The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1914-06-25
A Revere of
Old Jamestown
By DWIGHT NORWOOD

ward by the James river. the bOal
stopped at jamestown. There are two
most important spots historically in
the United States. jamestown and
Plymouth rock, the former being the
more important from its age. | was
curious to see it and. leaving the boat
remained there long enough to lose
myself in Il reverie concerning it
There Is nothing there today to
dream about unless it be the tower OF
the church built by the inhabitants OF
the settlement who went there little
over 300 years ago. No more uninter-
esting spot in itself exists in America
1t is an open dat space on the north
east bank Of the river. whose yellow
waters have eaten away considera
BILE part Of the site Of the town.
And now for my dream.
The report Of gun fired out on the
bosom Of the yellow waters. look
ed and saw miniature ship very
high in the stern and forward. much
ornamented and the sail on the main
mast bearing the arms Of England.
From the shore a boat was about to
put out bearing huge cask. l got
aboard and was pulled to the ship.
whats going on?" ! asked OF one
Of the oarsmen. who. by the bye, all
wore doublets with broad collar. knee
breeches and hose.
sale Of redempdoners," was the re-
ply.
When we boarded the vessel. the
Royal James, rum was served from
the cask. and the sale commenced
There were twenty men and four wo-
men to be sold to whomsoever would
pay their passage money from Eng
land, with a handsome bonus to the
person who had advanced the funds
They were to be bound to their pur-
chaser till they had worked out the
amount he had paid and until then
were held as redemptioners. which
meant limited period Of slavery.
Several men were sold for sums
ranging from ESQ to f10O. though the
amount was paid in tobacco. All the
women were sold for wives with their
consent There was one damsel not
twenty years old who was so c"mel!
that I approached and asked her what
had induced her to come our to 50
melancholy place as jamestown.
please SIR" she replied. i come
from bonnie Scotland. My mother
dinna like 1t because wouldna marry
auld Roderick MacTavish and shut me
up. But got out aud a man with
gold a.plenty sent me ont as redemp
toner. he must be paid ECO for my
passage and a. the profit there is
in me-"
And If ! pay the ECO will you mar
ry meY'
That l will" replied the girl. be,
cause you're 50 much better than old
Roderick MacTavish. and III ma have
to work out the money owing for
sending me here"
And so I paid the eco in tobacco.
which went back to England In the
ship. and the girl was carried ashore
with me. On landing We went up
beaten path leading to the church. l
found the parson. and We were mar
riedL
This was when Captain John Smith
was indefatigable in keeping the colo
uy together and supplying our wants.
but after a tme he left Us to make
explorations Of the coast and then to
20 to England. Our men became dis
couraged and would not work. Food
must be got by hunting or nlling the
earth. and the people would do neither.
So hunger and sickness came upon Us.
and we diminished rapidly. Some went
back to England. and some, leaving
jamestown. went back from the river
into the country.
When saw that jamestown was
doomed, taking my Scotch wife with
me, | went back from the river into
the interior and. settling myself on
a piece Of land. built a house and
raised tobacco. ] prospered, and. other
families settling near me, in time we
became a community. Though my
wife and grew old. our children grew
mp after us to be men and women.
and the country about US lost its prim-
tive loneliness. But the river was al
ways the same. At times I was obliged
to go to it for the purposerof shipping
ny tobacco. and 1t always gave me the
blues.
But we on the peninsula between
the river and the bay were a merry lot,