EVANS, and OTHER
FAMILIES
Source: A History of Marlboro
County: With Traditions and Sketches of Numerous
Families, 1897
There is need to still linger among the old Welshmen,
who first planted civilization and Christianity upon the banks
of the Pee Dee.
There are several names in the list of the
first settlers, as given in a former chapter that have been
prominent in the history of the country, and exercised a large
influence in guiding public affairs. Among these, Thomas
Evans is worthy of mention. He had a son Thomas, who
was called "Old Col. Tom" Evans, who lived on the road from
Long Bluff to the Marlboro old Court-house. He was a
prominent soldier of the Revolution, a member of the
Legislature, and was the father of that incorruptible jurist
and statesman, