BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES HUGUENOT SOLOMON LEGARE, HIS FAMILY, EXTENDING DOWN TO THE FOURTH GENERATION OF HIS DESCENDANTS. REMINISCENCES OF THE REVOLUTIONARY STRUGGLE WITH GREAT BRITAIN. INCLUDING INCIDENTS AND SCENES WHICH OCCURRED IN CHARLESTON, ON JOHNS ISLAND, AND IN THE SURROUNDING COUNTRY OF SOUTH CAROLINA DURING THE WAR. COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY ONE OF HIS GREAT-GREAT- GRANDDAUGHTERS, MRS. ELIZA C. K. FLUD1), AND PRINTED BY SUBSCRIPTION. CHARLESTON, S. C: Edward Perry & Co., Printers and Stationers, No. 217 Meeting Street, Opp. Charleston Hotel. 1886. .5i Fg -^ TABLE OF CONTEXTS. PAGK. Preface 5 Biographical 'Sketches of the Huguenot Solomon Legare and of his Parents l ( .i Origin of the Old Circular Church in Charleston, and its es- tablishment in A. D. 1686 27 Genealogical and Biographical Sketches of the Huguenot Legare's Nine Children 4;-! Genealogical and Biographical Sketches of some of the Hugue- not Legare's Grandchildren and Great-Grandchildren 53 Reminiscences of the Revolutionary Struggle with Great Britain 81 The Defeat of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown ; close of the War, and Return of the Exiles to their Homes in South Caro- lina 129 Closing Scenes in the Lives of some of the Caravan Party of Returned Exiles 181 PREFACE. During the season of civil and religious persecution which immediately preceded and followed the Revolu- tion of the Edict of Nantes, A. D. 1685, in the reign of Louis XIYth — when the sword of Papal authority again perfidiously soaked the soil of Southern France with the hloocl of the Protestants — great numbers of the best citizens escaped from France, and fled for safety to the Protestant countries of Europe, and not a few of these found refuge on the then newly settled shores of Carolina. Dr. David Ramsay, in his History of South Carolina, gives some account of these refugees, and among the names of the Hu- guenot families there mentioned, is that of Legare as a refugee from persecution in France. The persecuting authorities of France having per- fidiously broken their treaty with the Protestants, compelled the Huguenots either to forsake their Bi- bles and recant their faith in the teachings of the Word of God, or else to be tortured and murdered. After the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, the Hu- guenots were even forbidden to leave France, and commanded to remain within the Kingdom, that they might thus become exterminated ; and all who were caught attempting to make their escape were cruelly butchered in cold blood. Yet, notwithstanding all these efforts to prevent the persecuted Huguenots from leaving France, it is computed that at least five hundred thousand escaped the wholesale massacre and found asylums of rest within the Protestant coun- tries of Europe and America. "Emigration now attained gigantic proportions. In spite of cunning preventive measures — in spite of constantly reiterated decrees, denouncing death upon all who should venture to pass the French frontier — in spite of cordons of soldiers stationed to dragoon hack all refugees, the tide of emigration set resolutely, irresistibly towards Protestant Europe. England;, Switzerland, Holland, Prussia, Denmark and Swe- den, generously relieved their first necessities. >j; $: ^ ^ s]s $: # ^ The depopulation of the kingdom was frightful. The best authorities estimate that France lost five hundred thousand of her best, most intelligent, moral and industrious citizens. She lost, besides, sixty millions of francs in specie, and her most val- uable manufactures, while four hundred thousand lives paid the forfeit of the reign of terror. This was what it cost to suppress the truth in France !" History of the Huguenots. The following facts concerning the Huguenot Sol- omon Legare and his parents, have been preserved among their descendants, and handed down from parent to child — some of them through tradition, and some in manuscript form, written in the family bibles of his grandchildren. About thirty-seven years ago one of the Huguenot Legare's great-great- granddaughters, Mrs. Eliza C. K Fludd, collected them all together and compiled them into a volume of Family Chronicles — along with biographical notices of the lives and deaths of some of the old Huguenot Legare's children and grandchildren. In addition to the traditions which she received from the lips of the oldest members of the family then living, she had other authentic family records to guide her pen, and extracts from the files of old newspapers kept as public records, which were searched out of the offices by the Hon. Hugh Swin- ton Legare, one of the great-great-grandsons ol the Huguenot Legare. When this first manuscript was completed, it was very extensively read among the descendants of the Huguenot Legare, who were then living m South Carolina, And, at the request of some of them who resided in Xew England, New York, Philadelphia and Xew Orleans, the manuscript was forwarded to each of those places for the perusal of those interest- ed in it This brought out more information; sev- eral elderly ladies sent to Mrs. Fludd old manuscripts containing farther particulars about the Legare fam- ily while they lived in France. Among these old papers, the Huguenot's bible came to hand, contain- in- many notes written by the old gentleman, about the sorrows of God's persecuted people, and God s faithfulness to them under those sorrows, with touching and pathetic remarks addressed to his chil- dren urging them to trust in the Lord always. The substance of the additional particulars thus received is embodied in the following pages, which are now printed at the special request of many of the Huguenot Legare's descendants living in several parts of the United States, who wish to transmit the volume to their children as an heirloom. THE LEGARE FAMILY, Tradition says, were originally natives of Normandy, from whence, more than two hundred years ago, some of them emigrated to the Southeastern Prov- inces of France, and that it was from this branch of the Legare Family that the Legares of South Car- olina are descended. While the Hon. Hugh Swin- ton Legare was United States Minister to Belgium, he visited Normandy, searched for and found some traces of the family in the old public records, but could find no living representative of the old family. He saw among the records of the old Court Tourna- ments accounts of several of the Knights named Legare, who had distinguished themselves on certain occasions. But he had every reason to believe that the name was then extinct in Normandy. Dr. Baird, in his recently published, " History of the Huguenot Emigration to America," has made a great mistake in his statement, that the South Caro- lina Legare family — including the Hon. Hugh S win- ton Legare — are all descended from one " Francois L'Egare or Legare," who was naturalized in Eng- land, in the year 1682, then sought admission into the Colony of Massachusetts on February 1st, 1691, and actually settled in Massachusetts, from whence, one of his sons named Solomon, emigrated again to Carolina, and became the founder of the Legare fam- ily there. — See vol. 2d, pages 111, 112. 10 The Legare family in South Carolina never before heard of the Legares who settled in Massachusetts, and know not from whence they came; but both dates and facts prove the error of Hie statement. The father of that Solomon Legare the Euguenot, from whom the Legares of South Carolina arc de- scended, never left France, never came to America, and never was a Huguenot by profession, though lie was utterly opposed to the persecution of Bible Christians, lie continued nominally a member of the Church of Rome to the day of his death, which occurred suddenly while he was living with his wife, Madame Legare, in their own home on the banks of the Loire, in France. He left four sons — the three oldest sons were by his first wife, and all of them were members of the Church of Eome. These three sons emigrated from France to the French Province of Canada, in company with Monsieur Yalier, second Bishop of Quebec, about the year 1686. Their de- scendants are still in Canada, and are all still Romanists. His fourth and youngest son Solomon Legare, was the only child of his second wife, Madame Legare, who was a Huguenot, and a descendant, through many generations, of the Waldenses. This son, Sol- omon, was educated by his mother in the Protestant faith of the Huguenots; and before he was twenty years of age, became an object of Papal hatred and persecution. This was that Soloman Legare, the Huguenot, who became the ancestor of the Legare Family of South Carolina. He tied from Papal per- secution in France, in 1685, some months before the 11 revocation of the Edict of Nantes, while he was at college in the city of Lyons, and while both of his parents were living in their own home on the banks of the river Loire, not far from the city of Lyons. The sudden death of her husband left Madame Legare without a protector; the estate was immedi- ately seized by Roman Catholic members of the fam- ily, and the daily increasing horrors of the persecu- tion raging all around, warned her to escape quickly, which she did under cover of a visit to her own rela- tives, who lived on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea. From thence, she escaped along with them to the shelter of an English ship, just a few days before the revocation of the Edict of Xantes was signed. In this way Madame Legare reached Bristol, in Eng- land, where she met her son by appointment. They remained some months in Bristol, and while living there, Solomon Legare, the Huguenot, mar- ried a young English lady of eminent piety. Xot long after their marriage, he, in company with his young bride and his mother, Madame Legare, sailed for the British Province of Carolina, in Amer- ica. They reached Charles Town, in South Carolina, late in the year 1686, where Mr. Solomon Legare soon after became, along with other Huguenots and Congregationalists from England, one of the foun- ders of the old Congregational (Circular) Church, in Charleston, and he continued, for many years to be one of its most prominent church officers. His mother, Madame Legare, Avas the first adult person buried in that church-yard. Her mortal remains lie under the circular foundation of the second building 12 erected upon thai site, which was much larger than the first building was. Madame Legare knew, that before her husband's death, he had made arrangements for sending his three oldest sons to one of the French Provinces in America. But, the sudden deatli of her husband and the subsequent necessity for her own speedy flight from France, completely separated the two branches of the family; and, if the Huguenot, Sol- omon Legare, knew that Canada was the Province to which his older half-brothers had emigrated, after he bad himself fled from persecution in France, he certainly never informed his children to that effect. Consequently, none of the descendants of the Hu- guenot Solomon Legare, knew of the existence of the Legares in Canada, till about fifteen years since, when the two branches of the family became known to each other in the following manner : At the close of the late civil war, when all the good schools in the South were broken up, Mrs. Phenix, a great-great-great-granddaughter of the Huguenot Legare — having lost the most of her pro- perty by the results of the war, took her son to Can- ada and placed him in a Jesuit College, on account of the cheap tuition. The principal of the institution inquired of her, how her son came by the name of Legare, which, he said, was a French name. Mrs. Phenix replied, that was her father's name, and that her son was named for him. The Priest responded : "Are you aware of the fact, that you have rela- tives now living: in Canada?" 13 Mrs. Phenix told him she had no relatives living in Canada, and that the Legares of South Carolina, are all descendants of the Huguenot Legare. To this the priest replied : " Yes; but yon are all descendants from the same old stock; I know all about it. There were four brothers, who emigrated to America, the youngest of whom, Solomon, was your ancestor; and it is be- cause he changed his religion — left the old true Church and his father's family, to become a Protest- ant, that he lost sight of his brothers who settled in Canada. But we harr had our eye upon you all the thru: ; we have never lost sight of him and his descend- ants, though it is now nearly, two hundred years since he first settled in South Carolina, There are, at the present time, many descendants of the three older brothers living in Canada — one of these is a distinguished statesman and a member of Parlia- ment; another is the Rev. Adolph Ignace Irenee Legare, Director of the College or Seminaire de Quebec, a great University !" " The Rev. Adolph Legare is one of the greatest minds in the Catholic Church ; a man of great learn- ing and a polished gentleman. He has two brothers, also priests, in the same university; but they are not Jesuits priests, belong to no order, simply secular priests. Rev. Cyrille Legare is also a distinguished scholar, and a charming companion.'' Mrs. Phenix asked : "Why did you you not tell me all this at first?" The priest replied : " If I had done so, you would probably have car- 14 ried your sou to Quebec and placed him under their care ; but I preferred to have him with us." Mrs. Phenix, after her return to South Carolina, wrote to Rev. Adolphe Legare, and received from him in reply, the following letter, which gives the family tradition, as it has been preserved in the Can- adian branch of the family, but differing in some points from ours^ namely : That Solomon Legare, the Huguenot, went first from France to Canada along with his older broth- ers, and then emigrated to South Carolina, where he became a Protestant. This statement is incorrect, for Solomon Legare, the Huguenot, was compelled to flee from France by persecution for being a Pro- testant, before his older brothers left France and settled in Canada. And the Rev. Adolphe Legare says in this letter : " Although the tradition of our family may not be identically the same as yours, yet I have reason to believe that yours is the more exact." " Seminary of Quebec, 1 Quebec, Oct. 13th, 1871. J To Madam E. L. Phenix: Madam — I have received with a very lively pleas- ure, and have read with the greatest interest, your letter of the 24th of September last. More — I have had the pleasure of making the acquaintance, and of renewing the bonds of relationship with Mr. Joseph J. Legare, who came to make us a visit in Quebec yesterday and the day before ; he will depart this evening for Charleston. 15 I have no doubt that we are of the same family, for, although the tradition of our family may not be identically the same as yours, yet I have reason to believe that yours is the more exact. The record in the family is that there were four brothers who came to America, (that is to say Canada) with Mr. St. Yalier, second Bishop of Quebec. Three of these brothers established themselves here in Canada, and the fourth departed for the Southern States, where he became Protestant, as all his descendants. The epoch in which Mr. St. Yalier came to Que- bec was in 1685, but he departed to Europe twice after this epoch, twice returning to Canada. These three brothers established themselves in the environs of Quebec, as cultivators of the soil (I think) and their descendants are very numerous, and all occupy rank in society. Here, in the Seminary of Quebec, we are three brothers, priests; I am the eldest; Mr. Cyrille, whose name you will read in the annual I send you, is the younger, and Mr. Victor, the youngest. We have a fourth brother, still younger, who is in commerce. My mother still lives, she is sixty-nine years old. My father has been dead six years. I have uncles — some lawyers, some notaries, some in commerce. One of my cousins, Mr. Joseph Legare, dead several years, was an artist, rather distinguished. Among our ancestors, I do not see that there may have been any who had occupied positions very emi- nent in society, but I believe that all were in posses- sion of a certain ease, or competency ; and, above all, of a great character for respectability. 16 I am going to try to trace hack to the origin of the family, through some private researches, and I shall be happy to transmit to you all the information that I can find. Mr. Cyrille, my brother, after having made his course of study in Quebec, passed over to Paris, where he took his degrees at the University. He studied four years in Paris, then travelled in differ- ent parts of Europe. Unfortunately, he does not en- joy good health. The physicians here have declared these last days, that it is necessary for him to pass the winter in a climate less severe than that of Can- ada. It will then be possible, some day, that lie will go to present his respects to you, and to solicit, on our part, the good will you express in your letter. Waiting the pleasure of receiving your amiable news, I subscribe myself, Your much devoted cousin, Adolphe J. J. Legarb." The following winter, the Rev. Cyrille Legare passed through South Carolina, on his way to Flor- ida, and called upon the Southern cousins whose acquaintance he had thus made. They were greatly pleased with him, and described him as being a very handsome man, a polished gentleman, and a most agreeable companion. The personal piety and practical faith illustrated by the facts recorded in these pages, serve to show what religion was to those whose devotion to the "truth in Jesus," and whose love and reverence for the written Word of God, was such an all-absorbing: 17 principle of their very existence, that, to them, all else was but dross in comparison with the riches of grace. If they " might but win Christ and be found in Him," they " counted not their lives dear unto the death." Such was the spirit of the Huguenot martyrs — they proved themselves willing to forsake all things else for Christ. It was this principle firmly implanted in the souls of our Huguenot ancestors, which led them, like Moses of old, to " choose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season." Accordingly, they found them- selves under the necessity of seeking an asylum in a foreign land. And, following the leadings of Provi- dence, they were brought into " The Wilderness " of America. And when they reached America, they met with other men and women there, who also had left their homes in Great Britain to find and enjoy civil and religious liberty in the Xew World, as it was not to be found, and could not be enjoyed under the op- pressive and exacting requirements of the State Churches of Europe, those " dragon powers of the old serpent." Thus it was that " Civil and Religious Liberty," became the watchword of the American church from its very infancy ; and before long made itself heard publicly and decidedly in the Declaration of Independence, and in the Constitution of the United States, securing liberty of conscience and the right of private judgment to all of its citizens, in things pertaining to the worship of God. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF THE HUGUENOT LEGARE, AND OF HIS PARENTS. Both the father and mother of the Huguenot Le- gare were natives of Southeastern France, and at the time this narrative begins, they resided near Lyons, on the banks of the Loire. An old manuscript says of him : " Solomon Legare was under the age of twenty, when, along with other devoted Huguenots, he adjured forever his beautiful native land, the soft and delicious banks of the Loire, to plunge into the depths of an untrodden wilderness, covered with swamps and breathing pestilence ; because in its dreary solitude he could commune with and worship God according to the dictates of his conscience, without molestation from civil and religious perse- cution." The family consisted then of the father, mother, and four sons. The three eldest sons were the chil- dren of the first wife, then dead, and the youngest son was the only child of the second wife, then liv- ing. The father and three elder brothers were all by profession, members of the Church of Rome. But the second wife and her son, whose name was Solomon, were Huguenots, and well known as such. 20 This Madame Legale, the mother of Solomon Legare, the Huguenot, was herself a descendant of the Vaudois. Her ancestors, along with other Pro- testants, had been driven by the bloody persecution of the Romanists, to take refuge in the mountain fastnesses of the Alps, from which hiding-places they had again descended to the shore of the Medi- terranean Sea, where her relatives were living at this time. " These Vaudois Christians were afterwards called Waldenses under the leadership of Peter Waldo, of Languedoc, one of the finest names in history, and the chief promoter of the Vaudois, as the dis- senters were* then called. * * But in the reign of Henry the Second, the soubriquet Huguenots began to be generally applied to the French reformers, and Huguenots became the honorable and universal synonym of politico-ecclesiastical reform." History of the Huguenots. " The precise term or form Huguenots may be owing to the fact, that an influential leader of the Republican Protestants of Geneva, was named Ungues and his followers were called Huguenots. And many years afterwards, the enemies of the French Protestants called them by this name, wish- ing to stigmatize them, and to impute to them a for- eign, republican and heretical origin. Such is the true etymology of the word." D'Aubigne. It appears that, though the father of the Huguenot Legare was himself, nominally, a member of the 21 Church of Rome, and his three sons by his first wife were all educated and brought up Romanists, yet he never interfered with the faith of his Huguenot wife ; on the contrary, he allowed her to have the whole control of her only son's education, insomuch, that he was thoroughly educated in the faith of the Hu- guenots as they received it from the Holy Bible. One of the old manuscripts reads : " That the mother of Solomon Legare instructed her son in the Pro- testant faith, and by her ardent piety and the dili- gent performance of her maternal duties, she was instrumental of establishing in Carolina a very nu- merous and respectable posterity. Her daily fervent and effectual prayer was, that her children, to the latest generation, should continue in the faith, and boldly profess their adherence to their Saviour, a prayer which has, thus far, been mercifully answered to the fourth feneration, in every branch of her family. Indeed, the father of this youthful Huguenot was accused of favoring the " Heretics," as the Bible Christians were called, and no doubt he did, for he was utterly and openly opposed to the persecution of the Protestants, and refused to take any part in it. But some of his first wife's relations were bigoted persecuting Romanists, and they reported the young Solomon Legare to the Inquisitors, as an obstinate heretic, and a dangerous enemy to the Papacy. Solomon Legare, the Huguenot, was, at this time, in a college at Lyons, where his mother had placed him ; but some one interested in the young man, dis- covered and communicated to his mother the fact. 22 that her son was marked as a heretic, to be punished by the Inquisition, and that measure's were in pro- gress for his removal from the college and delivery to the Inquisitors. Knowing that no time was to be lost, Madam Legare immediately despatched a faithful Huguenol servant to the college, who informed the young col- legiate of the danger which both his liberty and life were in from the Papists. The servant also commu- nicated, verbally, what his mother's instructions were, as follows : She counselled her son to leave the college with- out an hour's delay, and to make his escape from. Lyons in the disguise of a young peasant passing from one town to another, with produce for sale ; for the effecting of this advice, the means had already been provided, and were at hand. Having thus escaped in disguise from the city of Lyons, she as- sured her son, that on his arrival at a certain place named, he would there find a certain person awaiting him with a purse of gold and a strong horse equipped for a journey. With these provisions, she counselled her dear young son to make his way expeditiously, but cautiously, out of the kingdom of France, and to go by the shortest road to Geneva, in Switzerland, where he would find friends. Then, after having reached that city of refuge in safety, he must bend his course towards the City of Bristol in England, to which place some of her relatives had already escaped from France by sea. Madame Legare also directed her son to remain with her relatives in Bristol, until she could, herself, 23 escape from France, and join him there. She believed that her own turn to be arrested would soon come, and knew that her husband, in that event, would not be able to save her from the Inquisition. She, there- fore, determined to leave France by the first oppor- tunity by sea, and to follow her son to England. With this determination in view, Madame Legare had been for months secret!// preparing for a sudden departure from France. Her husband had also fore- seen the necessity that must come, sooner or later, for his family to leave France, or to become victims of Papal hatred and malice. He, therefore, after his son Solomon's escape from the Inquisitors, secretly assisted his wife in. making her preparations for flight by sea. He also made arrangements for sending his three eldest sons to one of the French Provinces in America, lest, by remaining in distracted France, they should be tempted to imbrue their hands in the blood of the persecuted Bible Christians, as so many others had done. Thus secre'tly assisted by her husband, Madame Le- gare had had a large amount of gold coin and other valuables conveyed to some of her relatives living on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, who, from thence, shipped them on board of a friendly English vessel lying off tile coast, and thus these valuables were conveyed safely to the care of friends in England. The sudden death of her husband, but a few weeks before the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, left Madame Legare entirely without a protector in France, and the daily increasing horrors of perse- 24 cution all around warned her to escape without delay to her relatives on the sea-coast, which she did under cover of a visit to them. Then, along with them, she escaped to the shelter of an English ship on the Mediterranean Sea, just a few days before the revocation of the Edict of Nantes was signed by Louis the XIYth, and just in time to save them from coming, personally, in contact with "the blood- hounds of the Papacy," who were then immediately unleashed, and let loose upon the Huguenots to hold their carnival of blood, which they did throughout all France, but especially in the Southern and East- ern provinces, as history has faithfully recorded, and glowingly depicted, to the disgrace of the wickecf persecutors. The ship containing these refugees soon reached England in safety, and landed them at Bristol, where Madame Legare had the happiness of meeting her son, about whom she had been exceedingly anxious, having neither heard from nor of him, since he left France. Shortly after Madame Le^are's arrival in Bristol, her son Solomon Legare and herself, along with some other Huguenot refugees, decided to join the then newly settled English Colony in America, on the shore of Carolina, under the protection of Great Britain. Accordingly, after a sojourn of several months in Bristol, they again embarked for their final destination in the Western wilderness, sailed across the Atlantic Ocean and landed at Charlestown, in South Carolina, in the year 1686, about sixteen years after the first settlement ot the Province, and 25 about six years after the first settlement of the pres- ent site of the City of Charleston, which was in 1680. While the young Huguenot, Solomon Legare, sojourned in Bristol, he had sought and obtained in marriage, the heart and hand of a vouns: English lady, who was afterwards noted through life for the deep-toned piety of her heart, as well as for her intelligence, moral worth and domestic virtues. Their marriage took place immediately before they sailed from England, and Madame Legare lived with them in their new home in Carolina for several years before death ended her eventful life on earth. She was honored and loved by all who knew her, and of her it was said by mourning relatives and friends — "Her children arise up and call her blessed." The mortal remains of Madame Legare were laid to rest in the grave-yard of what is now called the Circular Church. It is said that she was the first adult person buried in that grave-yard, and her body lies under the foundation of the present edifice, which is considerably larger than the first building erected on that site. ORIGIN OF THE fiticlepcucleut ©ougtxflattonat ©Tiurctt, or CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA. The Huguenot, Solomon Legare, was one of the founders of that old church, along with a number of other Huguenots from France, and Dissenters from England.* Shortly after the arrival of Solomon Legare in Charleston, in the year 1686, these emigrants, after consulting together, organized themselves into a united Church membership, composed of church- members gathered together, by the providence of God, from the Protestant Churches of France and the .dissenting Churches of England. They then built a church in Meeting Street and invited Rev. Thomas Barret, a Congregational Minister from England, to be their pastor. Thus, it appears that, at its origin, this undenomi- national Church united, in its organization, both Congregationalists from England, and Independent Presbyterians from France — for such the Huguenots had really been in France, all of whom were, with- out an exception, Dissenters in principle and in prac- tice, from a State Church policy. Thus united, they allowed themselves to be indiscriminately styled, a Presbyterian, a Congregational, or an Independent Church. * As the old grave-stones in the church-yard show. 28 Within the fold of this united Christian brother- hood, all Dissenters from a state Church policy, met on the basis of the Holy Bible, as one in Christ, and worshipped God harmoniously together, not troub- ling themselves and the Church with disputes about " Mine and Thine," in the non-essentials of religion, but recognizing each other as unitedly one in all those things which are essential to salvation through Christ; a lesson which many professing Christians and churches of the present day might learn to their own advantage, as well as to the peace and prosperity of the Church universal. Such to a very remarkable degree has been the spirit which this undenominational Christian Church has been noted for, and has maintained for nearly two centuries past. " It was called a Congregation Church, not because it was bound up to any rules or forms laid down by the Savoy or Cambridge Direc- tory, but because it acted in all its concerns as a congregation disconnected from all others. It was also sometimes called a Presbyterian Church, be- cause its creed, doctrines and form of worship were, in substance, the same as those of the Presbyterian Church generally." But this Church was in exist- ence, as it now is, before any Presbyterian Church was ever organized in America. And though it lias repeatedly been urged and invited to unite formally with the Presbyterian Church in Scotland, and in these United States of America, it has always refused to come under the rule of any presbytery, either in its spiritual or temporal and secular affairs. "The Church has always, from its origin, been governed 29 by its own sessions, the one composed of its own pastor, deacons and male communing members, have the oversight and control of all its spiritual affairs. The other composed of its own corporators, have the management and control of all its secular concerns." "The doctrines or creed of the Church is thus given by Dr. David Ramsay, who was in his day a very prominent officer of this Church. 'To these outlines of the government of the Church, it may be proper to subjoin a general view of its doctrines. It never was the intention so much to build up any one denomination of Christians, as to build up Christian- ity itself. Its members were, therefore, less attached to names and parties than to a system of doctrines which they believed to be essential to a correct view of the gospel plan of salvation. These have been generally called the doctrines of the Reformation — of free grace, or, of the evangelical system. The minister who preached these doctrines explicitly and unequivocally, was always acceptable, to whatever denomination he might belong. On the other hand, where these were wanting, no accordance on other points, no splendor of learning, no fascination of eloquence could make up for the defect." In 1804 the congregation took down the old church, and built upon the same site, an entirely new church of a circular form, having eighty-eight feet interior diameter, at an estimated cost of $60,000, and the new Circular Church was dedicated May 25th, 1806, hence comes the familiar name, " The Circular Church," by which this old church has since been so well known in later times. 30 And tliis same old Endependant Congregational (Circular) Church, has a record of usefulness and benevolence which few individual churches can show. Standing alone, independent of, and disconnected with all other churches, it has given to the world more than twenty of her baptized and trained sons, to be ministers of the gospel, and missionaries of the Cross of Christ. " The first sabbath school in South Carolina ori- ginated in this church in 1817." " The Charleston Bible Society, which preceded the American Bible Society by six years, and is but six years younger than the British and Foreign Bible Society, originated with the Rev. J. S. Keith, D. D., a pastor of this Church." One of the ladies' societies in the church for assist- ting in the education of pious youths for the gospel ministry, accomplished much good. " This society's records mention donations to individual young men amounting to $5,590. It also founded two scholar- ships in the Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Princeton, New Jersey, in the days of good old Dr. Alexander; one of these was called the "Charleston Female Scholarship," and the other, " The Jane Keith Scholarship." It gave, years ago, to the Presbyterian Theological Seminary, in Columbia, South Carolina, the sum of $5,634. Besides the above, it has, at various times, donated smaller amounts to the Educational Society, in Yale College; to the American Educational Society; to Andover Theological Seminary, and to the General Assembly of the Presbvterian Church. Its recorded 31 gifts to outsiders amounted in all to about $15,000. Thus, liberally, they gave of their abundance, but not of their superabundance, for that was before the day of American millionaires, and it is mentioned to show how diffusive and liberal were the charities of this " Old Mother in Israel," as this old church was often justly styled, as well as to illustrate how much good a small society of earnest Christian ladies can accomplish, And the above named sum is but a small portion of the amount which this old church, as a body, has, from time to time, contributed to help forward relig- ious and charitable institutions, while her individual members have also given freely to other denomina- tions thousands of dollars for religious and charitable purposes, as many still living can testify. After the Church had been organized in 1686, by French Protestants and English Congregationalists, Presbyterians from Scotland and Ireland arrived in Charleston, and also united themselves with this same Independent Congregational Church. Here they all worshipped God together harmoniously, until the arrival of Rev. Archibald Stobo in the Province. Rev. Archibald Stobo was a Scotchman, and he was the first Presbyterian Minister in South Caro- lina. He had been sent from Scotland with a small company of Presbyterians, to settle a colony on the Isthmus of Darien. They failed in doing this and were returning to Scotland. When the ship reached the coast near Charleston, they sent a boat up to the town for water and provisions. Mr. Stobo and his 32 wife having Scotch friends living in Charlestown, took this opportunity of visiting them, expecting to return, with the boat to the ship next day. But, that night a hurricane suddenly arose, the ship was wrecked and every one on hoard of her perished. After the storm was over, the boat's crew went over the bar to look for the ship, but only a few floating pieces of the wreck could he seen. The sailors, along with Mr. and Mrs. Stobo, then returned to Charlestown in great distress, and received every kindness from the hospitable and sympathizing