Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-05-15
HISTORY OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
From the First Settlement to the Close OF
the Revolution.
BY REV. ROBERT LATHAM. ID. ID.
From the Ynrkville Enquirer Of 1875
INSTALLMENT xxx.

ton is so often nothing but narra-
ton Of its wars with its neighbors; OF
its rebellions and civil strifes. In the
history of the human race, war holds
the most prominent place, but by no
means the most important place. The
carnage of a battlefield Is an aWful
sight, but a sight which human eyes
desire to see. The shouts Of victory
often drown the cries and shrieks OF
the widow and the orphan. The con-
queror excites the admiration Of the
humble peasant, and the tale Of hia
blood bought victories kindles the
ambition Of the humble sons Of toll.
The fame of the military hero is
borne by every breeze to the remot-
est hooks Of the globe. School boys
with sparkling eyes tell Of his reckless
daring, and blushing maids sing his
praises. Great as may be the worth
of him who leads battling armies to
victory, infinitely greater is he who
subdues the forest or converts the
swamps into a cornfield. He who
constructs a fort from whose walls
death and destruction are hurled into
the columns Of his country's foes, de-
serves to be held in remembrance by
all who love liberty and hate oppres-
sion. We should not, however, lei
the glitter Of the warrior consign to
| oblivion him who, in his rude work
| shop or on his humble farm, does
something which ameliorates the con-
dition Of society.
The first settlers of South Carolina,
| although often engaged in war. were
not savages. They did not come to
America that they might satiate q
thirst for blood. 1t is true, that for
number of years, every man was
soldier. This was the case until after
the Revolutionary war. The mechan-
ic went to his shop, the farmer to his
field, and the worshippers to the
house Of God; each armed and equip
| ped as a soldier. The circumstances
by which they were surrounded de-
manded that each man be a soldier
| Spaniards, Indians, French and pi-
rates watched them as the eagle
watches its prey. 1t would not be too
much to say that for more than zoe
years, a people had been undergoing
process Of training which termina-
ted in the establishing Of American
liberty. 1t may be that neither the
| first settlers Of Carolina nor their de-
scendants for several generations did
all they could to beat the sword into
a plowshare and the spear into a
pruning hook. Still they desired
peace, and never ceased to cultivate
the arts Of peace. Whilst they were
erecting forts, they were at the same
time decorating the city and subduine
| the forest. They found the Indians
in the country cultivating only maize
or Indian corn. Taught by these
children of the forest, they also en-
gagged in it's cultivation. Only a short
| time after the first settlement was
made, rice was planted, and so great
was it's increase that the hunger-rid-
den nations of Europe soon looked tc
South Carolina for food. In less thar
100 years, although almost continually
engaged in war, the products Of South
| Carolina had so increased that several
hundred vessels were required to ex-
port them to the markets of Europe
Rice, Indian corn, barley. peas. pota'
toes live stock, beef. pork and bacon
together with vast quantities Of lum.
ber, tar, pitch and turpentine were
annually exported. Charles Town
was busy place.
| The effort was made, at an early
period to introduce the cultivation OF
silk into the colony. The first effort
was unsuccessful. The eggs from
which 1t was designed to propagate
the worms, Matched whilst the ves'
sci which brought them from Europe
was still at sea, and no provision hav.
ing been made for their maintenance
they all died The enterprise was moi
abandoned. In different sections OF
the state, some attention was paid to
| the culture of silk. Governor Ma
| thaniel johnson devoted his attention
| to this subject as early as the begin.
ming of the eighteenth century. Ir
1855. the mother of Charles Cotes'
worth and Thomas Pinckney. took
with her to England a sufficient
amount of silk to make three dresses
one Of which was presented to the
Princess Dowager Of Wales. another
to Lord Chesterfield and the third re-
manned In the family. Not many
years since it was still in the city OF
Charleston and may be there still
Mrs. Pinckney, although the wife OF
the chief justice Of the state. possess
ed Of considerable wealth and the
descendant Of an honorable family
still she prepared this silk with hei
own hands. In 1742, eighteen. ano
one-half pounds Of raw silk were ex'
ported from South Carolina to Eng.
land. The Swiss at Purrysburg. and
the French in what Is now Abbeville
county, continued to devote some at
| tentlOn TO the culture VI Siih lOi
] number Of years. The descendants OF
the French colony that settled on the
Long Canes, in Abbeville county, con.
tinued to cultivate silk for domestic
purposes as late as 1880. 1t Is wor.
thy Of note that European judges pro-
nounced the silk made in South Caro-.
lima excellent 1T was remarkable
for its beauty firmness and strength
The fact that the forests Of South Car.
olina were covered with the mulberry
tree, the leaves of which constitute
the principal food of the silk worm
suggested to the early settlers the
idea that the country might be wei
adapted to the culture Of silk. The
first experiment was made within les.
than ten years after the settlement OF
the state.
Prior to the introduction of cotton
indigo was one Of the staple produc-
tions of South Carolina. So favora.
BILE were the soil and climate to the
production of this dye, and so great
was the income accruing from Its
| productiop that Il hapama matter O1