Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-01-19
HISTORY OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
From the First Settlement to the Close of
the Revolution.



Screman be stripped to the waist, in
flict upon him nine lashes with a whip
prepared for the purpose. 1t was also
ordered that in December, Captain
Donne, in full uniform, appear at the
head Of the company, and that his
sword be taken away from him by
the marshal, and he be further re-
quired to give security for his good
remain in the custody Of the marshal.
No doubt this was the first case of
the kind that came before the coun-
Gil, and the punishment was we'll cal
culated to make 1t the last.
The Grand Council possessed al
most unlimited powers, but at first 1t
acted in such a way as to secure
peace and prosperity. The people
obeyed with promptness, all its or
ders, and the result was that the COL
ony was soon placed In a condition Of
comparative security. Those who in
any way conducted themselves so as
good, were punished severely. Idlers
were regarded as nuisances. No indi-
vidual was allowed any assistance
from the public store who did not
have two acres Of corn or peas plant
ed for every member Of his family.
The whole colony was a well organiz-
ed military post. Every individual
was required to be ready at a mo-
might assail the settlement. The
gunsmith, Thomas Ashcraft, was re-
quired by the Grand Council to keep
the guns in complete repair. In fact,
every man, woman and child was re-
quired to do something to produce
supplies for the colony.
We cannot better show the state Of
things in the colony during the first
two years. than by quoting a part of
an ordinance passed by the Grand
Council at its meeting on Feb. 10th,
1872: 1T Is further advised, ordered
and ordayned by the Grand Council,
that no person or persons whatsoever
Except before excepted) shall have
any benefit of the Lords Proprietors'
stores who shall not have two acres
of land at least, we'll and sufficiently
planted with corne. pease or both, for
every person in his or her family and
the same to be well cultivated till the
gathering Of the next crop.
And If any person or person (except
before excepted) during this crop doe
or shall loyter or slothfully spend his,
her or their time, or doe exercise or
follow anw worke, labour or imploy-
ment not hereby allowed, or not es-
pecially directed by the Grand Coun-
ell, such person or persons soc Of
Tending, upon notice thereof given,
shall be disposed and committed to
the care and charge Of such industri-
Gus planter as the Grand Council shall
judge convenient for the better rails
ing of provisions and their present
maintenance as aforesaid" Carpen-
ters and smiths were allowed permis-
sion to labor at their trade. These are
the classes of individuals meant by the
words except before excepted" in pa
renthesis.
We cannot but admire the wisdom
which was thus displayed in providing
for the general welfare of the colony
Had there been no controlling power
exercised over the whole, the colony
must have perished. Sickness, hun
ger and the Indians would have swept
1t away in short time.
The name Of Joseph West Is insep-
arably connected with the first set
tlement Of South Carolina. He was
appointed, as we have seen, by the
proprietors, commander of the fleet
which was to transport the first set
tiers to the state; and on landing he
was to have sole charge Of the COM
missary department and the planta-
ton on which the proprietors design
ed making experiments. On the death
Of Sayle he became governor. How,
or by what authority, 1t is not known.
Probably Sayle and the council before
the death Of Sayle, made arrange
ments to the effect that West was, in
the event of Sayle's death. to become
governor until further instructions
were received from the proprietors.
Sayle made his will on the 18th Of
September, 1871, and sometime be-
lnt 70 "A Of
1872, West became governor. Never
was man better fitted for a position
than Colonel Joseph West was for
that of governor Of an infant colony.
He was energetic. prudent and fore
sighted.
On hearing of the death Of Sayle,
the proprietors appointed John Yea
mans, governor. This was on the 21st
of August. 1871; but neither Yea
mans, it would seem, nor the colo
nistS heard of 1T until some time af-
terward. Sir John Yeamans was the
son of Robert Yeamans, who lost his
life and estate on account of his
faithfulness to the royal family of
England. At the period that the
charter for planting a colony in Car
olina was obtained, John Yeamans
was residing in Barbados. He had
gone thither to repair his ruined for
tune. He was appointed governor of
the Clarendon colony, with a grant Of
large tract of land. The king also
conferred upon him the title of bar
onet He was made governor of Clar-
endon colony-which extended in the
language of the times from Cape
Fear to the river Saint Matheo"-in
the month of January. 1865, and
landed in the autumn of the same
year, with a colony from Barbados,
on the southern bank Of the Cape
Fear river, in the present state of
North Carolina. He remained as gov
ernor of that colony for four years,
and then returned to Barbados. His