USA > South Carolina > Orangeburg County > The history of Orangeburg County, South Carolina : from its first settlement to the close of the Revolutionary War > Part 19
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On March 28th, 1778, the Legislature passed an act for establishing a new list of jurymen for the several Districts of the State, declaring: "That the several persons whose names are inserted in the different schedules or lists hereunto annexed as jury lists for the
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several districts of Charlestown, Georgetown, Cheraws, Camden. Beaufort and Orangeburgh, within this State, and entitled the grand jury list, petit jury list, and the special jury list. of each of the said districts respec- tively, are hereby deemed and declared to be qualified and obliged to serve as jurymen for such districts re- spectively, according to the several jury lists in which their names are so inserted: that is to say, all persons whose names are inserted in the list of the grand jury of any of the districts aforesaid and hereunto annexed, shall be summoned, returned and obliged to serve as grand jurymen, according to law, for such districts in the grand jury list of which their names are so insert- ed; and all persons whose names are inserted in the petit jury list of any of the districts aforesaid and hereunto annexed, shall be summoned, returned and obliged to serve as petit jurymen for such districts in the petit jury list of which their names are so insert- ed; and also all persons whose names are inserted in the special jury list of any of the districts aforesaid and hereunto annexed, shall be summoned, returned and obliged to serve as talesmen on the petit jury of such district in the special jury list of which their names are so inserted, in all cases where tales are al- lowed by law."
The Legislature of South Carolina, on March 28th, 1778, ratified an Act for raising taxes. This act pro- vided for the appointment of Inquirers and Collectors for the collecting of the said taxes in the various parishes and districts of the State. In the 7th para- graph of this Act these Inquirers and Collectors are named, and the following were the appointees for Orangeburgh District: For St. Matthew's Parish, in- cluding Orange Parish, lately formed, Philip Frierson, William Heatly, George Frierson and Donald Bruce; for Saxe-Gotha Township and adjacent parts, William
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Arthur and Samnel Boykin; for the district between the North fork of the Edisto river and the Savannah river, William Robinson, James Moore, Henry Peoples and John Jennings .*
In 1778, James Prichard is mentioned in the Gazette of the State of South Carolina as sheriff of Orangeburgh District.
In the Gazette of the State of South Carolina for Octo- ber 28th, 1778, notice is given that ax election. in ac- cordance with the new constitution, would be held the last Monday in November and the day following, Tuesday, December the first. and the following com- missioners of election for Orangeburgh District were then named: For Orange Parish (late a part of St. Matthew's Parish), election to be held at Orangeburgh Court House, Henry Felder, Donald Bruce, Samuel Rowe, and John Clayton; for the district between the North fork of the Edisto river and the Savannah river; John Parkinson, James Moore, John Collins, Capt. George Robison, and Henry Peoples; for Saxe-Gotha Township; election to be held at Granby, Ralph Hum- phries, Jacob Richman, William Arthur, and Samuel Boykin. For St. Matthew's Parish the election was. as usual, of course, to be conducted by the parish church wardens at the church. Under the apportion- ment of the new constitution, Orangeburgh District was allowed the following representation: For St. Matthew's and Orange parishes combined, one sena- tor; St. Matthew's three representatives, and Orange three; the district between the North fork of the Ed- isto river and the Savannah river, one senator and six representatives; Saxe-Gotha Township, one senator and six representatives. The election was scheduled
*Statutes of S. C., Vol. IV, page 417. Also S. C. and American General Gazette for April 2nd, 1778.
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for the last Monday in November, 1778, and the day following.
The new Assembly met the first Monday in January 1779. As the term of office of President Lowndes had expired, and as the office of president had been abol- ished by the new constitution and that of governor created in its stead, the Legislature immediately elect- ed Johu Rutledge governor.
The Gazette of the State of South Carolina for Febru- ary 24th, 1779, mentions James Haig as sheriff of Orangeburgh District.
On the 9th of September, 1779, the Legislature passed an Act for raising taxes, and, under the 7th paragraph of the Act, appointed Inquirers and Collectors for the several parishes and districts of the State. The fol- lowing were the Inquirers and the Collectors appoint- ed for Orangeburgh District: For St. Matthew's Parish, Samuel Dubois, Jacob Christopher Zahn and Jared Neilson; for Orange Parish, Lewis Golson, William Hill and Henry Felder; for Saxe-Gotha Township and parts adjacent, William Arthur and Jacob Sayler; for the Fork district, John Collins, George Robison, and James Leyton Richards .*
On the 11th of September, 1779, the Legislature elec- ted J. Wylde and P. Watters magistrates for Orange- burgh District .;
The General Assembly of South Carolina, called for, met in December, 1779, when the following represent- atives for Orangeburgh District appeared:#
*Statutes of S. C., Vol. IV, pages 490 and 491. +See House journal for that period. ¿ See the Gazette of the State of South Carolina for Wednesday, December 8th, 1779. These representatives were proba- bly the ones elected in October, 1778.
