Some Sketches of Life Along the Pedee River

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Some Sketches of Life
Along the Pedee River
By SUSAN LOWNDES ALLSTON
r
iS about the Pedee river
that I would like to share
torn* ol my thoughts with my
fellow Carol inlans. It Is a river
I have loved of old.
The former home of my
grandparents was C h 1 c o r a
Wood on the Pedee. The
house still stands on the bluff,
and the rice fields were across
the river, of which there is a
fine view from the high piazza
looking down-stream.
In
freshet the river Is yellow from
the turgid waters ot upper
South Carolina and from the
clay soils of North Carolina.
But sometimes, especially in
the spring it is more silver than
any other color.
There Is memory of an early
pring trip in a small boat with
friends when there was just a
little, tender green pushing out
on the limbs of trees bending
gracefully over the stream.
Their s h 1 m m e r y reflections
covered the surface of the river
with a luminous grey-green lace
Unforgettably lovely!
In the sentimental phrase of
long ago, "To know her Is to
love hrr", and I fancy thosa
of us who know her, love the
Pedee, And If we come to
know her better, surely we'll
love her more. So allow me to
trace out norne anecdotes and
recollections that may refresh
our interest.
In colonial times the rivers
were the thorough-fares of the
country, as we all know, and
this lasted diminLihlngly for a
century and a half. They now
teem comparatively little used,
though an occasional towed
barge, which may consist of
several flats loaded with naval
stores, carries a big load.
Now one may sometimes see
a yacht or two which have come
through the inland-water-way,
or some fast darting motorboat, but they are here and
gone
like the slow poled or
rowed flats, or the many lit
tle sails that used to flutter on
their zig zag courses. How
beautiful they were!
I I remember some years ago
! watching one with nostalgic
eyes as It fluttered from Winyah
Bay into the mouth of the river,
then started tacking its way on
home; having probably bought
supplies and transacted town
business for a week or a fort
night. In seeing these lovely
old customs pass there Is sad
ness a« in the passing of an
epoch.
Rhythmic
The Pedee was not too deep
for poling barges or fiats, as
they were called. These were
used to bring freight up and
boat The tide lapped softly
while other places were taken,
then when the "Ready" sign
was given, with a burst of song,
the boat leapt into the full
stream of the river. To my dy
ing day I'll never forget the
thrill!
In lively cadence the men'i
fine voices Joined in the rhythm
of the oars:
"Keep yer lamp strong «n'
bumin' till de bridegroom
come,
Keep yer lamp strong an'
Coso Bionco
down the river. They had rough,
heavy, long so-called can for
rowing in deep water, where the
poles couldn't reach the bot
tom. But whether rowing or pol
ing the men sang as they went
along and the sound floated over
the water- slow and rhythmic
and indescribably beautiful.
The singing was not always
slow. In my baby-hood (it is the
first thing I can remember) we,
a small family group, left the
Chicora landing near the house
to visit my grandmother on
Pawleys Island.
The crew of four lusty rowers
were in their places in the long
burn In' till d« bridegroom
come,
An-O-Sion, O- Sion, O-Sion,
till de bridegroom come.
We will see Mausaa Jew*
when de bridegroom come,
We will see Maussa Jesus
when de bridegroom come
An- O- Sion, 0- Sion, O
Sion when de bridegroom
come.
There was marvellous verve
and Joy in the singing, and
there were variations of the
words, but always the same
refrain. One of the rowers would
improvise new words, and that
would bt taken up by the oth
ers; as I have heard groups do
In threshing out rice for seed.
Since then, in this country and
In Europe, I have been thrilled
by what is considered the best
of the world's music, but never
have I been more thrilled than
when bearing this crew of good
voices, accustomed to row and
sing together.
My dear Da Margaret told my
mother afterwards, "Dis chile
don't do nothin all de days but
talk 'bout de boat an* de song,
an' e' try shake 'eself an sing."
For weeks and months the
pleasure stayed with me. Indeed
I have never lost it
When I have been kindly en
tertained by charming people
who come to enjoy our country
and our rivers, whether a speed
boat, or whatever the expen
sive variety of water transpor
tation supplied, I have said to
myself: They don't know what a
crew of trained rowers could
be! They don't know the music
of these rivers! Speed is the
order of today.
"01* man river, dat ol* man
river,
"He must know sum pin, but
don't say nothing,
"He Just keeps rollto. h*
Just keeps rolling' along."
We don't want to forget that
our first hosts on the river were
the Pedee Indians, who gave
It their name and whow home it
was. They gave the white man
generous welcome.
Now let us visit with the In
dians.
Our Indian*
Ethnologists divide American
Indians north of Mexico Into 60
stocks. Of these five are re
presented as among Indians that
formerly inhabited South Caro
lina. With one of these, the
Siouan,
branch of the Algonquian, are classed the little
tribes of Pedee, Waccamaw,
Winyah, and Cape Fear Indians.
The Catawbas were also of
Siouan stock.
(It seems that some o! th*
Skwans stayed la tot West, but
V. P
v. nh
those).
