The Little River District Regiment of Militia was formed in February of 1775, in what is now Laurens County, SC. As the area split into Loyalist and Patriot, pitting neighbor against neighbor. Col. James Williams was made commander of this regiment. Few families sacrificed more for the Patriot cause than the Williams family. James Williams was killed at King’s Mountain. His sons, Daniel and Joseph, lost their lives at the horror of Hayes Station. Wife Mary, with several young children in tow, were driven from their home and harassed by Tory neighbors.
The Revolutionary War in the backcountry of South Carolina was fought between neighbors. It was truly a civil war. These families grew up together – and grew apart. Atrocities were committed on both sides, everyone suffered greatly.
There are two known copies of the Williams Petition, each with a different set of signatures.
“Seats in the lower house formerly held by the staunch patriot Col. James Williams and his brother John went to Jacob Bowman and Henry O’Neall, who had been jailed by the patriots only three years previously for hijacking a Council of Safety powder shipment to the Cherokee Indians. In the first senatorial election ever
held in the Palmetto State, James Williams stood for the district’s single seat, only to be thrashed by opposition party candidate Robert Cunningham.
In fact, the thrashing extended to more than Williams’s election returns. Area historian John Belton O’Neall later related an incident at a political stump meeting when Williams, preparing to speak to the voters, decided that Cunningham was crowding too closely at his elbow. “You stand too near me,” he growled. “I stand very well where I am,” Cunningham replied. Cunningham won the fist fight that ensued and went on to win the election.
The following year, the British invaded the South, and Williams’ duties as commander of the district militia regiment took him away from the arena of politics and legislation. Still, his name appeared in the House of Representatives journal, this time as petitioner. On 3 September 1779, the house received “the Representation, Remonstrance and humble Petition of James Williams, Colonel, and the rest of the field officers, Captains and subalterns of the regiment of Militia commonly called the Little River Regiment in Ninety Six District, also of
divers of the privates living within the boundaries of the regimental district whose names are thereunto subscribed, setting forth, as in the said Representation &c.”
The journal gives no indication of what the petition was about. During the period leading up to the Revolution, South Carolina’s house clerks had fallen into the unfortunate habit of omitting the texts of petitions. And although the South Carolina Department of Archives and History published the journal in 1970, the editors were unable to supply the missing text. Sometime in the past, the original manuscripts of legislative petitions from the Revolutionary period that should have ended up in the Archives’ “Green Files” had disappeared from state custody.
One further procedural note appeared in the journal. According to the minutes of 10 September 1779, “A motion being made and seconded that Col. James Williams have leave to withdraw the Representation…presented to this House the 3d Instant and then referred to a Committee, a debate arose thereon. And the question being put, it passed in the negative. Ordered, That a Committee do report thereon at the next sitting of the House.” The next session made no mention of any such committee report, and shortly thereafter, Charleston fell into British hands.”
From The Petition of James Williams’ Little River Regiment
Petition of James Williams’ Little River Regiment Of Militia-1779
The South Caroliniana Library Copy
University of South Carolina
September 3, 1779
This copy of the petition, with a separate signature page, resides at The South Caroliniana Library at USC. They were so kind in assisting me in my research – thank you, Abby!
The scans below are courtesy of the Caroliniana Library.
“Legislative petition presented, 3 Sept. 1779, to the South Carolina House of Representatives that suggests political influence of backcountry Loyalists against Williams; this items was described in the published house journal as “the representation, remonstrance and humble petition of James Williams, colonel, and the rest of the field officers, captains, and subalterns of the regiment of militia commonly called the Little River regiment in Ninety Six district, also of divers of the privates living within the regimental district.
Petition was probably submitted to the legislature in multiple copies; this copy has attached signatures of Captain Thomas Dugan, Lieutenant Levi Casey, Lieutenant Robert Dugan, and 61 rank and file from the Enoree River section of the district; petition defends Williams against “false & evilly designing accusations” of misconduct as regimental commander and suggests that the charges are made by Crown sympathizers”
From the South Caroliniana Library, University of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C. – 1997, pages 75-77
Little River Regiment petition, ca. 1779
Rubenstein Library Copy
Duke University
“Petition to the governor of South Carolina from members of that state’s Little River Regiment protesting the arrest of their commanding officer, Colonel James Williams.”
https://find.library.duke.edu/catalog/DUKE002683861
The below transcribed from document in the Manuscript collection of the Rubenstein Library at Duke University in North Carolina. “Little River Regiment petition, ca. 1779” The document is undated, and signed with legible signatures of all included.
To his Excellency John Rutledge, Esqr., Governor & Commander in chief in & over the State of So. Carolina;
the Honourable the Senate & House of Representatives in General Assembly.
