USA > South Carolina > The history of South Carolina under the proprietary government, 1670-1719, V.1 > Part 7
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2 Ibid., vol. 1, 03.
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ing all within these parallels from the Atlantic to the "South Seas "1 (Pacific); that is, besides the present State of South Carolina, the States of North Carolina. Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas. the Indian Territory, New Mexico. Arizona. and the lower part of the State of California : a region which has in a great measure been peopled from the colony established under this charter, and governed by the politi- cal ideas emanating from the point of settlement at the junction of Kiawha and Wando rivers - the city by the sea - a region which, it will be observed, is almost coinci- dent with the territory of the Confederate States in the War of Secession.
Rivers points out other differences between the charter of 1663 and that of 1665. In the first the territory was spoken of as one province. In the second. authority was given to subdivide it into counties, baronies, and colonies with separate and distinct jurisdictions, liberties, and privileges.
There is also some change in the terms of the clause requiring the assent of the freemen to the enactment of laws. In the first charter it was provided that all laws should be made "with the advice assent and approbation of the freemen of the said province."? In the second it was
1 Ist Statute, 32; Colonial Records of No. Ca., vol. I, 102.
2 The term " province " is defined to be "an out country governed by a Deputy or Lieutenant " (JJacob's Law Dictionary), and it has been said that the term is only properly applied to territories over which Governors were appointed by the King; and that the term "colonies" is properly applicable only to those in which the Governor was elected by the inbabi- tants. Government of the Colony of So. Ca. (Whitney) : Johns Hopkins University. 13 series. 1-11, 22. But the terms " province " and " colony " are used convertibly throughout the Statutes of the Proprietary Govern- ment of South Carolina. More strictly speaking. it was the province of Carolina, and the colonies on the Ashley and at Albemarle, and after- wards the colonies of North and South Carolina.
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made to read " by and with the advice assent and appro- bation of the freemen of the said province or territory or of the freemen of the county barony or colony for which such laws or constitutions shall be made or the greater part of them." The intention of this was no doubt to allow the establishment of several colonies in the territory granted. but in doing so to secure the assent of the freemen of any such separate colony to the particular laws as a prerequi- site to their enactment.
Another modification was in the article in regard to religion. In the first charter the Proprietors were given power to grant indulgences and dispensations to such persons who really in their judgment and for conscience' sake could not conform to the liturgy and ceremonies of the Church of England. Sir John Colleton in his com- munication to the Duke of Albemarle had intimated that the adventurers from Barbadoes expected something more explicit on this point ; and some modification was now made, but it was very indefinite, and still left the exten- sion of indulgences to the Proprietors. " And because." said the new charter,1 "it may happen that some of the people and inhabitants of the said Province cannot in their private opinions conform to the publick exercise of religion according to the liturgy form and ceremonies of the church of England or take and subscribe the oaths and articles made in that behalf, and for that the same by reason of the remote distances of those places will as we hope be no breach of the unity and conformity established in this nation," it therefore granted to the Proprietors "full and free licence liberty and authority by such ways and means as they shall think fit to give and grant unto such person or persons inhabiting and being within the said province or territory . . . such indulgences and 1 Statutes of No Ca .. vol. 1, 40.
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dispensations" as the Proprietors " shall in their discretion think fit and reasonable, and that no person or persons unto whom such liberty shall be given shall be in any way molested punished disquieted or called in question for any difference in opinion or practice in matters of religious concernment who do not actually disturb the civil peace of the province county or colony that they shall make their abode in ; but all and every such person or persons," that is, such person as the Proprietors should indulge, " may from time to time and at all times freely and quietly have and enjoy his or their judgments and consciences in mat- ters of religion throughout the said province or colony, they behaving peaceably and not using this liberty to licentiousness nor to the civil injury or outward disturb- ance of others." This second charter thus did nothing more than grant to the Proprietors the right and power to use their own discretion in the matter of religious liberty. It of itself granted to no inhabitant indulgences or dispen- sations or guaranteed religious liberty. It turned this great matter over to the Proprietors, guaranteeing only to them the power to act in regard to it.