colonists. The Congregational Church being just then with- out a pastor, invited Mr. Stobo to preach for them, and afterwards he became their pastor — 1700. But, as soon as Mr. Stobo was installed as pastor of the Church, he began to urge the congregation to unite their Church formally with the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. This the French and English elements positively and decidedly refused to do. They had had quite enough of State-Church rule already in Europe. Notwithstanding this refusal, Mr. Stobo being a man of a dictatorial and obstinate temper of mind, persevered in pressing his proposal upon the congregation until he became so unpopular that he had to resign as pastor of the Church in 1704. Shortly after, through Mr. Stobo's influence, about twelve Scotch families left the Independent Congrega- tional Church, and built the Scotch Presbyterian Church, at the corner of Meeting and Tradd Streets, now called the First Presbyterian Church. The separation w r as an amicable one ; there was no discord about doctrine, the question was simply one of Church government, and each party accorded to the other the right to judge and act for themselves. Consequently, the best fraternal relations have ever existed between these two churches ; their ministers often interchanged pulpits, and the congregations occasionally worshipped together under the same roof, and united their religious and charitable enter- prises in the same societies. Solomon Legare, the Huguenot, was a man of small stature and of a very warm and excitable tem- per, as most Frenchmen are, but he possessed the strictest integrity of character combined with prim- itive piety of heart. He was naturally a man of very decided character, and educated and disciplined as he had been from childhood, in the hard school of civil and religious persecution and oppression, it is not strange that this innate decision of character almost amounted to sternness in cases where princi- ple was involved. He never hesitated to speak out fearlessly his convictions of right and duty, even if he stood alone in so doing. Some amusing incidents are related of him, as illustrating this characteristic of the old Huguenot. It was customary at that early day for families to dine at twelve o'clock noon. The Huguenot Legare was ever very strict in the observance of regular hours, and to his great annoyance the Rev. Mr, Stobo, then pastor of the Church, introduced the practice of preaching sermons of such unusual length, that the church services interfered with family arramremets for the usual dinner hour. Mr. Leo-are and the other church officers had several times told 34 Mi*. Stobo of this difficulty, and requested him to divide his sermons into two parts, for morning and afternoon. But the reverend gentleman believed in having everything done in his own way, regard- less of the convenience of the whole congregation, and obstinately persisted in preaching his one long sermon, notwithstanding the remonstrances of the church officers. The other church officers were dis- pleased at Mr. Stobo's conduct in this matter, but submitted to the annoyance for fear of creating a disturbance in the church. But Mr. Legare told them that he would not submit to the innovation another Sabbath, and would find a way of letting Mr. Stobo know his determination in the matter. Accordingly, the next Sunday as the town clock struck twelve, Mr. Legare got up in the midst of the sermon and left the pew, followed by his wife and children and several other members of his family. As they were silently walking down the aisle of the church, Mr. Stobo, after pausing awhile in his dis- course, called out to Mr. Legare in a loud Scotch accent, " Aye, aye, a little petcher is soon full!" Upon this irreverent remark from the pulpit, the Huguenot's French blood became excited, and, turning himself round in the aisle, he still more irreverently retorted, but in a suppressed tone only heard by those near to him, " And you are an old fool!" Mr. Legare then quietly went home with his family, where they ate their dinner; after which they all returned with him to the church, marched noiselessly up the aisle behind him to the pew in front of the pulpit, and listened to the balance of the 35 sermon as gravely as if nothing had occurred to dis- turb the services of the morning. This silent reproof had the desired effect : Mr. Stobo yielded the point, and the next Sabbath he preached the first half of his sermon in the morning, closing the services in time to allow the congregation to go home and take their dinner at the usual hour. After which they returned to the afternoon service in proper time, and heard him preach the last half of his discourse, and so the difficulty ended. The gold which Madame Legare had succeeded in bringing with her from France, served as a capital for her son to start life upon in the New World, and he soon became a large land owner in Charlestown and its vicinity. He was the owner of three large squares within the town, and of several large plan- tations in the surrounding country. The Huguenot, Solomon Legare, had nine children — three sons and six daughters, and he settled every one of them com- fortably in life, as soon as they successively grew up to manhood and to womanhood, and attained the age of twenty-one years — reserving for himself and wife a comfortable and independent support. Though possessed of so much property, he made a rule in his family which was faithfully carried out in practice for several succeeding generations, namely : That every male child of his family, no matter how much property he might be heir to, or be already in possession of, should be taught some useful trade. So that, in the event of some other revolution, or other misfortune in life, which should deprive them of their property, as he had been 36 deprived of his, they might have something else to tall back upon for a support, even in a foreign land. Such a rule existed among the Jews in the time of the Apostle Paul. It was the custom in these early days of the young colony for families to dine at twelve o'clock, and take their tea and supper at sunset; after which the old folks sat around their street doors; or, like good old-fashioned neighbors, they exchanged kind greet- ings with each other from house to house, while the young people assembled in groups to walk or play about the streets. It is said that on summer moon- light evenings, the grown girls and young men amused themselves after this fashion in playing " Tray's Ace," " Blind Man's Buff," &c. And they, doubtless, enjoyed these rural sports quite as much as our more refined modern belles and beaux enjoy the battery promenade of the present day. But the fathers and mothers of that day had a greater regard for early and regular hours than their descendants now have, for it was then considered a great breach of family discipline for a child to stay out after nine o'clook at night ; it w r as the custom to close the house at nine o'clock, when all its inmates assembled around the family altar to engage in the devotions of the even- ing. After which the little community all retired to bed and was soon wTapped in peaceful slumber — thus preparing themselves for a proportionably early start upon the duties of the coming day. The Huguenot Legare had married an English lady of eminent piety, and because she spoke English fluently and he did not, family worship was gener- 37 ally conducted by her, at his request. It is said of this lady, that she was seldom known to conclude a prayer in the family circle without asking of God, that her posterity to the latest generation might be numbered among his chosen people. These whole- souled Christian parents were eminently successful in the training and education of their children for usefulness in life; and they had the happiness of seeing every one of them become sincere and earnest Christians. Their rules of family government, though kind, were very strict, for they required of their children implicit obedience, and 'great reverence for sacred things ; especially they required a strict observance of the Christian Sabbath, in their entire household. These parents always devoted Sunday evenings to the religious instruction of their children, when every child was expected to be present in the family circle, even after they were grown up. No Sunday visiting was allowed, excepting in cases of sickness and distress. But on the week days the young people were permitted to visit freely, and to enjoy themselves in many ways. To these Huguenots the Christian religion was a reality in which they lived, and for which they were ready to die, if called to it. The circumstances that had surrounded them in France, forced them to be at a point, like Joshua of old, who cried out before the assembled nations of Israel : " Choose you this day whom you will serve ; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord !" Believing thus, they taught their children the impossibility and 38 absurdity of trying to serve both "God and Mam- mon," and urged upon them the necessity of making the written Word of God, wt the man of their coun- sel and the chart of their life." But the sufferings of this Huguenot and others from the persecutions of their own countrymen, greatly prejudiced him against the government of France, and made him abhor the State Church power which had instigated and hounded on the persecution of good men for conscience sake, lie had a perfect horror of any of his descendants ever returning to France, or being perverted into joining the Church of Rome, and sought unceasingly to sever every tie that might bind his children to his native land, which he considered accursed of God for the sake of his persecuted people. He, therefore, would not allow his children to learn the French language, or even suffer it to be spoken in his private familv circle, preferring rather a broken English dia- lect from those who could not speak English fluently. Mr. Legare, who was in the habit of telling his children a great deal about the Reformation in France, Switzerland and Germany, always became eloquent and excited when he related to them the dreadful scenes of martyrdom by lire and sword, which, in his childhood and youth his own eyes had witnessed in France, some of the victims being his own blood relatives on his mother's side. He also told them about the wholesale massacre of Bible Christians which his parents and ancestors had wit- nessed before he was born; especially he dwelt upon* the horrors of the massacre of Saint Bar- 39 tholomew — when the "streets of Lyons were said to now with the blood of God's martyred peo- ple." Again, he described to them the cruel tortures inflicted upon individuals by the Inquis- itors, to force them to recant their faith in Christ and the Holy Bible, and told of the fiend-like butch- ery of thousands of the Huguenots in cold blood, after the perfidious revocation of the Edict of Nantes, which he and his mother had only escaped from by fleeing from their home in France, first to England and then to the American wilderness, where they had found rest and peace, and where they could worship God in safety, according to the dictates of the Holy Bible and their own enlightened consciences. At such times he would exclaim : " Ah, my chil- dren ! the blood-soaked soil of France cries to heaven for vengeance, and vengeance it will have, just as surely as righteous Abel's blood, crying from the earth to God for vengeance upon his murderer, brought down the curse upon Cain, so will a blasting curse rest upon France. Mark well what I say to you ! France, guilty France, will never again be blest with peace, prosperity and quiet; but, on the contrary, trouble, violence and revolution after revolution, will vex and rend those who have thus troubled and murdered the people of God. Therefore, my dear children, never do you return to France — keep your- selves clear of it, if you would keep clear of the fearful curse which hangs over it." The history of France for two hundred years past, proves how prophetic his words were. Mr. Legare also affirmed the belief that God 40 would never permit "The dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan," Rev. xx: 2, to estab- lish anv persecuting State Church Power in these (then) British Provinces; because this was "the place prepared of God," (Rev. xii: 6,) as a shelter for his persecuted people fleeing from those very persecutions in Europe. He insisted that the emi- gration of the persecuted Huguenots, Puritans and other Bible Christians from the old countries had commenced the fulfilment of that prophecy, and that the persecuting State Church Powers of Europe would thus find themselves shorn of their power, and comparatively impotent to afflict Bible Christians, as they had hitherto done. Here, too, the old Huguenot was not mistaken, for it is a well-known fact in the history of nations, that since the rise and establishment of these United States of North America to their elevated position in wealth, power and influence among the nations of the earth, the sword of professedly religious persecution has been, comparatively speaking, sheathed, and those who, otherwise, would have used it as of old, have been compelled to sit in the mouth of their caves — like Bunyan's Giant Pope, grinning with suppressed rage, and see their intended victims escaping to the shelter of that civil and religious liberty, which God has "prepared" for the oppressed, in this land of bible light and gospel influences, and all the efforts of infidelity, red republicanism, radicalism, with all the other depths of Satan's iniquity combined, has never yet, and never will, succeed in putting out that light, for it is the light of Truth in the fulfil- ment of Prophecy. 41 It is not at all surprising that children brought up under such influences became themselves thoroughly imbued with the spirit of the Huguenots. Accord- ingly, one of the peculiar characteristics of this Hu- guenot's descendants in most of the branches, has been, as a general rule, an unequivocal and unbend- ing adherence to the principles of civil and religious liberty, as taught in the Holy Bible, not only pro- fessing openly and fearlessly the doctrines they believed in, but also, in living according to the rules of primitive piety. For generations they maintained strict religious discipline in their families, refusing with unyielding independence of spirit, to conform to any of the vain and sinful inroads of fashion and wealth, all of which practices they believed to be inconsistent with a profession of Christianity. Mr. Legare's independence of spirit sometimes led him into peculiarities of conduct which were a marvel to some persons, while they drew a smile from others. It was well known in the community that he was a rich man, and that he was always very benevolent and generous in helping the poor and needy, yet he had for many years, a strange and seemingly ridiculous habit of picking up old rusty nails and other small bits of iron, which he carried home and threw into an old iron chest that always was kept in an open piazza at the back part of his house. The iron really was too rusty for use, and the old iron chest was anything but a desirable piece of furniture in a piazza, yet Mr. Legare persisted in keeping it there, notwithstanding repeated remon- strances from his children, and would still occasionaally add to it small contributions of 42 rusty iron. This strange conduct was an enigma to his children and others, Imt on his death-bed the riddle was solved, for then he told his chil- dren that the old iron chest in his hack piazza was his bank for the deposit of gold coin, and directed them how to open a false bottom in the chest, where they would find a large amount. He also then told his children that for fifty years he had kept his gold coin in that chest without a lock upon it, in the open piazza, and without any one's ever having suspected that anything valuable could be found in it. The following anecdote in connection with this fact, has been related of him : Some small boys who had observed old Mr. Legare's habit of picking up rusty nails, determined to play him a trick. They heated some old nails in the fire and watched for the approach of the old gentleman in his accustomed walk. They then threw the hot nails into the street a few paces ahead of him, and, as usual, he stooped to pick np two or three of them and burnt his fingers, to the great amusement of the mischievous urchins. The Huguenot, Solomon Le°;are, lived almost to the age of a hundred years. An obituary notice of his death in Timothy's South Carolina Gazette, May 17th, 1760, says of him : " On the 8th instant, died Mr. Solomon Legare, Sr., in the ninety-eighth year of his age — one of the oldest settlers in this Province. He had been here seventy-four years." tl The family must then have settled in Carolina in 1686, but sixteen years after the settlement of the Colony." BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF SOME OF THE CHILDREN OF THE HUGUENOT LEGARE. The Huguenot, Solomon Legare, had nine chil- dren ; eight of these were the children of his first wife, who was an English lady, and the youngest child, Thomas, was the son of his second wife, who was a native of America. They all married as follows : Solomon, the eldest son, married Miss Mary Stock. Daniel, the second son, married Miss Peronneau. Thomas, the third son, married Miss Jones. The eldest daughter was married to Capt. Barks- dale, an Englishman by birth ; from these the whole family of Barksdale, in South Carolina, are de- scended ; most of these now bear different names through marriages with other families. The second daughter was married to Mr. Miller, a native of Scotland, who afterwards returned to Scotland, and their descendants are lost sight of by their American cousins. The third daughter was married to Mr. Holmes, an Englishman, and relative of General Isaac Holmes, who was a British Office 1 . Mrs. Holmes died young, leaving one child, who ' dso died young. 