Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY WRITTEN BY FORMER CITIZEN (Continued from first page) peated in Pennsylvania and again in this State, bear witness to the love for the names in the old country. as later colonists from our State to the distant West have carried to Louisiana and Texas the name of Winnsboro. A diary of one of these early set tIers in this spot would be full of in terest now. Their daily round of du ties, their engagements and recrea tions, their labors and pastimes would seem strange to us, their de scendants. The historian describes their dress as follows: Hunting shirt, leggins and moccasins adorned with buckles and beads. The hair was clubbed and tied up in a deerskin or silk bag. Or, at times, the fash ion was to shave off the hair and wear white linen caps with ruffles around. The women's dress was long eared caps, Virginia sunbonnets, short and long gowns, stays, quilted petticoats, and high wooden heels. It was com mon for the men to attend church in shirt sleeves. One important and profitable busi ness was cow-driving. The uplands afforded excellent pasturage for stock. These were sometimes killed for their skin, but most usually were driven to Charleston, or, in some cases, to New York. Another business full of ex citement and profit was hunting. Many a drove of pack mules has gone from this region down to Charleston laden with buffalo tongues. or skins of the beaver, panther or bear. After breadstuffs one of the first articles to repay the labor of the farm was tobacco. Far down in to the present century hogsheads of tobacco were carried down to . Columbia or Char leston. Each hogshead was on a truck, or rather each was made into a truck by putting wheels to it and a single horse was hitched to it. Two fairs were held annually for many years, in May and October. from Tuesday until Friday, for the sale of horses, cattle, grain, hemp, flax, tobacco and indigo. In that I simple age these fairs answered in place of daily paper, arrival of cars and public days. No historian was there to record it, so that we are left to: fancy the different currents of business, politics, friendship, love and gossip, news from "home," which met on this spot, when the dwellers came together with the gathered curiosity and excitement of a half year. Here all the passions which elevate or de grade, refine or corrupt our nature -found the'ir excitement and gratifica tion. "The thought we are thinking, they too would think, From the death we are shrinking from, they too would shrink, To the life we are clinging to, they too would cling, But it sped from their grasp, like a bird on the wing." It may be feared that these fairs were often a faithful imitation of the Irish original, the glass of grog and the sheialah not excepted. These fairs came down in some form to the memory of some now living, but afte the organization of county courts, court week and salesdays gradually Gibbesgran Do4 "EveryIf it do< for 11 Job Is Guaranteed" Cao Gibbi ;upplanted them. In the country places the transition stage was lung marked by the itinerant peddler, that very necessary character in . a cer tain stage in the history of civiliza .ion. The population here was not lo homogeneous as in some of the djoining districts as York and hester. Whig and Tory were more qually divided. The bloody scout ever came east of the Broad river, mut the dwellers On these hills took lifferent views of interest and du ;y when the great question of al egiance came to the last decisive :est. Communities, and famiies even, vere divided. Whig and Tory were iext door neighbors, using, in some nstances, the same spring, watching nd even laywaying each other. This rave se to many inci 'lnts of per ;onal daring and suffering. But these livisions were not as lasting after the var as might have been expected. here were noble spirits on the con luering side who rose t' the height 'rom which they could say .to the eaker party, "We have disarmed 7ou by force, we will now conquer by dindness." Many of the last surviv )rs of these times refused to tell the -ounger generatiop the name of those vho had taken the wrong side. In -any cases the children of those who ad fought each other formed alli inces of business, friendship, or even .ove, thus sympathies and affection lowed together again like "sister treams which some rude interpos g rock had spit." This is doubt ess one reason why so many incidents )f the Revolution have perished, or, :orn from the details of time, person d place, which alone give an in :idcnt a definite existence or a vivid >lace on the historic page. have lost ill local interest. Some may lament, >thers may affect to despise or be ishamed of this trait of our nature, )ut, if you call it a weakness it is not without its alleviations and its !ompensations. It would be sad in leed, and would go farther to make ;ociety intolerable, if the intense passions of war should be handed down, uncalmed, through years of peace. Cornwallis' Headquarters Our district is not so rich in Rev utionary incidents and associations as either one of our neighbars, York Chester, Lancaster or Kershaw. Nc battle was fought in this county, After the fall of Charleston the firsi ray of light in the general gloom which followed (June 1779) was from a gallant little affair planned ir Winnsboro by Bratton, Winn and Me. Clure, and carried out at Mobley's meeting house, 12 miles west of this where the Tories had a little garri son The- gallant Sumter alluded tc this exploit with pride many years after in Congress. The chief ass3. eiation that binds Winnsboro to the Revolution arises from a short resi. dence of Cornwallis after the battle of Kings Mountain, which took place Oct. 7, 1780, After the fall o: Charleston, in the spring of that year the State was considered a conquere province, and. Cornwallis, then chie: commander in the south, had begur his northern march to finish the wvorl< But when the success at Kings Moun, ATTENTION TOURISTS ANI I CAMPERS You should have one of oui I"Tourists' Special Tentobeds' large enough for three people E$81.50 or one large enough foi Stwo .