The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1922-08-17
Early american History;
Beautort:S National Shri1es
By n. L. Willet.

By N. L. Willet.
Beaufort Gazette.
Around Port Royal, S. c., centers
more early American history than
obtains in any other section of the
United States. The great powers of
France, Spain, and England were
from time to time, something over
two hundred years, contending be-
tween themselves for this amazingly
fair land. Those were days full of
blood and bitterness. Spain, noted
at that time above all other nations
for her cruelties, did some of her
most atrocious work on what is
known as St. Helena Island and If
the three or four old forts now in
ruins and situate in the section OF
Port Royal, S. c., and all evidences
of these ancient times, were only in
Massachusetts every one of them
would be famous through wide publ
city and every one would be as much
or more of a national shrine than
those shrines visited so largely each
year at Concord, Lexington and Ply
mouth. AS a fact, our national his
torians practically make no mention
and these old landings and these old
wars. down in Beaufort land:
A Perspective.
To get at a true perspective of
these old historic days at Port Roy
al let me cite the following. In 1907
the English effected a settlement in
Virginia; in 1908 the French set
tied in Canada; in 1865 the Span
iards laid a foundation in st. 'Au-
gustine, Fla; in 1920 the English
landed in Plymouth. Now as i'm
portant chronologically as were these
above landings there were three land
dings in the Port Royal section that
antedated all of the above. In 1920
a Spanish expedition-that of We
lasquez de Ayllon-landed on st. He
lena island and named it and claimed
it for Spain. These Spanish were
the first white men to land on these
Atlantic shores and it all happened
some fifty years before the French
nut in there. In 1925 another Span
ish expedition of six hundred men
and following after this landing in
1920, also landed on St. Helena Is
land. The Spanish did not conolize
on St. Helena. They acted simply
as slave drivers, attempting to carry
back American Indians to Spain
the Indians however, dying Of home
sickness in transit. But since they
made the first landings Spain claimed
this section as her own and for two
hundred years bloody wars were
fought over these lands.
These Spanish reports about ST.
Helena reached France and in 1852 a
French Huguenot protestant party
sailed from France in two ships. Jean1
Ribault being in command. 1t was
so notable a body of mobiles and
gentlemen a French historian said
of them, "They had the means to
achieve some notable thing and wor-
thy of eternal memory" On May
27, 1852, we find Ribault anchored
in ten fathoms of water off what is
known today as Paris Island, just
q few miles from Port Royal.
=.
What Ribault Saw.
Let me quote here a charming
passage from William j. Rivers's
early History Of South Carolina
a book printed in 1856.
Here on the 27 day of May, 1852,
he cast anchor in depth of ten ia
thoms, at the opening Of a spacious
Day, AlCu lIOu CopO ~ SopS' "NS
three leagues wide, and formed the
entrance to a noble river. The name
of Port Royal was given to this river,
on account of its size and beautiful
scenery around it. The harbor he
este med one of the best and fairest
in the world; and it was said that
the larges1 ships of France, yea, the
argosie. of Venice could enter IN
there.
"Ha 'og moored his vessels, Ri
lallt MS soldiers went on shore
and as equally delighted with the
state. palms, the wide-spread1ng
live, !, trees and fragrant shrubs.
While they walked through the for
ests focks Of wilk turkey flew above
the. heads, and around they beheld
pc~+ ..ges and stays and imagined
that they heard the voices of bears
and lee nards and of divers other sorts
a. aa4. ;xacr "a