44 The fourth daughter was married to Mr. Eveighly, an Englishman ; from these arc descended the Eveighly family, and some of the Richardsons of Camden, Clarendon and Santee. The fifth daughter, Mary Legare, was married to Mr. Ellis, an Englishman. This lady was very wealthy, and noted alike for her piety and benevo- lence. Mrs. Ellis gave a valuable plantation in St. John's Berkeley, to her brother, Mr. Daniel Legare. She also gave two plantations in the same Parish, to her nephew, Mr. Thomas Legare, (to whom she was greatly attached, and with whom she lived and died during the Revolutionary struggle with Great Bri- tain), besides leaving a very large estate to her only child, Mr. Thomas Ellis, and to his family. This lady is the " old Mrs. Ellis," spoken of in "Reminis- cences of the Revolutionary War." One of Mr. Thomas Ellis's daughters, Eleanor, was married to Dr. David Ramsay, the historian, of South Carolina. She was his first wife, and died childless. Dr. Ramsay afterwards married a second wife — a daughter of Henry Laurens, of Revolution- ary fame. Another daughter of Mr. Thomas Ellis was mar- ried to Col. White, and settled in Brunswick, New Jersey. Mr. Thomas Ellis's only son, Thomas Ellis, Jr., married and settled in Carolina, where, by his ex- travagance, he soon got to the end of a very large estate, and died, leaving a widow in such indigent circumstances, that she* was for years supported by the charity of the Circular Church in Charleston — 45 to the support of which church, his grandmother, Mrs. Mary Ellis, had very liberally contributed of her abundance, for years before he was born. Here was a clear case in demonstration of the truth of that scripture injunction, given with promise : " Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days/' Xone of Mrs. Ellis's descendants arc now living in South Carolina. The sixth and youngest daughter of the Huguenot, Solomon Legare, and his English wife, was married to Mr. Peronneau, a son of the French Huguenot Peronneau, from whom some of the Peronneau family in Charleston are descended. Mrs. Peronneau died young, leaving but one daughter. Thomas Leo-are, youngest son of the Huguenot Legare, and the only child of his second wife, mar- ried Miss Jones. They had two sons, Samuel and Benjamin, and two daughters, Mrs. Somersal and Mrs. Baker. The descendants of Samuel and Benjamin Legare are very few, and live now mostly in other States. Mrs. Somersal had but one son, Mr. Thomas Som- ersal, whose only daughter Sarah Somersal, was married to Mr. William J. Grayson. Most of Mrs. Somersal's descendants live iii Charleston, South Carolina; some of them now live in other States. Solomon Legare, the eldest son of the Huguenot Legare and his English wife, married Miss Mary Stock, a sister of Mr. Thomas Stock, whose descend- ants now live in Charleston, South Carolina. 46 This lady liaerience had taught them the art of war. Yet it was to these very citizen soldiers that God eventually gave the victory, in their struggle for Independence from foreign domination and oppression. A company of about fifty such volunteer soldiers were stationed at the Presbyterian Church in the centre of the Island, and a scouting party had been sent by them to that point on John's Island which is nearest to Simon's Island, to watch from thence the movements of the enemy's vessels on the coast. This party of scouts had a seargant in command, whose written instructions were : That if the enemy attempted to land their troops on the beach at Si- mon's Island, they should immediately fire their cannon as a signal to the inhabitants on the Island, 85 and then retreat quickly to the main body of troops at the church. Accordingly, when the scouts saw the British ships commence landing their soldiers on Simon's Island, these Tyros in military warfare, not only iired their signal cannon, but retreated with fife and drum in full sound of the enemy's ears, thus informing them in what direction they were retreating. A party of the British were immediately sent in pursuit of the scouts, hut had not proceeded far on their track when they picked up the written instructions which the scouts had dropped in their hasty retreat. The British officer supposing that " the main body of troops," spoken of in the instruc- tions, referred to a large body of troops in reserve at the church, hastily retreated back to their ships with his men, where they re-embarked and left the shore. But there were two concealed Tories then living on John's Island, and from them the British learned the real state of affairs. Accordingly, about two months after the British troops again landed a forag- ing party on John's Island, and the alarm being given, most of the gentlemen hastened to remove their families to Charleston. Mr. Thomas Legare's plantation being some miles distant from Stono river, he drove his family down to McCall's landing, which is the nearest point to the city, and his largest boat had been sent there to meet them, and convey them from thence to the city. Just as the family were seated in the carriages and about to leave their own house to go to McCall's landing, the overseer's wife, Mrs. Humphries, came to Mrs. Legare and asked what was to be done with 86 the family plate and other valuables which they were leaving on the plantation. Mrs. Legare replied : " Indeed, Mrs. Humphries, I do not know ! Do what yon can, but I expect the British will be here pres- ently and will take everything from yon." So say- ing they drove off as rapidly as they could to escape themselves. Mrs. Humphries immediately called two trusty servants, and with their assistance, she packed away in boxes all the silver and other valuables left in her care and then secretly buried the boxes — they three being the only persons to whom the place of con- cealment was known. And in that spot all these things remained in safety until the close of the war — the servants keeping the secret ; though one of the negro men who had assisted Mrs. Humphries in burying the boxes afterwards joined the British and remained some time with them on the Island, yet he never betrayed the trust reposed in him on that occasion. An elderly gentleman on John's Island, Mr." John Freer, who was too old for army service, had re- mained neutral. As such he took protection from the British Crown and then remained on John's Island as the protector of the ladies and children left there, while their fathers and brothers, husbands and sons, were engaged in fighting for their country. Mr. Freer's first wife was Mr. Thomas Legare's sister, and a very warm friendship and affection ex- isted between these brothers-in-law all through their lives, though their opinions differed widely in some things. Mr. Freer believed it impossible for the 87 Colonists to succeed in establishing their Independ- ence, but his sympathies were entirely with his oppressed countrymen. He had, at that time, a large family by his second marriage, and his son Charles served in the American army as soon as he was old enough to hear arms. But to return to Mr. Legare's family on their way to Charleston : They reached McCall's landing in safety, hut when they Avere getting into the boat to go on to the town, Mr. Legare discovered that his trunk of valuable papers was not in the boat. This trunk of papers had been sent from the plantation along with other things, to Mr. Freer s house on the banks of Abbepoola Creek, where Mr. Legare's boats were usually kept, in order to be removed to Charleston along with the family; but the servants had neglected in their hurry to put it in the boat. One of the boat hands remembered that he had seen the trunk in Mr. Freer's piazza. As soon as Mr. Legare ascertained this fact, he directed the family to await his return, mounted a swift horse and started off in pursuit of his trunk of papers. But he had not gone two miles before he met a negro man, who stopped him, saying: " Mas Legare. where are you going, the English are all at the meeting house, (now Presbyterian Church) and if you go, they will sure to catch you !" Thus warned, Mr. Legare paused and asked : " Then will you carry a note to Mr. John Freer, for me ?" " £To, sir ; for the English will sarch me and take it from me. But they can't make me talk if I don't 88 choose to; so, if you tell me what you want, I'll go tell Mr. Freer." Mr. Legare replied : " That is true; go, then, and tell Mr. Freer, that I request him to take care of the trunk left in his piazza, containing my papers." Having said this, and given a reward to the negro, Mr. Legare turned his horse's head and ran him hack to McCall's landing, hurried his family into the hoat and crossed Stono river with all expedition — intending to send hack for his horses which were all left tied at McCall's landing; hut scarcely had the hoat reached the opposite shore of the Stono, when they saw a squad of British soldiers ride down to the spot they had just left and take possession of all their horses. Of course, they pushed forward for Charleston with all expedition, and reached their destined port in safety. The negro sent to Mr. Freer faithfully performed the errand entrusted to him. The trunk of papers remained in Mr. Freer's possession till the close of the war, and would not have been equally safe any where else; for nothing under his roof was ever meddled with by the British soldiers at any time during the war. The British only held possession of John's Island for a short time, and as soon as it was vacated by them the families of the planters returned to their plantations on it, and continued in quiet for a season ; hut when General Prevost took possession of Wap- poo Cut and James Island, in the year 1779, their troubles commenced in earnest and continued to the close of the war. 89 In the month of May, 1779, a company of Amer- ican militia, composed chiefly of the inhabitants of John's and the neighboring Islands, under the com- mand of Captain Benjamin Mathews, together with another company of the Port Royal militia, com- manded by Captain Robert Barnwell, were stationed at Raven's settlement, then owned by a grandson of the former, Mr. John Raven Mathews. Just a little north of them, on James' Island, was the encamp- ment of the British army, commanded by General Prevost. On the 20th of May, Captain Mathews marched his men down to the bank of the Stono and there paraded them in view of the enemy. Mr. Thomas Legare being one of the " Council of Safety," ven- tured a remonstrance with the Captain, on the im- prudence of what he was about to do, and he, not liking the interference, some sharp words passed be- tween the two, who were friends and neighbors on the Island. After the parade was over Mr. Legare addressed Captain Mathews thus: " Well, Captain, you will know by to-morrow whether you have acted wisely or not. I tell you that the British on James [sland have, with the aid of their glasses, counted every man you have in your ranks, and, despising the weakness of your force, they will cross the river to-night, surprise your sentinels and take you all prisoners of war. Now, as I have no desire to fall so ingloriously into their hands, I request you to send me to join the guard at Chaplin's Point, imme- diately." After laughing at Mr. Legare's " unneces- sary fears," as Captain Mathews termed this wise 90 remonstrance, he consented to the proposal, and Mr. Legare left Ravenswood and went to join the Chap- lin's Point guard. But his son, Lieutenant James Legare, who had entered the American army as a commissioned officer, at the early age of sixteen, and was then a Lieutenant in that company, remained with Captain Mathews, and along with him and the rest, were that night surprised ami taken prisoners by the British, just as Mr. Legare had predicted to ( Japtain Mathews. Ramsay's Revolutionary History gives the follow- ing account of this affair : " While the British were encamped on James' Island, ahout seventy or eighty of the Americans were posted nearly opposite to them at the plantation of Mr. Mathews on John's Island. On the 20th of May, a party of the troops, commanded hy General Prevost, crossed the narrow river which separates the two islands, surprised the out-sentinel of the Americans and extorted from him the countersign. Possessed of the word, they ad- vanced to the second sentinel, surprised and bayo- netted him before he could give an alarm. Without being discovered they then surrounded the house of Mr. Mathews, rushed in on the unprepared Ameri- cans and put several of them, though they made no resistance, to the bayonet. Among the rest, Mr. Robert Barnwell, a young gentleman who adorned a very respectable family by his many virtues, good understanding and sweetness of manner, received no less than seventeen wounds, but he had the good fortune to recover from them all, and still lives an ornament to his country. The British having com- 91 pleted this business, burned the house of Mr. Mathews." The ruins of this old brick building, which was the old Raven mansion, are still standing in a field owned by the family of Mr. Ivinsev Burden, deceased. The following particulars of the above named sur- prise and capture, were received in after years by the writer, from the lips of one of the officers and two of the private soldiers, who were present on the spot at the time of the surprise : They said that on the evening of the 20th of May, Mr. Thomas Fen- wick, a resident of John's Island, who was not as yet suspected of being a Tory, went to the Ravens- wood settlement on an apparently friendly visit to the militia officers and soldiers, who were his neigh- bors, and sup] >ed with them, and during the social and unsuspected intercourse and entertainment of the evening, he elicited many particulars, and. in taking leave, he obtained the countersign for the night. The officers, strangely secure, considering the vicinity of the British, and the warning which Mr. Legare had given them, placed only two sentinels on guard and then retired to rest themselves ; while the men, or a number of them, were distributed about among the various buildings of the plantation, and were all soon fast asleep. At midnight one party of the British approached silently from the river, having crossed it in boats, while another party, who had crossed to Fenwiek's plantation, three miles north of Ravenswood, advanced by land under the guidance of the Tory Tom Fenwick, who thus re- turned to repay the hospitality and confidence of his unsuspecting neighbors. 92 When the British appeared at the door of the apartment in which Captain Barnwell and a number of his men were, and demanded their surrender, Captain Barnwell called out to know what quarter they should have. " No quarter to rebels !" was the reply. " Then, men, defend yourselves to the last — Charge !" exclaimed Captain Barnwell. In an in- stant the " click " of every gun was heard, as it was presented in the faces of the enemy, who immedi- ately fell back. Presently, a sergeant of the British put his head into the room, saying : " Surrender yourselves pris- oners of war, and you shall have honorable quarter." " What grade do you hold, and what authority have you for the promise, if we accept the terms ?" " I am but a sergeant in command, but my word is as good as that of any officer in his Majesty's service." On this assurance, Captain Brrnwell and his men surrendered their arms, and then immediately the British soldiers commenced an attack upon them with their bayonets, wounding them cruelly, partic- ularly Barnwell and Barns, who were each pierced by seventeen bayonet wounds. A few of the men who were sleeping in the out- houses escaped ; for, being awakened from their slumber by the noise, and finding out how the mat- ter stood, they made their escape to the woods before the British soldiers searched the out-houses of the plantation — in the doing of which they found some heavy sleepers, whom they took prisoners. Mr. Benjamin Reynolds, of Wadmalaw Island, was one of the few who escaped from the British on 93 that occasion; and the following humorous account of his escape was given by him in the presence of the writer, after lie had become quite an old man. According to his statement of the affair, he was sleeping in a house that was some distance from the others, when he was aroused from sleep by the clash of arms, the shouts of the assailants, and the cries of the wounded, and guessing how the case stood, without waiting to dress himself or even to secure his weapons, he darted out of the house and ran to- wards the interior of the island, intending to return to his home on Wadmalaw Island. Mr. Reynolds was, at that time, very young and a stranger on John's Island. Before he had pro- ceeded far he met another American militiaman, whom he recognized as a fellow-soldier also making his escape from the British, and hoping to be directed or guided through the strange woods by him, he ap- proached to join company with him. But to his farther consternation, Mr. , turned the muzzle of his gun towards him, exclaiming in the negro- dialect for which he was notorious : "Who you?" " Ben. Reynolds ; do show me the way to the Bugby Bridge." " No, yon com yer, man ! you too white ; I shute you, if 3 ou cum close me; go way, go way, I tell you, you too white!" " Then, for Heaven's sake ! tell me which way I must go!" " Follow your nose and keep dead ahead," replied the other. 