The Indian Book No. 1 of our
South Carolina archives states
that in July 1715 (which we all
know was before the date of
Georgetown's founding), the
Board of Commissioners of the
Indian Trade ordered that a
Factory be established at the
branches of the Pedee and
Waccamaw Rivers and of Win
yah Bay at a place called
Sankey, as a convenient point
for commerce with the Pedee
and Waccamaw Indian*.
By September, at the urgent
recommendation of William
WatJes, a change was made. Mr.
Waties, who had taken out bond
and was the authorized Factor
for dealing with the Indians who'
were in amity with this govern
ment, recommended that Euanenep on the Great Bluff, above
the loop on Black River was
the safest and best place for
the trading post.
Four Important reasons were
given and agreed on as to why
it was the best place for the
Trading House, and there it was
accordingly built.
John Bartram in his Diary of
A Journey Through the Caro*
Unas, Georgia and Florida, 176566 says, "This river Pedee
(Pede or Peede) 1s formed by
the Yadkin, Rocky and Umharrie rivers in west central North
Carolina and flows through
eastern South Carolina into
Winyah Bay at Georgetown/*
Baron de G raffenried, who
settled New Bern with a colony
of Swiss and travelled extensive
ly through North Carolina, had
this to say of the Indians:
"I must say here to the shame
of Christians, that all in all,
the Indians are more generous.
I have observed many good
things from them, such as
they do not swear, keep their
word exactly whatever they
promise, do not quickly quarrel
In their games, are not so
avaricious, there is not so much
haughtiness; among their young
people also, I have not noticed
anything Improper . . , The bad
thing about them Is that their
rage Is furious.
"They seldom offend the
Christians without having some
motive for it, and, the greatest
part of the time, the abuse
comes from the Christians, who
deal roughly with them. I spoke
with several Indians about their
cruelty, but an Indian King, a
man of good tense, answered m«
in compiling the Indian \viih a
snake: Leave it alone, coiled up
as it is, do not hurt it, and it
will hurt no living creature
but disturb its rest and it strikes
and bites."
John Lawson wrote of the
Carolina Indian that they were
"Really much better to us than
we have been to them, as they
always freely give us of their
victuals at their quarters, while
we let them walk by our doors
hungry, and do not often relieve
them. We look upon them with
disdain and scorn, and think
them little better than beasts in
human form; while with all our
religion and education, we poss
ess more moral deformities and
vices than these people do."
Indian Trade
The Indian Trade was a mat
ter of tremendous importance in
those days. When Colonel Wil
liam Byrd was surveying the
dividing line between Virginia
and North Carolina he speaks
of the great Trading Path and of
the Caravans for carrying on
the Indian commerce and says,
"Formerly a Hundred Horses
have been 1m ployed in one of
these Indian Caravans."
,
The Path came south-easterly {
down across North Carolina and,
Colonel Byrd says, "After crossIng the Alamance river inter- |
sected the Yadkin. which is !
there a half mile over and is
supposed to be the south branch
of the same Pedee".
The Northern Indians are de
scribed as being much fiercer
and harsher than the Southern
Indians, and Colonel Byrd says,
"It may not be improper to Take
notice of their implacable Hat
red to those of the South. Their
wars are everlasting, without
any Peace."
They came across "the war
trail of the Northern Indians on
their way to attack the Catawba and other Southern Indians."
A letter from the Governor of
South Carolina, May 24, 1751, to
Governor Clinton of New York
pleads with him for assistance
in reconciling the difficulties be
tween these Indians.
Perhaps this greater fierce
ness of the Northern Indians
may account for an attitude re
marked by literary critics of J.
Fenimore Cooper's Interprets
tion of Indian character as com
pared to William Gllmora
Simms'. There is no Lenatew*
in Cooper's novels.
Indian to
North Carolina" by Douglas
Tell Rights, gives a very
formative and interesting
ture of those early days. She
in this book in heavy
across a map of North Carol
is the Indian Path so wisely
out by the natural sagacity
the Indians that today in
Rights words:
Indian Trail
"The former Indian trail
still the Great Trading Path fc
North Carolina, hard surface
from Virginia to South Cat
lina, embracing within a
hour drive from the line or
fifth of the population, nil
tenths of the industrial devele
ment and nine tenths of the ii
sti tut ions of higher learning
the State."
Also stated to the credit of th»|
.Path> Daniel Boone made his]
home near it and so did the]
ancestors of four presidents of|
the United States.
Another quotation from this
book tells us, "The Pedee who
have given their name to the
lower Yadkin were settled on
the lower portion of the stream.
In 1743 the Governor of South
Carolina signed an order: To
provide for the Pedee Indians
now in town the following par
ticulars, viz: Presents to the
three head men, each of them, a I
gun and a knife; to the others,
each of them, a knife. For the
three women, each of them, a
looking-glass, twenty bullets, a
half pound vermilion to be di
vided among them. Also, an or
der on Col. Brewton for ten
pounds of gunpowder for use
of the said Indians."
With the steady encroachment
of whites on Indian lands, the
demoralization of Indian char
acter by use of the white man's
liquor, and the many ills re
sulting from contact with the
whites, the small tribes of Pe
dee, Waccamaw and Cape Fear
Indians steadily diminished.
The Pedee are supposed to
have gone up the Little Pedee
and found shelter in the secluded
iwamps of Robeson County,
North Carolina.
