Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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B i - ,;'^T j ^ • : : If Tec Owt Reed THE CHRONICLE Ton Dee*! Oct The New*. VOLUME XXV CLINTON, S. C., THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22,1925 I / MARY MUSGROVE-REVOLU I TIONARY HEROINE MODERN ENOCH A^DEN By MISS CLARA E. DUCKETT A K The writer has been informed by one of the oldest and most reliable citizens of Laurens County, South Carolina, that there, were two Mary Musgrroves who lived about the time of the Revolutionary war, in Laurens county. One was Mary, wife of John; brother of Edward M us grove of Mus- groves’s Mill; the other was Mary, daughter of Edward Musgrove. It is about the latter that we shall concern ourselves, in- this paper.* ^ . In order to properly understand the spirit of the times in which our hero ine lived, it iq necessary to recall to mind the history jof this period. At the time of the Battle of Musgrove’s Mill, August 18, 1780, the War of the Revolution was in its sixth year, and the courage and endurance of South Carolina champions for independence were put to a severe test, due to the fact that Charleston had on May 12, 1780, been captured and the .British were overrunning the state. Particu- tn join Carr’s Company, serving the patriotic cause. Mary exacted a pro mise from Carr that her brother’s life would be safe in his hands, when he was no longer under her protection. There is no evidence that Beaks ever again bore arms against his country, and it is stated that he continued for some time with Carr, constantly gain ing upon that bold leader’s confidence. It is related at this ttme Mary was 25 and Susan 23 years of age. The romance between Mary and John Ram sey is set forth in ‘*Horsehoe Robin son,” a historical novel written in 1833 by the brilliant JohQ P. Kennedy. This book scrupuousiy preserves his torical accuracy, and descendants of the Musgrove family and old reliable citizens of Laurens county of the present day, vouch for its Accurate ac count of the deeds of heroism and mercy performed by Mary. Draper says that both sisters “were akin to angels in their unwearied acts of ) ( Hurry Klcinscliiuidl, fifty-six, a mechanic, who returned to lii« home in Cincinnati, Ohio, several days ago to find after an absenca of seven larly was this true of this section ofjniercy to the wounded and suffering years that his wife, mother of four au_ ^ *—i^ 'f’ 1 — children, had remarried after he had \ h the country, where many Whigs had been arrested a!nd imprisoned, and the whole country terrorized. The cause of the patriots seemed utterly helpless and British detachments werg sent out in all directions to plant the t Royal Standard, overthrow the people J nd require them to seek protection, t was proclaimed that all who would oppose the King’s arms should have their property confiscated and be severely punished, while pardon was cf/ered to the penitent on condition of theirjpimediate return to allegiance. For these reasons a number of our American patriots accepted the am nesty, feeling that their cause was lost. There were, consequently, many lories among the landowners of this section. In fact, at the beginning of the war, a large portion of the state seemed to have regarded the Revolu tion with disfavor, and they were slow to break with the mother country. They had no active quarrel with Eng land, as her government had been mild and beneficent In her action upon this province. South Carolina being a colony of planters whose products v r ere much in demand in England, neither the regulations nor restrict ions proposed by England were likely to interfere with their trade. This was the feeling of many;-but there were many brilliant exceptions to this sentiment, heroes with hearts as courageous, minds as vigorous and arms as strong as any who ever, in any period, endured and worked out a ration’s redemption. One unhappy result of this state of things war division in families. Kin dred werr arrayed against each other _ in deadly combat, brother against brother and son against father. A _ prevailing Spirit of treachery and dis trust iHaflced the times. All went armed and many cowards took advant age of absence of law and order, wreaking vengeance upon the weak and defenceless. It was a time which hied men and Women of heroic mould; a time when such a spirit as that dis played by Mary Musgrove shone all the brighter because of contrast with some of her own neighbors and kin dred. We are informed by Draper in his “Kings Mountain And Its Heroes” that Edward Musgrove, father of Mary, was a native of England'^and one of the earliest settlers in the qpper part * of South Carolina. He was well edu cated, having been bred to the law. He was a man of fine abilities, large hospitality and benevolence, a practi cal surveyor, and was exceedingly popular and useful in all the region of which his.noted mill on the Enoree was the center. At the time of the Revolutionary War, he had passed the period of active life, too old to take t any active part in the bloody strug gle. Each night he pled with tremb ling lips for a speedy return of good will among men. He lived to see his prayer answered, dying in 1782, in his 76th year. He was married three times, and the following children were mentioned by Draper in his book: Beaks Musgrove, son of his first wife; Mary and Susan Jdusgrove, daughters of his second wife; a Miss Fancher; and Margaret Musgrove, oldest daugh ter of his third wife. Draper speaks as follows of Beaks Musgrove: “Partaking of the spirit of the times and inspired by such British in these trying times. They were young women of marked attractions, both of body and mind. Mary espec ially, was a young lady of rare beauty of person, possessing a bright intel lect, and much energy of character. She was renowned heroine of Ken nedy’s popular story of ‘Horseshoe Robinson’ and in all the upper part of South Carolina he could not have chos en a more beautiful character in real life with which to adorn the charming pages of his historical romance.” Mar garet Musgrove married Landon Wat ers, whose son, Captain Philemon Musgrove Waters, wrote an interest ing paper setting forth many of the facts quoted by Draper, which, is in cluded in Dr. Logan’s manuscript. Her descendants are living in Laurens county today. Kennedy’s book introduces Mary as the pretty, graceful, industrious and patriotic daughter of the Miller, visit ing in the home of her Aunt. While there, she overhears a plot to deliver into the hands of the British two American patriots, Major Butler and Horseshoe Robinson. With fear and tiembling,, she