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Senator for the combined parishes of Orange and St. Matthew:
Col. William Thomson.
Representatives for Orange Parish; Donald Bruce; Samuel Rowe, William Hill.
1
Representatives for St. Matthew's Parish;
Isaac Porcher, Jacob Christopher Zahn, Samuel Dubois.
Senator for the Fork district; Stephen Smith.
Representatives for the Fork district; John Collins, Britton Williams,* Henry Hampton, Patrick Cain, James Fair, .
Senator for Saxe-Gotha Township; John Hopton.
Representatives for Saxe-Gotha Township;
William Arthur, William Gieger,; Ralph Humphries, # Jonas Beard, Jacob Seyler, James Beams.
Senator for the lower district between Broad and Saluda rivers;
Charles King.
*Hung by Tories in 1780 .- Tarleton Brown's Memoirs, page 17. fDied during the session beginning Aug. 31, 1779, and ending Feb. 12, 1780.
¿Removed from the State during the same period.
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Representatives for lower district between Broad and Saluda rivers;
Wade Hampton, Philemon Waters.
This Assembly adjourned February 12th, 1780; but before adjourning, it passed, on Feb. 3rd, "An Ordi- nance for the better defence and security of this State, during the recess of the General Assembly", which Or- dinance practically vested in Governor Rutledge the powers of a dictator, as, among other things, it gave him the right, "with the advice and consent of the Privy Council", "to do all matters and things which may be judged expedient and necessary to secure the liberty, safety and happiness of this State, except tak- ing away the life of a citizen without legal trial". Practically the same powers had been given Governor Rutledge on a previous occasion, February, 1779, when the Legislature adjourned with the State threatened by an invasion.
The fall of Charlestown, the capital, in 1780, and the subsequent overrunning of the State by the British, rendered it impracticable to hold another session of the Legislature for nearly two years. For the same reason it was not possible to hold an election for a new legislature in the fall of 1780. But, the State having been recovered from the British, towards the close of 1781, Governor Rutledge, by virtue of the ex- traordinary power delegated to him before the surren- der of Charlestown, issued writs for new elections. These were ordered to be held in the usual places where it was practicable, and in other cases as near as safety and other circumstances would permit. By the same authority it was ordered, that at the election the votes of such, only, should be received as had never taken British protection, or who having taken it, had, not-
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withstanding, re-joined their countrymen on or before the twenty-seventh of September. 1781.
At this election the following were the members re- turned for Orangeburgh District: Orange Parish, Capt. Henry Felder, George Rennarson, and : St. Matthew's Parish, William Middleton, , and
-; the Fork district. Win. Robison, Wm. Dun- bar, John Collins, John Parkinson, -, and -: Saxe-Gotha Township, Jonas Beard, Michael Lietner, and four others.
This Legislature, so chosen, met January 8th, 1752. The Senate chose John Lewis Gervais, president; and the House chose Hugh Rutledge, speaker; and some days later, Governor Rutledge's term having expired, John Mathews was chosen governor; all vacancies were filled up in the different departments, and civil government was re-established, and before adjourning (Feb. 26th), the Legislature delegated to Governor Mathews the same powers, with similar limitations, that had been intrusted to Governor Rutledge in 1779 and 1780.
Section 2. The Third Regiment of South Carolina Con- tinentals.
There are very few records to show the names of those brave men of Orangeburgh District, who went forth to battle for the independence of South Carolina and the other American colonies, but there are docu- ments enough in evidence to show that a good part of the fighting was done by men from Orangeburgh. and that they usually had "a place in the picture near the flashing of the guns." If many of the companies and regiments to which the Orangeburgh men belonged ever had any official rolls they were not deposited in places of absolute safety, for the Carolinians recked
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ORANGEBURG COUNTY.
not of pension bureaus that might be formed when the war should end; and many of the rolls of the organi- zations to which those brave men belonged, who fought for their country for their country's sake, were lost or destroyed. Many of them have been bought up since the Revolution by historical societies outside of this State, and others were destroyed during the last war. But we can recount the deeds of our heroes, even if we have not their names.