Pedee Swamp Lands
There is a record in 1731-32
of the laving out of 11 townships
on the Pedee river.
Some years later there wa»
a wild rush to buy up these
lands. A fever of speculation
seems to have been generated
over them. The purchasers were
many and varied.
One might study the newspa-l
look at the picture. It seems to
be true that land from New
York City was offered and ac
cepted in exchange for some of
these wild, swampy acres.
An old saw is; "Every one to
his own taste." And another is
"Times change."
Naturally we should all like to
know if the foreign nobleman
Who gave up his New York holdIngs to establish himself on a
vast estate of Pedee swamp
lived "happily ever alter." Per
haps he did.
Francis Morion
Just before they flow into
Winyah Bay, there is a narrow
strip of rice land between tha
Waccamaw and the Pedee riv
ers. And likewise there is a
narrow peninsula of rice fields
between the Pedee and the Black
River.
Then the Black makes a broad
turn west, while with many con
volutions and intimacies with
marshes and creeks, the Pedee
winds along north-westwardJy.
This was country Francis
Marion knew by heart. It was
his shield and hiding place and
he secreted himself in the
creeks. When Tarleton wrote
Lord Cornwall!* "Marion has
crossed the Pedee," the British
were foiled again.
At well named Hasty Point
plantation, just in time Marion
slipped away from the squad
close on his heels. While they
hurriedly pursued into Thorough
fare Creek, which runs from
Pedee into Waccamaw, Marion
had safely sought shelter In a
little creek.
It was the swiftness of MarIon's attack and retreat which
bewildered the British. Like
lightning be struck and was
{gone.
Further up the Pedee, Snow's
Island was the lair of the
Swamp Fox. Here he and his
men were safe. The British
could not reach him. Here was
his hiding place and house of
defense.
Samuel Gaillard Stoney gives
an interesting characterization
of Marion; "Stoic and Spartan
(jualities marked the man. Ab
stemious to a degree, he was
not Influenced by food or drink,
money or sex. He seemed nev
er to be swayed by ambition
glory or power, revenge or re
ward. Certainly through the
fury of a malignant civil war
he, maintained a reputation for
decency and scruple, not too
generally characteristic of the
other leaders on either side. Ac
complishing work seems to have
been his ambition."
Tuned Hi$ Soul
Well may there have been an
Inheritance to Marion from the
itrucglei of his Huguenot ances
tors in defence of their strong
and uplifting faith which tuned
bis soul and strengthened the
sinews of his body for the pre
sent struggle.
Hii grandparents nM n
|from France an<~.
lina at the time of the revoca
tion of the Edict of Nantes in
3685. Now of the third genera
tion with a vision of freedom,
Francis Marion was a citizen of
the New World.
Though a stern displinarian,
he had a wise, and one might
say, a compassionate under
standing of his men. Against a
powerful and wealthy foe, under
dark skies, with scant food or
clothing for himself or his men,
yet always holding high the
restraining ordinances of war,
wholeheartedly and with intrep
id ability Marion held to his
purpose.
Marion, the noble, the un
daunted, the inimitable leader!
It is foolishness to liken him to
Robin Hood. Marion's character
and vision put him in line with
King Arthur:
'"Hie men of the East may
spell the stars
And time and triumph mark,
But the men signed of the
cross of Christ
God gaily in the dark."
Rice on the Pedee
Between the mouth of Pe
dee and almost to Euhany (now
bridged and to my regret called
Yawhannah) were the rice
plantations that for more than
a 100 years were a part of the
great rice empire of our South
ern coast.
Most of the plantations were
comparatively small, counting
only the rice land as valuable.
There may have been in the
early days some rice planted
there In the fresh water reserves
provided naturally by the
swamps. There was one at Chicora Wood (then called Matanzas.)
But ft was when the tidal cul
tivation came in that the in
dustry developed into a big
thing. Just when it began is
somewhat uncertain,
Probably one of the first to
develop tidal cultivation was
White House, at the mouth of
the river. Owned by Ralph J-ard, it was making good crop,;
when his daughter Mary, to
whom he left It, went there as
the bride of John Juliui Pringle
in 1806.
White House became their
borne, and a very beautiful one.
Judging from family letters CWcora Wood was being planted
to rice at the turn of the cen
tury.
These plantations, and there
may have been some 30 or more
of them, narrowed in towards
the rivers where the land was
more valuable and where the
houses were built. Avenues ran
in from the "river road," which
extended up towards Euhaney.
The planters were an inter
esting group and had cultured
people among them. Sons were
often tent abroad for their ed
ucation to England, to Ger
many or to France.
The profession of medicine was
a favorite one as being par
ticularly useful to the head of
a plantation, and for that Edin
burgh was often chosen. I have
heard there were four young
Tuckers all educated as doctors.
One doesn't hear of any daugh
ters who were given these op
portunities. There were no Abi
gail Adamses or Carrie Chap
man Catts to blaze the way for
women. This may be said to be
the hey dey of life on the river
as we know of it.
£
Plantation
i
This group of Pedee planta
tions was within the lines of the
parish which had built the
church of Prince Frederick In
1726 on the Great Bluff on Black
river, at the fast growing set, tlement where the Indian Trad
ing Post was.
