Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1905-03-22
GREENWOOD IN THE sEvoLurloN.
Some Historic Points Of interest John Non.
tasue's. Career.

~ .
tasue's. Career.
To the Editor Of the State l saw
in one OF yoar late papers call from
the secretary of the Daughters of the
American Revolution to any one hav-
ing any information on several mat.
ters in each county, places OF historic
nature, descriptions of same, names
OF parties in such war, where buried,
with full particulars. Having. mis-
laid said paper will communicate
some historical data OF Greenwood
county, which is limited, yet i'm
pottant, hoping it may fall into the
hands of this compiler of historic
events.
In the limits of our county we have
the old redoubt or State fort at
Ninety-Six, afterwards called Cam
bridge. Its war history is well
known to the youngest child. Judge
John McGehee owned ninety acres,
including this fort, retaining the
same all through his natural life
would never part with it; said it
should always remain in the family.
He was lawyer at old Cambridge;
built the first uouse in Greenwood in
1928 moveo to Florida, where he
died several years ago, when his
legatees sold all the land surrounding
the fort to outside parties.
This fort, two miles south of
Ninety Six depot, on the Greenville
and Columbia railroad, is still we'll
preserved and distinguishsble, TO.
gether with the undermine tunnel,
cut at the time for it's destruction by
the Americans. This fort is now
covered by native growth of oaks,
and where there was once prosper
GUS town, even after the Revolution,
there is not now house standing.
Five or six miles from this city is
Stoney Point and Indian Spring,
both mentioned in Revolutionary
history. One and half miles out on
Rocky creek, where now is located
the city's water and electric plant, is
where stood a few years ago the
house, now burned, of Capt. John
Erwin, or Irwin, as we called him.
This house was built of logs with
loop holes to guard against the In
dians, it being directly on their trail,
leciing from the Indian settlement
of Keowee to Ninety-Six, their trad
ing post. A very large white oak
tree, with numerous spreading
branches, still stands on the side of
the road, and few feet back of the
old rock chimney. 1t was here under
it's branches, family tradition says,
Gen. Greene rested with his army
and ate their midday meal, quench-
ing their thirst from one of the finest
springs near by. Capt. Erwin was a
Revolutionary soldier; where his re-
mains are is probably not known.
A mile from this point and two
miles from the city of Greenwood, on
what was once the plantation and
residence of Carr McGehee, known
as Plain Dealing, rests the remains
of Mrs. McGehee's father, John Mon
tague, of Revolutionary fame. He
was the sixth in line of the descend
ants of Peter Montague, who landed
with 1900 others at jamestown, Va,
under Sir Francis Wyatt, on the ship
Charles, January, 1921. In the life
of Peter Montague and his descend
ants it is recorded that "John mar
ried Rebecca Brown, January 7,
1774; born 1855, in Orange county,
Va; was soldier under Gen. Wash
ington and received two wounds on
his head and arm while defending
Gen. Washington from sabre cut
of British soldier and carried the
scars to his death. He moved to
South Carolina in 1708 and settled
near the Star fort of Ninety-Six,
where he lived until very aged. He
was tall, straight and commanding,
and pious member of the Episcopal