94 With this indefinite direction, Mr. Reynolds plunged into the woods, and about daylight found himself in the Bugby swamp, with scarcely a vestige left upon his person of the white garment he had on when he left Ravenswood, and with his limbs bleed- ing from the scratches he had received from the briar hushes. After the surprise and capture of the militia com- panies at Ravenswood, the whole of John's Island was again left at the mercy of the British army, commu- nication with Charleston was cut off, and the farni- ilies of the planters, who had hitherto, spent the sickly months of the summer in Charleston, were now compelled to spend them on the plantations. All of the men taken prisoners at Ravenswood were removed to the British Camp, but the rest of the male residents found on the Island were paroled to their plantations under the penalty of death, if known to go beyond their boundaries. Small de- tachments of British soldiers were distributed about the Island in every direction, and kept a strict watch over it, and at the same time, they made excursions in every quarter, searching for 'plunder, and seizing for themselves whatever appeared desirable in their sight. But the officers of these soldiers billeted them- selves on the families they found most agreeable, generally selecting those among whom they found pleasant and pretty young ladies, to whom they paid many polite attentions. Indeed, that set of his Ma- jesty's officers were noted for their kind and cour- teous behavior to the inhabitants of the Island generally ; and after the Avar was over, several of the 95 higher grade of officers married and settled there, becoming planters themselves. Mr. Legare's old aunt, Mrs. Ellis, was at that time living with his family on John's Island. She was the youngest daughter of the Huguenot Legare— was then in her eightieth year, and so infirm that she had a white nurse to attend constantly upon her. This old lady was very wealthy, and she had a large quantity of silver plate, damask table linen, and other valuables, packed away in large chests which she insisted upon keeping constantly in her own bed room, saying that was the safest place for them. And yet this bed-room was on the first floor of the house, with two entrances to it— one door opening at the foot of the stairway, and the other opening into the hall or public entrance of the house. And it is remarkable that though her chamber was in such a public situation, and the British soldiers in their searches for plunder, frequently brushed against the latches of her doors, yet they never once entered her room, or even seemed to see the doors that opened into it. Mrs. Ellis was a great patriot in feeling ; she was also a woman of much prayer, and strong in faith, thoroughly imbued with the spirit of the Huguenots. It was her habit to go to prayer every time the approach of the British soldiers was announced by the watchword : " They are coming ?" And on one occasion, when she heard a British soldier swearing with horrible blasphemous oaths, just outside of her door, she arose from her prayers, opened her door and reproved the man for his profanity. The soldier, 96 who had frequently been to the house before, looked astonished at the sudden apparition, and after eyeing her in silence for a few moments, he asked : "Where the devil did you come from, old woman? Go away and mind your own business." Mrs. Ellis closed her door, and the man immediately left the house, to the great relief of the other ladies whom he had alarmed by his behavior. But a very different character also . lived in Mr. Legare's family — Miss Glado, the friend who had assisted in rearing Mrs. Leg-are to womanhood after the death of her mother, and had accompanied her to her husband's home. This old lady, then ninety years of age, but still active, was a thorough-going Loyalist in feeling, who never would allow that the Colonists had any right to free themselves from the yoke of Great Britain. She was a person of warm temperament, and old age had made her exceedingly irritable. Whenever the British soldiers went to the house on a plundering expedition, she did not go to prayer as Mrs. Ellis did, but would begin to reproach Mr. Legare's rebellion against the king of England, as the cause of all their troubles ; and then turn about and scold the soldiers for disgracing their king and themselves by such conduct. One day a squad of these marauding British soldiers went to Mr. Legare's house, and after they had even searched the drawers and closets in the ladies' bed- rooms, and taken all they wanted, one of the men put his head into a little under-stair cuddy, about two feet square, hoping to find more booty concealed there. Nor w T as he quite mistaken, for old Miss 97 Glado had hidden all the children's shoe and knee buckles in that place, supposing that no one would expect to find anything valuable in an open closet like that. And while the soldier was prosecuting his search, old Miss Glado sat a short distance from him, rocking her chair; and while she watched for the result, she could not refrain from giving utter- ance to her displeasure in a suppressed tone of anger : " Thieving wretches ! And all this comes of rebellion ! Accursed robbers ! I hope that head of yours may stick fast in that cuddy!" But when she saw the man draw forth all the silver shoe and knee buckles, her wrath could no longer be restrained, but burst forth in a tone of indignation : " Do you see that, Betsy! — the thieving devil has even stolen the chil- dren's silver buckles!" In return for which, the soldier cursed her, declaring that she was too old and ugly to live, and a scold besides. This was a party of McGirt's men, chiefly Scotch Highlanders, and noted for their ferocity and bru- tality. Just as they were leaving the house, Mr. Legare rode up to it on horseback, and one of the men immediately demanded his saddle, which he refused to give up, and a struggle ensued. The sol- dier drew his sword, but Mr. Legare still held on to the saddle ; and Mrs. Legare seeing a British officer approaching the house, ran out to him and begged his interference, and he ordered the soldiers to leave immediately, which they did. While such searches for plunder were frequently going on, and every other part of the house ran- sacked, Mrs. Ellis's bed-room remained undisturbed, 98 and her valuables undiscovered. Who can doubt that a 3pecial providence thus preserved what she had thus committed to God's special keeping? While Mr. Legare was confined to his plantation on parole, he was informed that misrepresentations were bein^ made to Governor Rutledge, in Charles- ton, accusing him of treachery to his country. He, therefore, determined to go to Charleston at the hazard of his life, and see the Governor in person. Accordingly, he selected two trustworthy servants, to row him to the city by night in a little boat, and left, his house on the plantation late in the evening, without the knowledge of any one else excepting his wife. He reached Charleston in safety, and had a private conference with the Governor, who assured him that he had not for a moment believed the accu- sation. And having concluded his business, and received a passport from the Governor, Mr. Legare set out on his return to John's Island at midnight. They crossed Ashley river, passed through James' Island Cut, and went down Stono river on the James' Island shore, and then crossed Stono river to the mouth of the Abbepoola creek, which they en- tered without having received any interruption from friend or foe. And then Mr. Legare laid himself down in the bottom of the boat to catch a few minutes' repose, before he should commence his walk back to his plantation. He directed his servants to row the boat as quietly as possible up the creek to their intended landing place; but, if they should see any one or hear a noise, to stop rowing immediately and awaken him. 99 According to his order, the boat advanced up the Ahhepoola creek until it came opposite to what is now Captain Walpole's settlement, when they were hailed by horsemen, and ordered ashore on that side. The negroes instantly stopped their oars, and awoke their master, who hade them turn the boat quietly and put her into a little creek which they had just passed on the same side, while he remained lying in the bottom of the boat to screen himself from the view of his pursuers. The moon was shining very brightly, and they distinctly saw the British horse- men on the opposite shore, who continued calling to them and tiring upon them in rapid succession. But the high marsh soon concealed the boat from view. as it moved quickly up the windings of the little creek, and they soon landed in safety at the rear of the present village of Legareville, at that time, a thickly wooded piece of land ; from this port they pushed forward on foot, being still some miles distant from home. They had proceeded as far as Holmes' plantation, and were in the midst of an old field, where every object was rendered distinctly visible by the bright light of the moon, when they heard horsemen rapidly approaching from the quarter to which they were going. In this strait, Mr. Legare and his ser- vants paused and looked about them a moment — the woods were too distant to admit of their reaching them soon enough, but they saw a large tree fallen by the roadside, behind which they threw themselves Hat upon the ground, and just in time to conceal themselves from the view of the British soldiers, who 100 rode by at full speed, and evidently in pursuit of them. They then got up and ran across the field, and through the woods till they reached home, when Mr. Legare immediately undressed and went into bed. But scarcely had he done so, when the trampling of horses was heard around the house, and Mrs. Legare, trembling with fear, hastily ripped up one of the hearth-tiles, and hid her husband's wet stockings under it. In a few minutes the sol- diers were in the room, and accused Mr. Legare of having been in Charleston, not that night, but two days Ixj'orc. To this charge Mr. Legare replied: " Were you not here the day before yesterday ? And did you not, yourself, see me in this house? how, then, could I have been in Charlestowii on that day?" "Well, I did; but you have been in town — we know it." " Who told you so ?" asked Mr. Legare. " That is nothing to you; you went to Charles- town the day before yesterday." " I did not go to Charlestowii the day before yes- terday?" replied Mr. Legare. Alter looking about the room awhile, the soldiers left the house, and rode off to Mr. John Freer's house. From him they tried to find out if Mr. Le- gare had been to town, but being himself ignorant of the fact, Mr. Freer positively denied the charge. At length, the leader of the party exclaimed : Wk We never searched Mr. Legare for papers ! And if he went to Charlestowii, he could not have passed the lines without a passport from Governor Eutledge on 101 his return." As soon as Mr. Freer heard this remark, he placed refreshments hefore the soldiers. And then, stepping aside, he directed a servant to go quickly to Mr. Legare and tell him, that, if he had any papers about him to hum them, for the British were going there to search him. On the receipt of this message, Mr. Legare remem- bered that he had the Governor's passport in his pocket, and immediately threw it into the names. It was just consumed when the same party of British soldiers, accompanied this time by an officer, again rode up to the house. Mr. Legare went into his piazza to receive them and the officer said to him : " Mr. Legare, you were not in Charlestown the day before yesterday, but you were there yesterday/" Mr. Legare replied: "Really, Captain, I think we have had enough of this child's play," and then, turning to one of the soldiers, he asked him : " Were you not here, yourself, for hours yesterday, and until after sunset last evening?" The soldier acknowledged that such was the truth. And then Mr. Legare added : " Come, gentlemen, our breakfast is on table, and, to end this matter, walk in and take breakfast with us." The officer assented, they went into the house and breakfasted with the family, talked and laughed with Mr. Legare, and never again was the subject of Mr. Legare's visit to Charlestown alluded to by any of the British. In after years, Mr. Legare often spoke with strong emotions of gratitude to God, of his wonderful escape on that occasion, and of the remarkable man- ner in which God had, by the interposition of his 102 providence, turned the wisdom of the enemy into foolishness; for, instead of sending that night first to his house to ascertain if he were absent from home, they sent their men to watch at the several landing places for his arrival, and deterred going to his house till near day-light, thus giving him time and opportunity to go and return in safety; and then they as strangely persisted in charging him with be- ing absent from his home at times when he could prove by their own soldiers that he had been at home, without once naming the night that lie had actually gone to the city, and in which they were watching for his return to John's Island; which, if they had done, he could not have denied. Shortly after this occurrence, Governor Rutledge effected an exchange of prisoners, by which both Mr. Legare and his son, Lieut. James Legare, were placed at liberty, and they joined the American army iii Charlestown, assisted in defending the town and remained there during the siege. But, as the interior of the State was then consid- ered more secure than the sea islands, and the imme- diate vicinity of Charlestown, Mr. Legare removed his family from John's Island to his plantation in the parish of St. John's Berkeley, near Monck's Corner. The Rev. Dr. Percy and family, Miss Rinchea Elliott, Mrs. Percy's sister, and Miss Baker also ac- companied them, and there they all lived together in Mr. Legare's house, under Dr. Percy's care, until after the fall of Charlestown, Mr. Legare having returned to Charlestown to assist in its defence. The Rev. Dr. Percy was an Episcopal clergyman 103 of the evangelical type, and was, afterwards, the first rector of St. Paul's Church, in Charleston. He was a native of England, and was first sent out to preach the gospel in Carolina by Lady Huntington. He afterwards married Miss Elliott and settled in Charleston. Though an Englishman by birth, his sympathies were entirely with the Colonists of Amer- ica in their struggle for independence, and he used all his influence to encourage a spirit of patriotism in the people, and to strengthen the soldiers in fight- ing for their country. He was intensely English in his ideas of family discipline, which some condemned, for at that early date the "Young America" of this dav, had already begun to assert its independence of parental control. But Dr. Percy was a truly good man, and a noble Christian character. While these families were thus living together in St. John's Berkeley, near Monck's corner, Lieut, Col. William Washington and his body of cavalry were surprised and defeated at Monck's Corner, by Colonels Tarleton and W T ebster with a superior force. The Americans were routed, about twenty- five of them were killed and the fugitives hid them- selves in the neighboring swamps, rather than sur- render themselves prisoners to the British. A few days after this defeat, a poor woman named Gibson, who lived in the neighborhood, went to Mr. Legare's house and told the family that some half-starved American soldiers, " bloody as hogs," she said, had gone to her house and begged for food, but she had none to give them. " Then do go and bring them here, for" we have enough and to spare !" exclaimed Dr. Percy. 104 The next morning several heads were seen peeping out from the hushes. Mr. Legare's house was situ- ated between the forks of the public road, and, according to the signal given to Mrs. Gibson for the soldiers, Dr. Percy put on his ministerial robes and walked out into the road. Then immedietely an officer with two of his aids, came out of the woods and asked for food. Dr. Percy invited them into the house, and all the ladies — who were equally anxious to help the sufferers — met them at the door with kind greetings. Miss Rinchea Elliott, in her earnest solicitude about her defeated countrymen, stepped forward and asked with much feeling : "Can you tell us, Sir, what has become of dear Colonel Washington? Is he among the killed or wounded?" With a polite bow, the officer responded to her inquiry: "I am that unfortunate man, Madam!" "Odear!" exclaimed Miss Elliott, drawing back and blushing deeply. Colonel Washington was a Virginian, (better known afterwards as General William Washington, who married another Miss Elliott, the granddaugh- ter of Mr. Joseph Stanyarne, of John's Island,) then said to them : " I do, indeed, thank you all for your sympathy and kindness to me, but most of my suf- fering men have not tasted food for three days, and are now lying in the woods faint from exhaustion." " Send and call them all here; we have had a large supply of food prepared already, and can supply all their wants," said Dr. Percy. On a signal given by the officers, the soldiers came out of the woods and up to the house, and while the ladies and servants 105 busied themselves in serving out refreshments to the hungry officers and soldiers, Dr. Percy walked up and down the road as sentinel, to give the signal of alarm if the enemy should appear in sight, for they were not tar distant. Some weeks after this occurrence, just as the family had seated themselves at the breakfast table, the ap- proach of Mrs. Gibson was announced. Poor Mrs. Gibson Avas always the bearer of bad news, and a feeling of anxiety immediately seized the whole party — she entered the house exclaiming : " Good people have you heard the news? Charleston has fallen ! and the devilish British soldiers have already cut to pieces all the men, all the cats, all the clogs, and now they are coming here to kill all the women and children !" The ladies w T ere all terrified by her incoherent and exaggerated statement, and Dr. Percy cried out : " For shame ! Mrs. Gibson ; do you not know that Mrs. Legare's husband and son are both in Charlestown, and you will frighten her to death with your wild talk ?" Mrs. Gibson replied, addressing Mrs. Legare : " Why, bless you, good woman ! I have a husband and four sons in the army at Charlestown, and God only knows if any of them are still alive, for I have not heard from them." A few days after, Mrs. Gibson received the infor- mation that her husband and four sons had all been killed during the siege of Charlestown. And thus, the poor woman was, by one stroke left alone — wid- owed and childless. Alas ! what sorrows follow in the train of war ! 