With lo«s of the English boun
ty on indigo after the Revolu
tion, Indigo was given up. Also,
men were leaving to go further
down the riven for tidal culti
vation of rice.
This aettlement dwindled and
the congregation dwindled with
! it. Now the rice planters on the
I Pedee built a chapel on the
, river road which they called
Prince Frederick's chapel, and
it had a good congregation.
A summer health resort had
developed three miles away In
the salubrious pineland
re
moved from mosquitoes. (But
they didn't know anything about
the anopheles mosquito then).
Here at Plantersville one could
be free of malaria in summer,
and to Plantersville in the 1850's
the planters had the chapel
moved and replaced It on tha
riverjoad with the brick Gothic
church which they called Prince
Frederick, Peedee.
So they bad a winter church
and a summer chapel.
Then came the Confederate
War and disaster. For the next
half century services were held
tai church and chapel, but the
rice industry was fast declining.
Prosperity and the congregation
ebbed away together.
Now this lovely little church
stands forlorn and in disrepair.
God grant that church and coun
tryside may live again!
For well over 100 years rice
supplied wealth to the Pedee
plantations. To this bare outline
of them, (amply filled out in
other places) I shall add a few
anecdotes about the Pedee
which I happen to know.
Bossard used to be a respected
name in Georgetown County, and
though there must be relatives
left in the State (I have seen
hereabout a lovely print of a
Bossard country estate of form
er days in England) the name
seems to have died out, as so
many good old names do.
In 1826 the Bossards were liv
ing at Hasty Point plantation,
Pedee. Mr. Bossard was to de
liver the 4th of July oration in
Georgetown, and was away
when his baby vdaughter was
bom at Hasty r\»tnt. A mes
senger was sent by boat in haste
to give him the good news, and
Mr. Bossard was hoisted on
the shoulders of his compatriots
with rousing cheers.
I'd Iliable Citizens
Some years later that little
daughter married John Savage
Smith of Georgetown, and be
came the grandmother of Miss
Charlotte T. Pyatt, who is a
valuable citizen of Georgetown
today and strongly resembles
her grandmother, whom I can
remember as a child: straight,
tall, blond and very good lookIng, and very like her grand
daughter.
During the Confederate War
Robert F. W. Allston used th«
rivers for freighting salt boiled
from ocean water in vats hid
den in the bayous on Pawleys
Island. Salt had become scarce
and wagons came long distances
to buy it or barter for it.
Trained Negroes carried on this
work without white supervision.
With ports blocked and no
railroad within 40 miles, a way
must be made to get the rice
crop to market. As he had
organized the salt works with
Its crews, so Robert Allston or
ganized a plan for freighting the
rice crop up the Pedee river.
He had two lighters built,
decked over and secured from
the weather, and these could
carry from 150 to 200 tierces of
clean (hulled) rice, ready for
market. And on each lighter, he
put a captain with eight men.
Charles Petigru Allston tells of
it in the chapter he contributed
to "Chronicles of Chi cor a
Wood."
He says. "These lighters hav
ing been loaded at the rice mill
were taken up the Pedee to the
raidroad bridge near Mars
Bluff, and sometimes to Cheraw.
It was a long, hard trip, and
when the freshet was up It
seemed sometimes impossible to
carry a loaded barge against the
current by hand,
but it was
done.
"At such times the only pro
gress made was by carrying
the line ahead, making fast to
a tree on the river-bank, and
then all hands warping the boat
up by the capstan; then make
fast and carry the line ahead
again.
"Th« crew were all able men.
They had plenty to eat and
seemed to enjoy themselves.
The Pedee is nalgable for 120
miles from the ocean.
"1 have often been with my
father when the boats returnrd
from a trip, and the captain
came to make his report It
was worth listening to; the most
minute account of the trip, with
all Its dangers and difficulties."
Robert F. W. Allston was born
fa 1801 and died in April, 1863.
His son. Charles, then on home
leave from school, later when
he was sixteen, joined the Cita
del Cadets for active service.
When the war was over and
the whole social system up
turned, the formerly wealthy
Weston family left at Hasty
Point consisted of an old moth
er, an almost blind brother,
and four maiden sisters. How
were they to subsist?
The eldest sister. Miss Paul
ine, resourcefully hit upon the
plan of keeping a store lor the
Negroes. An English cousin sent
a cash starter. Regularly a lit
tle freight boat came up the
river to the Hasty Point wharf,
bringing to Miss Pauline's store
her orders for the meat, tobacco
and the various little things she
knew the Negroes would want;
hence a small but satisfactory
trade.
Sought Help
One of the recollections of my
childhood is of the flat-men, or
raftsmen, who would stop at
our plantation for help. My fa
ther said, "Always help them.
Give them food. Hard going and
bad weather may have delayed
them, and they are short of ra
tions."
The men appreciated this and
didn't encroach. One especially
remains in my memory: he look
ed very tall and thin and black
and I marvelled at his extreme
celerity and skill in cutting from
the home-salted meat in the
storeroom. It would have t;»ken
me quite some time to get the
knife through. Quite unrestricted,
he was very modest in what he
took. I still have that old store
room knife of Rood steel.
