james sutherland to my lord

James Sutherland to My LordAuthor(s): James SutherlandSource: The South Carolina Historical Magazine, Vol. 68, No. 2 (Apr., 1967), pp. 79-84Published by: South Carolina Historical SocietyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27566815 .

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JAMES SUTHERLAND TO MY LORD 1

My Lord, [April 14, 1729-January 4, 1731]2

In Pursuance of your Lordship's desire, I shall here in the most

concise Manner I am able, give your Lordship our Account of his Ma

jesties Colony of South Carolina: In Order to which, beginning with

1 This letter may be found in the Lords of Trade Papers, South Carolina His

torical Society. The Lord to whom the letter is addressed may have been the Earl

of Sutherland (1660-1733) or his grandson, Lord Strathnaver. Henry Paton, "John

Gordon, 15th or 16th Earl of Sutherland," DNB. 2 The writer states that he was appointed Commander of Fort Johnson by

Governor Francis Nicholson and that he held the post until April 14, 1729, when

the President of the Council, Arthur Middleton, sold it to a "Hatter." The letter

obviously was written after that date. It can be said also that it was sent to his

correspondent before January 4, 1730/31 for the following reasons. After losing the command Captain Sutherland petitioned the King for a royal commission to

restore him to his post. On May 8, 1730, in London, Lord Strathnaver (heir to the

Earl of Sutherland) wrote Charles Delafaye that Lord Sutherland would have waited

on him about Captain Sutherland's affair "but is laid up with the gout." On May 14

the Earl himself wrote from Chelsea asking Delafaye and the Duke of Newcastle to

forward Captain Sutherland's petition. Finally after the new Governor of South

Carolina, Robert Johnson, and a General Ross had approved his petition, Suther

land's commission was issued on July 30, 1730, at Windsor Castle. Calendar of State Papers, Colonial Series America and West Indies, 1730, ed. Cecil Headlam,

London, 1937, pp. 102-103, 113, 154, 227-228. The following January 4th Governor

Johnson ordered Captain Thomas Heyward to turn over the command of Fort John son to Sutherland. The Governor's order and the commission to James Sutherland

are recorded in the Records of the Secretary of the Province, Book H, page 218, which is in the South Carolina Archives.

Although Sutherland obtained a royal commission, the Crown made no pro

vision for his salary, and he was still dependent on the Assembly for his pay. As a

result of an investigation into the condition of Fort Johnson, the Commons charged him with great neglect and contempt of the House, and struck out his pay in the

estimate of the Tax Bill for 1737. The Commons also asked Lieutenant Governor

Thomas Broughton on March 1, 1737, to suspend him from his command until the

King's pleasure be known. Captain James Craige was paid as commander of the

fort for the period March 25th to October 29th, 1738, but in December 1739, Lieutenant Governor William Bull informed the Assembly that Sutherland had the

King's commission to command the fort and his salary for October 29, 1738, to

March 25, 1739, was due him. The Assembly provided for this which amounted

to ?81 5s but after his death in 1740 refused to pay his estate ?200 for the year's salary from March 25, 1736, to March 25, 1737. Journal of the Commons House of

Assembly, 1736-1739, ed. J. H. Easterby, Columbia, 1951, pp. 261-262, 265, 273,

577-578, 657, 731. Journal of the Common House of Assembly, 1739-1741, ed. J. H.

Easterby, Columbia, 1952, pp. 116, 123, 520, 523. Suspension from his post and

79



80 SOUTH CAROLINA HISTORICAL MAGAZINE

Charleston (as being the Metropolis) I shall more particularly mention

its Scituation, advantages, Trade and Inhabitants, & without troubling your Lordship with more than a brief Mention of a few other towns of

most Note, shall then proceed to describe the County in general.

Charleston, my Lord, is in the Latitude of 32d. 35. North, hath

about 300 brick Houses in it, the rest Timber, & is inhabited by about

600 White Men from 16 to 60 years of age. The Merchants generally reside here, for the Conveniency of Trade, it being not only the chief

Port by Sea, but by the meeting of Ashley & Cooper Rivers at this place, it becomes the chief Warehouse & Magazine to which the Produce of the

whole Country is brought for exportation. Two Miles S. E. from this

place is Johnston's fort, which by its advantageous scituation at the Har

bour's Mouth, would (if properly fortified, & had a Competent number of forces allow'd for Garrison) be a Defence as well to the Shipping as

to Charleston; no Vessels or Boats being able to come in or go out ( the

Harbour is two Miles over) without coming within Pistol Shot of the

Fort, on Account of a Shoal which reaches almost over the Harbour's

mouth. It is to this fort likewise, that all Ships make signals for Pilots, & from whence I have myself given assistance to many in distress. This