It will be remembered that in June, 1775, the Pro- vincial Congress of South Carolina, as a safeguard, raised two regiments of infantry and one regiment of rangers. William Thomson, a member of that Con- gress from Orangeburgh District, was elected Lieuten- ant-Colonel and commander of the regiment of ran- gers. The officers and men of the regiment were from Orangeburgh, and the adjoining districts of Camden and Ninety-Six. The following were the officers of this regiment elected at its organization. Those marked with an asterisk (*) were of Orangeburgh District:
*William Thomson, Lieut. Col. James Mayson, Major.
1 Samuel Wise,
2 Ezekiel Polk,
3 *John Caldwell,
4 Eli Kershaw,
5 *Robert Goodwin, -Captains.
6 Moses Kirkland,
7 *Edward Richardson,
8 Thomas Woodward,
9 John Purves. L
+Dr. Joseph Johnson says, "Traditions of the Revolution", page 90: "He" (Thomson) "being from the upper part of Orangeburg District, soon filled his regiment with many of the best riflemen in the State." #See Ramsay's Revolution in South Carolina, Vol. I, pages 36, 37. Also Journal of Council of Safety for June 18, 1775 .- Collections S. C. Hist. Soc., Vol. II, page 24.
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1. * John Lewis Peyer Imhoff,
2. * Charles Heatly,
3. Alan Cameron,+
4. Richard Winn,
5. John Donaldson.+
6. Hugh Middleton.
7. Lewis Dutarque,
S. Francis Boykin,
9. Samuel Watson,
Lientenants.
The commissions for these officers were signed by the Council of Safety on June 18th. 1775, and on the 21st of June, following, a commission for John Ches- nut, Paymaster 3rd regiment, and nine blank commis- sions, all dated June 18th, for second lieutenants, were signed by the Council. The appointing of the second lieutenants was left to Col. Thomson.
On the 24th of June, 1775, Col. Thomson received, from the Council of Safety, his commission, and an or- der, dated June 21st, directing him to issue forthwith, orders for levying troops for his regiment; and in the Council of Safety on June 26, 1775, the following reso- lution was passed:
"Resolved, That a letter be written to Col. Thomson, directing him to station the first troop of Rangers that shall be raised, at Fort Charlotte, till further or- ders; that he send to Charles-Town as soon as possi- ble, the two brass field pieces, and bayonets, that are there; and that he do take charge of all the gun-pow- der and military stores that shall remain there, and
+Cameron refused to accept the commission offered him, as will be seen by his two letters to Major Andrew Williamson, dated July 10th and July 19th, 1775, and published on page 67 of Vol. II. of Collec- tions of S. C. Historical Society. He sympathised with the Crown.
#Ramsay and Col. Thomson give his name as John Donaldson, but his name is given on the Journal of Council of Safety and in General DeSausure's pamphlet as James Donaldson.
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ORANGEBURG COUNTY.
immediately transmit an exact inventory of the whole to this Council".
Orders in accordance with this resolution were then sent to Col. Thomson,* and on July 1st he transmitted them to Major Mayson to be by him put into execu- tion: and Major Mayson was directed to place Fort Charlotte in charge of Capt. Purvis.
On the 13th of July the Council of Safety issued or- ders requiring Col. Thomson to make a complete re- turn of his regiment, and issued further orders for the regiment to begin a series of movements on August the 10th; which last orders were rescinded by the Council on July 20th.
On July 14th, the Council, upon application by Col. Thomson. issued the following order, which was doubt- less very agreeable to the officers and men of the Ran- gers:
"Pay to Col. William Thomson, to be paid by him to the Paymaster of the Regiment of Rangers, for pay- ing the said Regiment, the sum of one thousand Pounds currency; for which this shall be your war- rant.
"To John Neufville, Peter Bacot, William Gibbes, esqs., Commissioners of the Colony Treasury."
From the Journal of the Council for the same day, July 14th, we extract: "The Council signed a certifi- cate for Dr. Alexander Rogers, appointed Surgeon to the Regiment of Rangers, dated this day, upon an ap- plication by Col. Thomson."
Col. Thomson was next given orders, on July 15th, to immediately march his regiment, or such part of it as he might deem necessary for the service, to take Fort Charlotte, in case the same had not already been
*See his order book in Section 3 of this chapter.
