South Carolina Archives – Page 2 of 26

Narrative of the Escape of W. B. Thompson – Indian Captivities

John W. B. Thompson’s story of “captivity” is really a captive story about being attacked by Seminole Indians at the Cape Florida Lighthouse he manned with what appears to be his slave. Written by him to let his friends know that he was alive, though crippled, the letter to the editor of the Charleston (S. C.) Courier details the frightful event of 23 July 1836. The Seminole Indians who attacked him likely pillaged the premise for supplies as they were taking their families into the marsh around Cape Florida where they were attempting to hide from the forced migration of their tribe to Oklahoma.

Narrative of the Captivity of Nehemiah How

A Narrative of the captivity of Nehemiah How, who was taken by the Indians at the Great Meadow Fort above Fort Dummer, where he was an inhabitant, October 11th, 1745. Giving an account of what he met with in his traveling to Canada, and while he was in prison there. Together with an account of Mr. How’s death at Canada. Exceedingly valuable for the many items of exact intelligence therein recorded, relative to so many of the present inhabitants of New England, through those friends who endured the hardships of captivity in the mountain deserts and the damps of loathsome prisons. Had the author lived to have returned, and published his narrative himself, he doubtless would have made it far more valuable, but he was cut off while a prisoner, by the prison fever, in the fifty-fifth year of his age, after a captivity of one year, seven months, and fifteen days. He died May 25th, 1747, in the hospital at Quebec, after a sickness of about ten days. He was a husband and father, and greatly beloved by all who knew him.

Castaways, Deserters, Refugees and Pirates

There is no accurate measure of the number of shipwrecks along the South Atlantic Coast and the Gulf of Mexico, but the number must be in the hundreds or even over a thousand. Also not known is how many shipwrecked sailors and passengers survived in North America during the 1500’s and 1600’s, or how many Sephardic Jews, Muslim Moors and European Protestants, escaping the Spanish Inquisition, landed on the shores of the present day Southeastern United States. Surviving archives, however, do furnish credible evidence of these peoples settling in the interior of the Southeast, while officially England was only colonizing the coastal regions.

The Rickohockens

The word, “Rickohocken,” appeared suddenly in the discussions of the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1644, and was frequently mentioned thereafter until 1684. No word similar to Rickohocken appeared on Virginia maps before 1644, while such southwestern Virginia tribes as the Tomahitan, Saponi and Occaneechi did. The Rickohockens were shown on British maps to control southwestern Virginia, southeastern Kentucky, northeastern Tennessee and northwestern North Carolina until the early 1700s.

Things Your History Teacher Didn’t Tell You

1684 Official Map of Florida Française by Franqueline

American history textbooks typically provide a cursory chapter on the period of the 16th century Spanish explorers of the Southeast and a few sentences to the attempts of French Huguenots to establish a colony in the region. They jump to the failed attempt to establish an English colony on Roanoke Island, North Carolina, then lavish attention on Jamestown, VA and Plymouth Plantation, Massachusetts. The texts then proceed to describe the founding of the various colonies which became the original United States. Very little, if anything, is said about the French and English explorers who ventured into the interior of the Southeast between 1568 and 1700. University level Colonial History courses might go into more detail on these intrepid people, but the general public in the United States never learns about them. Author Richard Thornton shares some interesting facts your history teacher didn’t tell you about early colonial America.

Indian Wars of Carolina – Previous to the Revolution

When the English settled in South Carolina, it was found that the State was inhabited by about twenty different tribes of Indians. The whites made gradual encroachments without meeting with any opposition from the Indians, until the latter saw that if these advances were continued, they would be completely driven from their country. A struggle was immediately begun, in which the colonists suffered so much from the number and fury of their enemies that a price was fixed upon every Indian who should be brought captive to Charleston, from whence they were sold into slavery for the West Indies. The … Read more

1910 South Carolina Census Map

South Carolina Genealogy at Ancestry

Ancestry is the largest provider of genealogy data online. The billions of records they provide have advanced genealogy online beyond imagination just a decade ago. The following is but a small sample of what they provide for South Carolina genealogy at Ancestry. While some of these databases are free, many require a subscription. You can try a 14 day free trial and see if you can find any of your South Carolina genealogy at Ancestry! South Carolina Genealogy Databases – Subscription May be Required Ancestry Free Trial Statewide Genealogy A Compilation of the Original Lists of Protestant Immigrants to South Carolina, 1763-1773 … Read more

Yuchi Tribe History

Among the indigenous tribes of the southeastern United States, living within a territory roughly defined by the borders of Georgia and South Carolina, was one, exhibiting a type of culture common to the inhabitants of the country bordering on the Gulf of Mexico east of the Mississippi river, whose members called themselves Tsoyabá, “Offspring of the Sun,” otherwise known as the Yuchi. Constituting an independent linguistic stock (called Uchean in Powell’s classification), their earliest associations, in so far as these are revealed by history and tradition, were identified with the banks of the Savannah river where they lived at a … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Paul Pinckney

Under the head of “The Press” comes the name of Paul Pinckney, one of the foremost newspaper men of the county, and editor and proprietor of the San Mateo Times. Mr. Pinckney was born in South Carolina on March 24, 1869. His early education was accomplished in the common-schools and supplemented by a course under private tutors. At fifteen, instead of going to college he decided to see the world as both his parents had passed away. Ever since this he has “been seeing the world” through the eyes of a newspaper man, serving in the capacity of both reporter … Read more

South Carolina Cemetery Records

South Carolina Cemetery records are listed by county then name of cemetery within the South Carolina county. Most of these are complete indices at the time of transcription, however, in some cases we list the listing when it is only a partial listing.