106 After the fall of Charleston, Mr. Legare again be- came a prisoner on parole. At first, the British authorities were very mild in their treatment of their prisoners, hoping thus to win them to submission ; and Mr. Legare obtained permission, in the month of June, to ffo and visit his family, from whom he had not heard for several months. To do this, he was obliged to walk all the way up to his plantation in St. John's Berkeley, where he found them all well and still in possession of an abundance of the neces- saries of life. But the next morning after his arri- val, a troop of " Tarlton's brutal corps, 1 ' as they had been justly stigmatized for their ferocious character, rode up to the door and took from them every- thing eatable that they could find in the house. In vain the ladies pleaded to have some provisions left for them, and Mr. Legare, taking his own children and Dr. Percy's children, carried them all out to the commanding officer, and asked him if he would leave all these little ones to starve. Coldly eyeing the group of children, the officer replied with an oath, "Rebels had better starve than the king's troops." Finding that starvation only awaited them there now, Mr. Legare and Dr. Percy determined to remove their families to Charlestown. But as small- pox was then an epidemic in the town, they had every member of the household innoculated, who had not previously had that dire disease ; after which, they all embarked on board of a schooner, and thus the entire party returned to Charleston. Mr. Legare's town residence was occupied by 107 British officers, and he was obliged to take his fam- ily to Mrs. Ellis's house in Broad Street, was after- wards owned and occupied by the Misses Ramsay. On the first floor of this house several British offi- cers were quartered, and among them, Dr. Turnbull, who was a native of Greece, but at that time attached to the British army. In the upper part of the house old Mrs. Ellis Avas allowed to remain, and the house being large, Mr. Legare's family there found a resting place for a season. There they all had the small-pox, and there Mr. Legare was taken sick with the country fever, which he had contracted in his walk through the sickly country up to St. John's Berkeley. After awhile they were all restored to health, excepting Mr. Legare, who continued to suffer through the summer from paroxysms of fever. The situation of the citizens of Charlestown be- came very trying at this time. Dr. Ramsay, in his Revolutionary History, says : " The common soldiers of the British army, from their sufferings and services during the siege, con- ceived themselves entitled to a licensed plunder of the town. That their murmurings might be so< >tl ted, the officers connived at their reimbursing themselves for their fatigues and dangers at the expense of the citizens. Every private house had one or more of the officers or privates of the royal army quartered upon them. In providing for their comfort, or accommodation, very little attention was paid to the convenience of families. The insolence and disor- derly conduct of persons thus forced upon the citi- zens, were, in many instances, intolerable to freemen 108 heretofore accustomed to be masters in their own houses." u For slight offences, and on partial and insufficient information citizens were confined by the orders of Lieut. Col. Nisbit Balfour, one of the com- mandants, and that often without any trial. The place allotted for securing them being the middle part of the cellar under the Exchange, was called the Provost. The dampness of this unwholsome spot, together with the want of a fire-place, caused among the sufferers some deaths, and much sickness. In it the American State-prisoner, and the British felon shared the same fate. The former, though, for the most part, charged with nothing more than an active execution of the laws of the State, or of hav- ing spoken words disrespectful, or injurious to the British officers, or government, or of corresponding with the Americans, suffered indignities and distress in common with those who were accused of crimes tending to subvert the peace and existence of society." Dr. Ramsay farther states, that : " On the 27th of August, thirty-six of the citizens " — whose names he gives along with his own name — " were taken up early in the morning out of their houses and beds, by armed men, and brought to the Exchange, from whence, when they were collected together, they were removed to the Sandwich guard-ship, and in a few^ days transported to St. Augustine. The manner in which the order was executed was not less painful to the feelings of gentlemen, than the order itself was inglorious to the rights of prisoners entitled to the benefits of a capitulation. Guards were left at 109 their respective houses. The private papers of some of them were examined. Reports were immediately circulated to their disadvantage, and every circum- stance managed so as to give a general impression that they were apprehended for violating their paroles, and for concerting a scheme for burning the r<>\vn and massacreing the loyal subjects." — Page 370. Dr. David Ramsay's first wife was the grand- daughter of old Mrs. Ellis. She died childless — he afterwards married a daughter of Henry Laurens, the statesman of Revolutionary fame; hut at that rime he was a widower, and lived next door to the house in which Mrs. Ellis lived, with whom Mr. Le- gare and his family were then residing. And, when the British soldiers went to arrest Dr. Ramsay, as stated above, the ladies of Mr. Legare's family were assembled in an upper balcony of Mrs. Ellis's house, looking on, and of course, sympathizing deeply with their oppressed and insulted fellow-citizen and friend. Among these ladies stood a Mrs. Gordon, who was on a visit to them. This lady was herself a native of England, and had become notorious for the un- r'eminine fearlessness with which she upbraided the British officers and soldiers for their injustice and cruelty to their prisoners; and, of course, she soon became herself an object of persecution. When Dr. Ramsay came out of his house with a small bundle of clothing under his arm, and surrounded by twehi >i nncd soldiers, Mrs. Gordon called out aloud : "Only look at that ! twelve armed British soldiers to carry one poor rebel across the street ! O you dastardly -••.wards!" The soldiers looked up at the balcony 110 and cursed her. The ladies all implored her to be quiet, and not to exasperate their enemies by such remarks, and old Mrs. Glado said to old Mrs. Ellis: " If you do not turn that wretched woman out of this house, her tongue will bring us all into trouble." Mrs. Gordon replied : " you chicken-hearted set of patriots ! Well, if I cannot talk here, I will go where I can talk — good morning ladies !" and away she went. Sure enough, Mrs. Gordon's tongue did bring them trouble, for the next morning before breakfast, a party of British soldiers entered Mr. Legare's bed- room to arrest him, also, and carry him to the Pro- vost prison. Mr. Legare was sick in bed with the fever, and told them that he was too sick to go. They replied roughly : " Come, come, none of your excuses." Mr. Legare immediately dressed himself, took leave of his distressed family, and accompanied the guard to the prison-vault, where his sufferings as an invalid were very great. Old Mrs. Ellis sunk into despondency under this last trial. The next clay she visited Mr. Legare in the prison, and, putting a large sum of money into his hands, she said to him : " Now that they have taken from me my last earthly props, Dr. Ramsay and yourself — I will go home and die." Then, after having taken an affecting leave of her dear nephew, to whom she was greatly attached, Mrs. Ellis went back to her house, and a few days after gently passed away and went to her eternal rest in heaven. Nor did Mrs. Gordon altogether escape. On the same day that Mr. Legare was arrested, a party of Ill soldiers were sent to arrest her. She heard they were in pursuit of her, and hastily put on her hat to go out and seek a place of concealment for herself. As the soldiers reached the door of the house in which she was living and knocked for admittance, she opened it. They asked: "Does one Mrs. Gor- don live here ?" Mrs. Gordon replied : " You had better go inside and inquire there.'' And while they walked in she walked out on fleet feet, and concealed herself so effectually in the house of a friend, that they never found her. In the autumn of the same year, Mr. Legare was removed from the Provost prison, and sent on board of one of the prison ships anchored in the harbor, along with his son, Lieut. James Legare, Mr. John Bee Holmes, Mr. John Edwards, Mr. Job Palmer, Rev. Mr. Edmonds, and many others. As usual on such occasions, a great crowd of citizens as- sembled to see them leave the wharf in boats, and among the rest were a number of ladies. Just as the prisoners, sad and dispirited, were moving off from the shore, while the crowd looked on in solemn silence and tears, Miss Martin (who afterwards mar- ried Captain Lewis Ogier), ascended to the top of the earthen fortification at the foot of the wharf, took off her bonnet and waived it high in the air, exclaiming : " Courage ! my brave countrymen ! keep up your spirits ! there are better days ahead !" The prisoners, aroused from their sadness, answered with three loud cheers, which the crowd took up and repeated. But this proceeding enraged the British officers and soldiers, who were doing all they 112 could to crush out the patriotism of their prisoners, and some were for proceeding to violence, l>nt were restrained by those in command, and so the patriotic young girl escaped with only curses against her rebel spirit — a spirit which, nevertheless, seemed to flourish most when most trampled upon, as a Southern ma- tron told a British officer. The prison-ships of the British were anchored in the harbor of Charleston, between Castle Pinckney and Sullivan's Island, and there they remained till the following dune, when the ships were ordered on to Virginia by the British authorities in Charles- ton, who circulated the statement that the prisoners were sent to Virginia to be exchanged; hut what their real intention was in sending them away, will soon appear by the result. After Mr. Legare had been removed to the ship in the harbor, his family left the town and went t<> the plantation on John's Island, and from thence Mrs. Legare went once in every fortnight to visit her husband aboard of the prison -ship. These lilt lt- voyages she performed in a small row-boat, accom- panied by her sons Thomas and Solomon, then young lads about fourteen ami ten years of age. Mrs. Legare had always been exceedingly afraid of rough water, but now, duty and affection overcame the strength of her fear, and led her to hazard this sometimes dangerous navigation for a little boat, for the gratification of seeing and conversing with her husband and son for a few hours. And as long as she was permitted to visit them, she kept up her spirits with heroic fortitude under all her other trials. 118 At length, however, a stop was put to even this occasional intercourse, which had then been carried on for six months. Some of the ladies from Charles- town, who visited the prison -ships, had very impru- dently, and as unseasonably, taken music along with them, and had tried to get up a dance with some of the American prisoners, on board of one of the ships. This proceeding was intended as a defiance from them to the enemy ; but it was as unwise a measure as it was an ill-timed amusement, and it reacted upon themselves and others in painful effects ; for the British, angered by such conduct in the few, for- bade any farther intercourse between the prisoners and their families. Nor were ladies ever after allowed to go aboard of any prison -ship. Ignorant of the recent prohibition, Mrs. Legare went as usual to visit her husband and son in Charleston harbor, but when she arrived alongside of the prison -ship, was denied the privilege of see- ing them. In vain she pleaded that she had never offended, or mingled with the dancing people. The officers said they were sorry for her disappointment, but their orders excluded ecen/ lady, and they could make no exception in her favor. Then Mrs. Legare was obliged to return to her home on John's Island, sick at heart and filled with agonizing fears for the safety of her husband and son. This disappointment, together with the fatigue and exposure for so many hours to the heat of a meridian sun in the month of May, brought on a violent fever, and when she reached the plantation, she was put into bed extremely ill. For weeks she continued so ill that her recoverv 114 was despaired of. Old Miss Glado, who had always nursed her in siekness so tenderly and faithfully, had recently died, and to complete their distress, her two little daughters, Catharine and Mary, were also taken ill with country fever. But kind neighbors and faithful servants nursed them day and night through- out this severe ordeal. Just at this juncture — " in May, 1781, a general exchange of prisoners was agreed to, in which the militia on both sides were respectively exchanged for each other. Notwithstanding every difficulty, a considerable number of the inhabitants had perse- veringly refused to become British subjects. These being exchanged were delivered at the American ports of Virginia and Pennsylvania. Great were the exultations of the suffering friends of Independ- ence, at the prospect of being released from confine- ment and restored to activity in their country's cause, but these pleasing prospects were obscured by the distress brought upon their families by this otherwise desirable event, for the} 7 were all ordered to quit the town and province before the first day of August next." — Ramsay's History of the Revolution. The prison -ship in which Mr. Legare and his son were confined, was ordered to sail for Virginia in June, 1781. A few days before the ship left the harbor, Mr. John Freer went to Charleston and obtained permission to visit Mr. Legare, when he used every argument in his power to persuade Mr. Legare to take protection from the British, and return to his family. Mr. Legare maintained that the Americans were engaged in a just and righteous 115 cause, and that God would yet help them to estab- lish their Independence — nor would he forsake the cause of his suffering country. Mr. Freer then told him of the illness of his wife and daughters, and of the probability there was that he would never again see them, if he persisted in his determination. This information Avas a heavy blow to Mr. Legare, and moved him to tears, but still he continued firm, and Mr. Freer, at his request, returned to Charleston and obtained permission for Mr. Legare to visit his family. The British Commandant sent to the ship for Mr. Legare, and giving him a passport, told him to go and visit his family on John's Island. Mr. Legare inquired to what time his absence from the ship must be limited. The Commandant replied : " You are aware, Mr. Legare, that the ship is to leave the har- bor to-morrow at twelve o'clock, and I depend upon your honor to return in time to go in her to Virginia." Mr. Legare left Charleston immediately, and arrived on the plantation in the evening. As he entered his wife's bed-room a sad spectacle met his view — in one bed lay his two little daughters, both very ill, and on the other side of the room in another bed, lay his unconscious wife. A faithful servant, Chloe, was bending over her with tender solicitude, and bathing her fevered temples with cold water, while two kind friends, Mrs. St. John and Mrs. William Stanyarne, were administering to the wants of his suffering children. Mrs. Legare had been in a stupor for hours, from which they had found it impossible to awaken her to 116 consciousness, but the sound of her husband's voice calling to her in accents of tenderness and love aroused her to consciousness — she opened her eves and recognized him, and from that moment she began to revive. Mr. Legare sat and watched by her side until the day began to dawn, when lie told her that he was then obliged to leave and return to the ship before she sailed out of the harbor. Shocked at this information, Mrs. Legare looked up into her husband's face with an expression of anguish, ask- ing : "Oh, can you go and leave me thus ?" But, recollecting in a moment that she was urging him thus to break his pledged word of honor, she added with heroic fortitude : " Yes, my husband ; go, go at the call of duty and honor ; and may God be with you !" ^ Having committed his loved ones to the care of his and their heavenly Father, and having taken a very sad leave of them, fearing that they would never meet again in this world, Mr. Legare with an aching heart, set out on his return to the prison- ship. But, after he had gone a mile or two from home, while his heart Avas engaged in fervent prayer to God, a passage of Scripture was applied to his soul with such power as to raise him from his depression, and he Avas comforted with a firm assu- rance that (/// would end /nil, and that he should be again restored to his family in safety. Mr. Legare afterwards told this, and added the assertion : " That he had never, from that hour again had a doubt or a feeling of despondency about his family's restoration to health, so greatly was his faith and hope strengthened." 