The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-05-27
The PriVateer Redbones.
Mr. Mcdonald Furman Makes a
Study Of This Isolated and
Unique People

Twenty years ago, during my
childhood days, became interested
in chat isolated people of this town
ship. whose correct racial name is
Redbone For the last ten years |
have been making a study of them,
and although have already written
good deal about them fox the pa
pers, yet there remains much to tell,
and as the proprietor of the IFatch-
naan md .Soudivon has kindly given
me space, will now write more
about them
These people are known as "free
negroes" also cold issues" but, as |
said above, their correct name is
Redbone. vii. try to give the
reader clear meaning, according to
my understanding, of this word, also
its use, which is this the word
"Redbone" is and should be used. to
designate those mixed breed people,
who as race were never slaves, al
though they may have negro blood,
and who have, or are supposed to
have, Indian blood If my under
standing Of the name "Redbone" is
correct and this mixed breeded, iso.
lated people in Privateer Township
can't be classed as Redbones, then
what are they As people, they
are combination Of the white, the
negro and the Indian races.
From the best accounts, there are
at present between 10 and so Of
these people in this township they
are Chavises, Gibbeses, Goinses,
Smilings, and some others This emu
meration does not include some of
this stock in the township who ap-
pear to have become weaned off from
the main body. OF the four families
mentioned above, | have never dis.
covered that any Of them, as fami-
lies, are descendants Of slave me-
groes With probably less than half
a dozen exceptions, all of these 10
odd Redbones are descended from
Tom Gibbes, the Revolutionary char
acter Of whom I spoke in these col
umus while back. Whether all Of
these have Indian blood, can't posi-
lively say, though my opinion is that
they have. Over half of them are de-
scended from Jerry and Edie Coins,
the latter was mixed breed Indian
woman who appears to have been a
well known fortune teller in her day.
Her name is probably familiar to
many of my older readers, and from
what I have learned of her, she must
have been quite an interesting char
acter. | may mention here that of
these people q mean those who are
identified with the main body, less
than half dozen have married other
than among their race 1t would be
hard (if it could he done at al) to
estimate the racial per cent. Of
white, negro and Indian blood among
these people, which varies in differ
eut individuals.
Tc slow tie wandering disposi%
tons of some Of these people will
mention that their church. roll "a
copy of which has been kindly sent
me by Nelson Chavis, Of Clarendon,
who is church clerk) now shows
members in this, Clarendon and Will
liamsburg Counties, as well as In
Georgia. In a former communics-
ton, | gave some account Of their
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. is situated
in this township hard y mile from
the Clarendon lire Hardly more than
three of the members are "late freed.
men, All of these people are not
identified with this chuch +; for in
stance, Lorenzo D. Chavis, who is
one of the most intelligent Of them
in the township, is a prominent
preacher of the a. NJ. E. Church.
An interesting Redbone character
is Wade Coins, who is considerably
mixed with Indian and is descended
from Jerry and Edie Coins. He is
as straight as an arrow, his ski. is
decidedly copper colored aud his
face, ! think; looks more like that Of
an Indian or white man than ne
gro, lie is now an old man. aged
20 OF y, and is one of the deacons
Of Bethesda Church During por-
ton Of the war he ran Oh q govern
Inent train
Tom Gibbes, who may be called
the spiritual head of these Red
bones, is another descendant of
Jerry and Edie Coins, and has the
same amoant of Indian blood that
Wade Coins has. Gibbes is ;he
pastor Of Bethesda and is about 50
years Of age y gent'e:aan OF this
township informs ne that }or years
ne has been renting land to Gibbes
,,iti;o,lt taiino. tap Scrafcll of 4 pen.