Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-04-29
left was to remain in the proprietors' store

house.
On the 26th of the same month an order
was passed requiring every individual in the
colony, except the members and officers Of the
Grand Council, to appear in arms whenever
and at whatever place they might be ordered
to parade by their respective officers. Any
person who failed to obey the order of his
Captain was, unless he had a good and valid
excuse, to be heavily hned or severely pun
ished, as the Grand Council might see fit.
Every gun was to be put in thorough repair,
and that this might be done, Captains were
granted authority to order, peremptorily,
smiths, whether freemen or slaves, to repair
the guns.
A list of those required to do patrol duty
had been previously made out, but for some
reason many individuals had become negli'
gent in the discharge of this important duty.
At this juncture of affairs it was thought
proper to make out new list. This duty
was assigned to Thomas Thompson, Marshal
of the province. He was required to inform
either, in person or by note left at the
house of the individual, the particular time
that each person Tas to perform this duty OF
watching. 1t was provided that in case any
individual was sick, then the next man on the
list was to take his place. The fine imposed
for neglecting to patrol was five shillings, and
in case the defaulter was poor be was to be
severely punished. The Marshal was allow
ed about seven dollars and half per month
for his services in this capacity. The pay
was to continue so long as the Marshal was
employed as chief of patrol, and to be paid
by the inhabitants "proportionately." With
propriety might it be said, that the Ashley
river colony regarded "eternal vigilance as
the price of liberty"
The classical scholar cannot fail to see the
striking resemblance of the colony during the
period of Governor Vests first term, to that
planted in ancient Carthage by the Tyrian
princess Dido. In the chaste and elegant
language of Virgil, necessity forced both to
place guard around their dominions" The
inhabitants titled the soil, built their houses,
fshed in the streams and took the. oysters out
of the coves, clad in all the panoply of SOL
dier. The men were, in the literal sense Of
the phrase, "citizen soldiers" The homes
which now shelter US from the scorching suns
of summer and the pelting storms of winter,
were purchased for US by our illustrious fore
fathers with treasure more precious than
gold. It cost them anxious days and sleep
less nights.
Asis always the case under similar circum-
stances, there we're, no doubt, some individu-
ais destitute of moral character. An exam
pie of this class of persons we find in Dennis
Mahoon, a servant of Richard Coale Ma
hoon plotted with the Spanish to the detri-
ment of the colony. On one occasion, having
been detected in his plans to escape from the
colony and seek protection from the Crown of
Spain, he was apprehended and brought be-
fore the Council, but on confessing his guilt,
and declaring his sorrow and penitence, he
was pardoned. From his conduct afterward,
it was evident that his sorrow was only fear
of punishment, for he was again detected in
making arrangements to escape from the colo
ny to the Spanish, and also in persuading
John Rivers and John Cooke to 60 with him.
The sentence of the Council was that for this
second offense, he should be stripped naked to
the waist and receive thirty-nine lashes on the
naked back.
In these days, when there is store in eve
ry neighborhood of five miles square, it may
be interesting to know who were the first
merchants in the State and in what their
stock consisted. Sometime after the settle
mept was commenced at Ashley river-the
precise time is not known--John Foster and
Thomas Gray formed copartnership for the
sale of general merchandise, to adopt the
language of the present day. On the 18th Of
January, 1872, they dissolved the copartner.
ship and divided the stock on hand. The
stock in trade in this first store in South Car
olina consisted of eight servants, of whom, on
the division, John Foster received Thomas
Witty, VIM. Davise, John Ratliffe, and Jas.
Powell and Thomas Gray received Prichard
Poore, Richard Barginer, Edward Howell
and Joane Burnett The other part of the
stock consisted of deer skins, a few yards of
linen, hoes, shovels, axes, picks, saws, chisels,
frows, hammers, wedges, beef, peas, oil, hens,
hogs, turkeys and one sheep. The most of
the stock consisted in agricultural implements.
no BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK.