General Notes

The following letter was apparently published September 4, 1776
The Pennsylvania Gazette (http://www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/sections/hp/coloni
al/Newspapers/subjects/Indians.htm#1736)
South-Carolina, Ninety-six district.
“Before me, John Purves, one of the Justices of the Peace for said distric
t, personally appeared David Shettroe, of Keowee, who being duly sworn, ma
keth oath that yesterday morning, about a quarter of an hour before the fi
rst cock crew, two Indians came to his house on the river bank, near fo
rt Prince George, and called to him to get up, which he did and opened t
he door, when they came in and asked for water, which he gave them. The yo
ungest of the two, named the Glass, desired him to make some fire that th
ey might see; the other named the Tarapin; as he went up to the chimn
ey to blow up the fire, the Glass laid hold of him, and told him he was h
is slave, it was very bad times, the white people were going to break ou
t, and he should not run away from him; then the Tarapin stepp
ed up to an old man named William McTeer, who was lying on the floor, a
nd told him he was his slave, and must go along with him. They drove th
is deponent and McTeer before them until they came to the house of Mr. Jam
es Holmes in Keowee, where he saw a great number of the Lower Towns Cherok
ee Indians, where they had taken Mr. Holmes and his wife and a white chi
ld prisoners; also Thomas Holmes, John Lammas and his wife, and two or the
ir children (boys) and a man that had gone from Enoree on business. That w
hile he staid there they also brought one John Garrick, and a man that ca
me from Rocky run, prisoners. That the Indians took all Mr. Holmes’s effec
ts, drank as much rum as they chose, and then stove a hogshead, and let t
he rum that was in it run out; that about dawn of day the Indians drove a
ll the white people out of the house, and sent a party up the river with t
hem to guard them, except this deponent, who staid and saw them plunder M
r. Holmes’s house. The fellow who took this deponent prisoner gave him t
wo deerskins, told him to make shoes for himself, to walk over the hil
ls to Mr. Cameron, for he must go with him there; that during his confinem
ent one Ratcliffe, a white man, kept riding about among the Indians, laugh
ing and scoffing at the prisoners; that an Indian fellow told him, wh
en in confinement, that George Parris, a half breed, was gone down to acqu
aint the King’s people over Saluda to come to join the Indians, to help a
nd to fight for the King; that the Indian, who pretended to be this depone
nt’s master, sending him to hunt a horse for him to ride, about two hou
rs before sunset yesterday, he made his escape from them; farther th
at he saw them bring several guns, pipe hatchets, and sundry other effect
s, the property of Edward Wilkinson, Esq; to the house where he was take
n, and that he was in the employ of Edward Wilkinson, Esq; and that he can
not write.
Signed DAVID SHETTROE his mark.
Sworn before me this 30th day of June, 1776.
JOHN PURVES, J.P.
From: House Journal 6th Jan. through 26 March 1784, page 568.
Tuesday 18 march, 1784. A motion was made and seconded that a committ
ee be appointed to inquire into the late Edward Wilkersons purchase of lan
ds from the Cherokee Indians....ordered it be taken into consideration tom
orrow.
The House took into consideration the report of the committee to whom w
as referred the case of heirs of Edward Wilkerson Esq. deceased which bei
ng read through, was agreed to as follows. Reports that in their opinion J
ohn Wilkerson, Elizabeth Wilkerson, Edward Wilkerson and the youngest so
n, his name not known, children of the late Edward Wilkerson shall ea
ch be allowed a grant of 640 acres in any part of the purchase made by sa
id Edward Wilkerson from the Cherokee Indians.
From information provided by Raymond Ray.