Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-01-30
HISTORY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
From the First Settlement to the Close OF
the Revolution.
From the Yorkville Enquirer of 1875.
INSTALLMENT TX.
New Charles Town.
the Revolution .

| from the 1OrkVllle enquirer Ol 10 D.
INsTALLMENT TX.
New Charles Town.
The individual who has only linn
tied knowledge Of human nature
might be ready to conclude that all
the circumstances connected with the
settlement Of South Carolina, would
have inspired the first European in
| habitants that came to this country,
to live together in perfect harmony.
| This was far from being the case;
nor Is II to be wondered at. AS we have
seen the majority Of the immigrants
| were dissenters from the Church Of
England; hut the proprietors and
the Grand Council were Cavaliers
There is not a shadow of doubt that
the Cavaliers designed from the first,
to establish kind Of religious oligar-
chy. This, together with the recol-
lection of the fiery struggle which
had been passed through in old Eng
land, fed the bitter hate which still
lived in the bosom of the dissenters.
No doubt both parties were greatly
to be blamed. To allay the party
feeling which existed amongst the
settlers, required all the skill, en-
ergy and prudence Of Joseph West.
Notwithstanding the great zeal mani
tested by the different religious sects,
very little was done directly, by any
Of them for many years, to promote
piety. A minister and church was
an appendage Of every New England
settlement. A church was built and
the people settled around 1t. Such
was not the case in South Carolina.
For a period of ten years, we have
no certain account Of the erection
of any church. or even Of any preach
ing, in the colony. Joseph West Is
characterized by all parties as a de-
voutly pious man, and we may rea-
sonably conclude that, occupying the
position and exercising the influence
which he did in the colony, he would
exert a happy restraint over the way
ward, and encourage those religioasly
disposed.
However retarding these religious
chickering's might have been to the
growth and prosperity Of the colony.
they did not put stop to its expan-
sion. The locality chosen on the west
side Of Kyewaw river was found not
suited to the purposes Of the colony.
The express object which was had
in view in selecting 1t, was because
it was so situated that no large vessel
could approach it. The simple fact
is. that the first settlers were afraid
that they would be attacked by the
Spanish. They were aware that the
mercies Of that people were cruel.
Hence, they selected a high ground"
on Kyewaw river, thinking that at
that point they would be compare
lively safe. Port Royal was aban-
doned because 1t was a good harbor
and near the Spanish. The high
ground" on the Kyewaw was selected
because 1t was farther away from the
Spanish, and had no harbor. The
proprietors enjoined it upon the
immigrants to settle at a distance
from the coast for the sake Of health.
The point Of land between the
Kyewaw and Walno rivers-not the
Ashley and Cooper-was soon dfscov-
cred to be more favorable for a set
tlement than the first chosen. lndi-
vlduals had settled on this place,
which was called Oyster Point. The
Grand Council, on the 18th Of Janu-
ary, 1872, directed Captain Maurice
Matthews and Captain Godfrey to
make an examination Of the Wando
river with reference to its suitable
ness for a settlement. What the
character of the report Of these indi-
viduals was we can only conjecture.
It may be well supposed that they
were pleased with the situation. 1t
was now found that the spot first
selected, whilst 1t could not be ap-
preached by an invading fleet, was
still greatly exposed to the Spanish
and Indians. The peculiar situation
of Oyster Point-beings simply atongue
of land, bounded on both sides by a
river-rendered 1t much more desir-
able for a town constantly liable to
be attacked by an enemy. 1t also
possessed commercial advantages.
This, however. was a matter OF sec
ondary consideration. The great OBJ
ject with the immigrants in select
ing a site for town, was its advan-
tage in a military point of view. Any
individual who will look at the map
Of the state of South Carolina. Will
not be slow in concluding, that for
all the purposes Of the early settlers,
there is no other location equal to
OYSTER Point. This tongue of land
had been, at an early period in the
history of the colony, taken up by
Henry Hughes and John Coming.
The object of the survey made by
CAPTAIN Godfrey and Captain Mat
thews. does not however. seem TO
have been made with special refer
ence to a change Of location, but
only with the view Of securing safe
locality on which other immigrants
might settle From the nature or
the surrounding circumstances all
the settlements were made In what
were. with propriety. called towns.
Single individuals could not have pro-
tected themselves against the hostile
Indians. That it was not contem-
plated in 1872, to make Oyster Point
the chief town, is evident, from the
conduct Of Hughes and Coming On
the 21st of February, 1872, they met
the Grand Council. and Henry Hughes
gave up one half Of his land. near
place upon Ashley river, known by
the name Of Oyster Point, to be en-
ployed in and toward the enlarging
Of a town and common of pasture
there intended to be erected Mr..
John Coming, and Affera, his wire,
came likewise before the Grand Coun-
ell, and freely gave up one half OF their
land near the said place, for the use
aforesaid. In fact, the settlement OF
n,,,tor Doint must have commenced