Perhaps such pleasant cus
toms carry through in the slow
social conscience and account
for later things seemingly un
related. As for instance, many
years later, leaving my widowed
mother at the plantation. I took
with me our faithful Sam Keith
to make a necessary trip to
town before Christmas.
The old King's Highway was
being paved. No passing that
way. We headed north on the old
drill-ground road to strike an
other road running into town.
Weather and roads worsened as
we went The mud holes were
indescribable and quite beyond
the comprehension of an automomobile.
A wagoner from up Heming
way side was having his troubles
too, but he helped us, otherwise
I don't see bow we could have
got through. Now this was work
beyond the recompense of any
thing I bad with me, yet this
good Negro turned to without
personal acquaintance or
thought of reward: and helped
with a good will.
Not far from the bluff at Chlcora Wood soon after the first
World War a big raft of cypress
logs had sunk and seemed fas
tened to the bottom of the Pe
dee River, a menace to watertraffic.
The owners were at their wits
ends. What to do!
up the vessel to save her from
Not only had they lost their capture. She sank on the west
valuable cypress but here was side of the river between the
a dilemma, they were liable old highway bridge and the rail
to be charged with obstructing way bridge.
a river channel and endanger
During an autumn drought in
ing traffic. Along happened a
1925 the river sank so low that
young sergeant, recently return
the vessel was exposed to view.
ed from the front. Now this
At the instance of the United
young fellow had always handDaughters of the Confederacy
loaded his cartridges in going
and
with assistance from inter
after game.
ested citizens and the City of
In France he had been put
Florence, the propellers were
In charge of a detail under or
removed to the Florence Pub
ders to destroy barb wire fenc
lic Library, to be preserved "tor
ing strung out to entangle ajid
the sake of history."
disrupt our forces In a certain
A granite marker with baspart of France.
relief
facsimile of the vessel
The terrain was under con
was
also
given commemorating
tinuous fire and this detail took
the
history
of the Pedee and
hoped-for shelter in a partly
that
she
was
burned March 15,
destroyed rock cabin. Here they
1865,
to
prevent
capture.
proceeded to assemble the bang
Now we come to the mystery:
alore torpedoees, for which they
had brought supplies. The work informed and devoted people had
brought the young sergeant a named the gunboat "Pedee,"
and now those who were com
citation.
Now he regarded the predica memorating it changed the spell
ment of the rait owners with ing of the name they came to
much interest. He asked them commemorate. The inscription
if they would like to sell the begins
raft. They replied with alacrity
The Cruiser Pee Dee, C.S.N.
they would sell it for a dollar.
Built C.S.N. Navy Yard,
Out came the dollar and the
Pee Dee, S. C. 1864
agreement was made. From the
What made them change the
fine Umbers of the raft this name? There must be some ex
former assembler of banga planation for it. Surely it won't
lore torpedoes later built bis do for good South Carol mi a ns to
bouse.
continuee to spell our river's
name in two ways.
The Gunboat Pedee
Information about the building
Mr. S. R. Mallory, Secretary and after history of the C.S.N.
of the Confederate Navy, in gunboat Pedee here given is
1862 had inspection made for taken from Lean Townsend's
possible sites for navy yards at scholarly article in the South
the head of suitable rivers where Carolina Historical Magazine for
the work couW proceed unmo April, 1959. A footnote to the
lested. An average depth of above says:
eight feet in the Pedee River
The reader will note the varia
from Society Hill landing to tions in the spelling of Pedee
Georgetown being reported by which occur in the newspaper
Lieutenant Alphonse Barbot, accounts, letters, inscriptions,
CSN. the Pedee Navy Yard was and other sources herein quoted.
located at Mars Bluff, north of Mills Atlas, Wallace's History,
the railroad bridge on the pres and many other standard refer
ent Marion side of the river.
ences adhere to the old spell
Work was pushed "night and ing "Pedee."
day" on the Gunboat Pedee.
Are We Divided?
Ii was a community project,
financed by contributions from
Robert Mills' atlas of South
business men of labor and sup Carolina dated 1825, gives an
plies and of jewelry and silver account of the Pedee River and
plate from the ladies. Work the Little Pedee. In the map
men cut and rafted timber to of the state the name of the
the navy yard and built "the river is written in one word.
best wooden ship the Confed But note that in Chesterfield
eracy constructed."
district this is written: "Great
As the ' 'Pedee" was being Pee Dee River, surveyed by
completed and launched, Sher- John Lowry, 1819." Perhaps
man was advancing through that spelling was an individual
Georgia and South Carolina, and contribution from John Lowry.
soon Charleston fell to the Yan
In letters Francis Marion
kee army. Only one assign wrote to authorities the name
ment of duty was carried out by of the river was Invariably spelt
the Pedee: she was ordered to "Pedee." The same is the rule
protect Ha r dee'a army crossing in Weem's "Marion." The dic
the river at Chrraw as it re tionary of American Biography
treated from Sherman's ad published by the American Coun
vance.
cil of Learned Societies states
When she return**! to the that "Marion was In command
Navy Yard at Mars Bluff Ferry, of militia between the Santee
thefan of the Confederacy was and Pedee."
