Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-04-29
Mistorp uf $. Garulima,
Written for the Yorkville Enquirer.
HISTORICAL SKETCHES
OF THE
Early Settlement of South Carolina.
BY REV. ROBERT LATHAM.

The name of Joseph West is inseparably
connected with the first settlement of South
Carolina. He was appointed, as we have
seen, by the propretors, commander of the
fleet which was to transport the first settlers
to the State; and on landing, he was to have
sole charge of the commissary department
and the plantation on which the proprietors
designed making experiments On the death
of Sayle he became Governor. How, or by
what authority, it is not known. Probably
Sayle and the Council, before the death of
Sayle, made arrangements to the effect that
West was, in the event of Sayle's death, to
become Governor until further instructions
were received from the proprietors. Sayle
made his will on the 18th of September, 1871 /;
and some time between that date and the 10th
of April, 1871, West became Governor
Never was man better fitted for a position,
than Col. Joseph West was. for that of Gov
ernor of an infant colony. He was energetic,
prudent and foresighted.
On hearing of the death of Sayle, the pro-
prietors appointed John Yeamans, Governor.
This was on the 2lst of August 1871 but
neither Youmans, it would seem, nor the colo
nists, heard of it until some time afterward.
Sir John Yeamans was the son of Robert
Yeamans, who lost his life and estate on ac-
count of his faithfulness to the royal family
of England. At the period that the charter
for planting a colony in Carolina was OBJ
tained, John Youmans was residing in Bar
BADGES. He had gone tbither to repair his
ruined fortune. He was appointed Governor
of the Clarendon colony, with grant of a
large tract of land. The king also conferred
upon him the title of baronet. He was made
Governor of Clarendon colony-which extend
ed, in the language of the times, "from Cape
Fear to the river Saint Matheo, "-in the month
of January, 1865, and landed in the autumn
of the same year, with colony from Barba-
does, on the southern bank Of the Cape Fear
river, in the present State of North Carolina.
He remained as Governor of that colony for
four years, and then returned to Barbados.
His management of the colony at Cape Fear
was highly creditable to himself, and satisfac-
tory to both the people under his care, and
the proprietors. He ruled with the affection
of father, rather than with the authority of
a Governor" On learning that colony was
planted at Ashley river-inhuenced by the
same DESIRE which, at first, directed his course
to Barbadoes-he set out for that point. He
obtained land grants, and brought with him,
in 1871, from Barbados, a number ofnegroes
to cut lumber and work his plantation. These
were the first negroes ever brought to the
State. On the 14th of December, 1871, he
appeared before the Grand Council and de-
clared that. since he was the only landgrave
in the province, and in accordance with the
Fundamental Constitutions, and also in &C
cordance with instructions contained in let
ter from the lords proprietors to him, he was
Vice Palatine, and formally demanded the
government of Ashley colony to be placed in
his hands. The Council, without dissenting
voice, resolved that Joseph West should re-
main Governor of the Province until further
orders and instructions were received from the
proprietors. Cut to the heart by this plain
dealing of the Grand Council, Yeamans re-
turned to Barbados, but shortly afterward he
received commission as Governor of Carroll
ma, South and West of Cape Carteret, at pres.
ent called Cape Fear. On the 18th Of April,
1872, Yeamans was publicly proclaimed Gov
ernor. He continued Governor until 1914,
when he was removed and West again ap-
pointed.
During the period of Vests first term, sew.
eral things worthy of being remembered took
place, The colony received reintorcements
from England, from Barbados and from
New York. A town was laid out on Stono
creek, west of Charles Town, and near by it.
The tract was to contain twenty-five acres,
five of which were to be reserved for church
ward, and the remainder to be used for plant
ing lots. In December, 1871, some additions
to the colony arrived from New York,
amongst the number Michael Smith, man
of considerable Importance. On the 10th
of the same month, the Grand Council ap-
pointed Stephen Bull and Thomas Gray to
assist Smith in selecting a place for a settle
mept. The locality chosen was on a creek
south of Stono, and the name of James Town
given to the settlement. The Wando river,
by an order of the Grand Council, was exam
ined with reference to its adaptedness for ma
king settlements.
Soon after settlement was made at Charles
Town, a tribe of Indians called the kussoes,
in conjunction with other tribes living south
ward from the town, became troublesome.
From all that we can learn respecting them,
they were greatly addicted to thieving. The
fields, and no doubt the private stores of the
colopists, were plundered by these uututored
savages. 1t is also clear that their minds
were infamed by the Spaniards.
From the first, the Spanish colonies bitterly
opposed the English colony in South Carolina.
AS we have seen, Sayle and his men had