Tales of the Congarees Written by John J. Howell,  JJH, 3/09/2008 Fictionalized accounts using actual settlers’ names These accounts are fictitious with a few half truths. Most names were taken from a 1759 map in Robert L. Meriwether’s book, “The Expansion of SC, 1729-1765”.    South Carolina Genealogy Trails

In the early 1700s settlers started moving into the area where the Saluda River and Broad River join to form the Congaree River near modern Columbia, SC. Captain Charles Russell was authorized to start a trading post around 1720. Some of the land grants included fifty acres per family member and each slave. They were given a year’s supply of provisions including necessary tools, seed, and oxen to clear the forests and plow the ground. The name “Congarees” came about referring to the Congaree Creek and Congaree River joining. The Congaree Indians also lived along the river. The king’s provincial governor was interested in having this area as a buffer zone to protect Charles Town from the Indians of the backcountry. In Henri Gallman’s letter to his relatives in the old country he mentions the bountiful wildlife and the fruit trees growing wild in the forests with grapevines reaching high into the trees. He says everyone seems to be doing well here and wishes his relatives could join him in this fertile land, so level that you don’t have to block the wheels on your cart unlike the hilly country of his departure. He further states the Indians are friendly and eager to trade goods. Thomas Brown owned the trading post and had built a huge business with not only the local Indians but also Indians from up north and beyond the Delaware River. Some have commented on his lack of business knowledge. Thomas counted all receivables as profit without considering the cost of his goods. However, he was successful in his business. He was given credit for his ability to get along with the Indians. Henri Gallman once said that if not for the Indians Thomas would be working for his food dredging the river. John Threewitts lived about four miles from the trading post and would bring his pelts in an oxcart. Threewitts never trusted anyone and would stand real close as Brown took inventory of the pelts, saying how lucky Brown was being the only trading post within seventy miles grumbling as he counted and recounted the shillings he received. On down the Congaree lived Jesse Goodwyn. It seems Jesse was very lucky. Every venture he attempted made him money. His plantation seemed never to suffer from inclement weather. His barns were always ready to burst at the seams with his crops from the fields. His rice and Indigo always yielded more than anyone. He was known as the second richest man on the Congarees, second only to Wade Hampton. Goodwyn always said his money wasn’t from the outside but made locally insinuating Hampton had to go off and make enough money to get a start here. Ironically Hampton wound up marrying Goodwyn’s daughter. She was the widow of Jesse Malachi Howell. Howell was also a wealthy man. Some say Hampton just become richer after inheriting Jesse Howell’s estate. James Hopkins had a fairly large plantation east of the river and would come to the trading post usually on Saturdays bringing his goods and also stocking up on rum and other spirits declaring he only took a sip to cure his ills. Old Jacob Haughabock laughed as he said, “Brother Hopkins you sure must be sick a lot.” Hopkins retorted that he had a large family and twenty field hands. Stephen Crell and his brother Joseph operated the blacksmith shop in Granby and also had a lumberyard outside of the settlement. They always got along and would provide their services and lumber to most anyone regardless of whether paying with gold or on credit. Jacob Gallman who declared he owed no man anything and paid his way, while Thomas Stitsmith was looked on as an equal customer even though owing for his goods and services for over a year. This was said after Crell told Gallman he only had one particular item in stock and he promised to hold it for Stitsmith. Martin Friday had just completed building his ferry on the river a few days before David McCord finished his down river. They seemed to be in a race both declaring only one ferry was needed. A few years later proved there was enough business for more ferries as Jesse Howell built yet another one. David Gibson made his way hunting on the river. He would bring his hides up river in a canoe. He always had a full load and declared he was the best shot of all. Thomas Howell said once he saw Gibson trade an axe to the Indians for two canoe loads of pelts, declaring his axes and other tools were his weapon he hunted with and couldn’t hit the side of Browns trading post with his gun. This insulted Gibson and he invited Howell to a duel. This turned out to be a big event as people came from all around. As the dueling date drew closer, both men were sorry that the duel had been offered, neither wanted to kill or be killed. John Reimsperger took charge as the one to oversee that the duel would be fair. In the meantime both men had made amends but to save face they agreed to stage the duel, both saying they would miss their mark satisfying everyone. As they walked away back to back they turned and fired on the count of ten. Both shot into the ground. Gibson was reminded many times after that about him being the best shot around while Howell said he had not shot a gun in over a year. It seems that some of the Indians accused Thomas Brown of cheating them and kidnapped him and fled up north. Captain John Pearson asked for volunteers from the militia to attempt a rescue of Brown. After two years of tracking, the militia found Brown living contently with the Indians in the Ohio Valley area. He had taken an Indian for his wife and had two half Indian sons. He didn’t seem to care one way or the other about being rescued. Brown however, did return to the Congarees with his two sons and wife. After arriving back home, Brown found that Joseph Kershaw and James Chestnut had built a thriving trading post within a mile of Brown’s. Seeing this, Thomas Brown with his brother Patrick left for the Pee Dee River area. Last account, they were operating mills on