South Carolina World War 2 NMCG Casualty List

Inclusion of names in this South Carolina World War II Casualty List has been determined solely by the residence of next of kin at the time of notification of the last wartime casualty status. This listing does not necessarily represent the State of birth, legal residence, or official State credit according to service enlistment. Casualties listed represent only those on active duty in the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, resulting directly from enemy action or from operational activities against the enemy in war zones from December 7, 1941, to the end of the war. Casualties in the United States … Read more

South Carolina WW2 NMCG Prisoners of War

BUCKLER, Demaree, Boatswain, USN. Wife, Mrs. Margaret Buckler, 28 Carolina Ave., Navy Yard, Charleston. DYER, William Harold, Radioman 2c, USN. Parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. L. Dyer, Box 206, Piedmont. GREEN, Jame Holt, Lieutenant, USNR. Parents, Mr. and Mrs. Walter G. Green, 62 S. Battery, Charleston. JOHNSON, Edward Irvin, Storekeeper 3c, USN. Father, Mr. Irvin Johnson, Post Office, Navy Yard. PETERS, Raymond Charles, Chief Watertender, USN. Wife, Mrs. Florine Peters, Mount Pleasant. USSERY, Frank, Platoon Sgt., USMC. Father, Mr. Benjamin F. Ussery, 366 Hampton St., Rock Hill. WALKER, George Murray, Cpl., USMC. Sister, Mrs. Frances Guiant, c/o Mrs. Ed V. … Read more

Papers of William Henry Lyttelton 1756-1760

Letterbooks of William Henry Lyttleton 1756-1760: This collection contains papers relating to William Henry Lyttelton’s career as governor of South Carolina, including letters from officials in London; correspondence with other southern governors relating to Indian affairs, frontier defense, and boundaries; correspondence with military officers in America; and communications with the South Carolina Commons House and Council. A series of reports by Edmond Atkin, superintendent of Indian affairs in the Southern District, provides valuable information on the Cherokees, Creeks, and Chickasaws. There are 142 items, 1761-1766, concerning Lyttelton’s governorship of Jamaica, including material on the Negro insurrection of 1765 in St. Mary’s Parish.

History of Greene County Missouri

What is now known as southwest Missouri, substantially Greene County as organized in 1833, was formerly known as the Osage Country, being the home of the Indian tribe for which it was named. After the War of 1812 the Kickapoos made villages on the Pomme de Terre River, and near the present site of Springfield, leaving their name in that of Kickapoo Prairie, south of that place. The history of the region is peculiarly interesting as that of one of the most important purely American settlements made in the State. This dataset contains numerous biographies of leading citizens of Greene County during the 19th century – these biographies provide a biographical narrative to the history of Greene County Missouri.

South Carolina Vital Records

Vital records, as their name suggests, are connected with central life events: birth, marriage, and death. Maintained by civil authorities, they are prime sources of genealogical information; but, unfortunately, official vital records are available only for relatively recent periods. These records, despite their recent creation in the United States, are critically important in genealogical research, often supplying details on family members well back into the nineteenth century. The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy, by Loretto Szucs and Sandra Luebking. Birth Records Birth Records Available: The State Office of Vital Records located at DHEC, 2600 Bull Street, Columbia, South Carolina … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Alexander Davidson

Alexander Davidson, of South Carolina, married Sarah Ellis, and settled in Kentucky, from whence, in 1821, he removed to Missouri and settled in Montgomery County. They had three children John, Abraham and Rachel. Abraham was married first to Mary Branson, by whom he had twelve children Alexander, Alfred, Abraham, Stout B., Franklin, Hezekiah, Elizabeth, Sarah, Rachel, Mary, Louisa, and Martha. His first wife died and he was married the second time to the widow Hub-bard, by whom he had William and John A. Mr. Davidson was not out of the County during the last forty-five years of his life.

Biographical Sketch of John Hudson

John Hudson and his wife, who was a Miss Allen, lived in North Carolina. They had six sons Isaac, Drury, Thomas, William, John, and Jesse. Drury and Isaac were in the revolutionary war. The latter settled in Georgia, where he married Polly Shipper. He afterward removed to South Carolina, and from thence, to Kentucky, and in 1818 he came to Missouri. The names of his children were Elizabeth, Nancy, Sally, John, Thomas, William, and Charles. Elizabeth married Lemuel Cox. Nancy married Garrett Ingram. Sally married James Owings. John was married three times; first to Lucinda Morris, of Kentucky; second to … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Isaac King

Isaac King, of South Carolina, married Lydia Sitton, and settled in Tennessee. Their children were Joshua, Abraham, Sarah, and Joseph. Joshua, Abraham, and Sarah settled in Lincoln County, Mo., in 1817. Joseph married Elizabeth Yates, and settled in Montgomery County, in 1823. They had six children Conrad, Isaac, John, Charles, and Sarah. Mr. King built a horse mill, which was run principally by his wife. He took a great deal of interest in politics, and was elected Justice of the Peace and Captain of militia.

Biographical Sketch of Daniel Morrow

Daniel Morrow, a soldier of the war of 1812, married Fanny Hall, and settled in South Carolina, but afterward removed to Tennessee. Their children were John, Fanny, Sarah, and Elizabeth. John married Sarah Hail, and settled in Montgomery Co., Mo., in 1816. They had William, Bethel C., John H., David P., James A., Washington J., Lucinda, Elizabeth, and Sarah M.