Sir John Yeamans, on the 11th of January, 1664-65.1 had been commissioned as Governor of the County of Claren- don and of all the territory as far as Florida. Under the commission a company "of adventurers for Carolina " was organized at Barbadoes. the members of which were to be entitled to 500 acres for every 1000 pounds of Mus- covado sugar contributed.2 In October following Yea-
1 Throughout the Proprietary Government, and indeed until 1752, for the months of January and February, and to the 24th of March. dates are thus given, the alteration in the calendar which formed what is usually called the old and the new styles not having been adopted in England until 1752, by aid of Parliament of 1751. See note to page $4, Statutes of So. Ca., vol. II.
2 See the form of receipt given for the sugar, and claim for the land,
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mans sailed from Barbadoes with his company in a " Fly boate of about 150 Tonns accompayned by a small Friggate of his owne and a Sloope purchased by a common purse for the service of the Colonyes."1 These small vessels were soon separated at sea by a great storm, but were brought together again in the beginning of November and cast anchor before the mouth of Charles (Cape Fear) River, near Cape Fear, in the County of Clarendon. Upon entering the river the fly boat went aground and was wrecked. No life was lost, but the greater part of their provisions. victuals, clothes, and of the arms and ammunition furnished by the Lords Proprietors for the designed settlement was swept away in the waters.
The coast of Carolina from Cape Fear to St. Augustine was doubtless well known to the Spaniards, and still better to the pirates of all nations, who infested it and found shelter in its numerous bays and inlets. Its princi- pal points were all named by the Spaniards. The first point south of Cape Fear was called Cape Romano. The bay into which the Kiawha and the Wando emptied was St. George's Bay. Then came St. Ellen's Sound and Port Royal, the River Jordan, the Savannah, and St. Matthias (the St. John's). Between the Indians on the coast and the Spaniards in Florida, there was close and more or less friendly intercourse. But the coast and country now included in the grant to the Proprietors were entirely unknown to Sir John Yeamans and his party. Upon arriving at Cape Fear, Yeamans's first purpose was there- fore the examination and exploration of the country. For this purpose his intention was to repair the frigate, which, together with the sloop, had got safely into the
Daleho's Church, Hist., 14, in which Yeamans styles himself Lieutenant General and Governor of the Province of Carolina.
1 Colonial Records of No. Ca., vol. I, 119.
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river, and to send her back to Barbadoes while he with Sandford, who had been appointed Clerk and Register of the new county, and who accompanied the expedition, and some other gentlemen of the party who offered to join them, proceeded upon a voyage of discovery to the southward. The great necessities of the colony, however. demanded that the sloop should first be sent to Virginia for supplies, and Sir John, permitting it to go, returned himself to Barbadoes in his frigate. The purpose of an exploration for the site of a southern settlement was not. however, abandoned. He left Sandford to carry it out, directing him to employ for the purpose either the sloop upon her return from Virginia, if in a fit condition for the purpose, or to hire a vessel of Captain Edward Stan- yon, then in the harbor, bound for Barbadoes upon her return, whichever should first happen, and for this purpose he left also a commission for Sandford putting him in command of the expedition.
The sloop upon her return from Virginia was found unfit for the service. Captain Stanyon. in returning from Barbadoes, became demented, leaped into the sea, and was lost. His little vessel was. however. by a miraculous providence brought safely into port, and Sandford had now a vessel with which to undertake the expedition. Its burden, however, scarce exceeded fifteen tons.
