Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1856-12-10
From the Southern Light.
Editorial Correspondence.


DEAR. RI herewith send you the pro-
missed notes of my late tour through part
of the country whose external features pre-
sent but little that is attractive to the
traveller. But doubt if it is possible to
pass over two hundred miles without meet
ing with something which is worthy OF
being told. So here goes. According to
arrangement on Monday the 10th of No
rember we bundled up the children, servants
and baggage and rolled out the old Court
House town of Edgcfeld feeling decidedly
sad at the thought of leaving many friends
behind, and took our way for the lower
country. The little fry however did not
seem to partake of our gloomy state of
mind but laughed and sung ,as we rumbled
along over the Plank Road, the first ten
miles of which is in tolerably good order
and we'll worth the small pittance required
to take the way yfarer out of the tiresome sand
bed that stretches along beside it. But after
passing the "Old Wells" we began to be
sensible of q roughness, which increased
with the distance until it was really re-
lief to get into the desert road, below the
Cherokee Ponds" which leads on down to
the Independent Republic" where they
seldom vote, never muster and do pretty
much as they please generally. It is hardly
nsccssasy to explain by writing out in full
the ,,s,uv Of the old German commonwealth
Of Beech leland.
Wa think the history Of this famous corn.
Island should be written. Therc are many
incidents connected with its early settle
ment and later history that might serve us
the basis of romantic story. Some OF the
old settlers can give interesting accounts of
Revolutionary times, and we hope that a
friend who has more than once promised
us communication, will, durinc the coming
winter evenings, do somcthingto to perpetuatc
the traditions of his adopted neighborhood-
as also to give publicity to the improvements
in progress and in contemplation.
Well, we spent one night here as pleas.
antly as the kind attention Of friends could
make it, which, to one who has ever expe-
rienced it is all that is necessary to be said,
and proceeded next morning on our "wind-
ing way" over the sandy roads of Barnwell,
and brought up in the evening at the hospi-
table residence of our old friend DR.. B.,
whose good lady, Zone of the kindcst of her
sex,) is our maternal step-aunt.
The Doctor is gentleman of the old
school, living in circumstances Of easy inde-
pendence, and dispensing his hospitalities to
all who claim them at his hands. In reli-
gion, he is quite "free thinker" though
not in the common aeceptation of the term.
He has been reading and examing the doc
trines of the different sects for several years
past, but seems to be at a loss in making
up his mind; yet he enjoins strict morali.
ty on all under his control, and makes spe-
cia' provision for the religious instruction Of
his slaves.
Leaving the comfortable home of our
friends the next morning we started on our
southwark journey through part of the
country whose chief excellence consists in
furnishing an abundance of water streams
at which to euench the ever craving thirst
of carriage load of children (who are gen.
orally the more thirsty, the dryer the sand
hill and the farther off you are from water)
and where one is seldom under the necessity
of turning out of the road to let others pass.
We seldom met any one and consequently
had all the road to ourselves, luxury which
we do not expect any one to appreciate who is
not like ourself, subject to occasional dys.
pepsia.
There is but little appearance of progress
along the road. A steam saw mill in process
of erection and an occasional "new ground, v
making up the sum of Improvements from
Beech Island to Swallow Savannah, dis
tance of fifty miles. Cotton and ranging
timber seem at present to swallow up all
other considerations.
In the afternoon of the third day We
reached in safety the little village in the
woods where reside nearly the entire family
of the Lawtons, pertaining to the tribe Of
Joseph" which is the name Of the much
esteemed father of our better half"
This family in it's FIVE branches Of vii.
liam, Joseph, Benjamin, Alexander and
Winborn, is perhaps the largest in the
Southern Country and for ought we know
any other country, and whilst our intimate
connection with it forbid much allusion to
It, we may be allowed to say that 1t Is re.
,narkable for the sobriety, honesty, and
longevity of its members.
In this ncighborhood there arc evident
signs of prosperity and progress. Taking
the Swallow Savannah, "a large Pond some
three or four times the size of your famous
Pine House pond) as centre, and desert
bing circle of five miles radius, within it
may be found many fine plantations, with
large commodious residences, whose we'll
ARRANGED groves and gardens bespcak an
uncommon degree of wealth and cultivation.
But even here Cotton is King" and Pine
lumber Prime Minister so that aside from
the premises Immediately around the family
residences and the attentive hospitaities Of
the inmates there is little to interest the
man of taste. Great fields of cotton with
the tall dead pines bleaching under the in
Auencc of sun and rain-long zig-zag fences
no pretty blue hills nor sparkling streams
to beautify the scene.
Here We would gladly have rested from
farther journeying for the time at least, but
having been appointed to attend the meet
ing Of the Savannah River Association
and friends insisting that we should 60,
after days rest we harnessed up and star
ted for the regions of rice, long cotton and
oysters. Seldom have we travelled under
more depressing influences. Reluctant to
leave, going through part of the country
almost uninhabited, passing over long dreary