The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1901-06-05
"Scraps of History"

The first settlers who came to
Lexington in 1877 found only the
primeval forests and wandering and
predatory tribes of Indians, not only
uncivilized, but barbarous and say.
age.
There was no strong arm of law
thrown around person nor property,
and little inducement to invest money
and time in costly structures which
would endure.
Their homes were in tents and in
rndely constructed cabins, which
were intended to be only temporary
babitations and were of course
perishable and soon went into decay.
Not until the close of the Revolu-
tionary war were the people at all
secure nor their homes safe from
destruction.
The old Csyce House near Old
CRANKY. on the State Road leading
from Columbia to Charleston, and
three miles from the first named city,
in full view from the cars as they
move on the Southern and on the
Seaboard Air Line roads, is the
only building in Lexington, so far as
the writer has been able to learn,
which was constructed prior to The
War of Independence.
This house was built by Boykin
and Chestnut in 1765 and bears the
marks of war. A cannon ball passed
Tito the building from the American
guns when it was occupied by the
British in 1881, when the Fort at
CRANKY was captured by Greene
1t is told that British officer
leaped from one OF the windows, his
boot in one hand and white flag in
the other, thus announcing the sur
render Of the fort before completing
his toilet. It was in the south east
room of this building that the brave
Emily Geiger was searched after she
had swallowed the dispatch she was
bearing from Greene to Sumter.
Maj Daniel Tateman purchased the
property during the war; and there
is still preserved in the building, a
card table which he captured from
CORVALLIS at Camden. He received
a wound in the temple while escap-
ing from house which had been
fred, and in which he was concealed
| and the scar, of the wound is still
shown in a portrait, which is to be
seen in his old home. Maj Tate
man married Miss Annie Geiger, a
cousin of Emily, and the story goes
that the Rev. Mr. Till, who was to
perform the ceremony was killed by
the tories the evening before the
intended marriage, and that the MUIR
derers ieeringly told Miss Geiger
that she would find a fine "beef" in
the road near by. The "beef" prov
ed to be the lifeless body Of the un-
fortunate preacher. Other arrange
ments were made and the wedding
came off in time.
Mai Tateman died young and his
widow married Capt. VIM. Rea, who
came into the possession of the prop
erty and left it to his two daughters.
Elizabeth married Mr.. Cayce, the
father of Mr.. R. ". Cayce, who is
we'll and favorably known in the
county, and who has occupied the
house, perhaps from his childhood.
The Threewitts house, now owned
by Mr.. W. n. Martin, situated not
far from the old State Road, and
some ten miles south of Columbia, is
undoubtedly among the older resi-,
deuces in the county. 1t is sup
posed to have been built before the
close of the eighteenth century,
though the precise date of construc'
ton has not been ascertained.
It is a substantial, we'll constructed
two-story building and is still well
preserved.
The house owned and occupied by
Mr.. Hiram Rucker, of Sandy Run
was built by MIR. Michael Kaiglel
more than one hundred years since
and is probably the oldest house II
| the township. Maj. David kalgler