And so there seems to have
imminent. Lieutenant Johnson
and his officers decided to blow been one way the name of the
ee
Pedee was spelt in the
[early days, except for some ocIcasional lapse, as in the case
'of John Lowry of Chesterfield
[County in 1819. But just as we
(were led to hope that orthography was improving in our
state a sudden spate of the
dear old river spelt in two words
comes flooding down upon us:
that fast growing city, culturally
as well as economically, the
city of Florence spells our dear
[river in two words; and so does
our beloved poet, Archibald Rutledge!
So then I look critically at
the two books written by Eliza
beth Allston Pringle, "A Woman
Rice Planter" and "The Chron
icles of Chicora Wood," and am
shocked to find that Pedee is
written in two words, both capi
talized.
When I noticed that McCrady
in his four volumes of the early
history of South Carolina spells
the name in two words, I turned
to see the date of publication,
as that may give us a clue as
to when this thing started.
McCrady's History of South
Carolina under the Proprietary
Government was published in
1901 and the last ot the four
volumes, South Carolina During
the Revolution, was published
in 1902. So may we not infer
that this division in the writing
of the name has only come about
in comparatively recent years.
A pleasant letter from Mr.
James Rogers, editor of the
Florence Morning News, in an
swer to an enquiry on this sub
ject, says: "For the sake of
historical accuracy, I prefer the
one word spelling; but it is hard
to change common practice. For
that reason we stick to two
words."
Could we not look into this
matter, get a concensus of opin
ion and decide what is to be
done? The manner of dividing
the name into two words seems
only to have been in usage a
comparatively short time com
pared with the length of time
of our colony from its start.
How did Pec Dee ever start?
The history of the Gunboat Pe
dee so clearly written out In
the South Carolina Historical
Magazine for April 1959 Is an
excellent reference as to date.
It would be hard to estimate
the value of historical work done
by the Daughters of the Con
federacy in keeping records and
in keeping them straight. Perhaps this great body of women
would take an interest in help
ing to get this matter straight
ened out; When, why and how
did this writing of Pee Dee
start?
Other words with double ees
are not written that way: Sewee, Santce, etc., etc. Do we
wish further to wrong the In
dians by taking away their name
from their river?
White House
There is one Pedee plnntation of which I wish to write
in detail. It is no more, but
we should not forget it. It is a
Lost Atlantis. Not in the mean
ing of the old Greek myth in
which inhabitants of the island
of Atlantis fought the Greeks,
followed by disaster, after which
the island disappeared sunk in
to the ocean according to the
narrative of Plato,
My affinity is for the later
myth in which the ancients
had a vague belief in the ex
istence of the Western Hemis
phere. This imaginative concep
tion, this fleeting knowledge of
it sank Into the ocean. It was
the Greek's Lost Atlantis.
I sent a message to my dear,
A thousand leagues and more
to Her.
The deep sea levels thrilled
to hear
And Lost Atlantis bore to her.
The plantation called White
House was situated on a nar
row strip of rich land between
the Pedee and Black rivers, with
the quaint, three gabled house
facing the Pedee. This was the
last place on the river, for the
rice fields gradually narrowed
to a point between the Pedee
and Black rivers before thev
joined and flowed into Winyab
Bay.
The Pedee "River Road" ran
along past all the plantations
and it was that road that Eliza
beth Allston and her mother
took in ITS on their the way
to visit Mrs. John Julius Izard
Pringle.
The future author of "A Wo
man Rice Planter" describes It
this way: "I had never been
to the White House before,
though I had always heard of It
as very beautiful; a picturMque
rambling house with three
gables, set facing the river
about 200 yards away, In a
most beautiful garden, which
had been planted by Mr. Poinsrtt, who was a specialist on
gardens, a botanist.
"The White House was even
more beautiful than I had Im
agined. As soon as you left the
road you entered on a lane bord
ered on each side with most
luxuriant climbing roses, now
In riotous bloom, long garlands
of white roses swaying In the
breeze, high up, and quarrelling
for supremacy with long gar
lands of pink roses.
"Thia lane took you direct to
the Pedee river, where you
made a &harp turn and
along the avenue of live oaks
just on the edge of the river,
which had here a sand beach
like the seashore. The effect
was delightful; on the left the
river, only a few feet away, on
the right a green lawn, until
you came to the vegetable gar
den.
Picture Garden
"A picture garden! All the
vegetables sedately in straight
rows, and having nothing to do
with each other. The French
artichokes standing in stately
stilt rows, not so much as
glancing at the waving aspara
gus bed, nor the rows of pale
green mammoth roses, which
turn out to be heads of lettuce.
"I had never before seen a
vegetable garden which was
ornamental. While I was taking
It in we entered the Dower gar
den, with a wilderness of roses,
azaleas, camellias, and other
beautiful shrubs and plants."
In the 18th century this place
had belonged to Ralph Izard.
As there were several Ralphs in
that family so prominent in
South Carolina in the early days,
he may be distinguished because
of his six daughters, all of whom
with good dots, charm and ab
ility married well.
In 1806 Mary married John
Julius Pringle, son of John Jul
ius Pringle. Attorney General
of South Carolina, and they
made their home at White
House, which Mary had from
her father. The plantation was
then making good rice crops,
and owned its own "sloop and
tackle and crew of three men."
