Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-03-30
HISTORY OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
From the First Settlement to the Close OF
the Revolution.
From the Yorkville Enquirer Of 1875.
INSTALLMENT XXVl.
War With the Yemassees.

War With the Yemassees.
History teaches, and experience
confirms it's testimony, that troubles
rarely came alone and single handed.
The cares Of today are but the pre-
lude of the calamities of tomorrow.
The war with the Tuscaroras In
North Carolina, in which the South
Carolinians were so actively engaged,
and by whose aid 1t was so success
fully. to the province, conducted and
concluded, was followed by another
war, of far greater magnitude
against the Yemassees. The war
against the Tuscaroras was ended In
l713, and that against the Yemas-
sees commenced in 1715.
So great was the magnitude of this
war, and so widespread was 1t In
its operations. that the very exist
ence of the colonies planted In Car
olina was threatened. The bloody
stick was sent throughout the vari-
Gus tribes i'm the adjacent territory
and a grand uprising was planned.
All this was done with their usual
secrecy. Intercourse with the men,
bers of the various tribes and the
settlers continued as heretofore.
Nothing was suspected until the war
whoop was raised and the carnage
commenced.
The Yemassees, who seem to have
been the prime movers in this war,
lived in the region back Of Port Royal,
on the northeast side Of the Savan-
nah river. At one time they lived
in Florida and were the confeder-
ates. of the Spaniards; but some OF
their chiefs having been executed by
this nation, they deserted the Span
iards and came and settled in South
Carolina. Their principal town was
Pocotaligo.
During the whole of Queen Anne's
war the Yemassees were the faith
full allies of the colonists. They, at
that time, cherished an inveterate
hatred for the Spaniards. Several
traders connected with the colony
had settled amongst the tribes, and
on several occasions the Yemas-
sees had rendered valuable aid to
the settlers in and around Charles
Town. This hostility to the Span
iards prompted them to ravage the
Spanish territory and to keep up al
most a constant war with the Indian
allies of that nation. So closely did
they watch the inhabitants of st.
Augustine that it was dangerous for
them to leave the garrison. The
lard that was seen, was captured and
brought away as a prisoner. These
prisoners the YemasSees treated in
the most inhuman way. Sometimes
the cruel savages satiated their bru-
tai hatred by cutting the poor pris-
oner into pieces, joint by joint, with
their knives and tomahawks. Some
times the prisoner was buried in the
ground, all except his head, and then
they shot at the head as at a target.
That method Of putting prisoner
to death was always chosen which
was thought to be the most painful.
To prevent this cruel treatment the
Indians were given, by the colony,
twenty dollars for every live Span
lard they would bring to Charles
Town. The prisoners brought were
sent by the government to st. Angus
tine, and the expenses charged to the
Spanish government.
The Yemassees, cherishing so much
hatred toward the Spaniards, and
being on friendly terms with the
English settlers, no fears were enter
tained of any hostilities. The cause
of dissatisfaction among the Indians
seems to have been the manner In
which they were treated by the ira
ders. The truth is. the traders were
unprincipled men, who made no
scruples to cheat and defraud the
poor savages out of everything they
possessed There is another thing
that should not be lost sight of.
Near two thousand Indians had been
in one way and another. reduced to
bondage: besides vast numbers had
been sent off to other colonies and
sold This fact stirred the spirit of
revenge i'm the bOsomS Of the sons OF
the forest. The Indians must have
seen that their tribes were fast melt
ing away. before their English
All these things, together
with the intrigues of the Spaniards,
aroused the Indians, from the noun
tains to the sea board, to wreak their
vengeance upon the settlers of South
Carolina.
Although, by nature cruel and un-
forgiving, the Indian is not reckless.
Rarely does he enter upon any en-
terprise until it has been deliberated
upon. For a period of more than
a year previous to the Yemassee
outbreak. the traders settled amongst
them discovered that the bitter hate
which they once bore toward the
Spanards had been changed to
friendly intercourse. The chiefs fire.
uucntly visited st. Augustine and
returned loaded with presents.
Amongst the Yemassees there resided
a Highland Scotchman by the name
of John Fraser. This man was re.
spected by the Indians for his hon-
esty. and the savages had no dispo-
sition to conceal anything from him.
Frequently. after their return from
southern expeditions, they would
enumerate the presents they had ~
ccivcd from the governor of st. Au-
gustfnc. One had received hat, an
other suit of clothes trimmed Win
silver lace and another q hatchet
Among other things they had re
Ccivcd, were guns and implements oi
war AZ an evidence of the friendly
feeling existing between them ana
the governor of st. Augustine. they
related that they had dincd with him
and washed his face. This Gus
tom among the Indians. of washing
the face. was kind of pledge OF
Stin th. I,pplisb lprS