The Republican journal., 1904-03-03
HISTORIC CHARLESTON
Further Notes of a Visit to the Palmetto
City.
Correspondence OF The Journal. ]


degrees in the shade and bright sun
shiny days one can hardly realize that
the north is in the cold grasp of winter.
| will give a few more notes on Char
lesion before writing OF tropical Florida.
On a first visit Charleston would
give one the impression that it is dull
and quiet; and so it is to the northern
visitor. but it is business city and one
in which considerable is done. Many
of TIE buildings in the business section
have a somewhat dilapidated appear
They swarm with negroes who are look
ing for pennies, or in quest OF work, and
the few white people seen around the
docks are usually very busy people.
AS southern seaport Charleston ranks
high. Much of Tennessee's freight
comes there by water to be sent into
the interior by rail
Soon after the settlement Of Charles
TON in the days of Charles IN. of
France. the feuds which ever occupied
European thrones and people followed
aud sent their hrebrands mere to dis
turb the young colony. 1t was the
opening of the war Waged by Queen
Anne against France and Spain. Dur
Ing this siege there was great terror
from pirates and the city was often in
danger from them In 100 some pirate
kings were captured and executed IN
tile city. and it was during this event |
full wear that Capt. Kidd, who had ter !
rouzed the entire New England coast, |
was captured and taken to England for
sentence. He had long been a bold |
leader and Charleston had suffered |
SEVERELY from his raids. The Indians |,
became very troublesome in this region
with the opening of the 18th century |
and Charleston was the refuge OF all |
tie inhabitants OF the region, the red |
men" having threatened the colonys |
existence.
To The eastward of the city are Sulli-
van sand Palm Islands and in June 1716 |
soon after South Carolina had declared /
forjNdependence and she was one of the /
first the British made an Intellectual |
attempt to destroy the military works !
which had been established under !
Colonel Moutrie on Sullivan's Island |
Failing in the attempt they made a
second attack by land three years later, |
in which they were again repulsed |
But the following spring the British
forces were increased, and under SIT ,
Henry Clinton between seven and eight
thousand men opened their batteries
npou Charleston. Col MOultrle saw
at once that to stand was fatal and IN
April surrendered and the city OF
Charleston was given over to the Brlt-
ish less than a month later, on May
lltE. There yet remains on the Island
traces Of the old earth works, while
Fort Moultrie is in good state of pres
ervation. IN the fort is the grave of
nsceola. the Indian chief, who was
captured after great difficulty and after
ne had caused much trouble to the
white settlers of the south. After gain
ing possession Of Charleston the British
held it almost undisturbed until the
close of the Revolution.
In a previous letter ! told you OF
some of the old churches, but Charles
ION has the only church in America
which is used as lighthouse. This is
the st. Philips Episcopal church,
which stands but two streets back from
the water front: and high iii the steeple
OF tive old church is maintained hight
house. a government affair, taking the
place Of stone structure for that pur-
pose The light can be seen for miles
At sea. and it also keeps guard over the
resting place of many Of Chareston's
dead. In the churchyard below lie the
remains of John c. Calhoun and others
Of south Cardinals most illustrious
dead
One may take the electrics to inter
esting points of the city, but one OF the
.yrettiest trips is that of fifteen miles
from Charleston to Goose Creek, where
stands the old church of st. James,
built in I'LL. 1t stands in a forest OF
pines and magnolias, and is approached
bv road which is hardly more than a
path. Only short distance from the
church, on the opposite side OF the
road. is one of the most ancient OF
Southern farms, "The Oaks" The
buildings stand at the end of an avenue
of magnificent live oaks, which are be-
heved to be nearly two hundred years
old
Another point of interest is the Mag
nolia cemetery, where prominent South
erners are buried and where there are
long rows of graves of both Federal
and Confederate soldiers. The GENE
terv is near the northern boundary OF
the city and has many fine, large mon
uments of historical interest, but its
chief ornament is the luxuriant growth
of magnolia trees which give great
beauty to the place.
In the South Battery stands large,
iyv-grown monument built from phos-
~