Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1873-06-26

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three captains to command them. Alexander
Gillon, Esq, was accordingly elected commo-
dore, and John Joyner, William Robertson
and John Mcqueen, Esqs, elected captains.
They were commissioned by President. Raw
Inns Lowndes, in 177S, and sailed to France
with cargoes of rice, indigo and tobacco to
supply the funds necessary for the outfits OF
these three frigates. On the 9th of Novem-
ber, however, of the previous year, (l777,)
Gillon wrote to the Hon. Henry Laurens,
President of Congress, proposing to 60 to
France and Holland, where ne was well
known as merchant, and send out supplies
of arms, ammunition, clothing and money,
which we're very much wanted at that time
by Congress and by South Carolina. The
offer was accepted by Congress; but before
Gillon was notified of it, he received the com
mission of commodore in the navy Of South
Carolina. This commission was accepted un-
der the conviction that his own State had the
first right to his services. Gilon was convey
ed by the "Notre Dame" and touched at Ha'
vana for repairs. He did not reach France
until the first of the year 1779.
A navy board was also established at the
same time in Charleston, to transact the husl'
ness of the department with power to I'll va.
cancies in the Navy and Marine Corps, and
to draw upon the treasury of the State for ex'
penses. Edward Blake, Roger Smith, Josiah
Smith, Edward Darrell, Thos. Corbeit, John
Edwards, Geo. A. Hall and Thos. Savage were
appointed commissioners. They wereall men
of business most of them afterwards became
officers and members of the Chamber of Com.
merce They were diligent in forwarding
supplies to the commodore by remitting the
produce of the country to Europe. But these
shipments were 80 frequently captured by the
enemy that nothing could be purchased by
Gillon except some clothing and ammunition
for the use of the State.
Commodore Gllon, not having the funds for
purchasing one or more frigates, hired from
the Duke Of Luxembourg fine large frigate
for three years, engaging to return her and
pay over one-fourth of her prize money. Un.
der this singular contract he enlisted men and
marines for her crew, and after much difficulty
and delay, owing to her large size, she at last
got over the bar of the Texel in August, 1871,
and was called the South Carolina" She
mounted forty guns, thirty-six and twelve
Founders, with sixty-nine seamen and two
hundred and eighty marines. She was equal
to many sixty.gun ships of that day. Com.
modore Gillon first cruised in the European
seas, and took many valuable prizes, which
were sent into friendly European ports He
next cruised off the American coast and in
the West Indies, where he captured ten more
prizes, all of which he sent to Havana for sale.
While re6tting in that port, he united with
our Spanish allies and some American priva.
teers in an expedition against the Bahama
Islands.
In May, 1882, he sailed from Havana. j.
Fennimore Cooper, in his Naval History, states
that Gillon accepted the command of this ex:
pedition with a view to distress the enemy -
and, concerning his flagship, the South Caro-,
lima, she had the dimensions Of small sew.
enty.four, but was frigate in construction.
His account of her armament concurs with
that of johnson. Cooper further says
"This ship, though strictly the property of
France, had been lent to the Chevalier de
Luxembourg, who hired her to Gillon for the
State of South Carolina for three years"
In May, 1772, &C., as commander of feet
of eighty.two vessels, Spanish and American,
he succeeded in reducing the Bahamas from
the British to the Spanish government, and
left them under Spanish governor, supported
by seven or eight hundred regular troops.
Neither South Carolina nor the Duke de Lux
emburg derived much benefit from the capture
of these islands.
Shortly after the surrender of the Bahama
Islands, the frigate South Carolina parted
from her confederates and arrived in Phila-
delphia. Here she was completely re6tted.
Commodore Gillon then resigned and left her
in command of Captain John Joyner, bis next
in rank. She was afterwards captured by
three British frigates; her commander Joyner,
shamefully surrendering without resistance.
(See Moultrie's Memoirs and Ramsay's Revo.
lution.)
Gllon, while visiting his native country in
1881, engaged in fitting out the above men,
toned frigate, was held in very high consider
ation being retired merchant of wealth,
holding high Office and charged with the
execution of most important public services.
A man of talents, of elegant person and en-
gaging department, he lived among the dele.
gates of royalty and nobility in high style,
and travelled about with expensive equipages
for the benefit, no doubt, of the republican
State which he represented, for limited ob.
object. wide Johnson.) ..-
Commodore Gillon's mission to Holland
was attended by series of misfortunes to
those interested in it. Disappointed in the
receipt of supplies for the purposes Of his mis-
sion, and living in profusion, he pledged his
own and the credit of South Carolina to effect
his objects, as far as possible He finally
sunk in this enterprise large part of his pri-
vate fortune. During his whole career, how
ever, and after the Revolution, he continued
in high estimation and influence in South
Carolina, associating in all the active duties
of good citizen. ...
He, among others, in 1874, organized and
put into successful operation the Charleston
Chamber of Commerce, and was elected its
first president. We find, from the records of
that society, now in possession Of its secretary,
that the first meeting was held at the City
Tavern on the 9th Of july. 1874, when the
following gentlemen were elected officers !:
Alexander Gillon, president; John Lewis
Gervais, vice.president; William Hort, treas
urer; Samuel Legare, secretary. T.
Gillon was senator in Congress for many
years, and when not so delegated, he served
in the State Legislature and in the convention
by which the Federal constitution was adopt
ed and that of the State amended. In de-
bate which occurred on one Of these occasions,
Mr.. Charles Pinckney having the floor, intro.
duced Latin quotation to elucidate the SUBJ
ject to men, very few of whom understood the
language. When he resumed his seat, Com
modore Gillon replied to him, and in the
course of his address observed that "the learn
ed gentleman had enlightened the minds Of
his audience by Latin sentence, and he