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secured agreeable to the order of June 26th. Upon re- ceiving this order Col. Thomson issued orders for Cap- tains Goodwyn, Kershaw, Richardson and Woodward to meet him at the Congarees on the following Sun- day, ready to march to Fort Charlotte; but upon reach- ing the Congarees he met an express from Major May- son containing the intelligence of the capture of Fort Charlotte .* Thereupon Col. Thomson went into camp at the Congarees with the four companies he had with him, issued orders for Capt. Wise to also join him at once with his company, and sent a detachment to Fort Charlotte for powder.
From his camp at "Granby near Friday's Ferry", Col. Thomson wrote a letter to the Council of Safety on July 22nd, in which he advised that some member of the Council of Safety and the Rev. William Ten- nent be sent among the back-country people.
It appears that when the Continental Association was carried among the settlers in the fork between the Broad and Saluda rivers, (a part of which territory was in Orangeburgh District, but the greater part of which was in Ninety-Six District) many of them re- fused to sign it. The Council of Safety then resolved, on July 23rd, to send William Henry Drayton and the Rev. William Tennent among them to try to persuade them into signing it. The Council also gave them the following authority: "Gentlemen-in order to give you every necessary and proper support and protec- tion in your progress into the country, in execution of our commission of this date, you are hereby author- ized to call upon all and every Officer of the Militia and Rangers for assistance, support and protection". Acting under this authority Messrs Drayton and
*Which was placed under the care of Capt. John Caldwell and his company.
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ORANGEBURG COUNTY.
Tennent, who had left Charleston on August 2nd, called upon Col. Thomson soon thereafter to accom- pany them with his regiment. The following account of their journey through Orangeburgh District, and their transactions with Col. Thomson and his regi- ment of rangers, is made up from Mr. Tennent's diary, several letters written by Messrs Drayton and Ten- nent, and various other documents:
Tennent's diary: "5th. Set out a little after 6, and by the help of Mr. Thomson's good pair of horses, passed over sixteen miles of the worst road I almost ever saw, owing to the steepness of the hills, and the gullies made by yesterday's shower of rain. Dined at Mr. Patrick's, a man of property among the Dutch, and afterwards rode with him seven miles. Arrived at Col. Chestnut's paymaster and there found Col.
with sundry officers of the regiment. Among others was agreeably surprised to find Dr. Charlton, from Philadelphia, a lieutenant among them. We were soon introduced to Messrs Dunn & Booth, two lawyers sent from North Carolina, prisoners, for having been busy in stirring up there in opposition to the Conti- neut. They appear sensible and plausible men. After making known our errand to the Commanding Officer, we consulted with him and concluded to send the prisoners by a detachment to Charleston to the gener- al committee informing them of the time of the Con- gress in North Carolina, to disband the Rangers for a few days, to take off the fears of the people. Sunday, August 6th. Preached in Camp at Col. in the evening. Finding some disaffected among the soldiers Mr. Drayton harrangued them and was followed by myself until all seemed well satisfied, and we returned to Mr. Chestnut's 2 miles. About midnight were alarmed by an officer from the Camp, who informed us. that they had mutined and were determined to go
.
.
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off in the morning, we agreed to let matters rest until they ordered the Companies to come to us.
"Monday, 7th. Discovered that the Mutiny arose from some words dropped by some officers concerning their pay and duty. We dealt plainly with the Corps of Officers, and addressed the men at the head of the Regiment in such a manner as that they all went away happy".
Letter written by Drayton and Tennent:
"Congaree Store,* August 7th, 1775. "To the Council of Safety.
"Gentlemen :- Having left Charles Town on Wed- nesday morning, we arrived bere early on Saturday afternoon, 130 miles distant from town. In our way. we spent some hours at Col. Gaillard's.+ and we flatter ourselves the visit had a good effect. It is to be hoped. he has not delivered himself in public so warmly, as he has expressed himself to us."
*
"As a first step to the particular object of our pro- gress, upon our arrival here, we despatched notices to particular persons of influence among the Dutch, to endeavor to procure a meeting of them at the place of election as on this day. To our great mortification not one Germant appeared, but one or two of our friends who had been industrious to procure a meet- ing. By them we were informed, their countrymen were so much averse to take up arms. as they imag- ined, against the king, least they should lose their
* "A few hundred yards below Granby."
+Tacitus Gaillard, who lived in Orangeburgh District, near Eutaw Springs.