117 True faith in God's promises always puts men upon using the means which lie within their power for the accomplishment 'of those promises, and if they do not do this, they tempt God rather than trust Him, for God usually works by men and means. According to this principle, Mr. Legare was desir- ous of having his family removed to the city till the sickly season should be over, therefore he went first to Chariest-own and called to see Dr. Turnbull, who was still living in the house that had belonged to old Mrs. Ellis, which house she had in her will bequeathed to Mr. Legare. Mr. Legare requested Dr. Turnbull to allow his family to occupy the third story as they had done before. Dr. Turnbull acknowl- edged that it was a hard case for a man to be denied admittance to his own house, under such circum- stances, but, he added : " It is more than I dare do to bring them here, for it would certainly bring me into collision with the British authorities. But, if you can get lodging for them elsewhere in the town, Twill attend your family as their physican, and do all in my power to assist them." Mr. Legare's time was too limited to admit of his doing more than calling upon an old friend, Mrs. Roupelle, whom he requested to hire rooms for his family, if it were possible to obtain them in the crowded town. And Mr. Freer undertook to bring them to Charlestown as soon as lodgings could be procured. Mr. Legare then returned to the prison - ship and sailed in her to Virginia. Mrs. Roupelle immediately set out in search of lodgings for Mrs. Legare, and after much difficulty 118 succeeded in obtaining but one small room near her own house — which was at the corner of Tradd and Friend streets, and already crowded by British offi- cers quartered there. And to this one room, Mr. Freer conveyed the sick family of Mr. Legare. Mrs. Legare, her two sick little daughters, and two young sons, were all crowded into that one room, just large enough to hold three beds and one table in the midst. Two faithful female servants, Chloe and Phillis, who were both devotedly attached to the family, had accompanied them from the country and still nursed them faithfully. But the weather was exceedingly hot, and Dr. Turnbull said Mrs. Legare would certainly die if she continued in that place. Mrs. Roupelle and another friend, therefore, went again in pursuit of more comfortable lodgings, and at length succeeded in obtaining two rooms in King- street, to which Mrs. Legare and her children were again removed. Thus Mrs. Legare — who was the owner of a large property and really the mistress of three large houses in the town, then occupied by British officers, with the greatest difficulty, procured a miserable lodging place for herself and children in their extremity. Such were the trials of that day ! But how little do those who are surrounded by all the luxuries and elegancies of life, ever realize what our ancestors endured, or even pause to think of the trials, privations and sufferings which they cheerfully submitted to, in order to secure that civil and reli- gious liberty, which we are now enjoying. Scarcely had Mrs. Legare recovered from the 119 country fever before she and her children were ordered into exile — to leave the town and province and go to Pennsylvania, along with many other fam- ilies of those gentlemen whom they had sent to Vir- ginia as prisoners, to be exchanged. Mrs. Legare's two faithful servants, Chloe and Phillis, immediately begged her to take them along with her, to which she gladly assented. And in the month of July. Mrs. Legare and her" four children — Thomas, Solo- mon, Catharine and Mary, together with the two servants who smuggled themselves into the ship, and with a large number of other ladies and children, were all compelled to embark and crowded aboard of an old leaky vessel, which was put under the com- mand of a man almost wholly ignorant of sea-navi- gation. In this piteous condition the vessel was sent off to Philadelphia, and there is no doubt that the British authorities in Charlestown, thus arranged every particular of this inhuman proceeding with the deliberate design that the vessel should be wrecked, and all on board of her be drowned in the ocean. But God took care of them and in His good providence defeated the intentions of the enemy, for they were carried through all the dangers they encountered safely into their destined port. Among these helpless and distressed exiles from their own homes was the family of Mr. Job Palmer; Mrs. Palmer was in daily expectation of her accouch- ment, and pleaded to be allowed to remain at her home for only a few weeks longer. But regardless alike of her pitiable situation and her tearful entrea- ties, she was compelled to embark for Philadelphia at once. 120 They had a must dangerous voyage, during which they encountered much stormy weather, which frightened the Captain in command so greatly, that he begged ah aged sea-captain who was on hoard of the vessel, to take his place and command the ship. This old sea-captain was himself one of the exiles who had been driven from Charlestown by the British, and he, after some hearty curses upon the enemy for their brutality to helpless women and children, and upon the "land -lubber of a Captain," who had undertaken a responsibility that he was utterly incompetent to fillnl, took command and suc- ceeded in guiding the crazy vessel through its perils into the port of Philadelphia. Shortly after the arrival of the exiles in Philadelphia, the Rev. Benja- min Palmer, D. D., (since pastor of the Circular Church, in Charleston, S. C.,) was born, while his mother was an exile in a strange city, and his father, in company with Mr. Legare and others, were mak- ing the best progress they could back to Charleston, under the impression that their families were still there, where, some weeks before, they had left them. We will now return to the prison - ship on board of which these gentlemen had been sent in the month of June, as was said, to be exchanged as pris- oners of war in Virginia. But when the ship arrived at the mouth of James river, the prisoners were all landed on a desolate sand -bank, which was separated from the main land by a wide and deep channel of water. The prisoners remonstrated against such a murderous proceeding, and claimed their rights as prisoners of war. But the command- 121 er of the ship declared that such had been his pri- vate instructions, and he dared not disobey them. And on that desolate sand -bank, out of sight and hearing of assistance from the land, the ship left them all, without a drop of water or a mouthful of food. The prisoners, seeing nothing before them but the horrors of starvation, gave themselves up for lost, Most of them sat down in despair, but Mr. Legare's faith and hope in God's help led him to expect deliverance, and set him to searching out some means of deliverance or escape from their peril- ous position. Taking his son and Mr. Palmer with him, he walked all around the bank, and at length discovered the end of a small boat projecting out of the sand on the beach, on the side next to the shore. They three dug the boat out and found it sound and water-tight, with the exception of one hole in the bottom made by a bullet fired through it. They stopped the hole with some of their clothing, and then the whole party escaped from the sand -bank to the main land, crossing the intervening channel two or three at a time. Once on the soil of Virginia, they soon found friends both willing and able to assist them. As soon afterwards as they could procure horses, Mr. Legare, his son, Lieut. James Legare, Mr. Pal- mer, Mr. John Bee Holmes, and Mr. John Edwards, set off together to return by land to Charleston, S. C, supposing that their families were still living there. And they reached Goosecreek, S. C, before they had received any tidings from home, and there they met Mrs. William Elliott. Mrs. Elliott was 122 the last friend Mr. Legare had spoken to when he was leaving his native State some weeks before, and now she was the tirst he met on his return to Carolina. On meeting them, Mrs. Elliott exclaimed : " Why, Mr. Legare ! where are you going to ? Do you know, gentlemen, that the British have exiled all of your families, and sent them all to Philadel- phia by sea ?" And* then she related the particulars of the proceeding to them. Shocked at this infor- mation, and remembering the perfidious and cruel treatment which they had themselves just received from the enemy, they were tilled with the most anxious solicitude for the safety of their loved ones. Bidding their sympathizing friend, Mrs. Elliott, a sad adieu, they immediately turned their horses' heads, and, with heavy hearts, commenced to retrace their steps northward. They had not proceeded far on their way before they met Governor Rutledge, wdio invited them to ride up to his plantation and refresh themselves before they went farther, which they did, resting only a few hours, and declining his pressing invita- tion to stay longer, on account of the intense anxiety they felt to know the fate of their families. Gover- nor Butledge delivered to Mr. Legare's care some government papers, which he requested him to deliver to Congress at the State House in Philadel- phia. And then they started afresh on their journey. While they were traveling through Virginia, they met a number of gentlemen assembled at a public house for the transaction of business, with whom 123 they were invited to dine. During the social con- versation at the dinner -table, some of the Virginians were expressing a wish for certain table luxuries which the war-times denied them, and Mr. Legare replied to them : " Well, the greatest luxury which I crave now is a fine apple and a slice of good wheaten bread and butter, neither of which have I tasted for many months." One of the gentlemen present, who was a perfect stranger to Mr. Legare, immediately said to him: "If you will do me the favor, sir, of accompanying me to my plantation this evening, you and your traveling companions shall have both at breakfast to-morrow morning." Mr. Legare thanked him for his kind invitation, but, hearing that they must go three miles out of their road to accept of it, he courteously declined it on that account. But the gentleman urged their accept- ance of the invitation so much, that they felt con- strained to accompany him to his home, and were sumptuously entertained that night in his handsome residence by himself and family. The next morning his polite host requested Mr. Legare to accompany him to his stable, and asked him to point out the horse which he considered the best. Mr. Legare then pointed out a beautiful ani- mal as the finest horse there. And the gentleman responded : " Now, sir, you must do me the favor to accept of that horse— I perceive that you are badly mounted for a journey, and your tired horse will never carry you to Philadelphia." Mr. Legare thanked him for his kindness, but insisted that he could not take the handsome horse. " Then, sir, if 124 you will not accept of that horse, choose another, for ii horse from my stable you must and shall have," Finding his host so much in earnest, Mr. Legare told him that he would gratefully accept of a strong but less valuable horse, on condition that he would receive his note for the value of the horse, which note Mr. Legare would pay whenever he should recover his property out of the hands of the enemy. The gentleman consented to the arrangement, and Mr. Legare was accordingly mounted on a fine, strong horse. They then hade adieu to their kind host — but in parting he presented Mr. Legare with a letter of introduction to his father-in-law, whose door they must pass the next evening. This gentleman also received them with great kindness, and insisted on their spending the night under his roof. And the next morning when they w r ere taking leave, their host put a large sum of money into Mr. Legare's hand, telling him that it had been sent there for him. Mr. Legare replied : " My dear sir ! this is too much kindness — it over- powers me ; Indeed, I cannot receive this !" His host replied: "But, indeed, sir, you must take it — my son-in-law sent it for you, and lias charged me not to let you go without it. He says, you have still a long journey before you, and he is sure that you will need it before you reach Philadelphia." Deeply affected by the kindness and delicacy of these stranger-friends, Mr. Legare thankfully accepted the money, which they greatly needed. This sum of money paid the expenses of the whole party of five gentlemen all the way to Philadelphia. And after 125 Mr. Legare's return to Carolina, he refunded both this sum and the value of the horse, with many thanks to the kind friends whom Providence had raised up for him in a strange region, and in an hour of very great need. It is greatly to be regretted that the names of these two gentlemen are involved in some uncertainty in the minds of those now living, who received the recital from the lips of two of the traveling party, and therefore, we reluctantly forbear giving them. As soon as they readied Philadelphia, Mr. Legare rode directly to the State House and delivered the papers intrusted to his care by Governor Rutledge. And there he found out from some of the gentlemen where their several families had obtained lodgings in the city, and then, very soon, each and every one of them was in the midst of his own loved ones, who were overjoyed at their arrival. During: the residence of these exiled families in Philadelphia their difficulties and trials were very great, and they were often reduced to want — for be it remembered, that all their property and resources were in the hands of their enemies, and all commu- nication between them and friends at home was cut off. But God took care of them, watched over them and in many ways provided for their necessities, as they afterwards testified. Many were the merciful provisions and interposi- tions of Divine Providence, in behalf of Mr. Legare's family in their times of extremity, some of which we will here relate for the encouragement of those 126 who pul their trust in God, and yet may be reduced to the like straits for the trial of their faith, for many such there are at this day. On one occasion, Mr. Legare went to market and expended the last piece of money he had, to pur- chase a dinner for his family, not knowing from whence the next day's provision would come. He was returning home feeling anxious about it, and mentally engaged in prayer, when he met General Robertdeau. Mr. Legare had corresponded with this gentleman on church matters, before the war began, but they were personally unknown to each other till Mr. Legare's arrival in Philadelphia, when General Robertdeau called to see Air. Legare, and renewed the acquaintance in person. General Rob- ertdeau on this day, stopped Mr. Legare in the street and said to him : " My friend, situated as you are, with all of your property in the hands of the enemy, and your family in a strange city, I am sure you must be in need of funds ; allow me, therefore, the pleasure of contributing to your present necessity with this sum." And so saying he put some gold pieces into the hand of Mr. Legare, who gratefully received it, acknowledging that he had just expended the last cent he had. When the above supply gave out, the family were again reduced to want, and then there came a Mr. Gilbert from New Jersey, avIio brought Mr. Legare a large sum of money, saying to him: " Mr. Legare, some years ago I went to Carolina a poor man, in want, and without friends. But you, pitying my cir- cumstances, allowed me to cut ship-timber on your 127 land and build myself a ship, and afterwards you refused to take a cent from me in payment of that timber. Little did I think then that you would ever need my aid, or that I should ever have it in my power to return kindness to you. But now, Provi- dence has given me such an opportunity — I am well off in the world, have enough and to spare — and you must receive this money, for it is only your due.*' Here was an illustration of a Bible precept with a promise attached to it : tw Cast thy bread upon the waters, for thou shalt find it after many days.** Again — after all that money was expended, Mr. Legare's family was reduced to great necessity, and he tried to borrow money from the Treasury. They agreed to lend the money, provided, that when he should return to Carolina, he would leave the two slaves he had in Philadelphia, Chloe and Phillis, as hostages until the money was returned to the Treas- ury. But, when they were asked if they were wil- ling to stay in Philadelphia, both Chloe and Phillis refused to be left, saying — they would either go back with their mistress to Carolina, or run away and go after her as soon as they could. And their master and mistress told them not to distress them- selves about it — for they would trust God to provide for them in some other way, rather than have them there against their own will, especially too, after all their faithfulness and devotion to the family in their times of suffering and distress. This assurance com- forted them, but Mrs. Legare's spirits were greatly depressed about their sad condition, and she began to weep. 128 On the contrary, Mr. Legare expressed a very strong assurance that their Covenant God, who had already done such strange things for their relief 1 , would again manifest His care for them in some way or other, through and by His providence. And he said with a smile to Mrs. Legare: "Dry your tears, my dear wife, and be hopeful, for • the Lord will pro- vide!" While he was thus trying to comfort his tainting* companion in tribulation, they heard a knocking at the street door. Mr. Legare opened the door himself and saw a gentleman, then holding a public office in Philadelphia, who said to him : " Mr. Legare, a large sum of money has been forwarded for you, from Carolina — I do not know who sent it, but by calling at my office you will receive it." This sum of money not only supplied their pres- ent necessity, but was sufficient to pay all their expenses in traveling back to Carolina, as well as to provide the wagons and horses that were needed to convey the family to their home in the South. But it was not till after their return to Carolina, that they could find out from whom the money came — and then they beard from Mr. John Freer, the fol- lowing singular history of it: After Mr. Legare's family left the plantation on John's Island, and went to reside in Charleston, most of the negroes continued to work the lands under Mr. Freer's direction, and made a very large crop of corn. As soon as the crop was harvested, the British sent an officer with a party of soldiers, to take it all away from them. The negroes told the British that the corn belonged to Mr. Freer, and 129 they sent to call Mr. Freer, who immediately went to the spot and claimed the corn. He told the British officer that he had loaned the provisions to these negroes, and therefore the crop properly belonged to himself. The officer replied : " That as Mr. Freer was a loyal subject to the king, he would pay him the value of the corn, provided Mr. Freer could bring a proper witness to prove his claim." And instantly one of the British soldiers in the party, who was an entire stranger to Mr. Freer, started up and said : " I will swear to the fact ! for I know that the whole crop belongs to Mr. Freer/' On this assertion, the officer, without farther demur, paid Mr. Freer in gold, the full value of the whole crop : and this was the money which had been so mysteri- ously forwarded by Mr. Freer, through a govern- ment conveyance, to Mr. Legare in Philadelphia, and which proved such a merciful provision for the family in a time of great need. Thus, through various instrumentalities, and in wonderful ways, did God, in his providence, supply the wants of his trusting children, under their many and severe trials. And finally he brought them home in safety from their wanderings as exiles, and restored to them the most of their possessions. Shortly after Mr. Legare had received the last named sum of money, the inhabitants of the city of Philadelphia were aroused at midnight by the joyful cries of the watchmen in every direction, proclaim- ing the news of the defeat of Lord Cornwallis, at Yorktown, Virginia, which occurred October 19th, 130 1781 — and which event virtually closed the war. The watchmen received the news from the lips of the express courier, who came with dispatches from General Washington to the government, and rode through the city to the State House, at that hour proclaiming and repeating in a loud voice as he passed along the streets — " Cornwallis is taken! Cornwallis is taken !" The watchmen along the streets caught up the joyful news and shouted it forth again in their loudest tones, till the streets echoed and re-echoed the joyful sounds. The Dutch watchman, who was stationed under Mr. Legare's window, bawled out in broken English: " Half-bast twelfe o'clock! and Gornwallis e daken!" Mr. Le- gare instantly leaped from his bed, and raised the window-sash, asking*: " What ho ! friend, did you say that Cornwallis is taken prisoner?" '-Yaw!" responded the Dutchman, and then hurst out into a merry Dutch song. In less than a half-hour the whole city was in com- motion; bells were ringing merrily, cannon firing off a salute, persons running to and fro, and accla- mations of joy were heard on every side. And then quickly the exiled families began to prepare for their journey homeward. Mr. Legare purchased two large wasrons and teams to convey his family and servants back to Carolina. The wagon in which his family rode, Mr. Legare drove himself, and his son Thomas drove the baggage wagon — Lieut. James Legare had joined General Washing- ton's army as soon as he had reached Pennsylvania, and remained in that division of the army till peace was declared, and the army was disbanded. 