Messrs. Davis and McCulloch were licensed. At Duncan's Creek, Oct. 14, 1788. Ordered to supply at Williamsburg, Indian Town, Hopewell, P. D. and Indian, each one Sabbath. Preached the ordination sermon of John Newton, the Rev. Francis Cumming giving the charge; "and Mr. Newton was solemnly set apart to the exercise of the whole work of the gospel ministry, by fasting, prayer, and the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery. Mr. Newton was received by Messrs. Park and Gilham, in the name of the people who called him in Georgia." Present at meeting at Bullock's Creek, Oct. 13, 1789; chosen Moderator; appointed to supply one Sabbath at Waxhaw. Present at Presbytery, Bethesda, Sept. 28, 1790. Appointed to preside at the ordination of Mr. Stephenson, at Williamsburg, to take place on the first Wednesday in December. Subsequently to this, for several years, his name appears among the absentees, and is mentioned last in the records of Presbytery, April 8, 1794. Thus Mr. Edmonds appears through life, till incapacitated by physical infirmity, to have been a laborious and useful minister, and to have performed good service in laying the foundations of Zion, and strengthening the things which were ready to die, in the early periods of our Southern Church. H.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF MAJOR JOHN JAMES, AN UNDAUNTED PATRIOT AND SOLDIER OF THE REVOLUTION.

The subject of this memoir was born in Ireland, in the early part of the year 1732,* and was the oldest son of William James, an officer who had served King William in his wars in Ireland against King James II. From this circumstance originated the name of Williamsburgh, which is now one of the Districts of South Carolina. William James, with his family and several of his neighbors in Ireland, emigrated to that District near the close of the year 1732. They assisted in making the *April 12th, A. D. 1732, Family Record of Wm. James, in his own handwriting.-H.

first settlements in that new, and then uninhabited section of country, and in honor of King William gave his name also, to a village laid out on the east side of Black River. The village is now called Kingstree, from a large white Pine Tree, as was supposed, which grew immediately on the east bank of the river, and was reserved, as all white pines were, in the old grants of land, for the use of the king, and hence the name of the village has been since called the Kingstree, and that of Williamsburg transferred to the District. To this place Maj. James was brought, when an infant, by his parents, in the fall of the year 1732. Of his early history, but little is now known by the writer,* except that he and his compatriots, some of whose names will hereafter be given as conspicuous actors in the American Revolution, appear to have been trained up to defend and love their country. Their opportunities for acquiring anything more than a common English education in those days, as is well known, were slender indeed, but for obtaining religious instruction were very ample. He was not only brought up under the care and example of his pious parents, but under an eminent Presbyterian Minister, the Rev. John Rae, who officiated as the Pastor of the origi nal Church of Williamsburgh, from the year 1743 to 1761, inclusive, and whose labors during that period were greatly blessed. At the commencement of the Revolutionary war, in 1775, Major James, being then forty-three years old, had acquired a competent portion, both of property, and of military reputation, having been a Captain of the Williamsburgh Militia, under King George III. Disapproving of the measures of the British government, he resigned his royal commission, but was soon after reinstated by a popular vote of the District in his former command. In the year 1776, he marched with his company, to the defence of Charleston. In 1779, he was with General Moultrie on his retreat before General Prevost, and commanded 120 Riflemen in the skirmish at, or near Tulifing Bridge. When Charleston was besieged in May, 1780, Major James marched to its defence, but Governor John Rutledge or

*The first recollections of young James were of a stockade fort, and of war between the first settlers and the natives.-H.

dered him back to embody and train the country militia. The town having surrendered to the British, he was appointed by a public meeting of the citizens of Williamsburgh, to wait on some of the conquerors, and to enquire of them and ascertain what terms they would give. Under this appointment Major James repaired to Georgetown, being the nearest British post, which was then under the command of one Captain Ardesoif. Attired as a plain backwoodsman, James obtained an interview with Ardesoif, and in plain and prompt terms, entered at once upon the business of his mission. But when he demanded of Ardesoif the meaning of the British proclamation, offering freedom and protection to all who would acknowledge their allegiance to the British Crown, and asked upon what terms the submission of the citizens must be made, he was peremptorily informed "that the submission must be unconditional." To an enquiry whether the inhabitants were to be allowed to remain upon their plantations, he was answered in the negative:

