The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1921-12-15
OLD WILLTOWN
OF WILLIAMSBURG
FURTHER FACTS CONNECTED
WITH THE EARLY SETTLERS
IN THIS COUNTY.
(By William Willis Boddie)

Sometime ago | made a pilgrimage
to where Willtown once fourished
A cornfeld covered the spot and there
were a few broken bricks scattered
about the growing grain. The slave
built causeway resists the years anc
a little rock-bound milk-house on the
hill showed that men had there livec
and labored. The beautiful BLACK
Mingo still moves on to the sea ant
an old cypress tree, bearded with
long grey moss, still stands on its
banks and seemed to mock me with
what is man that thou art mindful
of him?"
In my imagination l could see phan'
tom ships coming in and bearing
spices from Arabia, shawls from
Morocco, plaids from Scotland, run
from the Indies, and other things
from the utmost parts of the earth
to replenish the stores of the great
merchants who lived upon the hill
a century ago. / knew how Captain
John Brockington, James Zuill, Allard
Belin, John Cleland, Thomas McCon-
nell and other merchants had here
lived and by means of their own ves-
sells had brought the good things
from all over the world to this splen-
did Black Mingo community.
A few hundred yards west of the
Willtown site, I found the old grave
yard, where the tombs of so many OF
these men of other days still struggle
with decay. A little further West was
for a century, the regimental muster
ground where the red blooded men
from all the low country met once
every year for a season of service
to their country and for fun and
frolic. On this old muster GROUND
now covered with trees and under.
brush, saw the grassy field of Mars
OF one hundred years ago. The spir'
its of Anthony White, Robert Nesmith
David Wilson, James Gordon, Johr
James, John Erwin and Robert Wither.
spoon were marshalling the spirits
of thousand of their kind, the most
effective fighting men this world ever
knew.
l heard from these spirits many
tales of Marion's men, especially Of
the Black Mingo battle, where Sc
many friends and foes bit the dust
One of them, perhaps the most strik'
ing of all, was of Marion and the
four Nesmith brothers, his body
guard. When General Green hac
sent Continental Line Officer t.
communicate with General Marion ant
Marion and the Continental Officer
were standing near the "Red House
on Black Mingo in earnest converse
ton, guarded by these Nesmith broth
ers, all at once band of Tories, lee
by Major Gillis, appeared in the dis
tance. Immediately the four Nesmitf
brothers disappeared behind trees
Marion understood but the Continental
Officer doubted. The Tories came on
When within three hundred yards
four rifles shot as one. Major Gillis
the Tory leader, fell from his mount
and his band of Tories fled. Marion
and the Continental Officer walked
to the body of the dead Tory. Marion
placed his hand over the dead mans
heart and proudly asked the Cont.
mental Officer to locate the wound
The four Nesmith brothers had each
placed a bullet within the space COW
cred by Marion's hand. The Cont.
mental Officer then told Marion that
he would 60 back to General Green
and tell him that the swamps of South
Carolina were safe for liberty.
This pile of brick, known as the
"Red House." is what remains of the
first Calvanistic congregation meet
ing house between the Santee and the
Cape Fear. Tradition, supplemented
by few entries in old records, COM
pose all that is known of this old
Presbyterian church. The last ref
erence to this Black Mingo Presby-
terian church is found in the Indian
town Sessional Records, June 20, 1924,
as follows: "Mrs. Margaret McCon-
nell was received member Of this,
from the late Church of Black Mingo,
this now being extinct. She was re-
ceived upon credible testimony Of her
having been a member of this church. "
It was at this old church that the
battle of Black Mingo was fought be-
tween Marion and the British and
Tories. This was one of the bloodiest
battles fought in South Carolina.
One hundred and sixty-two men were
killed, including Captain George Logan
of Charleston. Captain Henry Mou-
zon and Lieutenant Joseph Scott, of