131 Several otters of the exiled families — among these was the family of Dr. Joseph Johnson's parents, he being at that time quite young, but old enough to remember all these details — -joined Mr. Legare's fam- ily in their return journey to Carolina — all of them riding in wagons, which was indeed, the only way in which they could travel at that time. And thus they formed a traveling caravan in the day, and at night they encamped by the road-side, or in the woods, all keeping near together for their mutual protection. The ladies and children slept in their wagons, and one of the party with the dogs, kept guard and watched the camp around while the others slept. • Traveling in this style they came all the way from Philadelphia, and reached their homes in South Car- olina in perfect safety. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Legare lived for many years after their return to South Carolina, at the close of the war. Mrs. Legare died in February, 1798, aged sixty-three years. An account of her life and death has already been given in the foregoing pages. Mr. Legare only survived his wife three years. About a year after her death, their youngest son, Solomon, (Hon. Hugh Swinton Legare's father) died, after lingering for many weeks through a nervous fever, and left a widow and three small children. Mr. Legare constantly wept over the death of this child, concerning whom he refused to be comforted. This constant weeping brought on a disease of the throat, which ended his days two years after his son's death, and prevented his either swallowing nourishment, 182 or articulating a word for days before his death. Mr. Legare died A. I). 1801, aged sixty-eight years. Mr. Legare's death was soon followed by that of his eldest daughter, Catharine — who was a great-grand- daughter of the Huguenot Legare, and second wife of the Rev. Isaac Stockton Keith, D. I). This lady died two years after her father's death, at the age of thirty, and as her husband wrote to his sister, "of a consumption of the nervous class, under which she languished till the 15th May, 1803, when, on the morning' of the Lord's day, she left me and her other relatives and friends here in the house of mourning, and triumphantly entered upon the enjoyment of that everlasting Sabbath, which is celebrated by the spirits of the just made perfect in glory. To her, 'to die was indeed gain,' but to me, how great is the loss!" Her husband adds in the same letter: "And under the influence of a steadfast faith, and lively hope in Christ, and in the cheering prospect of that eternal life, which God has in and through Christ promised to believers, she was enabled to view the certain, steady, solemn approach of death, with an undismayed heart ; and not only so, hut with an ardent desire to depart that she might be with her Saviour and God. At different times within the week before her death, she said : ' O that the blessed hour were come ! O that it might be this night, or this moment, if such were the will of God, for then I shall be happy, happy, happy !'" — See Keith's Works, page 269. Mrs. Keith was death-struck on Thursday, when immediately a powerful death-sweat burst from every 133 pore, and fell from her face and hands in large drops, wetting her clothes so thoroughly that she desired her sister, (now Mrs. Kinsey Burden,) to bring her a change of clothing. But when she returned with them to the bed-sidy, Mrs. Keith, with the utmost calmness said : " Let it alone, Polly ; Mrs. Thomas says it is not worth while disturbing me now, to change, for it will soon be over, she thinks " — mean- ing that she would soon expire; but she lingered in death till the following Sabbath morning. On Sat- urday night Miss Legare, leaving her cousin, Miss Ilendlin and other friends with her sister, retired to seek repose in another room, and returned about day light. On entering she saw her sister lying with her eyes closed and her hands clasped, apparently in prayer, but perceiving by her hurried breathing that the tide of life was ebbing fast, she placed her hand upon the dying pulse. As she did so, Mrs. Keith opened her eyes and said : " Polly, my throat is very sore ; go down stairs, my dear sister, and prepare a mop to wash it." Miss Legare hurried off to do what her sister had requested, and returning with the mop found her lying in the same position. Mrs. Keith again opened her eyes, and looking tenderly at her sister, said : " What, have you returned so soon ? Go, my dear, and tell Dr. Keith that he will not be able to preach to-day, but ask him to write and request Dr. Hol- lingshead to pray for a speedy dismissal for me." Miss Legare then saw that her sister wished to spare her the sight of her last struggle, and running hastily to Dr. Keith's study, she exclaimed : " Come, 134 quickly, Dr. Keith; our dear Kitty is now going rapidly!" Then hastening back to the chamber of death, entered it as her sister expired — aged thirty. Twenty-seven years after the death of Mrs. Keith, the summons of death next arrived for her eldest surviving brother, Mr. James Legare, who had, for many years, lived a godly life, as a member of the church of Christ, and a zealous and devoted officer of the churches with which he was personally connected. He died of paralysis, combined with cancerous affections of his system, under which his physical sufferings were intense, and his mental powers much impaired. The actings of his mind towards the last were disordered, and at times he appeared unable to penetrate the gloom ot the dark valley through which he passed down to Jordan's stream. The day before he died, being very restless, an old friend at his bedside, asked what ailed him, to which he replied : " Oh ! I am passing through the dark, dark valley of the shadow of death." Some time after he said: "I have now got to the end of that dark valley, and again behold the sun of righteousness !" He evinced much concern about the salvation of his only surviving son, who had not then professed faith in Christ, as his daughter had, and taking his hand between his own hands, he cried : " Take hold on Jesus, my son" — and, " James, be faithful, be faithful, be faithful to the Church, as I have been!" He died January, 1830 — aged sixty-eight. Next followed his younger brother, Mr. Thomas Legare, who had also been a Christian for many 135 years, and was long* an active member and officer of the churches with which he was personally con- nected, both in the city and in the country. He also died after a lingering illness of some months, under which his sufferings were very great, and his mental powers greatly impaired. He departed this life in July, 1842, aged seventy-six. The youngest and last surviving child of Mr. Thomas Legare and his wife Eliza Basnett — Mary Legare, who was afterwards Mrs. Ivinsey Burden, Sr., survived her brother Thomas ten years, and died on the 12th of June, 1852, aged seventy-seven years. This lady was still-born and supposed to be dead: she was, therefore, laid aside for burial; while the sister, who was twinned with her, being a fine, strong, healthy-looking child, was carefully dressed and nursed. Some time after, the nurse heard a fee- ble, little cry, like that of a kitten's, proceeding from the little still-born infant, and found that it was alive. She laid it upon a pillow, for it was too small to be carried about in any other way; and being too feeble to nurse, milk was dropped into its mouth from a spoon for some weeks before it became able to take its nourishment in the usual way. In this way, the little Mary, who was small enough at her birth to be held in a quart-mug, survived through the perils of a feeble infancy, while her larger and healthy- looking twin-sister died a few hours after her birth. And though so feeble in her infancy, that same little Mary afterwards enjoyed a great share of health and strength through a long life of seventy-seven years, 136 and outlived every other member of her father's family. Some weeks before Mrs. Mary Legare Burden's last sickness, she told her hushand, Mr. Kinsey Burden, Sr., that the time of her departure was at hand, and requested him to remove her at once from the plantation on John's Island, to the house of her daughter, Mrs. Eliza Fludd, in Charleston, under whose roof she wished to die. She was then in her usual health, but her husband complied immediately with her request, and accordingly, she arrived at her daughter's house, in Charleston, about the middle of May. On meeting her daughter, she said : " Well, my darling child, according to my promise, I have come to you to die, for I know that the hour of my departure is near at hand." She was cheerful, well enough to attend church on the next Sabbath and to take a daily drive in her carriage, yet still insisted that the hour of her departure from earth was near, and spoke frequently of the heavenly joy in reserve for the people of God. On the last Sabbath of her life she attended church services in the Circular Church where she heard a stranger minister preach a delightful sermon on the subject of the family relation on earth, as ordained of God, to be typical of the whole family of God in J leaven. This sermon made such a deep and pleasing im- pression on her mind as led her to speak of it several times to her children and grandchildren. The next day she was taken sick with symptoms which soon ended in pneumonia, and closed her earthly life in a few days. The evening before her death, seeing 137 everyone of her children and grandchildren assem- bled in her room, with a loving smile she called them around her bed and took leave of them all — again she referred to the sermon she had heard but a few days before, and expressed the hope that when we all should meet again in Heaven — it would be as an unbroken family circle, "around the throne of God in glory'' — from which none would be absent, who was then present. She then admonished them all to love each other, to bear with each other's failings and never to allow anything whatever to enter among them as a separating wedge to divide the family. Then giving them her blessing, she ceased speaking from exhaustion. A night of great physical suffer- ing ensued, and at sunrise the next morning she expired. The following truthful obituary notice is taken from the Charleston papers, and was written by her pastor, on John's Island — the Rev. A. Flinn Dickson : " Obituary. — Departed this life on Saturday, the 12th of June, 1852, in Charleston, in the seventy- seventh year of her age, Mrs. Mary L. Burden, wife of Mr. Kinsey Burden, Sr., and youngest and last surviving child of Thomas Legare, Sr., who deceased in 1801." This venerable lady possessed many of those traits which distinguished her Huguenot and Puritan ancestry, modified by the circumstance of sex, and the softer age in which she lived. Ardent in dispo- sition, sincerity and truthfulness formed the founda- tion of her character. Candid in the expression of her opinions, she never hesitated to remonstrate with. 138 those whom she thought had not dealt rightly with her; but having done so, she was as ready as ever to exhibit towards them that kindness which marked her intercourse with all. A sincere believer in those religious opinions in which she had been educated, and ever ready to profess her attachment to, and preference for them; no shade of bigotry mingled in her religion. To love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, to acknowledge Him as their God and Sa- viour, was, with her, to be of the same " household of faith." Like her Huguenot and Puritan fathers, she had a firm faith in a special Providence, and this, more than all thing's else, appeared to comfort her in the trials and disappointments of life. And, no wonder that such was the case, for, apart from the teachings of scripture, she delighted to tell of many instances, handed down in the family, from generation to gen- eration, where God's interposing hand was mani- fested for the care and preservation of his servants. Born in the dawn of the Revolution, cradled amidst its distresses and privations, its scenes made an indel- ible impression upon her childhood. Preserving a vivid recollection of its sufferings and losses, she fully appreciated the importance of the struggle in which they w r ere incurred, and as she recounted the tales of those times, one could understand how con- doling a part the women of South Carolina acted in that great drama ; and though not claiming to be a Spartan mother, she ever taught her children that in the cause of liberty, as in the cause of religion, the path of duty was the path of safety. 139 Early in life she became the professed follower of Jesus Christ, and for near sixty years adorned that profession by a consistent life and fervid piety. The companions of her youth were the friends of her riper years, and she was the last of a band, distin- guished by many virtues, and whose mutual friend- ship even the snows of age could not chill. She was much " given to hospitality," and the wayfarer and stranger were never turned from her door. To the entire community in which she lived, she was deeply endeared, and to the last of her life sedulously cultivated the pleasures of rational life and society — it being a maxim with her, that we should never live to ourselves. To the aged partner of her life, her removal is an unspeakable grief; separation after so long a union must be bitter in any ca^e, but doubly so, when one is taken who was a helpmeet indeed. To her chil- dren, her loss can never be repaired. The tender cares, the devoted and indulgent love which she lav- ished upon their infancy and childhood, have only been exchanged for the most solicitous affection, as they advanced in life. She made their troubles and trials hers. She wept over their sorrows and over their pleasures. Themselves the heads of fam- ilies, they looked up to her as a part of their com- mon head, and fondly hoped that that cheerful and loving countenance would not be hidden from them yet a while. To them the word "mother" will ever be associated with the most holy and tender emotion of the heart. Not to eulogise the dead whose praise is with all who knew her, but rather to portray her 140 character for the emulation and veneration of her de- scendants, to teach them what they must be, if they would be like her, is this record inscribed to her memory. May lieu* virtues live in her children's children to the latest generation! May the tear of God be their distinguishing characteristic, as it was hers, and those from whom she was descended. May they never substitute for it a miserable expediency, the offspring of the fear of man and of conformity to the world. I will here narrate a touching' incident which occurred while our dear mother was lying a corpse in the third-story room where she died — that room having been her favorite apartment of all in the house, was fitted up for her special accommodation, and called "grandmother's room." A number of her negroes from the plantation on John's Island, had come to the city to attend her funeral, and came up to her bed room to take their farewell look at their beloved mistress ; the stair-way was lined with them ascending and descending — as one set left, another entered the room of death, silently weeping. In the midst of this mournful array, a strange voice was heard ascending the stairs and asking in broken English : " Where is the good lady ?" Immediately after a poor Italian entered the room and approached the bier ; he threw himself upon his knees by the side of the lifeless body, and bursting into a flood of tears, lifted the cold hand of my sainted mother to his lips and covered it with kisses and tears, saying : "■O let me kiss, for the last time, this dear hand that so 141 often feci me and mine — 0, lady, good, good lady, your rest is sweet; God bless you!" Then rising from his knees, he descended the stairs, weeping bitterly as he went. At the funeral he again appeared in the throng and, with a badge of mourning on, followed in the procession with the servants. This poor Italian, with his wife and child, had a few years before been shipwrecked in Stono inlet, the planters around had assisted and provided them with a home and the necessaries of life. Our dear mother had often supplied them with clothing and food, and always had a kind word for the poor stranger, who had taken up his abode upon the Island as a fisherman. On hearing of my mother's illness, he had traveled many miles to show his gratitude and affection to his benefactress, but arrived too late to see her in life, and thus expressed his grief at her death. Dear, dear mother ! many mourned and lamented thy departure from earth, and thy " works do follow thee !" But, though the cold clay be turned to dust and lie silent in the grave, thy children can never forget thee, nor thy precious counsels and example. May they ever live before us in all their freshness and beauty ! Mrs. Mary Legare Burden was the last survivor of the fourth generation from the Huguenot Solomon Legare. She was also the last survivor of the cara- van-party, who, as related before, at the close of the Revolutionary war, returned from their exile in Philadelphia, to their homes in South Carolina. Mrs. Burden was, at that time, a very young girl, but old 142 enough to remember and be deeply impressed by all the occurrences of their sojourn in Philadelphia, and of their journey homeward, as well as by many of the preceding incidents of that eventful period, from the very commencement of the war itself, and often delighted her children, grandchildren, and their youth- ful friends, with her animated and vivid recitals of the scenes she had witnessed, and of the feelings which she and others had endured under the circumstances which she related. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 011 782 281 3