makes a midnight at tempt to warn them of their danger. The tired troopers are too drugged with sleep to clearly heed her menage and are captured. Robinson makes his escape, but Major Butler is held a prisoner and Mary devotes herself to his release. On one occasion she visits the camp of Col. Innes where Butler is imprisoned and by her timely inter vention effects a postponement of his execution. She makes her entrance with a number of other young people who have country vegetables and fruits to sell, but her attractive per sonality and beautiful basket of ap ples interest those high in authority. She is invited to rest her basket on the center table, upon which was found, after she left, a note from a British officer who was a prisoner to the patriots,.imploring Col. Innes to spare Butler’s life, as his own would be forfeited immediately 'Upon But ler’s execution. The appeal was ef fective, and execution stayed. During her stay in camp, she fearlessly spoke in defense of Butler. Mary is dearly beloved by John Ramsey, a brave and handsome young trooper in Sumter’s army and they plan to be married when the war is over. She engagea John’s service and they, together with the aid of her cousin, Christopher Shaw, finally af ter an exciting and dangerous engage ment, effect Major Butler’s- escape. Unfortunately, John' s Ramsey is mor tally wounded in a skirmish with the enemy, only a few hours after the escape, and Major Butler recaptured while attending his friend’s funeral. Mary is pictured as being over whelmed with grief over her lover’s death, but we still find her giving aid to the cause in every way possible. She becomes attached to Mildred Lind say, wife of Major Butler, and with her views the Battle of Kings Mount ain, and afterwards witnesses the happy reunion of husband and wife. Within the past few years, several interesting articles have appeared in the columns of The Columbia State and Greenville News reciting interest ing features of Musgrove’s Mill, call ing attention to the important battle fought there on August 18, 1780, at which time the British loss was 63 been reported killed in an accident in Kansas City. He fell from a scaf- Told, had amnesia and wandered In various states. Klelnschmld{ says he will do nothing that would embarrass his wife in her present marriage. COCHRAN ORDERS SEABROOK FREED loaders as Cunningham and Col. Per-j killed, 90 wounded and 70 prisoners; oniorm he was' fndnrp guson, he was'Induced to join the King’s. Standard.” The historian fur ther relates the capture of Beaks Mus- * <grove, in his home, by Paddy Carr, a former fearless Indian fighter, and cne of the captains serving under Col. Clarke of Georgia. He pictures Capt. Carr securing possession of Beaks Musgrove's sword with which he is just about to attack tfre unarmed Beaks, When Mary imploringly threw . herself bqjween the two men and ear nestly pled for her brother. Her prayers were so effective that she saved her brother’s life and he agreed while the patriots lost only 4 killed,’ and 8 or 9 wounded. One of theSe, however, was the brave Capt. Inman, who fell in battle and whose grave has been located and marked on an old across Cedar Creek in Spartanburg county. All of these writers unite with Draper and Kennedy in praise of the beautiful character and charming personality of Mary Musgrove. She i* .fojrtifcyed as industrious, intelli gent, courteous and unselfish; and these qualities, combined with beauty of person and great moral apd p)lysi- Men Who Shot Trapper At Coosaw Cleared in United States Court. | Charleston, bet. 17.—United States District Judge Ernest F. Cochran to- da directed a verdict of not guilty in the cases against Alonzo B. Seabrook, federal prohibition agent, and Frank J. Harrington, state prohibition con stable, charged with the murder of J. D. Pittman, hunter, trapper and fisherman, at Coosaw, Beaufort coun ty, the night of May 24, when Pittman was in the cabin of the houseboat in which he lived. , -i _ > Seabrook was the last witness to testify, taking the stand just after the opening of the court. He testi fied that he and Harrington had boarded the boat, which was on stocks, and had crawled along the deck. They were heard by Pittman, who came to the door of his cabin, saw them and rushed back. He and Harrington, he said, kept shouting that they were prohibition officers and wished to search the boat. He did not fire, he testified, until after Pittman had fired. He saw Pittman by the light of the flashlight directed by Hafring- ton. When Seabrook stepped down, Dis trict Attorney Meyer moved for a di rected verdict of not guilty oil the ground that the state had not made out a case. Solicitor Randolph Mur- daugh of the Beaufort district, for the prosecution, opposed the motion, asking that the jury be given an op portunity of passing on whether the prohibition officers had a right to violate Pittman’s home in the manner they did and arguing that the state had made out its case. Judge Coch rane went into a resume of the testi mony and declared that in his judge ment the prohibition officers were within their rights in their method of boarding Pittman’s craft. He or dered a verdict of not guilty. Seabrook and Harrington were in dicted in Beaufort and were tried in the court of general sessions there, but Judge Cochran interposed an or der, transferring the case to the Unit ed States district court. cal courage inspire our most ardent pdmiration. Ever ready to give her heart and strength to those around her, she proves herself a veritable angel of mercy to her family and fel low patriots. She must ^ have . overtaxed her strength during the strenuous days of the war, for Draper says that she be came a victim of tuberculosis only one yeAr after the close of the Revolu tion. At her request, her sister, Su san, and three of her girl friends were pall bearers, and the same his torian says that she was borne to her grave on silk handkerchiefs. The writer understands that it was the custom of the day to use the immense silk handkerchiefs or mufflers of the period on such occasions, passing them through the handles of the casket. Her little form was so eiftaciated that it could be borne to its last resting place by these young girls % and her grave has within the past few decades road a abort distance from the bridge bMn m ? rke 1 d by ” lal "* 8 ol the “ff _ _ _ . ° crr*r\\7£* totnilv Saha clonna grove family. She sleeps peacefully in the little family graveyard ne^r the site of the old Mill beside her revered father and beloved sister. WHAT DO P. S. 3 JEANS ‘ . DO? . 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