Let it be borne in mind that these were the Saxe-Gotha and "Dutch Fork" Germans-not the Orangeburgh Germans. And even the small hopes that Drayton entertained of these, were redeemed afterwards.
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ORANGEBURG COUNTY.
lands; and were so possessed with an idea, that the rangers were posted here to force their signatures to the association, that they would not by any argu- ments be induced to come near us". * *'
* "How- ever unfavorable these circumstances are, we hope you will not be alarmed at them; we yet have some hopes of success, though we confess they are but small in this quarter.
"We have engaged Col. Thomson to order a muster of two Dutch companies in this neighborhood on Wed- nesday next, and we have declared if the officers diso- bey they shall be broke. This threat was highly nec- essary, as the Dutch Captains had some little time ago disobeyed such an order, alledging that extra mus- ters were warranted only by orders from the Gover- nor. We hope this step will oblige a part of the Ger- mans to give us a hearing; and as we flatter ourselves that our discourses to them will not be entirely lost upon them, we expect these will induce others of their countrymén to be willing to hear what we have to say. With this view, and to give such persons an op- portunity of hearing us; we have engaged one Dutch clergyman to perform service at one place on Friday next, and another, at a second place on Sunday next, at both which places Mr. Drayton will be present. And in the mean time, as we know in general, that an argument relating to money matters most readily catches a Dutchman's ear, we have declared that no non-subscriber in this settlement will be allowed to purchase at, or sell to this store or Charles Town. When Mr. Drayton shall quit the Dutch settlements on Sunday next, after having had on Saturday a meet- ing with a large number of people of all sorts, at one McLaurin's, a store keeper, hitherto an enemy, but now, at least in appearance, a friend, he will proceed up the fork to Col. Fletchall's".
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**
X
"Yesterday Mr. Tennent performed divine service in Camp; and in the afternoon Mr. Drayton barran- gued the Rangers respecting the new and extraordi- nary power by which they were raised; the nature of the public disputes, and the justice of the cause in which they were engaged; the nature of their alle- giance to the King and their duty to their country. their families and themselves: their duty and obliga- tion to oppose and attack any British troops landing in this colony; their honor was awakened by con- trasting their personal value and importance against the importance of the British troops; their complaints respecting provisions were entered into, and they were assured the public meant to do all that could be done for them consistently with the nature of disci- pline and the calamitous situation of affairs; they were informed that the public could not so much dis- honor them as to imagine they had enlisted merely for pecuniary gain, but persuaded that they being ac- tuated with a nobler motive, all men were willing to believe, that they without wishing to be at ease in every respect, as in a regular service under an estab- lished and quiet Government, did not, as they could not in honor or conscience, desire more than absolute necessaries. And that, if they thought it a hardship to go abroad to procure provisions, the Council were ready to save them that trouble by deducting a rea- sonable sum from their pay, and supplying them with provisions in the manner in which the foot were fur- nished. They had grumbled about tents, and were now informed that the British troops in America dur- ing the last war. not only generally used but prefer- red huts made of bushes. Finally, encomiums were passed upon the progress they had made in the art military, and it was recommended to them in the
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ORANGEBURG COUNTY.
strongest terms to pay the most perfect obedience to their officers, as the only means by which they could become good soldiers, and to defend those liberties and rights which they appeared so willing to protect. Hitherto there has been but little subordination.
"To these things Mr. Tennent added assurances of the value of Congress currency which many people had endeavored to depreciate in the opinion of the soldiers, and he read and commented upon the declar- ation of the General Congress.
"These things being finished, we left the camp in apparent quiet satisfaction and content, the men on being discharged expressing their thanks to us. But about midnight, an officer stole from the camp (about two miles off*) and gave us the most alarming intelli- gence that a most dangerous mutiny had broke out in, and prevailed throughout the whole camp, in which there was no longer any command or obedience; that the men were in an uproar at the idea of a de- duction of their pay, for they had in general been promised provisions above their pay, and they were determined to quit the camp this morning and dis- band. Col. Thomson and Capt. Kershaw lodge with us; they were willing to do any thing that was thought proper. We consulted with them upon the case. and it was thought most advisable not to take any step in the night or for either of those officers to go to the camp; but that time should be allowed for the men to cool, and for the three Captains and other officers in camp to sound the men, and learn who would be depended upon. This measure had the effect we expected, and this morning the men appeared quiet, and it became evident that the disorders arose from three or four privates of profligate dispositions,
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