The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-01-08
HISTORY and TRADITION.
NOTE AND COMMENT ABOUT HEN AND
THINGS In THE PROUD PAST.

I''ErSuPc" Makes 4 Careful ENafnIna'
tiOn Of Some Exceedingly Inter
! estin: Papers. aI,d Writes sioWi'
Facts Whic, Cannot i,c Gficrwiss
Than Interesting.
| capt. Jas. II. liaSkin some time prior To his
death, which occurred several years ago, gave
! To hi; grandson, Mr.. John i. liaSkln, Il walnut,
desk in which were quite Il number oi old pat
prr<. y short while ago Mr.. BaSkin WIS cN-
:lmining those lainIS, WHEN among them he
found some CurluSiiirS of bygpnc days, about
! which propose 30 say something, with your
permission. To the readers of the Press dtd
| B,hun"r
Some of those papers related ~ the ever
memorable days ''ihal tried men s souls, =
! the daySuf l11i. Although H. Is hardly anon"
! the possibilities that there are any now Nv
| ing, who were living in those stirring times,
anu although This age In which we live Is very
far i'm advance in every point of rirw."f those
dark days, yet there are very few, imagine,
who would not be deeply Interested IN every
thing pertaining to That long past period. ana
none who could not while away pleasantly
and prolitahly many of their leisure moments
in pcru>ing recitalS of even the most lriVlhl
incidents connected with the times mat gave
To us Il freedom of thought, SnccCh and aciinil
not enjoyed by any other people upon carth.
Therefore we Siuuld lon'lly cherish every
mCmcmlu Ub!ainab.P, which may bear the
impress of even II century ago.
Mr.. Ba>kim handed me the above mention
cr papers, thinking that might make II lew
items out Of them, but after examining them
found that they deserved Il far more extend
cd notice than could he given i'll few news
paper paragraphs therefore will sivcall lhht
have been able 10 gather.
First, we find Il commission rs Captain Is
sued tO VIM. liaSiin, and signed by ms EN,
cClcncy, John ltutlc,l.c, ESD, llcnt ana
Commander i'm Chief Of The said State" This
com mmiSsiOn was 10 continue during pleasure.
It. WAS given under my hand and seal nj
Charleston, this the eighteenth day of April,
In the year OF our Lord ono thousand seven
hundred and seventy seven.
lie WAS to command one Oi several conp;l-
MES, composing II regiment M South Calollnii
militia, commanded by Coz: Uhe gircn name,
unfortunately, is torn oil) Williamson This
commission is numbered eighteen.
The great seal Of the State affixed to 1t is
much less in size than Il silver dollar. IL con.
SiStS OF sealing wax stuck on in the eft h;!nd
upper corner, without motto or device. ME-
VIM. liaSltin, of the above Revolution hlnp,
was the great grandfather of the present own
or OF the commission.
Next, we have quite n number Of State ht Is
of seventy dollars on very thick paper six by
four inches. In large fahcy letters across the
top are the words. "Scvcnty dollars. llnme'
dia:Uly under them j. South Carolina, No.
iI3J'' Then comes the fnlowin. words ::
"ThlS bill entities the bearer to seventy dol
lars or one hundred and thirteen pounds, iii-
teen ShillnSS current money ol THIS Stile.
Semby, passed the Sth day Of February, 1779.
Signed q. Cook, John Snythc, John Scott.
IN the lower left hand corner is Il Young girl
leaning one arm upon IL small pedestal, on
which is engraved the mo!to, "Spcs -NentiS
.SOi0fin.'
Next, we havca number OF Continental bills
in denomination OF i, $, 30 and % dollars ''rc-
dccmablc in gold or silver" \ part OF them
were issued in l716. l71S and l77g, printed hy
Hall IL Sellers, Of Philadelphia. They range
in number from l., 2,tj7 to i2.:iSS. On each Is
printed the words, This bill entities the bear
'r to receive cgh: Spanish miilcd dollars, or
I Ia yp1p II N u,ln nr S1 n r
10 Il resolution OF Congress passed at Phiiadcl-
phia."
Before coming down to Il later period. will
relate Il Jew incidents which transprcd in Abb
5eville county durir,% the cyCntful period.
and which were told Inc by quite an aged and
greatly To be rcvCrcd female descendant oI
VIM: BaSkin, who took an active part in the
stirring times that gave to Us our indepcnd-
encc.
