Charleston Raconteurs in Charleston, SC

HISTORY TOLD WITH WIT AND SKILL

1758
Feb. 28 -- Lt. Col. Henry Bouquet, who author Walter J. Fraser Jr. (Charleston! Charleston!) called a "brash thirty-eight-year-old British soldier-of-fortune" demanded that the colonial Assembly pay for his officers' housing needs. The Assembly refused his request. Soldiers' housing would become one of colonists' complaints as the country moved toward revolution.

March 18 -- The Assembly denied Lt. Col. Henry Bouquet's demand that they pay for his soldiers' housing. Among those who were opposed were Peter Manigault, Christopher Gadsden, Charles Pinckney, Henry Laurens and Rawlins Lowndes, writing "Officers and Soldiers cannot, legally or constitutionally, be quarter'd in private Houses, without the special Consent of the Owners or Possessors of such Houses."

1760
Jan. 9 -- Gov. Lyttleton and his soldiers marched (somewhat) victoriously down Broad Street and at noon cannons fired to welcome the troops back to Charleston after having concluded a peace treaty with the Cherokees near Keowee. The treaty was hastily made as a raging smallpox epidemic was ravaging the tribe, and the soldiers feared catching it.

Jan. 12 -- Three days after Gov. Lyttleton's return, the worst epidemic to date of smallpox broke out within the colony.

1761
Dec. 17 -- Early Patriot leader Christopher Gadsden wrote an editorial in the Gazette accussing Lt. Col. James Grant, a Scottish officer in the British Army, of not having been aggressive enough in his attacks on the Cherokees, claiming he did not permit his men "to cut the throats of as many as they could have." In Charleston! Charleston!, author Walter J. Fraser Jr. suggests the criticism may have been fueled, at least in part, by "personal jealousies increasingly common in relations between British regular officers and provincial officers" (p. 95).

1764
Aug. 19 -- Arthur Middleton married Mary Izard, "a Lady who is one of the first of her sex for sense, politeness and every female accomplishment."

1765
Sept. 4 -- Christopher Gadsden, Thomas Lynch and John Rutledge set sail for the illegally called Stamp Act Congress in New York City. Gadsden, ever the ardent Patriot, served as chair of the committee that drafted resolutions condemning the act.

Oct. 24 -- An angry mob seeking the whereabouts of the destested tax stamps issued through the Stamp Act stormed a number of notable residences in downtown Charleston, including that of Henry Laurens, who said that under the guise of "Patriotism ... committed at length Burglary & Robbery." (Fraser Jr., West J. in Charleston! Charleston!, p. 109)

Oct. 26 -- Leaders of a rebel mob spread rumors that Charles Town's two local stamp agents, George Saxby and Caleb Lloyd, were hiding out at Fort Johnson on James Island. Over the next two days, the mob rampaged through the streets of Charles Town, threatening to kill the agents if they did not resign their office. (Source: Charleston, Charleston!, p. 109, by Walter J. Fraser Jr.)

Oct. 28 -- Because of the murderous threats by an angry rebel mob two days before, Charles Town's stamp agents, George Saxby and Caleb Lloyd, announced that to ensure the peace of the province (and save their lives), they would not enforce the hated Stamp Act. The Sons of Liberty poured into the streets and unfurled the blue flag of "Liberty." (Source: Charleston, Charleston!, p. 109, by Walter J. Fraser Jr.)

Dec. 17 -- Amid rumors of a possible slave rebellion, Acting Governor William Bull called an emergency Council meeting. A hundred militia men were deployed to patrol the city and the captains of ships moored in the harbor had their sailors stand sentinel at night. The holidays passed peacefully, though the patrols continued both day and night through early January (Charleston! Charleston! by West Fraser Jr., p. 113).

1766
Jan. 1 -- Becoming increasingly alarmed at the ratio of the enslaved vs. white population in Charles Town, the Assembly imposed heavy import duties on all slaves brought into the colony as of this date.

June 6 -- Elizabeth Thomas Broun dies and is buried in the St. James Goose Creek Chapel of Ease churchyard.

