Edgefield County

There were other early settlers in that part of Edgefield bordering on Big Saluda and Persimmon Creek, not yet mentioned. These were the Perrys, Colemans, Trotters, Berrys, Nunns, Summerses, Rileys, and McCartys, to say nothing as yet of the Brookses. As the settlements in Abbeville began about the same time with those on the Saluda side of Edgefield, we will make a little excursion into that county. Both counties being parts of the original District of Ninety-Six their histories are necessarily very intimately connected. In the year 1756, the same year in which the Culbreaths came to “Scotland,” Patrick Calhoun, … Read more

Just below Dannett Abney’s, on Saluda River, was the Stewart settlement, notorious in local annals for devoted attachment to the Royal cause during the Revolution, and for their warm personal friendship for Ned Turner and Bill Cunningham. Their homestead was at or near the mouth of Tosty Creek, a small stream emptying into the Saluda, and called Tosty, or Tosta, by the natives. This settlement began as early as 1760, or about that time. Mr. John Stuart, of New Windsor, on the Savannah River (whether connected with the Stewarts above named I do not know), was an officer of the … Read more

The Towleses, very active and brave Whigs, were, I think, settlers about the year 1760 above “Scotland,” in the Half Way Swamp country. Between them and Ned Turner, in fact between them and almost all Tories, burned the fire of implacable hatred. The Chappells were also in the same neighborhood. About Saluda Old Town were the Carsons, brave and true Whigs. Old Mr. James Carson used to tell an anecdote of one of the family, his father, I think, very much like one related by Kennedy of his hero in the story of Horse Shoe Robinson. He said that one … Read more

A little out from Saluda, and a mile or two below “Scotland,” and on the old Ninety-Six Road, we find that land was granted to William Abney, February 14th, 1772, sixteen years after the Culbreaths came. William Abney settled and lived upon the land thus granted until his death. Some of his descendants, at least some of the Abneys, lived upon the place in the old house as long as it was a homestead, not a great many years since. William Abney was the ancestor of John R. Abney, a lawyer now living in New York City, and of Ben … Read more

Among the earliest settlers on the Saluda side of Edgefield, was a Scotch family, or perhaps there were several families, who settled in the year 1756 about four miles south of where Chappell’s Ferry now is, and near where afterwards was organized and built by them the Baptist Church of Chestnut Hill. This church, by the way, was named Chestnut Hill because it was built on a hillside near where grew many chestnut trees, some very large. This growth was found nowhere else in the neighborhood. This settlement was called Scotland, and is still known and recognized by that name … Read more