Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1917-08-01
Governor Cats a Descendant of
South Carolina Smylys.

will be of interest to our readers, as
Gov. Cats is a descendant of the
Smiyly family of South Carolina.
The article quoted is from The
Florida Times Union, a copy of
which was sent several members Of
the family, among them being Miss
Ina Hill, Mrs. P. N. Lott of Johns
ton, and others. As an introduce
tion to the sketch little history
will be of interest.
Major John Smyly came from
Antrim County, Ireland, before the
Revolution and settled in Colleton
county. Major Smyly was in Capt.
William Mills volunteer company
in the Revolution, and in l777 mar
ried Margaret Caldwell of the dis
tinguished family of that name.
The children of this marriage
were Eleanor, born l779, John 1888,
Dan, born 1894, and Samuel, 1896,
both died unmarried, and buried at
Cannon Greek Church yard in New
berry county, and James, born 1889.
About 1898, Margaret Caldwell
Smyly died, and the father, Major
Smyly married again to Miss Charity
Tuthstone of Colleton county.
The children numbering FIVE went
to Newberry to their mothers rela-
tives, the Caldwell's, and were there
reared.
John Smyly the second child was
the grandfather of Gov. Cats. He
married Hiss Rebecca DeWalt of
Newberry and in 1924 moved to
Alabama as the sketch indicates.
The youngest child James settled
in Edgefeld and married Grace Jo-
anna Coats, also of a former New
berry family and lived at Meeting
Street for many years, the ancestor
of all the Smyly family of this Sec
ton.
Mrs. Margaret Smyly Landrum
who lived far beyond the three score
years and ten in EdgeGeld was a
daughter of Col. James Smyly and
named for his mother Margaret
Caldwell.
Eleanor Cannon is buried at Stew
lens Greek church as are all the
Smylys who lived in EdgeGeld.
About 1924, in the early pioneer
days of Alabama, at the same time
that Gen. Lafayette and his attend
ants were approaching the river
boundary between Georgia and Ala
bama, John Smyly, the maternal
ancestor of Sidney Johnson Cats,
appeared on the banks with his
family and retinue of slaves on his
way from South Carolina to Ala
bama.
John Smyly. upon recognizing
the great French-American patriot,
Lafayette, offered to give him Pre-
cedence in the passage over the
river, but the ferryman insisted
first come, first served" This
pioneer settler in Alabama was
closely allied in blood kinship to
the celebrated Caldwell family of
South Carolina and also to the great
statesman, John Q. Calhoun, the
boy of the slashes of the Palmetto
state. John Smyly settled in what
is now Dallas county, Alabama, and
soon owned one of the largest plan
tations in the state. Some years
afterwards Adeline Smyly,
daughter of this famous pioneer
married Samuel w. Cats, a Virgin
ian by birth, and very successful
merchant and planter. When Sam
uel w. Cats, who was afterwards
captain in the Confederate army,
left Alexandria, Va, to 90 to Ala
bama, Mr.. Bloxham, his frs. cous-
in, came with him and settled in
Florida. He was the father of Gov.
Bloxham of Florida. Mr.. Cats
was proud of his wife, and the
Cats home was noted for its great
hospitality. He loved fine stock,
and always possessed a span OF
Kentucky. bred horses. The young
couple made their home on the
Cats plantation, where in 1868 Sid
ney johnson Cats was born. At
the age of three an unfortunate ac-
cident deprived him of the sight of
one eye. The wound was inflicted
by a pair of scissors accidentally
while he and his nurse were cutting
pictures. Mrs. Cats was left g
widow soon afterwards, in comfort
able circumstances. This lady is
described by a near relative as be-
ing an aristocratic person of culture
4 il