1768
Oct. 1 -- In preparation for the upcoming Assembly elections, Charles Town's mechanics nominated candidates who opposed the Quartering Act, Stamp Act, and Sugar Act. Led by Patriot Christopher Gadsden, they met at the Liberty Tree "where many loyal, patriotic and constitutional toasts were drank." The company then marched on to Dillon's Tavern to continue the celebration.

1769
July 22 -- The colonial Assembly appointed a Committee of Thirty-Nine, which included an equal number of merchants, planters and artisans, thus for the first time granting the laboring classes a significant voice in the colony's government. (Source: Walter J. Fraser Jr. in Charleston, Charleston!, p.125)

Dec. 8 -- The S.C. General Assembly voted to send 1,500 pounds Sterling to John Wilkes, a member of England's Parliament who had been arrested and imprisoned for criticizing the King. As Patriotic tensions here grew, they felt a kinship with Wilkes's cause. Unfortunately, the King's counselors saw the gift as a slap in the face to their sovereign, which did nothing to mellow the rebellous tensions that were brewing. (Source: Walter J. Fraser Jr. in Charleston, Charleston!, p.126)

1770
Jan. 30 -- Lt. Gov. William Bull recommended to the General Assembly the establishment of a provincial college, which became what we know today as the College of Charleston (and my Alma Mater).

Dec. 13 -- Charlestonians voted a local boycott against the importation of British goods (with the exceptions of tea and luxury items) as a result of the repeal of the Townshend Act. (Source: Walt Fraser in Charleston. Charleston! page 127)

1773
Jan. 12 -- Though authoritative accounts vary, what may indeed have been the first public museum in America was established, The Charleston Museum.

Nov. 19 -- The so-called "Club Forty-Five" met at the Liberty Tree to agitate for independence from English rule.

Dec. 2 -- The English ship London dropped anchor in Charles Town harbor with 257 chests of tea aboard. As the tension of the impending revolution filled the air, it was clear that if the colonists allowed the cargo to be delivered with its three-pence-per-pound duty collected as authorized by Parliament, it would be an admission that the colony was answerable to the governing body of England so far away. Christopher Gadsden was incensed. He and his friends posted handbills all over town calling for a meeting the next day at the Old Exchange Building to discuss what should be done. (Source: Charleston, Charleston! by Walt Fraser, p. 136)

1774
Oct. 22 -- Henry Middleton was elected President of the first Continental Congress.

1775
April 14 -- News reached Charles Town that Parliament was sending additional troops to enforce British policies (and taxation) in the colonies. (Source: Charleston, Charleston! by Walt Fraser, p. 141)

April 26 -- In response to the news that British troops were being dispatched to the colonies, the Secret Committee of Five, created by the Provisional. Congress and led by William Henry Drayton, seized the arms and powder that were being stored in local magazines and hid them in private houses throughout the city. (Source: Charleston, Charleston! by Walt Fraser, p. 141)

June 8 -- Two Charlestonians who remained loyal to the Crown, a small-time merchant named Laughlin Martin and another man named James Dealy, were tarred and feathered by locals calling for revolution, based on an accusation that they had cheered rumours that enslaved Blacks, Catholics, and Native Americans were to receive arms from British forces to help quell the rebellion. (Source: Charleston, Charleston! by Walt Fraser, p. 143)

June 16 -- A slave named Jemmy said in a depostion to Revolutionary authorities that he had been approached by his brother-in-law Thomas Jeremiah to "take a few guns" to a runaway slave named Dewar. The weapons, he said, were "to be placed in Negroes hands to fight against the inhabitants of this Province" to support the British. (Source: Charleston, Charleston! by Walt Fraser, p. 145)

August 11 -- The slave Thomas Jeremiah went on trial under the Negro Act of 1740 for helping to arm other enslaved Blacks in support of the British cause. Found guilty, he was sentenced "to be hanged, and then burned to ashes." (Source: Charleston, Charleston! by Walt Fraser, p. 145)

August 12 -- A local mob seized a British soldier "for some insolent speech he had made," tarred and feathered him, and "putting him in a cart paraded through the Town ... using him very cruelly all the time." But the afternoon, the crowd had grown to 400, who roamed through the streets, stopping at the houses of suspected Crown sympathizers, using the soldier to demonstrate what their fate might be if they continued their support of the Crown. (Source: Charleston, Charleston! by Walt Fraser, p. 145)