being also my own chief Scene of Action in this Country, I here beg leave to digress a little, in order to acquaint your Lordship with some

things which happen'd here after my arrival, which was on the 29th

Nov: 1722,

His Excellency General Nicholson, who was then his Majesties

Governor, & was pleas'd to approve the Character he had heard of me,

propos'd to the Inhabitants the fitting out a Sloop under my Command, to suppress the Pyrates who then infested the Coast in great Numbers,

which I should gladly have accepted, but this being dropp'd by the In

habitants, in March 1722 His Excellency was pleas'd to grant me his

Majesties Commission to be Captain of Johnston's fort, where I had some of the General's Independent Company for a Garrison, and con

tinued with great satisfaction during the Governor's stay, being not only

always ready to defend my Post against any attempt, but continually

giving assistance to the shipping in Distress: One instance of the latter

being somewhat particular, I beg your Lordship's permission to recite.

The 14th of May 1724, Capt. Finch of Bristol bound from the Madera

Islands to Carolina with wines was plunder'd by Pyrates near the Barr

loss of his pay failed to dislodge Sutherland who retained his commission until his

death. This eliminates any possibility that he could have written the letter after he

received command of the fort in January 1731. [This note was contributed by

William L. McDowell, Jr., South Carolina Archives.]




of Charleston, the Captain making Oath to me, (as the Custom is

here) of what had happened, & where he left them, I put out that

Evening at 5 o'clock with Nine Men in an open boat, and by twelve

o'clock the next day, brought alive Thirty five Rogues to Charleston, to

the great satisfaction of the General & all the Inhabitants, who were

pleased to return me thanks, & had his Excellency lived, I doubt not

but I should have received a farther reward for the Service; he having

promised me to lay an Account of this Action as well as the rest of my behaviour before his late Majesty, by whose death, as also that of his

Excellency, my Services died likewise, unless your Lordship shall please to revive their Remembrance and raise them from Oblivion. For no

sooner had the General left Carolina, but my Garrison was reduced to

Six Country people for the defence of a Fort of Twenty two Guns, &

even those when most wanted would often be at their Plantations, nor

was it in my power to keep them to their duty, since if I had reprimanded

them, they would imediatly have Complain'd to some friend in the

Assembly, & procur'd me to be dismiss'd from my Command. As it was

indeed, my Command did not continue long after, My post being (on the

14th Aprill 1729, without any regard to my past Services or any just Reason or Complaint) taken from me by the President and sold to a

Hatter who is an utter Stranger not only to Military Discipline, but

to the Use & almost Name of Arms. But I beg your Lordship's pardon for this Digression, & return to my Design.

The next Town is Ferry 24 Miles from Charleston. The 3d is a Vil

lage 20 miles yet higher up, the 4th is Strawberry 30 Miles up Cooper

River, the 5th is Beaufort or Port Royal, where are but few Stragling houses meanly inhabited, which on the Contrary ought always to have

a great many Men to prevent the Pyrates destroying the Country. Here is

a very good Harbour but difficult to come into, because of several

Sand banks, & is the Southermost Settlement belonging to the English

except Hill Town head, where are Fish in abundance but very few

Inhabitants, The People being afraid to settle there, so near the Spaniards of St. Augustin's who are continually encouraging the Indians to destroy

them, which makes them croud to the Northward to be under the Pro

tection of the Northern Colonies. This part as indeed the whole Country is well stored with all Manner of Cattle and Timber fit for Masts Yards

&ca. for Ships of Six Hundred Tonn and upwards. The chief rivers are as follow, first Centee River near which live

abundance of French a very industrious People, who have made great

improvements in Silkworms, which (tis to be hoped) will in time turn to very good Account, but it requires a great Number of small Negroes




to pick the Mulberry leaves & keep the worms clean. The Country for a

Hundred Miles up this River is very pleasant and plentiful, being well

stored wth Corn Cattle Rice Grapes & all other kind of fruit.

2ndly Wineyea River navigable only for small Craft, & draws 10 or

12 foot Water, near which is good Land & plenty of Timber especially Cedar of a very good Colour & fine Smell.

The next is Stonow River 12 Miles from Charleston, navigable like

the other only for Small Craft. This part of the Country is well inhabited

by Planters (of whom the better Sort have fine Seats and Gardens on

the Banks of this River) and abounds with all Manner of Necessaries for

the Use of Man, being as fine a piece of ground as ever my Eyes beheld, as indeed is the whole Colony, which I can affirm with the greater

Certainty, having travelled 1300 Miles up the Country N.W. from

Charleston, 200 Miles of which is as fine a plain as any in the World were it duly improv'd & well inhabited, there being only here & there some Christian Settlements for about 150 Miles, & on the remaining 50 which ly nearest to the Indians, there are no Settlements at all.