Happily. Sandford has left us a most admirable account of the voyage, so clear in its statement that we may follow him and his company from point to point as he describes in quaint style the country, with its vast expanse of green marsh resembling a rich prairie. its broad and noble arms of the sea, rivers, and innumerable ereeks fringed with oak and cedar and myrtle and jasmine - all now so familiar to us-as it appeared when first
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visited by those who proposed to make this new country their home.1
On the 14th of June. 1666, near six months after the date of his commission, Sandford entered on his charge and on the 16th left Charles River in the Cape Fear, and sailed along the coast. He was accompanied by Captain George Cary. Lientenant Samuel Hardy, Lieutenant Joseph Woory. Ensign Henry Brayne, Ensign Richard Abrahall, Mr. Thomas Giles, and several others to the number of seventeen besides himself. He took with him a small shallop of some three tons, belonging to the Lords Pro- prietors, in which he placed Ensign Henry Brayne, of some experience in sea matters. The shallop parted company with Sandford's vessel on the night of the 19th, it being very cloudy and dark.
On the 22d Sandford made land, and entered a fair river, and sailing up about four or five miles he came to anchor, when a canoe with two Indians approached. The Indians came aboard Sandford's vessel and informed him that this was the country of Edistoh, and that the chief town or seat of the Cacique was on the western shore somewhat lower down towards the sea, from which he supposed this to be the same river that Hilton had men- tioned as the River Grandy, which he saw from sea, but did not enter. Sandford named it Harry Haven, in honor of his lieutenant. The next day, the 23d of June. he went with his boat into a creek on the east shore about a mile up, and landed. Then, according to instructions, he took formal possession by the ancient ceremony of turf and twig of the whole country from the latitude of 36º north to 29º south and west to the South Seas, by the name of the province of Carolina for his Maj-
1 Year Book City of Charleston (Courtenay), 1985, 282 ; Colonial Records of No. Ca., vol. I, 118.
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esty Charles the Second, King of England, and to the use of the Proprietors. Sandford does not mention whether his landing was upon the eastern or western bank. so that it is impossible now to know whether this seisin for the King and the Proprietors was taken on Wadmalaw or Sea- brook Island ; but doubtless this formal entry into the ter- ritory of the new province was made in the North Edisto. He explored to some extent on both sides of the creek, passed through several fields of maize or Indian corn, and following the guidance of a small path was brought to some of the Indian habitations. The next day he went a few miles up the main river to the North Edisto, and find- ing a branch on the east side he put in there to examine the land. This he found firm and dry, a flat black mould with a scarce discernible mixture of sand founded on marl or clay. The land he esteemed very profitable and tillable. and some of his company discovered an Indian planted field. which they told him " bore as tall Maiz as any." He rowed np this creek and, besides the swamps, saw and ranged through very spacious tracts of rich oak land, though not yet past the oyster banks and frequent heaps of shells near the salt water. On his return down the river he stopped at the landing-place nearest to the chief seat of the Edistohs. so that the Indians might with less trouble come aboard to trade.
While lying there, a captain of the Nations, named Shadoo, one whom Hilton had carried to Barbadoes, was very earnest that some of the company would go with him and lie at night at his town, which he told them was but a small distance away. Lieutenant Harvey, Lieutenant Woory. Mr. Thomas Giles, and Mr. Henry Woodward offering themselves to go, and some Indians remaining on board, Sandford permitted their doing so. They returned the next morning, much pleased with their entertainment.
