq to set aside the Elec- tion of Tacitus Gaillard Esquire
"A Petition of Isaac Huger Esquire of Charles Town,* was presented to the House and read in the words following ( ) 'That your Petitioner with Tacitus Gaillard Esquire were candidates at the last Election of a Member to serve in the present General Assembly for the Parish of Saint Matthew That the Election was not managed and conducted agreeable to the directions of an Act of the General Assembly for ascertaining the Manner and form of Electing Members to represent the Inhabetants of this Province in the Commons House of Assembly: First that no public notice was given in Writing at the Door of the Parish Church, two Sundays before the appointed time of Election-That at two of the Clock in the Af- ternoon when the Box which contained the Names of the voters was produced by William Stent, one of the Church Wardens for the said Parish, two of the Seals were tore off. That many undue practices were al- lowed by the Church Wardens during the Election to obtain a Majority of Votes for Mr Gaillard. That sev- eral persons were refused the liberty of Voting for your Petitioner on the first day of Election, and on the second were, offered their Votes, provided they would Vote for Mr Gaillard, That many Persons un- der Age, some who had no property in the Parish, and several Mulatoes were allowed to Vote at the said
*A citizen of South Carolina was eligible for election to the Com- mons House from any parish or election district wherein he owned land, and Mr. Huger owned land in St. Matthew's Parish.
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THE HISTORY OF
Election, contrary to the derections of the said Act .-- Wherefore. Your Petitioner humbly prays that the Premises may be taken into Consideration by this Honorable House, and on proof thereof, that the Elec- tion of the said Tacitus Gaillard Esquire may be set. aside and deemed void and of no Effect.'
"Ordered-that the Petition be referred to the Com- mittee on Privileges and Elections. And that the said Committee have Power to send for Persons, Papers and Records." What their report was the journal does not show, but suffice it to say that Mr. Gaillard served out his term, which-by the way-lasted until September 15th 1775, when Governor Campbell proro- gued the Assembly; the last Assembly under the Royal government. We may, therefore, take that date as the closing date of the colonial period in our history.
Sheriffs. 1772. William Thomson. 1775. . John James Haig .*
Jailer of Orangeburgh District. 1775. John Mills.+ District Clerk of Court. 1775. James Caldwell.+
* "His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor has been pleased to appoint John James Haig Esq., to be Sheriff of Orangeburgh District."- South Carolina Gazette, Feb. 6, 1775.
"To Be Sold "At Orangeburgh C. H. on the 1st. Tuesday in December next." "Plantation", &c. "John James Haig,
"Sheriff" .- S. (.
Gazette, Nov. 28, 1775. +S. C. Gazette. ¿ S. C. Gazette, Jan. 23, 1775.
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ORANGEBURG COUNTY.
CHAPTER IV.
THE REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD.
Section 1. The Civil Affairs of the Period.
The excitement occasioned by the blockading of Boston port, by act of the British Parliament, in 1774,* caused a great number of the people of the Province of South Carolina to meet together in convention+ in Charlestown, July 6th, 1774. St. Matthew's Parish was represented in that convention by Col. Tacitus Gaillard, who at that time was a member of the Com- mons House of Assembly (or Constitutional Assembly) for St. Matthew's Parish. (See S. C. Gazette for Mon- day, July 11, 1774.)
This convention passed a set of resolutions con- demning the British Parliament for shutting up Bos- ton port, and setting forth the rights of the American colonists; and also elected five delegatest to a Conti- mental Congress, to meet in Philadelphia the first Mon- day in September following. This convention select- ed a committee of ninety-nine to act as a General Committee to correspond with the committees of the other Colonies, and to do all matters and things nec- essary to carry out the resolutions of the convention. It was stipulated that twenty-one of this committee should constitute a quorum and that the power of the General Committee was to continue until the next general meeting. On this committee Col. Tacitus Gaillard, Col. William Thomson and William Ancrum
*See South Carolina Gazette, June 3, 1774. +See S. C. Gazette, June 13, 1774,-call for meeting. ¿ Henry Middleton, John Rutledge, Christopher Gadsden, Thomas Lynch and Edward Rutledge.
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THE HISTORY OF
were appointed for St. Matthew's Parish .* At this early day St. Matthew's Parish was the only part of Orangeburgh District that was allowed representation in the Assemblies. St. Matthew's Parish, of course, included Orangeburgh Township.
The Continental Congress, which met the first Mon- day in September, and adjourned the 26th of October, 1774, among its other acts, formed an association to suspend importations of British goods, and the expor- tation of American produce, till their grievances should be redressed; and recommended to the several Colonies a strict observance of these pledges, and that the provincial conventions establish such further reg- ulations as they might think proper for carrying the pledges into execution.
To give efficacy to the measure, adopted by the dep- uties at Philadelphia, it was determined by the Gen- eral Committee in Charlestown, to convene a provin- cial congress, by electing representatives from every parish and district in South Carolina, and to submit the proceedings of the Continental Congress to their judgment. As the measures about to be adopted de- pended entirely on the consent of the people, a very large representation was thought advisable. The Con- stitutional Assembly consisted of only forty-nine, but this new representative body consisted of one hundred and eighty-four. The members of the Constitutional Assembly were universally members of the Congress, but with this difference, that in the latter capacity they could neither be prorogued nor dissolved by the royal Governor.
This first Provincial Congress met in Charlestown on the 11th, of January 1775, and took under consid- eration the proceedings of the Continental Congress at
*See S. C. Gazette and Country Journal, for Tuesday, July 12, 1774.
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ORANGEBURG COUNTY.
Philadelphia at the close of the preceeding year. The following notice of the Provincial Congress appears in the South Carolina Gazette of January 23rd, 1775 :* "List of the several members of the Provincial Con- gress, which was held here on the 11th Instant; being the most complete Representation of all the good peo- ple throughout the Colony that ever was and perhaps ever will be obtained." Then follows a list of the members, St. Matthew's Parish, including Orange- burgh Township, being represented by:
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