"His majesty, said Ardesoif, "offers you a free pardon, of which you are undeserving, for you all ought to be hanged; but it is only on condition that you take up arms in his cause." James, whom we may well suppose to have felt indignant at the tone and language in which he was addressed, very coolly replied, that "the people whom he came to represent, would scarcely submit on such conditions." The republican language of the worthy Major could not but provoke the representative of His Royal Majesty. The word represent, in particular, smote hardly on his ears; something too, in the cool, contemptuous manner of the Major may have contributed to his vexation. "Represent," he exclaimed, in a fury, "you d-d rebel, if you dare speak to me in such language, I will have you hung up at the yard arm.” Ardesoif, it must be known, was a sea-captain. The ship which he commanded lay then, in the neighbouring river, the Sampit. He used only an habitual form of speech when he threatened the "yard arm," instead of the tree. Major James gave him no time to make the correction. He was entirely weaponless, and Ardesoif wore a sword, but the inequality in the moment of his

anger, was unfelt by the high-spirited citizen. Suddenly rising, he seized upon the chair on which he had been sitting, and with it, instantly floored the insolent subordinate at a blow.* Then hurrying forth, without giving his enemy time to recover, he mounted his horse and made his escape to the woods before pursuit could be attempted. His people were soon assembled to hear his story. The exactions of the British, and the spirit which this gallant officer had displayed in resenting the insolence of Ardesoif, at once aroused their own. Required to take the field, it did not need a moment to decide "under which king." The result of their deliberations was the formation of the distinguished corps known in the latter period of the Revolutionary war, by the name of Marion's Brigade. Four Captains were chosen for as many companies. These were, Captains Wm. McCottry, Henry Mouzon, John James, (of the Lake,) a cousin of Major James, and John McCauley. These were all under the immediate command of Major James. He instantly put them in motion, and after some successful skirmishes against small parties of British and Tories, he advanced one of the four companies, McCottry's, to the pass of Lynch's Creek, at Witherspoon's Ferry. Here McCottry heard of Col. Tarlton's crossing the Santee at Lenuid's Ferry, and of his arrival at the plantation of Gavin Witherspoon, near the lower bridge on Black River. Here Maj. Jaunes determined to encounter him, and with all the means in his power to arrest his career through Williamsburgh, and his onward march to Camden. This movement was about the 20th or 25th July, 1780. Tarleton had been apprised of the gatherings of the people of Williamsburgh, under James, and at the head of some 200 or 250 well mounted cavalry, was pressing forward with the hope of surprising or meeting James at, or near the Kingstree. James, with as much solicitude to meet Tarleton and give him battle, advanced with his whole force, being probably, somewhat greater than Tarleton's, or about 300 men, chiefly undisciplined; and having arrived within five miles of Kingstree, he

"He suddenly seized the chair in which he was seated, brandished it in the face of the Captain, and making his retreat good," &c.—Judge James' Life of Marion, p 42.-H.

first despatched an active and intrepid young man, Henry Durant, as a spy, to examine narrowly, Tarleton's force and position, while he lay at the plantation of Gavin Witherspoon, near the lower bridge. Durant having very unexpectedly met Tarleton and his legion, who had just crossed at the lower bridge, on their route to Camden, and near the plantation of Robert Witherspoon, (the writer's father,) he, Durant, as may well be supposed, became panic-struck, suddenly wheeled his noble steed, on the back track, and being closely pursued by some twenty or more of Tarleton's best cavalry, for three-fourths of a mile, made a very narrow escape for his life, by leaving his horse, leaping a high and substantial fence, and running on foot, almost with the speed of a hunted stag, across Mr. R. Witherspoon's corn field, then well covered with pea-vines and a heavy crop of corn in the roasting-ear state, Durant having in that way, eluded the pursuit of the enemy. Tarleton rode up to the piazza steps of Mr. R. Witherspoon's house, demanding to know the name of the spy, and the object of his mission, as well as the particular position and force of Major James, (then only five miles distant,) whom he expressed, or affected a strong desire to meet. When informed by Mr. Witherspoon of James' proximity, and his expected arrival in the course of a few hours, Tarleton's purpose was suddenly changed, and instead of his great desire to meet his opponent in open combat, he felt himself compelled to proceed forthwith with his well-mounted legion, to the relief of Lord Rawdon, at Camden, nor did he allow himself scarcely a moment's delay as he passed through Kingstree, being still within five miles of James' encampment. It may be remarked here, that Tarleton was then accompanied by the notorious Elias Ball, of Wambaw, as aid or guide, who embarked for England at the close of the war, and his large estate being afterwards confiscated by the Legislature of his own State, the British Government settled upon him, a large pension during life, $20 or $25,000, as a reward for his active services and influence in their unrighteous cause. It may also be here stated, that Tarleton's legion of well-mounted cavalry, consisted then, of about two hundred and fifty men, and James' corps VOL. VII.-No. 1.

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