The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1922-06-15
Murray's Ferry and The Bridge.
(By William Willis Boddie.)

Legislature of 1741. He was requir-
ed to keep there for a term of four
teen years one good and sufficient
boat, with at least two able men, one
of whom should be a white man, fit
for tranSportating passengers, horses
and cattle. At the same time, pub
lie highway connecting the South
bank of the Santee with the road to
Charleston was established and one
from the North bank leading to the
town of Williamsburg, or Kingstree,
as the town has been known official
ly only since 1867. The Murray's
Ferry road to Kingstree is the oldest
public highway in Williamsburg coun-
ty.
So important was this passage way
across the Santee that it required but
short time, even in those leisurely
pioneer days of the eighteenth cen
tury, for this ferry to become known
all over Eastern Carolina. At once,
herdsmen of Williamsburg began to
drive their cattle by way of Murray's
Ferry to market at Charleston and
indigo planters to fill their wallets
with their precious product and ride
this way to exchange it for negro
slaves. The greater number of Afri-
can slaves entered Williamsburg over
Murray's Ferry. A little later, Cam
den and Cheraw and Darlington used
this ferry; and, within few years,
North Carolina, Virginia and the
North went to Charleston over the
Santee at this place. Sometimes the
Santee defied the boatman by the
rushing of its mighty waters and
travellers had to watch and wait un-
til the Congaree and the Wateree had
ceased sending down their mountain
floods.
Somebody had to entertain these
waiting pilgrims. Joseph Murray
realized his opportunity and estab-
lished tavern. The Santee swamps
were full of turkey and deer and
numberless quail fed in the fields.
Men came here to hunt. They went
home to tell wonderful tales. Say
"Santee" today in an exclusive club
in London, Paris, St. Moritz, Nice, or
Benares, and look for the attention
of some great-great-great grandson of
one of those eighteenth century
sportsmen and be prepared to tell him
something about the deer now in the
Santee swamps. Joseph Murray kept
Bass Ale for Englishmen, French
wines for Huguenots, Scotch whiskey
for those who came from where the
thistle grows, and common, ordinary
corn 'likker" for everybody. He had
other schemes for the entertainment
and amusement of his guests. Not
the least of these was the Race Course
located where the Santee road cross
es the road to the ferry.
Perhaps one of the most interest
ing horse races ever held on this far
famed course was that of 1749 when
the only entrants were three sons and
two sons-in-law of the venerable and
distinguished Captain William James,
of Wales, of Scotland, of Ireland, and
of Williamsburg. John James rode
Thunder" William, his mare Ouch
ess;" Robert, his mare pleasant"
James Mccullough, "Diamond;" and
Nathaniel Mccullough, "Buddha." "
The beauty and the chivalry of Viii.
liamsburg gathered to witness this
contest of concurrent muscle and
mind where all of the entrants were
spirited and strong. Horses and rid
ers were all thoroughbreds. By
sound, by touch, each man knew his
horse and each horse knew his man
in love and sympathy and pride, and
each man and beast felt the cryp-
tomnesic content of forty valiant gen.
erations toying at his heart strings
and quickening his sinews as he ran
that race. Running more than win
ming these men and horses loved.
Old Captain James, nobleman by na-
tural endowment as we'll as by order
of the king, died soon after this
glorious day. One cannot help be-
lieving that the joy he felt that day
at the race course so strained the
walls of his heart that it failed be-
fore the idea of the coming March.
For long time, the Craven county
regiment of Militia was mustered
every year on the Southeast section
of land at the Murray's Ferry cross
roads. In 1857, Colonel George Paw
ley, Lieut., Col. John White, Adjutant
John Waites, and Surgeon Alexander
Mcdowell, field officers of the regi-