Mr. and Mrs. Pringle travel
led much abroad. There WHS a
beautiful painting done in Rome
of Mrs. Pringle with her only
child, John Julius Izard Pringle, a graceful youth standing
beside his mother. This painting
has been preserved.
The Prtngles brought back to
the White House fine furnishings
and things from abroad. The
house was stocked with beauti
ful things.
After her husband's death,
Mary Izard Pringle married in
1833 Jool Roberts Poiivett, and
as she had done aftor her first
marriage, she wont home to
White Houae. Now bc^nn the
hey dey of the garden there.
Widely Traveled
Widely travelled and person
ally charming, Mr. Poinsett was
a man of great ability. Scientist,
diplomat and statesman, when
Secretary of War, he Initiated
the Naval Academy at Annapol
is, and it is largely because of
his influence tliat we have the
Smithjonlan Institute as It is
today.
With nil the duties for State
i
|
I
!
and Nation which Mr. Poinsett
undertook, he was not too busy
to work in his garden; and he
also planted rice at White House.
This writer was proud to have
a record from the Keithfirld
pounding mill of rice Mr. Poinsett sent there and to be able
to supply these figures to Dr.
Charles Chandler of Wallingford,
Pa., who has written a life of
Mr. Poinsett. Its publication has
been prevented because of re
cent soaring prices.
Here is a biography South
Carolina sorely needs. One would
think that if this were generally
known, means would be found
and permission asked of the
author to assist in bringing out
this book.
The Poinsetts had a full and
happy life at White House. The
renowned Norwegian writer,
Frc-dricka Bremcr visited them
there and gives a mellow pic
ture ot them. She speaks of
him as bring "one of the New
World's wise men."
Mr. Poinsett died in 1851. on
a visit to his friend Dr. Anderson at beautiful Borough House
near Stateburg. He is buried in
the Episcopal Church-yard near
by. Be&ide his is the grave of
Mrs. Poinsett.
John Julius Izard Pringle mar
ried Jane I/Tvh. daughter of
Mr. Dominic Lynch of New
York. They were devoted to Mr.
Poinsett and one of their three
sons was named Joel Roberts
Poinsett Pringle.
This young man with his two
brothers was at Heidelburg Uni
versity in Germany when the
war broke out. They left, ran
the blockade and entered the
Confederate service. Poinsett,
who was very beautiful, and had
been educated for the diplomatic
service, was killed early in the
war.
Federals after the battle walkIng over the death strewn field
wrote: "We realized we were
seeing the flower of Southern
manhood." They stopped to look
at a particularly beautiful face
upturned the exquisite face of
Poinsett Pringle.
His brother, Lynch Pringle,
who later married Carolina
Lowndes and lived at Greenfield
on Black River (a few miles
above White House), named his
first child Poinsett.
This Joel Roberts Poinsrtt
Fringe endeared himself to the
British when in command of a
patrol of the Irish sea during
the first World War. And his
little grandson is J. R. Poin
sett Kane. So the name has not
died out, though there is none
of Poinsett descent.
[card
J
Sad! Meeting
There is no vestige now of
John Julius Izard Pringle died
what
was White House on thr
In Rome in 1863, and it was
Tedee.
The oaks lining the ap
only after his death that his
proach
avenue
along the rivrr.
wife and daughter came home.
uncared
for,
whipped
by winds
Robert F. W. Allston had died
and
undermined
by
washing
the same year at Chicora Wood,
tides
are
about
gone.
The
grace
while his family was refugeeing.
!ful
and
gracious
old
three
gabled
It was a sad meeting for the
two old friends, Mrs. Allston house, which had been much
and Mrs. Pringle, that day at irVIed to *rirt was built on dif
the White House, both having erent levels, and had steps
suffered so much. But the war hrouRh one library window to
was over and they must face the garden, was burned some
the future. Mrs, Pringle had 50 years ago.
Evidently a night hunte r
heard the government had or
ook
refuge there, lit a fire in
dered all property belonging to
an
old,
dirty chimney, whiff
Mrs. Allston, the sister of James
and
all
was gone. Theft and
L. Petigru, a strong Union man,
neglect
have
emptied the gar
should be protected from all
den.
None
but
a poet's eyr
damaqe. Mrs. Allston attached
-ould
envision
what
was thcrr
little importance to this, which
Indeed
there
is
no
such
place
proved indeed to have been an
t
is
our
Lost
Atlantis.
empty gesture.
I sent a message to my
Now these two widows, roasdear,
wired by each other's company,
A
thousand leagues and
decided heavy-heartedly to go
more to Her,
and take the oath of allegience
The d«*p sea levels thrilled
as n preliminary for undertak
to hear
ing the heavy task and responsi
And Lost Atlantis bore to
bility of managing the estates
Her.
which had devolved upon them.
Perhaps if the lyre 1* proper
Meanwhile. Elizabeth Allston y tuned, our I^nst Atlantis mn\
and John Julius Pringle were thrill to hear and bear us K
together in the library. This Is mmwtge.
her account of it:
"Oh! What a white day that
stands out In my memory. I JANUARY 10, I960
was embroidering a waist in;
blacks ilk to make a Russian |
blouse out of the everlasting
purple calico we were all wear
ing. As I sewed in a big chair
in the beautiful lihrary, filled!
with most delightful books, ex-j
quisite engravings on the walls
and marble busts around the
room, Mr. Pringle read aloud
to me.
j
"He picked up the first book!
his hand cams upon I think j
it was 'Eugene Aram.' But thej
book was nothing; it wan his I
voice. so beautifully modulated,
and his presence, safe back
from the awful danger, and in
his own beautiful home.