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and especially with the richness of the land through which they had marched and the delightful situation of the town. The Cacique himself, however, had not appeared. His state was supplied by a female who received the party with gladness and courtesy. This induced Sandford to go himself, so, taking with him Captain George Cary and a file of men, he marched thither, followed by a long train of Indians, of whom some one or other always presented himself to carry Sandford on his shoulders over any of the branches, creeks, or damp places. The march tended to the southward of the west and consequently led near the sea coast, yet, says Sandford, it opened to their view so excellent a country both for woodland and meadow as gave singular satisfaction to all the company. Having entered into the town, the party were conducted into a large house of a circular form (their generall house of State). Opposite the entrance was a high seat, sufficient for half a dozen persons, on which sat the Cacique him- self, with his wife (she who had received the party the evening before) on his right hand. The Cacique was an old man of large stature. Round the house on each side were lower benches filled with more women and children. In the centre a constant fire was kept burning on a great heap of ashes and surrounded with little low benches. Sandford and Cary were placed on the higher seat on each side of the Cacique, and presented with skins, accompanied with ceremonies of welcome and friend- ship. Sandford thus describes the town, which was prob- ably somewhere near to the site of the present village of Rockville on Wadmalaw Island : -
. The Towne is seituate on the side or rather in the skirts of a faire forrest in which att severall distances are divers fields of Maiz with many little houses straglingly amongst them for the habitations of the particular families, On the East side and part of the South
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it hath a large prospect over meadows very spatious and delightfull. Before the Doore of their State-house is a spacious walke rowed with trees on both sides tall & full branched not much unlike to Elms which serves for the Exercise and recreation of the men who by Couple runn after a marble bowle troled out alternately by them- selves with six foote staves in their hands which they tosse after the bowle in their race, and according to the laying of these staves wine or loose the beeds they contend for : an exercise approveable enough in the winter but somewhat too violent (meethought) for that season and noon time of the day. From this walke is another lesse aside from the house for the children to Sport in."
After a few hours Sandford returned to his vessel with a great troop of Indians following him. The old Cacique himself came aboard his vessel and remained there that night without any of his people, some scores of whom, however, lay in booths on the beach. While he lay there Sandford learned that the river went through to another more westerly and was passable for his vessel. This in- creased his desire of passing that way, as he was persuaded from Hilton's map that the next river was the Jordan. So on the 27th of June, with the help of a flood tide, though the wind was contrary, he turned up the river. in which he found the channel six fathom deep and bold for a distance about ten miles from the harbor's mouth, where the river contracted between the marshes, but was seldom less than five fathom deep. The river being narrow and winding, no wind would serve long ; so that for the most part he was forced to tow through, often against the wind, which proved very tedious, the more so as they could only proceed by day. So that it was Sunday morning, the 1st of July, before they came to the next westerly river and by it again to the sea.
From this description of his voyage it is very clear that Sandford passed by Jehossee Island through Dawhow River, from North to South Edisto. He was much puz-
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zled on reaching the sea to find none of the marks which Hilton had indicated for the Jordan; and an evening storm driving him back into the river, he anchored and went ashore on the east point. and there he found Shadoo and several other Indians who had come by land across Edisto Island to see them come down the South Edisto. From these he learned that this was not the river in which Hilton had been. That Hilton had not known of it. The river in which Hilton had been was the next. When Sandford asked the name of this river, they an- swered him Edistows, and from this he says he learned that the Indians assigned names not to the rivers, but to the countries and people.
Amongst the Indians who had thus come to see him was one who had traded with the colony at the Cape Fear, and was known to them by the name of Cacique of the country of Kiawha. The Cacique was very urgent that Sandford should go to his country, assuring him of a broad and deep entrance and promising a large welcome and plentiful entertainment and trade. But Sandford told him he must first go to Port Royal and that on his return he would see his country. The Indian would not, however. leave Sandford, but to secure his return must needs accompany him to Port Royal as his pilot for that river. He sent his companion to give notice to the Chief Cacique of the place of Sandford's coming, that he might prepare food, and went himself on board of Sandford's vessel.
With the morning light. Sandford weighed and stood out to sea with an easy gale at northeast and an ebb tide; but, unacquainted with the coast, with which Shadoo him- self does not appear to have been better informed. he ran upon the shoals, and nearly lost his vessel. From this he branded the place with the name of Port Peril. It is
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the same that was then known to the Spaniards as St. Helena Sound. After clearing the sands, he stood out to sea. and sailing around St. Helena Island, he came to anchor off Hilton Head. Broad River, which had been called the Jordan. he named Yeamans Harbor, in honor of the Lieutenant General and Governor. Whilst there. he espied with great rejoicing the shallop which had been parted from them since the 19th of June. St. Helena Island he had named Cary Island, in honor of his lieu- tenant, and Hilton Head Island, Woory Island. The shallop had come out of Yeamans Harbor. Sandford fired a gun and ran up his colors to let Brayne know that they saw him. but could not get to him for the mud flats. On the 3d of July, he luffed into the bay, and steering away between Hilton Head and the entrance of Port Royal. about midnight came to anchor within Port Royal River in seven fathoms of water.
