Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1902-02-26
CHARLES srARKe MILFORD.
An Interesting Sketch OF Life Well Spent.
Hero Of Many Battles.

-
2l.-Editors Keowee Courier: / waded
through the deep snow Saturday morn
ing for chat with my near neighbor.
the subject of this sketch, whom 1 greatly
respect. The conversation turned mainly
upon the events of his life, now sinking
to its setting sun. / prompted the story,
giving direction to the current of it, and
became so much interested that 1 find
myself sketching it for The Courier.
III MIR. Milford holds out till the 25tl
OF July (he is in failing health now) he
will have completed his seventy-sixth
year. He was born in Anderson county,
on the Abbeville line, and within six
miles of Lowndesville. His father was
John Milford aud his mother was a
brother.
Thomas Milford and John Milford,
fathers to those Of the same name Just
mentioned, were two of seven brothers
Joseph, Matthew, Henry, Robert,
Thomas, and 'John-who came
together from Ireland to America shortly
before the Revolutionary War. The YES
sci upon which they had engaged pas
sage, having paid their fare in advance,
was SO overcrowded when they sought to
60 aboard that they were forced to wait
for another ship. This was fortunate
for the brothers, for the ship upon which
they would have sailed was lost at sea
With all on board.
If the brothers meant to escape British
tyranny by quitting the "Ould Coun-
the impelling motive,) they were but
jumping from the frying pan into the
Revolution. But with Characteristic @ i
readiness and ardor they took the side
of the oppressed and fought with the
patriots to the close-seven brothers in a
seven years war. AT one time during
the war one of the brothers (Robert, /
Bill Cunningham, but saved himself from
short shrift by ready native wit and a
whopping big lie.
Upon coming to this country Thomas
stopped in North Carolina, where, at
Guilford Court House, after the Revolu-
ton, he married Miss Jamison and
removed to Abbeville county, this State,
,where the other brothers were already
living.
John Milford, the father of the subject
OF this notice, was halter, and was SO
highly skilled that he could mako the
finest fur hats. Thirty nine years ago.
when child, wore a hat of his make
whilst a pupil at old Greenfield school,
midway natwS ID Retreat and Westmin-
ster, for Mr.. Milford followed his trade
IN his old age and after he moved to
Oconee.
Tne teachers from wnom O. S. Milford
got his schooling were Wesley Leverett,
Joseph MoCarley, Dr. Milford, David
Cleland and James Beatty, all of whom
taught within reach of the family homo
on the lower side of Anderson. ''But all
the time of my going to school amounted
to very little, continued Mr.. Milford.
He joined Rocky River Baptist church,
in AbbeVille county, in 1S46, when he
twanfv n H.,
Revs. w. P. Martin and Valentine
Young; but Rev. Blackman Burton was
pastor of the church at the time. In 1880
or 1882 he was made deacon in the Town
vile church, and when in 1901 he trans
ferred his mem orship to Oakdale church
here, going in as charter member, he
was continued in his Office. He is regu-
lar attendant upon the services of his
church and is liberal and cheerful in it's
support.
He accompanied his father when the
family removed to Pickens District i'm
November, 1852. The family settled
where the town Of Westminster now is,
on two hundred acres of land purchased
from j. ID. Kay at two dollars per acre.
The entire tract was in original forest
and the dwelling which the elder Mil
ford constructed, near old Westminster
church, is still standing, the town of
Westminster having grown out to it. The
nearest neighbors were, James Ward, j.
D. Kay, T. III. Jones and Samuel Adds.
Mr.. Adds had eight manageable daugh-
ters-Eliza, Miriam, Lucinda, Martha,
Hester, Candace, Harriet, Susan and
Annie-all young, pretty and industrious.
A man who couldn't find a life partner
among this array of eligibles was indeed
hard to suit, Mr.. Milford reasoned, and
it was an arrow from Miss Miriam's bow
!. \
captive. When / asked him for some
particulars of his courtship he said with
smile: well, Miriam was mighty to
weave in those days. The old man had
built a snug little house out in the yard,
and of wet days I'd 60 over and help her
around the loom. You see l had a
mighty good chance" / saw and under
stood. Love-making is love making the
world over. The palaces of kings and
the splendors of the homes of the rich
may contribute sort of added zest to
loves spell, but somehow think moth
ing can equal the flavor of the courting
in and around the homes of the plain
people of the long ago.
Mr.. Milford and Miss Adds were mar
ried December 1, 1853, the Rev. Randall
Hunnicutt, who lived on Toxaway creek,
among the mountains, performing the
ceremony. To this union were born six
children: Samuel Marshall, of Kansas
City, Mo-; John Thomas, now dead !;
Clayton Jones, of Lavonia, Ga; Eliza
Jane, (Mrs. w. j. Wooton, of Conner,
Ga.); Albert Galloway, of Anderson
county, and Charles Arlington, leading
druggist and pharmacist, of Abbeville,
s. G.
In December, 1853. Mr. Milford bought
three hundred acres of land from Hon.
Robert Steele, State Senator for Pickens
district, who then lived on Keowee
River, at the site of old Fort Prince
George, at one dollar per acre, and moved
upon 1T In January, 1854, with his bride.
This land lay on the 'headwaters of
Choestoe creek and part of 1t is now in
cluded ~ the corporate limits of West
minister He lived here n few years and
eventually sold out and bought one hun
dred and thirty acres from James Ward
for six hundred dollars. This land Law.
on the north side of the Townville road,
and the dwelling stood on the roadside
inst one mile east of old Westminster
church. The present dwelling there,
occupied some years ago by Henry Simp-
son, whose tragic death by lightning in
Westminster recently, is freah in the
public mind, was built by Mrs. Milford
for cropper while her husband was i'm
the army. Meanwhile, and before the
war, Mr.. Milford had the oversight of
the Conneross farm of the late f., p.
Werner, and after the war Mr.. Werner
induced him to return and superintend
the Same farm, and he remained five
years. In November, 1870, he sold out
in Oconee and removed to Anderson