VIM. Baskn lived on Wilson's creek, about
five miles from this place. which enters Rocky
River near the old Double Bridges. Said
creek was then the frontier. Upon its banks,
within ten or twelve mites of LowndeSville,
there stood 1T that time three forts, which
prcvented any thing Ikea general incoming
O the Tories ard SavaSCS. The remains OF
thus" forts, learn from reliable sources, still
exist.
From reliable data furnished us, We learn
that Capt. Baskin for n considerable time COM
mandcu Il number Of men to defend the bor-
der MP and down Rocky River, which now so
peacefully and Quietly Glldcs along through
our hills and valleys.
one day durin. the temporary absence from
home OF Capt. BaS!tilI AN Indian and a paint
cd Tory, went to his house. They there found
with Mrs. Gaskin her oldest child, Il little boy
Of three or four summers. The Indian took
up the little fellow, no doubt with the intcn-
tion of killing il. Mrs. B:tSkln appealed To
the Tory 10 save her child. lie, though paint
cd, was recognized by her. He took the little
pIatticr, and when hc went 10 leave set him
down in the yard.
At one time these wrCtchuS made a raid iD-
to our section and carried Off Il number of
stock. Capt. Baskin and his men followed the
er on an Island, which they reached about
dark. The Captain kew from "thc signs
that tic pursued party were near ut hand,
perhaps on the island, in ambush. Some OF
the hot heads wanted to push ahead, but
wiser and more prudent c0unScls prevailed
and they returned home, and well they did,
as they no doubt would al have been slain.
Twenty years afterwards WIN. G. Bask ln
the same liltlc boy left sitting in the yard by
the Indian and Tory, now grown TO mans cS-
tale, went up into PickcnS county on Il court
ingcXpcdtion. That night while at the house
OF the father U0seph Prcl! Of his "bcst girl
the host and q nPiShbOr visitor were talking,
and their conversation naturally turned To
topics OF the distressing times passed through
but q few years before. Tho visitor was Tory
during the war. and that night told that he
was in command Of the raiding party men
toned above, and that II was IN ambush on
the island and was prepared TO wipe ont ther
purSuerS. Young Wiilian'S blood rose be-
you'd the comfortable stage. He rose to his
feet gathered Il chair. and would have BRAIN
ed the old gray-hcadcd rcprobate but for the
intcrccSSion of his host.
Capt. BaSkin's house in those days stood not
far from where the B:tSkin homestead now is,
near Prices mill on Rocky River. One day
small crowd of nei-hb0rS (only two OF whom
we now have to deal witlD were gathered at
his hOusc-a number Of Indians and Tories
appeared on the scene. when the handful OF
men scattered in al directions-thc two nj
ludcd To ;tboyc were Adam Files, who was
then welded to Miss Mary liaSkin. sister Of
Capt. James II. BaSkiu. in company with Mr..
taruihcrS, made for the ranc-hrHke ON the
creek. On reaching the clCri Mr.. Files, who
WAS very cOrpnlCnt, and had Il very large
nosr, took To the water. The only way 10
sink himself waS IL hold tu ROOT. While III
that situation, with only his nose sticking out
of the water. ~ large watrr-nnccasin came
swimming along AMI considering Mr.. Flies ;
extended probnSclSa good resting place, quiet
| ~ coicd himself aronnd ii, tarrird u while
and IaSSrd ON. Mr.. t'aruihtI$ was Killed near
by nj two lo@s bridge, and the next day was
buried there by his friends. Mr.. Files took Il
very active part during the war; 1T It's close
moved To Georgia, where, no doubt, MANY oi
his descendants now live. He is Sai To have
had Il double set of teeth, UPPER and lower
AT one time Capt. VIM. i.a~kin, learning
from scouts that II number of British soldiers
were lost in an extensive cahcbrakc, Il few
miles below here on savannah liNcr, uctcr-
mined Singly and alone To investigate. lie
WAS well acquainted with the swamp, enter
| cd it, and after Il time found the British, who
! had been in there for several days and we're
almost starved. They recognized him us Il
rebel Gus then called Captain and thought
| they had captured Il prize. but Snon found to
! their sorrow that they had "c.uaht Ii tartar
They at once wanted him t" pilot Them out.
| There was only one way out, and he alone
knew il. lie refused. They threatened to
! Kill him. lie told ti!cm To kill. They then
| tried persuasion. That ini led. lie then told
| lnciu that he would only bring them out as
! prisoners of war. They at last consented and
| he carried them tu Nitciy-siX, and delivered
! them to the commanding General of that