August 17 -- Jemmy, the slave who testified against his brother-in-law Thomas Jeremiah, recanted his testimony that Jeremiah had been involved in transporting British arms to this enslaved colleagues. (Source: Charleston, Charleston! by Walt Fraser, p. 146)

August 18 -- Despite his brother-in-law's recanted tesimony that he was distributing British arms to enslaved Negros, Thomas Jeremiah was hanged anyway, then burnt to ashes as his sentence decreed. He had maintained his innocence to the end. S.C. Gov. William Campbell believed Jeremiah was innocent, as did the Royal Attorney General, saying Jeremiah was the victim of local hysteria. (Source: Charleston, Charleston! by Walt Fraser, p. 146)

1776
June 3 -- S. Smith published "A View of Charles-Town, the Capital of South Carolina, from an Original Picture Painted at Charlestownin the Year 1774," painted by Thomas Leitch and engraved by Samuel Smith.

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NOVEMBER

November 1

1695 -- John Coming, one of Charles Town's earliest settlers, died.

1775 -- The Second Provencial Congress convened in Charles Town, electing William Henry Drayton as its president.

November 2

1786 -- Ten days after being shot by Ralph Isaacs in a duel, Dr. Joseph Brown Ladd died.

November 5

1718 -- S.C. Gov. Robert Johnson took four ships to arrest a group of pirates. A dramatic battle ensued.

Also on that day, pirate Stede Bonnet and his crewmate were recaptured on Sullivan's Island, having earlier escaped custody dressed in women's clothing.

November 6

1918 -- The last of the Memminger kitchen meals was served during the Spanish Influenza outbreak. Between Oct. 14 and Nov. 6, the kitchen had served an estimated 5,677 meals, or 242 a day.

2024 -- Forty-three junenile female rhesus macaque monkeys escaped from the Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center. The situation made national news, as well as a source of jokes by late-night comedic shows including Saturday Night Live, ESPN's Radio "Unsportmanlike" morninbg shpw, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and Charleston's-own Stephen Colbert show.

November 7

1860 -- News of Abraham Lincoln's election reached Charleston, fueling the call of secessionists who gave impassioned speeches at the S.C. Institute Hall on Meeting Street.

1918 -- The city ended its mandated flu quarantines, with the exception of the public schools and the Navy Base.

November 8

1718 -- Twenty-two members (accounts vary a bit) of Stede Bonnet's crew were hanged at or near White Point Garden.

November 10

1698 -- Mary Fisher Bayley Cross's will was executed.

1718 -- Stede Bonnet was tried for piracy, with Judge Nicholas Trott presiding.

1951 -- Randolph Martz was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Martz would become a classical architect who designed or renovated many Charleston buildings. From 1979 - 1984, he worked for H.A. DaCosta, specializing in historic restorations. An avid traveler of more than 60 countries and student of ancient architecture around the world, Martz also served as a draftsman for the Tehran airport. He was a mentor for numerous Charleston architects, including Christopher Liberatos, taught at the College of Charleston, and gave hundreds of presentations before the Board of Architectural review, helping to shape the restoration, rehabilitation, preservation and construction of many of Charleston's buildings.

November 11

1775 -- Having been elected President of the Second Provincial Congress, William Henry Drayton sought to evade the progress of British warships by scuttling ship hulks in the mouth of the Cooper River. (Source: Charleston! Charleston!).

1918 -- The Navy Base ended its flu quarantine. The same day, the U.S. declared victory in World War I.

2023 -- Civic leader Patti McGee died.

November 12

2024 -- A tow truck struck a mother and two young children, along with their dog, who were legally crossing the intersction of Ashley Phosphate Road and Tedder Street. The family was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries and the dog, who ran away, was found by local police and reunited with the family. In its coverage the Post and Courier noted that the Charleston metro area is the ninth-deadliest place for pedestians in the country. The driver was cited for failure to yield.

November 13

1718 -- Several, perhaps seven, of pirate Stede Bonnet's crew were hanged at White Point Garden.

November 14

1860 -- Sparks from a polishing machine ignited a fire at the West Point Rice Mill, “brilliantly illuminating” the entire west side of the city, according to one newspaper account, and destroying the mill, its ancillary buildings, and more than 23,000 bushels of rice.