"It cast a spell over me; and
long afterwards he told me he
had no idea of what he was
reading; nothing of it entered
his mind; it was the
fact of having me sitting there
in his own home, sewing as If
I belonged there that Intoxicated
him, so that he was afraid to
speak, and so took refuge in
reading?
"So there we were a pair of
idiots in a fool's paradise, some
might think, but such moments
are immortal. Sotil Rpeaks to
soul, though no voice bo heard."
They were married April 26,
1870.
MiMttB9BM0iMViBS^i^^iV^BIHHkM^b^A^B^^M_
___
The State
Could this be the best likeness of General Francis Marion, the
Swamp Fox of Revolutionary War fame? Here Marion is seen pointy
to some sweet potato**.
LUNUARY 10, I960
Th*Statei
Renowned Mid Pee Dee Sites
Toured by Historical Society^
by Dr. Horace WilHamson, now I
the home of Mrs. J. R. Blackmail.
A magnificent old magnolia tree|
In Mrs. Blackman's yard
pointed out as a perfect specimen]
from which generations of bride*
had pickrd blossoms Rnd foliage]
for church decorations,
Refreshments were served atl
the Mechanicsville home of Mr.f
and Mrs. Lucas Dargan. Mrs. T.
C. Cbxe, Jr., discussed the his
tory of the Mont Clare section and
Miss Ethel Willlamson spoke on|
the hLstory of Mechanicsville.
0. L. Warr, president of th«|
The first stop on the tour was at this district
the home of Mr. and Mrs. Clar
The history of the Mechani
ence Atkinson. This spacious 12- ville Church, included on the tov
Special to The Stale
DARLINGTON (Special)
Mid room house is one of the few fine was given by Mrs. W. E. Dargs
i Pee Dee sites renowned a cen old Springville houses still remain The lirst organized religious gro
tury ago as prosperous farm and ing.
from which the Mechanicsvi
[summer resort areas were toured Included on the visit were Pugh and many of thn other Bapt
by members of the Darlington Field and Pugh Cemetery the churches in the Pee Dee secti
i County Historical Society at their family burying plot of Pugh and have descended was organized
Hugh Lide families. The historical the Welsh as they left Wales
recent October meeting.
The tour included ante belluzn society "decided to look into the 1701. The Mechanicsville Bapt
residences, churches and ceme- possibility of assuming the preser Church was first known as Casl
'teries in the Springville and Me- vation of this burying plot, which way, then Mount Pleasant. It u
I chanicsville sections of Darlington is now in a sad state of neglect. the mother church of Brownsv
The gey, Eyafl ftifiit 'nr whrtm in Marlboro County, and Bl£
[County.
the
cemetery is named, was one Creek and th« First Bap
Springville, on Black Creek,
of
the
early Baptist preachers in Church of Darlington.
three miles northeast of Darling
ton, derived its name from the this section. He was born in Penn
Picturesque Louthers Hill Ccr
numerous bold springs at the foot sylvania in 1729. As a boy he tery. the site of the former !
of the bluff adjacent to the creek. moved to Winchester, Va., where Pleasant Church, contains the
Mechanicsville, seven miles from he practiced surveying under graves of many Revolution,
Darlington, near the banks of the George Washington. He came to soldiers, including; Major Rob
i Pee Dee River, was once seriously South Carolina in 17fi2, and i-i/fc of Marion's Brigade.
considered as the seat of govern preached regularly in this area Homes noted on the tour
from 1766 until his death in 1802. eluded the Springville reside
ment for Darlington County.
Mr. Pugh kept a well-docu of Col. J. S. Gibson, built bef
A wealthy and cultured sum
mer colony flourished at Spring- mented diary, the original of 1850, now occupied by Mr. and
i
vine before the War Between the which is owned by Miss Blanche Mrs. Wallace Folsom and owi
(States and from 1826 to 1832 there Law of Darlington, who gave a by Mrs. Emma Willcox;
[was a Springville Post Office. The photostatic copy of it to the his Thomas Willlamson house, r
community has disappeared ex torical society.
unoccupied and owned by
cept as a regional name in the Mrs. A. J. Howard spoke at the Helms family; the Fountain hou
Mecbanicsville
site
of
Col
Lemuel
Darlington area. Mechanicsville
built about 1800 by Peter WII
also formerly had a Post Office Benjoa> home, "Stoney Hill.'1* Col. now owned by Mrs. B. C. Flowe
Benton
succeeded
Colonel
Kolb
as
and today designates both a cross
the house built by Capt. Paul!
P
roads village and one of the most
Whipple, a native of New England,
against
the
British
and
Tory
forces
fertile farming areas of Darling\.'M. _
moved
in the Pee Dee, and later served _
.. here
_, . after _ the, War ,
as a member of Congress frod^Ti
A 'S aj?d ^^
lively; and the house
By SADIE B. WANT
-«.._j-_». ijf