$75. Requires no poles 01 stakes, can be set up in five t< fj eight minutes, Rolls up 4 fee1 6 inches long and 9 inches di. ameter in waterproof cover. iCOLUMBIA SUPPLY 83 COMPANY 83West Gervais Street Columbia, S. C. s Your Car eed Painting? s send it to us-our facilities andling Repair, Paint and Trim are unsurpassed in South 'Write Us For Prices," is Machinery Co onlmia, S. C. tam (October) revived the hopes of I the colonists, he fell back from Char lotte to this place in order to take his position betweeen Green at Che raw and Morgan at Ninety-six, Ab beville. He left Charlotte Oct. 14, 1780, and reached here Oct. 29. The tradition in Chester is that his lord ship, a few miles below that place, turned aside to his left, either for c water, forage or safety and opened t the road which, coming by Hopewell t efurch on Rocky Creek, joins the main c road again at Cockrell's, eight miles 9 above this place. He stayed here v until early in January, 1781. His a hospital was over the branch beyond s the Presbyterian church. The small- I pox was among his troops during r their stay here and some graves can s I be seen there within the memory of those now living. Traditions still s linger among us about an attemnt to y shoot the general on one of his daily t rides down the Camden road. John d and Minor Winn wera th- nersons who formed the daring plot. They r were arrested, tried and sentenced to t death, but pardoned. The Rock spring, east of the freizht depot, supnlied the camp. His lord- t ship's quarters,are said to have boon at the intersection of Washington and Walnut streets. Sumter was hovering around him while here and A once or twice came within a few miles p of the camp. At last Cornwqllis sent Wenyss to surprise Sumter. then on the banks of Broad river, near Fish dam ford. In this attempt the brave _ but unfbrtunate British officer signal ly failed. I have heard the venerable Benjamin Hart of Columbia, say that S he was at school on Little River at the time, and on th first of January he came into Winnsboro and saw his i lordship review his troops. Extracts g from Tarleton's Memoirs, after min- a ute inquiries and examinations: S "Wynnesbourg presented the most t numerous advantages. Its spacious l plantations yielded a tolerable post, its central location between the Broad river and Wateree afforded r protection to Ninety-six and Camden, t and its vicinity to the Dutch Fork and ti a rich country in the rear promised e abundant supplies of flour, forage q and cattle." About the people-"the friends 1 hereabout are so tinid and so stupid 'i that I can get no intelligence." Let ter to Tarleton, dated Wynnesbor- S ough, Nov. 23, 8 p. m.-.'I have no V doubt your victory will be attended o with good consequencesat oug affai t as it is with honor and credit to your- V self. I shall be glad to hear that o Sumter can give us no further trou- 9 ble. He'certainly has been our great- n est plague in the country." Dec.4- ii "Rugely will not be made a briga- c Cornwallis left this camp on the s 7th or 8th of January and was at I Turkey creek, 25 miles distant, when the battle of Cowpens (Jan. 17, 18) took place. Tarletoni says: "Fergu son's fall at King's Mountain put a period to the first expedition into North Carolina and the affair at Cow pen overshadowed the commencement of the second." No one has fully done for Fairfield what Judge O'Neale did for Newberry I or Daniel Stinson for Chester. There S are at least two instances to show the d angers of postponing the work E f collecting and printing these chron icles. We allude to the history of Fairfield, especially the western part 'of it, by Phillip Edmund Pearson.,~ and the history of Mount Zion by Col. W. McCreight. It would be a work worthy of the best committee the citizens could appoint to see if these manuscripr~ are still in exis ter.ee and to place them beyond the casualties to which single copies of manuscript are erposed. There are1 facts in each which can scarcely be rplaced by any living man or exist ing books. Col. Pearson left Win is boro in 1838, before many present were born, and after spending the closing years of his life in the wilds of Texas, recalling the scenes of his youth and recollections of the facts and incidents he had heard from older men, Some present can recall him as he used to walk from his office. on the spot where one of the .stores in George McMaster's large brick build ing stands, to his -dwelling, now own ed by Maj. J. R. Aikent. Perhips more. than one present may. have re.. Icalled his first idea of a large librarv "from the wvell filled .shelves of his law office." as we passedl it daily to school. Col. Pearson was fond of historical and antiquarian researches.j He wrote the article on Fairfield dis-r trict in Mills' Statistics, a book per haps little known, as copies are scarce. It was published in 1826. T Perhaps the list of its Fairfield sub- I scribers even may be of interest. The names are: James Barclay, ThomasI Means, David Aiken, Caleb Clarke, Joseph Campbell, James Campbell, I. NOTICE OF ELECTION. itate of South Caroina, County of Fairfield. Whereas petitions signed by a le :al number of the qualified eleccors .nd freeholders residing in Palmet o School District No. 31, Fairfield ounty, S. C., asking for an election