Whereas we (the zealous Friends to our Country, & to all who love & distinguish themselves in her Cause) do understand & are exceeding sorry to hear, that there are false & evilly designing Accusations either lying or about to be shortly laid against James Williams, present Colonel in & over Little River Regiment, of which we are a Part; representing him as distressing & very injurious to the Regiment, & designed (as we believe) by the private Enimies of our Country, to deprive us of so worthy a Friend to his Country in general, & good Officer to us in particular; & thereby do a very singular Piece of Service to the common Enimies of America: We do briefly & anxiously remonstrate thus; that we do experimentally know Colo. James Williams to have been a zealous Patriot from the Commencement of the american Contest with Britain; & to have always stood foremost in every Occasion when called upon to the Defence of his Country. We do further declare, that we
have never known said Colo. Jas. Williams to distress any Individual in the Regiment, who voluntarily & judiciously, when legally called upon & commanded to the Field, have turned out in the Defence of their native Rights & Priviledges together with that of their Country; & we do avow it from our Knowledge, that
whensoever Colo. Jas. Williams either directly or indirectly, executed any distressing Things, it was upon the stubborn & refractory, whose Practises & Obstinacy declare them innimical to their Country; & that this he did, as being the last promising Effort to reduce them to the dutiful Obedience of loyal & fellow Citizens.
Without delaying you; We your humble Petitioners do earnestly beg, that you will hear this our faithful Remonstrance, & proceed with our respected Colo. Jas. Williams, & all such unjust & disaffected Clamours as may come before you against him, as your superior Judgements may direct; only beging leave to conclude
with this one Remark, that doubtless you know, that such Clamours are frequently the necessary Effect of Disaffection to the Country.”
The excerpt from the original, above, is courtesy of Mary Keith Adair Watts. I have many handwritten letters from corresponding with Mary Keith from years ago, when I first started researching. It’s a treasure that reminds me of the kindness of fellow researchers!
The scan below, in beautiful color, complete with red wax from being sealed, is courtesy of the Rubenstein Library at Duke University.
It is feasible to theorize that this document was discussed, and signed at Hammond’s Old Store.
Mildred Brownlee-Adair Research
The pages below are from the research of Mildred Brownlee. This is excerpted from Mildred Brownlee, Early Adairs of Laurens County South Carolina (1990). These were taken in the Elaine Martin Local History Room at the Laurens County Library. Mrs. Brownlee is referencing the Duke University copy of the Petition.
Mildred Brownlee was an excellent researcher and historian. Her information updates, and in some cases corrects, Esther Holland Pitts work, with referenced sources. Family tradition, availability of records at any given time, and a bit of an influence of trying to achieve and preserve DAR membership all contributed to some theories being unproven over time. Mrs. Brownlee had access to more information than Mrs. Pitts did.
Signers:
Wherever applicable, a mention has been placed with each name at the Little River Regiment Honor Roll page, indicating a “Signer of the Williams Petition”.
James Adair Research –
Shawn and Lois Potter
From Amazon: This book provides important new insights into The Family of Indian Trader and Author James Adair. Present-day historians, sociologists, and anthropologists describe Adair’s 1775 publication, The History of the American Indians, as “one of the most valuable primary accounts of the southeastern Indians.” Yet, after the publication of his work, Adair disappeared from public view.
Scholars frequently ask: Did the historian settle in upstate South Carolina? Was he the same person as James Adair of Duncan Creek? Was he a brother of Joseph Adair of Duncan Creek? Was he a brother of William Adair of Fishing Creek? Was he related to brothers John Adair and Edward Adair of upstate South Carolina who married Cherokee wives? Biographers have speculated about potential answers to these questions; but persuasive evidence has been lacking – until now.
The authors discovered the answers to these, and other, questions through a careful review of Adair’s book, his correspondence, accounts by Chickasaw and Cherokee eye witnesses, archival records, DNA analysis, and handwriting comparisons; and they present their findings in the context of the cultures of southeastern Native Americans, customary practice among Indian traders, British settlement patterns, and contemporary historical events.
I have read this meticulously-researched book, with a special interest in the data and evidence used to sort out the many contemporary James Adairs. The Williams Petition plays a role, the use of the handwritten signatures in the document is fascinating in the application. Everything fits.
Resources
Southern Campaigns of the American Revolution, Vol 1. No. 3 November 2004
The write up in this newsletter, titled “Commemorating The Massacre at Hayes
Station and the Little River Regiment”, by Frank Wyman and Joe Goldsmith is a MUST READ.
The Caroliniana Library at USC
Fall 1996 USC article
Best book available on James Williams. Link to Amazon