Fort Prince George
By Jeannette Holland Austin

Pictured is the excavation of Fort Prince George showing post molds outlining a structure within the fort. During 1966 the staff from the South Carolina Institute of Anthropology and Archaeology with the cooperation and support of Duke Power, commenced an archaeological salvage of the area purported to be the site of the old fort. This excavation continued until May of 1968 when it was covered by the rising water of Lake Keowee. As early as 1734, the importance of a fort had been recognized in Charlestown, however, its construction was postponed. The colonists, instead of building the fort themselves, petitioned the Parliament of Great Britain to build it. After years of delay the province was compelled to do the work at its own expense with the Council directing that land be purchased from the Indians and that the fort be erected as near as possible to the Indian town of Keowee. Finally, during the fall of 1753, Governor Glen visited the country of the Lower Cherokees and purchased the land from them upon which to build the fort. This purchase presumably included the districts of Abbeville, Edgefield, Laurens, Union, Spartanburg, Newberry, Chester, Fairfield, Richland and York. The fort was called Fort Prince George but only held the peace for a short while before massacres began again and the savages were as restless as before. The South Carolina governor again invited the Chiefs to meet him in conference in Charlestown, but they refused, lending the excuse that they feared contracting the fatal sickness of smallpox. They did, however, meet at Saluda Old Town, which was between the Nation and Charlestown. The purpose was to settle upon a stronger peace than earlier versions.

Edgefield County Wills, Estates, Deeds

Edgefield, South Carolina ca 1890 The county was formed in 1785 as part of Ninety Six District; parts of Edgefield later went to form Aiken (1871), Saluda (1895), Greenwood (1897), and McCormick (1916) counties. The county seat is the town of Edgefield. The northern part of the Ninety Six was previously inhabited by Cherokee Indians. The southern part adjoined the Savannah River and was used as hunting grounds by the Creeks, Savannahs and other tribes. Edgefield country was trafficked by white men who created a lucrative trade with the Indians for their buffalo and beaver skins and who exported as many as two hundred and fifty thousand skins a year from the state. It was not until 1748 that permanent settlements were made along the Savannah River. Families trickled in from England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Germany, Holland and France as well as from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina. Others, forbidden to deal in slavery, fled from Georgia to make their plantations along the Savannah River. The first Scotch families settled on the Saluda side of Edgefield south of Chappells Ferry. The site was located near a hill where large chestnut trees grew. Later, the Baptist Church of Chestnut Hill was later organized and built. They called the settlement Scotland. Among the first Scots was Joseph Culbreath, born near Plymouth Scotland in 1747, who was brought to Edgefield by his father, Edward Culbreath in 1756. The father died a year later, leaving his sons, Joseph, John, Daniel and Edward. The sons all lived to be over the ages of 70. The family of Harry Hazel came with the Culbreaths to the new country. In 1770 a ferry was established over the Saluda River on the land of Robert Cunningham and another one over the Savannah River, opposite to Augusta in Georgia. Edgefield was the site of several Revolutionary War skirmishes and was defended by those who had settled from North Carolina and Virginia. One such family was that of William Abney who had settled about a mile or so from Scotland in 1772. Nathaniel Abney served as a captain of a militia company under Major Andrew Williamson at Ninety Six. Opposing the patriots was the Stewart family whose homestead was located on Tosty Creek on the Saluda.

Early settlers: Peter Finson, Francis W. Pickens, Benjamin Tilman, General Martin Witherspoon Cary, Allen Bailey, Nathan Melton, William Daniel, William Tobler, Spencer Hawes, George Miller, Jeremiah Lamar, Robert Gardner, David Pitts, Arthur Watson, Nathaniel Abney, Jesse Griffin, George Bender, Michael Burkhalter, Thomas Spraggins, Mathew Devore, Allen Burton, George Kyser, Nathaniel Bacon, Wright Nicholson, Joseph McGinnis, John Oliphant, John Blalock, Benjamin Buzbie, Robert Jennings, Jessy Rountree, Amos Richardson, Hezekiah Gentry, Benjamin Hightower, Thomas turk, Stephen Garrett and others.

Edgefield county Records Available to Members ofSouth Carolina Pioneers

Edgefield County Wills, Bks A, B and C, 1775-1835 (abstracts)

Index to Edgefield County Will Book D, 1836-1853

1817 Map of Edgefield County

Miscellaneous Edgefield County Wills, Deeds, etc. (Images and Transcripts)

Adams, John (LWT) 1823

Adams, John Deed to William McDaniel (1816)

Adams, John Deed to Joel McLemore (1819)

Adams, John Deed to Henry Anderson

Adams, John Deed to John Hinson(1824)

Ballentine, Hugh, 1809 Promise

Bolger, Elizabeth

Bush, Isaac

Cary, William

Ferguson, William

Garrett, Edward

Hagens, William

Hamilton, William

Hammond, Charles Sr.

Mims, Beheatherland

Mock, George Sr., LWT (1790)

Morgan, Evan

Neyle, Daniel, 1750 Land Grant

Ramage, James

Richardson, Jefferson

Savage, John Land Grant, originally the Land Grant of Benjamin Harris

Self, Daniel

Strum, Henry Bond to Jeremiah Burnet of Liberty County, Georgia

Sullivan, Pressly

Swearington, Van

Tate, Henry

Williams, Roger

Youngblood, Mary

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