2024 -- An article in the Post and Courier noted that Charleston had experienced more tidal flooding to date this year (35) than it had from 1922 to 1948 (30), according to the Weather Service's Coastal Flood Events Database.

November 17

1719 -- In what some call America's first Revolution, Carolina's colonial Assembly met in Charles Town and disavowed further allegiance to the Lords Proprietors in favor of becoming a Royal Colony. The Assembly declared itself "the government until His Majesty's pleasure be known."

November 18

1740 -- One of Charleston's most destructive fires began around 2 p.m. "in a Sadler's House" at the corner of Broad and Church streets, destroying not only private residences, but the heart of the city's commercial warehouse district.

1779 -- Lt. Col. William Washington transfered to Charles Town during the American Revolution.

1784 -- The Charleston City Gazette announced that the city was going to begin selling lots on what we know today as East Battery.

November 19

1718 -- Nineteen more pirates captured by Gov. Robert Johnson were tried before Judge Nicholas Trott and found guilty.

1737 -- Charles Theodore Pachelbel arrived in Charleston.

1773 -- The Patriot "Club Forty-Five" met at the Liberty Tree to rally the cry for independence. They continued on to stage a protest, burning effigies at the intersection of Broad and Church streets before moving on to Shepheard's Tavern, where they drank 45 toasts to liberty.

1847 -- Mary Ann Lofton was born in St. James Santee Parish.

November 21

1709 -- Stede Bonnet married Mary Allamby in Barbados.

1730 -- William Moultrie, a future Patriot, General and hero of the Battle of Sullivan's Island, was born.

1824 -- The first Reform Jewish congregation in the nation was founded in Charleston by 47 members of the Kahal Kadesh Beth Elohim Synagogue.

November 22

1730 -- Edward Rutledge, a future S.C. Governor and signer of the Declaration of Independence, was born in Charleston.

November 23

1681 -- Lord Proprietor Anthony Ashley Cooper was tried for treason in England.

1757 -- Dr. Robert Broun died and was buried in the St. James Goose Creek Chapel of Ease churchyard.

1802 -- The future wife of S.C. Gov. Joseph Alston, Theodosia Burr, arrived in Charleston.

1936 -- Life magazine, created by Henry R. Luce, published its first issue. Luce is buried at Mepkin Abbey.

November 24

1707 -- Land was set aside between the Combahee and Savannah rivers for the Yemassee tribes.

1718 -- Judge Nicholas Trott sentenced 19 pirates captured by Gov. Robert Johnson to death by hanging.

1928 -- The cornerstone for a new bank was laid at the former site of Shepheard's Tavern at the northeast corner of Broad and Church streets.

November 25

1860 -- During his Sunday sermon at St. Peter's Episcopal Church, the Rev. William O. Prentiss preached on the threat of the "Wide Awake" groups, paramilitary organizations that formed in the North during the late 1850s and became closely affiliated wth the Republican Party and the presidential election of 1860. (Source: Confederate South Carolina)

November 28

1757 -- The American Navy was established, an entity that would play a huge role in Charleston's -- indeed, in South Carolina's -- 20th century history as well as the 18th.

A visit to the site of Charleston's Succession Hall is included on both our Lost Charleston and Charleston Overview Tours.

If you like a good pirate story (and who doesn't), join us for either our Lost Charleston or Charleston Overview Tours.

Fires played a key role in shaping Charleston throughout much of its history. We dicussed sites associated with the Great Fire of 1740 on our Lost Charleston and Charleston Overview tours.

Beth Elohim Synagogue is included on our Charleston Overview Tour.

We visit the pre-Revolutionary grave of Dr. Robert Broun on our Day on the Cooper River Tour.

We vist the beautiful memorial garden of the Luce family at Mepkin Plantation on our Day on the Cooper River Tour.

We visit the site of Shepheard's Tavern on our Lost Charleston Tours.

Dr. Joseph Brown Ladd's ghost is the only supernatural being credited by one of the Preservation Society's historic markers, at the Thomas Rose House, c. 1735. We visit it on our Charleston Overview Tour.

We visit the ruins of John Coming's plantation, Comingtee on our Day on the Cooper River tour.