The next morning Sandford moved opposite to the principal Indian town, and anchored before it. He had not ridden there long before the Cacique of that country himself appeared in a canoe, full of Indians, presenting him with skins, and bidding him welcome after their manner. Sandford went ashore with the Cacique to see the town. which stood in sight of the vessel. This was doubtless, from the description, Paris Island between Port Royal and Broad River. Sandford found the town, as to the forms of building, in every respect like that of Edisto, with a plain before the great roundhouse for their bowl- ing recreation. At the end of this. there stood a fair wooden cross, which the Spaniards had left ; but it was not observed that the Indians performed any adoration before it. All round the town, for a great space. were fields of maize of very large growth. The soil was nothing infe- rior to the best he had seen at Edisto ; apparently more
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loose and light. The trees in the woods were much larger. all the ground under them covered with a great variety of pasturage. He saw there, besides a great number of peaches, some fig-trees very large and fair. both fruit and plants. and divers grape vines which, though growing without culture in the very throng of weeds and bushes, were filled with bunches of grapes, to his great admiration. Upon the whole, they esteemed the country superior even to Edisto. It was all cut up into islands made by the intervenings of rivers and creeks, yet of firm good lands, excepting what was marsh ; nor were the islands so small, many of them containing thousands of acres of rich habi- table woodland, whose very banks were washed by river or creek, contributing not only to the fertility, but to the convenience of portage.
After a few hours' stay, to view the land about the town. he returned to his vessel, and there found Ensign Brayne with his shallop, who had come that morning through the sound from Yeamans Harbor, at the mouth of which they had seen him two days before. He reported that the morning Sandford had gone into Edisto he sailed along until evening, when he had entered Yeamans Harbor, and not finding Sandford there and " guessing " that he might be more southerly, he came through Port Royal and ac- quainted himself with Wommony, the son of the Cacique, who had been to Barbadoes, and with whom he easily pre- vailed to bear him company as guide from place to place in the several creeks and branches; that under his pro- tection he had had an excellent opportunity of viewing all that part of the country, which, says Sandford. "he did so loudly applaud for land and rivers that his company's commendations of Edisto could scarce outnoise him." Sat- isfied with Brayne's report, Sandford determined to lose no more time there, but to proceed up the main river and
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see the country, and upon his return to enter a creek on the west shore, which Brayne had not explored: which he was the more desirous to do because the Indians reported that it led to a great southern river which pierced far into the country and he supposed might be the French- man's River May or the Spaniard's St. Matthias. With the flood tide and a favorable wind he sailed up the river in the shallop nearly thirty miles as he estimated it, pass- ing where it divides itself into two principal branches, the westernmost of which he went up and landed. From this statement it appears that it was Coosawhatchie that he ascended. He found the ground rising and crossed sev- eral fine falls and one brook of sweet water, which ran murmuring between two hills. He was still more pleased with the country. The land here, he says, was such as made them all conclude not only a possibility that Edisto might be, but a certainty that it was, exceeded by the country of Port Royal. Tired with his march through a rank growth of vines, bushes, and grass, which fettered his legs and proclaimed the richness of the soil. Sandford returned to the boat and fell down with the ebb towards his vessel. passing divers fair creeks in each side, which time did not allow him to enter. Upon returning to his vessel, he then crossed the river into the western creek he had mentioned, which, after three or four niles, opened into a great sound full of islands. This was, without doubt, Calibouge Sound. He describes it as emptying into the sea by two or three outlets. He spent two days ex- ploring the islands around. finding them of as good firm land as any he had seen, and better timbered with live- oak, cedar. and bay trees. He concluded from what he saw that on this sound alone babiration for thousands of people might be found. with conveniences for their stock of all kinds. In fine. he could see nothing here to be wished
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