When we arrived among the Indians we were obliged to have an

Interpreter for the remaining part of our Journey. This part, my Lord, is

Mountainous, but cover'd with Stately Timber, & abounds with wild

Creatures of most kinds, as Bufflo, Bear, Tyger, Catamount, Rackoon,

Possum, Dear and Beaver, whose Skins are very Valuable, especially the latter, with which the Indians traffick with the Europeans for Arms

and Ammunition. The Men's chief employment is War and Hunting, and the Women plant a little Indian Corn which is the Chief of their

Subsistance; but are in the main almost wholly ignorant of the Dis

tinction between Good & Evil. Here are fine Valleys & fresh Water Rivers, the former abounding with all manner of Wild fowl, & the latter with

most kinds of fish.

Having pass'd this part of the Country, my Lord, we arrived in

Emperor Bream's Dominions, who stiles himself the Emperor of Seaven

Nations; at our Arrival, he augmented his Guards to a thousand Men & we were admitted on horseback with the Muzzles of our Carbines in the Buckets, & our drawn Swords pointed at our Breasts, this being the manner wherein they admitt friends. They us'd us with a great deal

of respect, & when we went to rest, they brought to me and a Clergy man, who was my Companion, two of his Majesties Daughters for Bed

fellows, as the highest Complement he could make us, but tho we could

not help returning thanks & acknowledging the great Honour done us, we excused our selves for accepting it, as being contrary to the Laws

of our God and Country; To which his Majesty replied: That we had




not then the same God with the Spaniards, For had they omitted this

offer to them, they would have asked for Bedfellows, which are always

readily granted, if unmarried, but should any one Debauch their Wives,

they must expect no Quarter, if they are caught. For Example, one

Cockran who traded among them, had an offer made him by a War

Captain ( at whose house he lodged, & who is next to a king among them) of his Daughter or Sister, but he liking his wife best was caught in bed

with her, upon which the Captain ask'd him, in what Manner he would

have resented the same Injury done by any other Man to himself, & on

Cockran's saying he would have cut his Ears off, he drew his knife &

executed his own Sentence upon him imediately, which shows the Mor

ality & Justice of these poor People, who have nothing but the mere

light of Nature to direct them.

I shall omit saying any thing of this part of the Country, being ex

actly like the last. From this place, being the Extent of our Journey, we

were civilly dismiss'd by the Natives, with whom we have maintained a

good Understanding ever since. The Emperor having repaid our Visit

since at Charleston from whence he return d home fully satisfied with

his Reception. As a Confirmation, My Lord, of what this Country is capable of pro

ducing, I beg leave to mention a few Experiments of my own, & then

conclude.

The first year I came into this Country, I had a Small Garden, wherein

I planted most kinds of things, which came in general to great perfection, & particularly a Weed called Prickly Pear which produces Cochineal, &

might be improv'd so as to turn to very good Account. In short, I know

few things, but what might be produced here with a little Industry, ex

cept Coffee & Sugars. On the 10th June, I had a right [ripe] Water

Melon brought me, the Seeds of which I planted the same day, & on the

10th Sept. following had several hyndreds from them ripe & fit to gather. The same year I planted Orange Seeds, & in 3 years more had fruit

from them as good as any in Portugal. There is likewise good fishing all along this Coast, especially from

October till Christmas. I've known two Negroes take between 14 &

1500 Trouts above 3 feet long, which make an excellent dry fish.

I believe there are 2500 Men or thereabouts, fit to carry arms, from 16 to 60: But as to the number of Whites & Negroes in this

Colony, I cannot be certain.

Of the temper of the Inhabitants, for the most part I can say little, but 'tis to be hoped they will be well govern'd & become good Subjects.




The Climate is very healthy as well as fruitfull, & will be more & more

so as 'tis Cultivated, it wanting nothing but People. The Product of Carolina Is

Rice

Silk Beaver

Deer Skins

Bear Skins

Buffalo Skins &

Several other furrs of which I

know not the names.

Cotton

Pitch Tarr

Turpentine Sassafrax Root

China Root

Cedar Plank

Beef

Pork

Tallow

Hides

Honey Bees-wax

Myrtle wax

Peas

Beans

Indian Corn

Oak Staves

Masts

Frames for Houses & all other

Lumber.

And now, My Lord, humbly submitting the whole to your Lordship, whose goodness will (I hope) excuse all faults, I beg leave to subscribe

myself

My Lord, Your Lordship's most dutiful & most

Obedient Humble Servant

James Sutherland

3 James Sutherland had married Mary Herbert on June 21, 1724. Capt. James

Sutherland, "Commander of Johnson's Fort," died on August 20, 1740. This Maga

zine, XX (1919), 64, 203.



james sutherland to my lord

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