Early history of Williamsburg, South Carolina

[1] In 1732 a colony of forty Scots-Irish led by Roger Gordon came up the river by boat and settled in the vicinity of the King's Tree.

At first there was considerable trade with the Indians, but their populations fell dramatically due to epidemics of new infectious diseases, to which they had no immunity.

The Scots-Irish had suffered persecution from the Church of England and settlers quickly established a religious society which was Presbyterian, although they did not use the name until later.

In 1780 John Witherspoon, a grandson of one of the early settlers, who were all deceased by then, wrote: "...they were servers of God, were well acquainted with the Scriptures, were much engaged in prayer, were strict observers of the Sabbath, in a word, they were a stock of people that studied outward piety as well as inward purity of life.

The cattle and hogs which they brought with them reproduced and found abundant forage; they were let run wild in the swamps and forests, with only the owner's mark to identify them.

After Charleston surrendered to the British in early 1780, the soldiers were paroled and returned home, expecting to remain neutral from then on.

The British quickly established garrisons throughout South Carolina, including a fort at nearby Georgetown on the coast.

The British tried to establish a garrison at Willtown, but Marion's men defeated and drove them off in the Battle of Mingo Creek.

Secondly he gave residents receipts for horses, boats, weapons and food supplies that were commandeered, or were destroyed to keep from falling into the hands of the British.

This was in stark contract to the British officers Banastre Tarleton and James Wemyss, who burned and looted Williamsburg early in the war.

Marion depended on the local people to quickly gain information about British movements; the opposing officers tried to neutralize him, but had little success.

The Williamsburg Militia served as needed, coming quickly when called, but remaining at home to plant and harvest crops, and attend to other duties whenever possible.

They helped Greene's forces evict the British from their upstate garrisons and drive them back to Charleston, from whence they eventually surrendered and left by ship.