The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-01-26

A new candidate for public favor is
Dawfuskie island, one Of the islands
not far distant from Savannah and one
OF the most interesting historically.
Dawfuskie is the Indian name Of the
island. Ii 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.
dians were very partial TO it-that Is,
judging from the mounds, tomahawkS.
arrowheads and other relics of ttat
race which are still 10 be found on the
island. II is the scutheaSternmost point
of South Carolina, and directly opro-
site Tybee island, and in what was
formerly known as ST. Luke's parish,
Beaufort district, hat now legally desIg-
mated us Yemassee township. Beauti IT
county.
The island was at one time the prep
erty Ct the Mongin family, who settled
il about 1850, and up TO the beginning
of the late war it was divided into ssv-
eral plantations and had population,
in addition TO the planters families O.
about 900 slaves. Several places on
the island are still owned by the de-
scendants of the Mongins, Bloody Point
by Mr.. Mongin Stoddard and Melrose
by Mr.. Alfred II. Stoddard.
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:
"The massacre 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
were pretty thickly settled with white
population when Hilton Head, Dow
Dusky, Pinckney and the other neigh
boring islands were held in possession
by few isolated Indians or We're alto
gether uninhabited. They formed a kind
of neutral ground between the white
and red men. The Indians from Georgia
were in the habit Of making frequent
inroads upon the white settlements,
killing the inhabitants and carrying off
whatever plumber they could gather, to
their remoter homes in the farther south.
They formed large war parties and
would proceed as far north rs Hilton
Head. Here they would skulk about till
q fair chance offered, when they would
cross Broad river and ravage the neigh
boring settlements; hence the name Of
Skulk creek (and not Skull, as is now
written).
1.-THE Indians were in the habit Of re-
turning 10 Skulk creek after these in
vasions and would elude pursuit among
its numerous hooks and windings Upon
one of these occasions, after having
Il number Of murders and
having loaded their canoes with what
ever plumber they were able TO collect,
having secured q quantity Of "fire wa
ter" 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 Dusly, where they
thought they would be beyond the reach
of the whites.
"a very strong and determined party
Of whites went in pursuit Of them. On
reaching Hilton Head they learned from
a few Indians Of u friendly tribe that
their enemies had, not halted, but had
proceeded on south. Having induced
these friendly Indians 20 join them as
guides, they continued their pursuit
farther south. When they had gone on
as far as Dow Dusky, they discovered
from the smoke of their camp that the
Indians had halted at the southeast
point of the island. The 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 were at the ex
treme point, enjoying themselves in an
unwonted round Of conviviality ano
feasting. The whites approached eau
tiously and stealthiIy, and, having go
between the Indians and their boats
effectually cut 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, bayoneted
sabered and were finally driven into TIT
sea.
1.-The surprise was complete; the mas
sacre was dreadful; the white sand
were crimsoned with blood, and tn
earth was strewn with wounded, dying
and dead. A few, very few, escaped b.
swimming, some to the opposite marsh
and one swan entirely over to Tybee,
distance of three miles. From the dread
full carnage at this spot it received tn
name of Bloody Point. which it retain
to this time, it being the extreme south
eastern point of South Carolina. Ate
this decisive victory the settlements
the north of Broad river received l.
further molestation from the souther
Indians, and soon after Hilton Head i
self began to be settled by the whites
The Indians who escaped, having co
iected after a lapse of some time, n
turned to Hilton Head, and, findin
only two Of the tribe who had guide
the whites in their pursuit, avenged Il
| downfall of their own tribe by destro.
ing both of them. They then returnt
south and were lost sight of ever afte
| Gpch ,o tl,, traI,tinn iu CT I.uEe'a- ~