gcls_WFP_487

Fort Prince George, S.C.

Mr. David, Kohn, Sr., kindly gave us a number of South Carolina rocks of historical importrance. The record in many instances was generously prepared by Mrs. A.D. Oliphant, of Greenville, who wrote the "South Carolina Reader," and also edited and revised the "History of South Carolina," written by her grandfather, William Gilmore Simms. To Mrs. Oliphant we are indebted for this account of Fort Prince George.

"The earliest fortunes in South Carolina were made in the Indian trade. The country abounded in deer, buffalo, and many wild animals. The Indians killed these animals and traded the skins to the settlers in exchange for beads, trinkets, calico, guns, powder and the like. In a short time South Carolina was carrying on a larger Indian trade than almost all the other English colonies put together.

The trade became so valuable that the governments of the various white colonies in America made every effort to encourage and protect it. There were many dangers. The Spaniards in Florida wanted the trade for themselves. The French on the Mississippi wanted it too. The many different Indian tribes often quarreled and fought among themselves and then again combined against the whites. The South Carolina traders were bold and fearless men. They had to guard against the Spaniards, the French and the unfriendly Indians, but in less than twenty years after they had made their homes in this wilderness of red men, they were trading one thousand miles away from Charleston, into the very heart of the American continent.

South Carolina, of course, was an English colony, or province, as it was then called. England encouraged South Carolina to build forts over the Indian country to protect the Indian trade, for England knew that if English traders kept the Spanish and French out of the new country they would thus hold it for England. Among the forts built to protect the trade was Fort Prince George in 1753 on the Keowee river, just opposite the important Indian town of Keowee. Keowee was the gateway from South Carolina into the great Cherokee country, over which roamed thousands of warlike Cherokees who must be kept friendly to the English and unfriendly to the Spaniards and the French. A book of thrilling tales might be written about all the interesting things which happened at old Fort Prince George. In 1930, the Historical Society of Upper South Carolina placed a bronze tablet to mark the site of the fort. If you go to visit this historic place you will see a great mulberry tree near the banks of the beautiful Keowee River. This tree is said to have been planted by an English officer in the center of old Fort Prince George."

[Black and white sketch of Indigenous people building canoes.]
INDIANS BUILDING CANOES FROM THE TRUNKS OF TREES

[Black and white photograph[?] of gravestones.]
GRAVE OF JOHN C. CALHOUN'S GRANDMOTHER NEAR LONG CANES WHERE THE CHEROKEES MURDERED HER IN 1760.

[Black and white sketch of English and Indigenous people interacting with each other]
ENGLISH TRADERS DEALING WITH INDIANS.