Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1909-08-11
A VOICE FROM OLD PIcKENs.
Recollections of the Past Stirred by
Visit to Historic Spot.

.rft ONN tSaNSho, July
rler: Weary of the noise, heat and
hustle of town, and longing for the
scenes and associations of childhood,
last week l visited the neighborhood
where / first saw the light, and
where my early days were spent in
innocence and JOY
For several days / have been
roaming up and down the crystal
waters of Keowee river, boating,
fishing, swimming and feasting on
fresh fried fish, fried chicken, June
apples, peaches, watermelons, can
taloupes and all kinds of vegetables.
TO me nothing is more delightful
than the quiet solitude Of country
life, where, in sweet communion
with nature, we can "look up
through nature to natures God
and appreciate the many blessings
received by us from His loving
hands
| visited the historic site of Fort
George, seven miles north of Old
iShShS SoulI IlOuSS, Oh ltle eastern
bank of Keowee river, from which
point, 1T is said, the Indian maiden
Cateechee performed her rough and
perilous journey on foot to Ninety
Six in twenty-four hours-a distance
of near one hundred miles-to in
form the whites of an intended mas
sacre, bearing in her raven tresses a
written message to the whites which
.aved the garrison from destruction.
On her way, it is said she named
the several streams in the order
crossed by her-Mile Creek, Four
Mile, Six Mile, Twelve Mile, Eigh-
teen, Three and Twenty, and Six
and Twenty. BY these names they
are known to-day, and correspond
very nearly in distance named from
the starting point.
Within a mile of the old fort, in
the fork of Mile Creek and Keowee
river, on the crest of a hill about
three hundred yards from the con-
huence of the two streams, is the
grave Of John Gresham, a near rela.
tive Of the late Col. w. S. Gresham,
and his fatehr, Rev. Joseph Gresham.
natives of this county and relatives
OF the Brown family of Georgia, dis
tinguished for its Governors, Judges,
lawyers and statesmen.
John Gresham owned and cult,
waited large plantation here, where
he lived and died, respected in life
and honored in death. On this place,
and right where this grave yard now
is, 1t is said, bloody battle was
fought between the Indians and
whites. In proof of this the older
people now living say that rifle bull
lets, tomahawks made of stone,
spear points, flint arrow heads.
beads, trinkets and pottery have
been frequently unearthed by the
plow in the fields near by.
The Gresham plantation is now
owned by some of the heirs OF Elish
M. Alexander, but the grave yard
Cone acre. is owned by the public.
H"'ihS pSCh uohuISo ny Alex
ander. Having heard that john
Gresham was buried here, felt a de-
sire to visit his grave, but had
much difficulty in finding it, as it
was covered with brush and trees.
which haG fallen or been cut upon
1t. The grave Is marked by head
and foot stones made of soapstono
and on the head stone is engra ged i'm
large letters and figures. -. G.,
q. Died June 22d, 1896" Nothing
morc.)
Both stones have been broken by
the falling of timber. BY the side
of this grave is another (supposed to
be that of his wife, who was a Miss
Coatsworth), but it was so covere
with logs and brush could not find
whether it was marked or not.
la this same graveyard lie the re-
mains of John Craig, Revolution
ary soldier, on whose tombstone IS
the following inscription, "EIis mot
to in life: Liberty, Free Trade. and
lndepen dence or DEATH" 4" Other
heroes lie here, too, who wore the
gray and battled for the Southern
cause - among them Coatsworth
Craig, John Craig, William Craig,
Arthur Craig, David Craig, Il B
AleXarler, John Mauldm, Maio
Gibson and Others, besides many
private citizens.
Unless something is done jr the