pon a proposed 9 mill special school ax in addition to the .... mills now arried, for school purposes. making total of .... mills, have been filed ith the County Board of Education, i n election is hereby ordered upon 4 aid question, said election to be held 4 'riday, June 24th, 1921, at the Pal ietto school house, the trustees of aid district being the managers. Those favoring the additional tax hall vote a ballot containing the rord "YES" written or printed 4 hereon, and those against the ad- 4 itionja! shall vote a ballot con- e aining the word "NO" written or rinted thereon. Polls shall open at le hour of 9 o'clock in the forenoon nd shall remain open till the hour f five o'clock in the afternoon when ey shall b, closed and the ballots unted. The tristpe shall report th0 re alt of the election to the County uditor and Secretary of the County nord within ten days thereafter. By order of the County oBard. J. L. Brice, Co. Sunt.. Secretary. NOTICE OF ELECTION. tate of South Carolina, County of Fai- : 1. Whereas petitions signed by a le al number of the qualified electors nd freeholders regiding in Avon chool district No. 7 Fairfield coun. , S. C., asking for an election u-on proposed 8 mill special school tax, addition to the .. mills now car ed, for school purposes, making a >tal of .. mills, have been filed with le County Board of Education, an lection is hereby ordered upon said uestion, said election to be held at 7. L. Reid's store, Saturday, June , 1921, Trustees of said district be ig the managers. Those favoring the additioial tax hall vote a ballot containing the ord "YES"written or printed there n, and those against the additional xx -shall te a ballot containing the rord "NO written or printed there. n. Polls shall open at the hour of o'cock in the forenoon and shall re iain open till the hour of five o'clock i the afternoon, when they shall be [osed and the ballots counted. The Trustees shall report the re.. alt of the election to the County oard within ten days thereafter. By order of the County Board. J. L. Brice, Co. Supt., Sect'y. NOTICE OF ELECTION. tate of South Carolina, County of Fairfield. Whereas petitions signed by a le 'al number of the qualified electors nd freeholders residing in Black tock School district No. 34, Fair .eld county, S. C., 'asking for an lection upon a proposed 8 mill spe.. ial school tax in addition to the . nills now carried, for school pur-. oses making a total of .. mills ave been filed with the County oard of Education, an election is Lereby ordered upon said question, aid election to be held Friday, June 7th, 1921, at Blaine's store, Trustees i sad district being the managers. Those favoring the additional tax. hall vote a ballot containing the v'ord "YES" written or printed' hereon, and those against the ad itional tax shall vote a ballot con aining the word "NO" written or rinted thereon. Polls shall open at .he hour of 9 o'clock in the forenoon Lnd shall remain open till the hour if five o'cock in the afternoon, when hey shall be closed and the ballots ounted. The trustees shall report the re ult of the electin to the Couney uditor and Secretary ,of the County, 3oard within ten days thereafter. By order of the County Board. J. L. Brice3, Co. Supt., Sect'y. FINAL DISCHARGE. Notice is hereby given that John V. Catcart, administrator of the es.* ate of Mrs. N. A. Dickey, deceased .as this day made application unto ' ne for a final discharge as such ad inistrator; and that the 12th day f June, 1921, at 10 o'clock A.M. at iy office, has been appoisted for the . earing of said petition. W. L. Holley, 9 Judge of Probate, Fairfield Co., S. C.. May 12, 1921. 1' 666 has more imitations that any ( tter Fever Tonic on the market, but I Riding Culti aDd Use good Mac save timez Big Discoui and ! K. R. Mc * +1 *** *1* + * * * 4* FIE Steals the we the rate of a j Only by sound insuran ed from losses a fire may premium won't break y We Pay Mone: See Us Winnsboro Insur, Building Mater We have on hand consider as used and scrap Lumber, Ta Paris, Nails, Bolts and other Also Piping, Pipe Fittings and Also several thousand 4 and 5 We also have complete P including one Double Surface complete with Counter-Shaft, sortment of Moulding and Ma Emory Wheels, Grind Stones, In addition to the above, a material too ,numerous to men All this material and equi our warehouse at Winnsboro M be placed on all material we ha' Lockwood, Gree Winnsbol a, DoandBidI ag oudn , Doo an lolumbia Lme a ivators * Wagons.: hinery and f Lnd labor. it. Come f see Master alth'of thelNation ata millIon. dollars a day. e can you be protect cause you. A small ou, but a fire might 7 For Ashes. Now. ince and Realty Co. jal For Sale ible surplus material, such r, Pitch, Creosote, Plaster miscellaneous Hardware. some Plumbing MateriaL inch Cypress Sbinles aner Mill Outfit for sale, r, Double Matcher Planer, Belting and a Large As tching Blades, Rip Saws, Etc., all in good condition. ve have considerable other tion here. pment can be inspected at ills. A very low price will re for sale. ne & Co., Eng. -o, S.C. hipped from factory in easy-to andle sections. Quickly and easily ected by our simple instructions. bsolutely rigid and weather tight. uble walls in most designs. En during. Delightful to live in. Designs changed to suit your Ideas, without charge, if general size retained. Sketches supplied tree. State kind of house you want to build and we will send spe cial suggestions and free S Illustrated booklet which gives designs, floor plans,. descriptions and money-sav ing prices. S160 COSGROVE AVENUE, NORTH CHARLESTON, S. C.. ufacturing Company irers of terior Finish, Pine, Cy ieiing, Weatherboard indow Frames. South Carolina~