Lynches Creek. Captain Pearson commented he had lost two good men rescuing a man not worth hanging. George Sitler settled on the Savannas a few miles southeast of Brown’s Trading Post. His young son Henry would accompany him weekly to the post with their goods. Most of the times Sitler would travel together with John Murff who lived near him. Murff would always bring his daughter Margaret since both children made eyes at the other. Most of the neighbors of the area would speak of the accepted seemingly marriage of these two young people. A few years later, the two were married in the home of the Rev. Christian Theus. The Rev. Theus had built a church down the river road near the Savannas. While working one day inside the church, he heard a noise at the front. As he opened the door he found a new born Indian baby boy bundled up in doeskin on the steps. His only explanation was that he had a few Indians who could speak the language for one of his services. He remembered that his sermon was on the giving of our newborn for the service of God. He attributed this to the Indian baby arriving at his doorsteps for his sermon at that time. He turned the baby over to Mrs. George Haig. Her husband had been kidnapped and killed by the Indians. Right before his death she had a son who died in childbirth. She had been in mourning for several months and gladly took this Indian baby in as her own. She named the baby George and shortly after remarried moving on westward. She seemed to be a completely different and happy woman. Her new husband’s name slips my memory now. He would occasionally transport by packhorse goods from Charles Towne to her husbands plantation. Richard Jackson owned land on the east side of the river. One morning, he arrived at the settlement with a fresh bearskin and salted bear meat. Thomas Brown after examining the hide remarked that the bear must have died from old age since he saw no sign of a gun wound, just a tear in the hide. Jackson told him that he was getting a drink of water from the creek on his property when a bear pushed him into the creek The bear waded in after him and attacked. Jackson pulled his hunting knife and with one motion killed the bear. Of course no one believed Jackson until he pulled his shirt off and showed them the claw marks on his chest and back. From then on when Jackson mentioned a hunting trip, he was asked if he was taking his gun. An old Indian named Tall Tree would frequent the trading post daily. He was known as a medicine man. Many of the settlers would depend on him in times of sickness. The river disease was taking many lives and you could see the old Indian with his pot boiling at the rear of Brown’s post, with him adding roots and leaves from the forest. His mixture would then be given by mouth and sometimes on a cloth to cool the body while he chanted away waving a stick with an eagle feather on the end. He was held in high esteem as the people valued his healing skills. Jacob Geiger lived below on the Santee. He had a fairly good size plantation and would send his goods down toward Charles Towne twice a year. He would barge his rice and indigo by the river to the coast and then by land on into the town. At this same time he would take as many as twelve oxcarts loaded with pelts, meat, and other goods down the river road to Charles Towne. After selling his goods he would stay just long enough to get goods from the merchants there for him to bring back, sometimes going on up above the Congarees as far as the Tyger and Enoree Rivers also bringing goods from up there back home. He stated one day he made as much bringing salt from Charles Towne as he did with his goods he sold there. John Lloyd from over Buckhead Hill came galloping into the settlement early one morning looking for the Rev. Theus. He said something happened the night before and he had to talk with Theus. Rev. Theus was not around so Lloyd confided in William Heatley. He swore that the devil visited him the night before. He said this well dressed gentleman arrived by carriage at his home and asked to spend the night. Sitting at the dinner table this man started talking in a somewhat way that was not gentlemanly. Lloyd’s wife was distraught by his vile language and the influence cast on her husband by this man who she thought was the devil himself. She smelled something burning and looked under the table. His foot was burning a hole into the floor resembling the foot of a horse. She immediately got her Bible and fell to her knees and started praying. The man jumped up and rushed from the house. Looking back he made one leap to a rock and then vaulted over the river with his carriage and horse following, leaving his footprint on the rock. It is well to say that John Lloyd was at the next church service sitting on the front pew. William Thomson came into the settlement cursing and asking if anyone had seen this man he described as Isaac Whitney. He said he was going to kill him. He told that Isaac had showed up one evening several months back, asking if he could spend a few days at Thomson’s home while he waited to meet his brother Francis, who was coming from NC. They were to meet at the Congarees and go on to the land of the Edistoe to finalize some land grants and purchase other tracts of land. The days turned into months. Whitney did buy an adjoining piece of property to Thomson speculating a profit when he sold the land. He continued to live with the Thomson family. Isaac had seemed to be too friendly with Thomson’s daughter. She was sixteen and he was twenty years her senior. Thomson asked Whitney to leave and Whitney said he would take his daughter with him. A violent confrontation occurred with Whitney hitting Thomson with a shovel and knocking him senseless. When Thomson came to, Whitney and his daughter were gone. No one at the settlement had seen Whitney so Thomson early the next morning left for the Edistoe section. Arriving at Courtney’s Tavern, he was told Whitney and his young bride had left for the western country. Isaac’s brother Francis never showed up at the Congarees but was living on the South Edisto River trying to put together some kind of land deal. Francis claimed Isaac was a cousin and not his brother.