, 1896-08-18
DAWFUSKIE ISLAND.
IHAs A HISTORY AS THE SCENE OF
MANY INDIAN STRUGGLES.

The Extreme Southeastern Point Of South
Carolina-The Tragedy of Bloody Point,
THAT Wiped Ont a Whole Tribe of In
aians.
A new candidate for public favor is
Dawfuskie islelId, one of the islands
not far distant from Savannah and IL
of the most interesting historically.
Dawfuskic is the Indian name Of the
island. 1t is some six miles in length
and four miles in width, noted for its
fish, oysters and crabs and famous of
late years for its deer hunting. The In
dams were very partial to it-that is,
Judging from the mounds, t~omahawks.
arrowheads and other relics of that
race which arc still to be found on the
island. 1t is the southeastcrnmost point
Of South Carolina, and directly oppo-
site Tybee island, and in what was
formerly known as st. Luke's parish.
Beaufort district, but low legally desig-
mated as Yemassee township, Beaufort
county.
The island was at enc time the prop
erty OF the Mongin family, who settled
it about 1850, and up to the beginning
IF the late war it WAS divided into sew
rral plantations and had IL population,
in addition to the planters families, of
about 1880 slaves. Several places on
the island are still owned by the de-
scendants of the MCIgins, Bloody Point
by Mr.. Mongin Stoddard and Melrose
by Mr.. Alfred II. Stcddard.
The following story of Dawfuskie is.
land appeared III The Morning News of
June "a, 1873. and is all of its early
history that can be found:
''TEc massacro Of Bloody Point,
though previous to the Revolutionary
war, is still interesting as relating to
the ancient history of st. Luke. The
islands of Port Royal and St. Helena
We're pretty thickly settled with white
population when Hilton Head, Dow
Dusky, Pinckney and the other neigh
boring islands were held i'll possession
by Il few isolated Indians or were alto
gethcr u%Dinllabitcd. They formed Il kind
of neutral ground between the white
and red men. The Indians from Georgia
were i'll the habit CT making frequent
inrOads upon the white settlements,
killing the inhabitants and carrying off
whatever plunder they could gather, to
their rcmoter homes i'll the farther south.
They formed large war parties and
would proceed as far north us Hilton
-iaad. Here they would skulk about till
a fair chance offered, when they would
cross Broad river and ravagc the neigh
boring settlements; heTcc the lame of
Sl-,,l IL ,rnaly .n,,l mot skull "a, 10 np,v-
written).
The Indians were in the habit of re-
turning TO Skulk creek after these in
yasions and would cluGc pursuit among
its numerous hooks and windings. Upon
one of these occasions, after having
committed a number Of murders and
having loaded their canoos with what
ever plunder they were able to collect.
having secured IL quantity of lire wa.
ter, 3" 1t is presumed, from the sequel,
they passed through Skulk creek on
their return south without stopping in
their old haunts and never halted until
they reached Dow Dusby, where they
thought they would be beyond the reach
of the whites.
"a very strong and determined party
of whites went i'll pursuit CT them. On
reaching Hilton Head they learned from
Il few Indians Of Il friendly tribe that
their enemies had not halted, but had
proceeded on south. Having induced
these friendly Indians TO join them as
guides, they continued their pursuit
farther south. When they had gone on
as far AS Dow Dusl.y, they discovered
from the smoke of their camp that tho
Indians had halted at the southeast
point Of the island. Tho whites landed
on the northwest portion and marched
toward their enemies. The Indians had
put all their boats a short distance
up what is now known as New river,
to avoid the surf which breaks upon
the point. The Indians We're ut the cx-
tremc point, enjoying themselves in an
unwonted round of conviviality and
feasting The whites approached eau
tiously and stealthily. and, having got
between the Indians and their boats,
effectually cnt off their retreat. A
shower of bullets was the first intima-
ton they had of the presence of an en-.
envy. They were shot down, b%ayoneted,
sabered and were finally driven into tho
sea-.
1.-The surprise was complete; the mas
sacre was dreadful; the white sands
were crimsoned with blood, and tho
earth was strewn with wounded, dying
and dead. A few. very few, escaped by
swimming, some to the opposite marsh,
and II swan entirely oven to Tybee, a
distance Of three miles. From the dread
fal carnage at this spot it received the
nam of Bloody Point. which it retains
to this time, it being the extreme south.
eastern point of South Carolina. After
this decisive victory the settlements to
tho north of Broad river received no
further molestation from the southern
Indians, and soon after Hilton Head it
self Dcgan to be settled by the whites.
The Indians who escaped, having col
lected after n lapse Of some time, re-
turned to Hilton Head, and, finding
only two Of the tribe who had guided
the whites in their pursuit, avenged the
downfall Of their own tribe by destroy
ing both of them. They then returned
south and We're lost sight of ever after.
Such is tho tradition in st. Luke's. -
Savannah News.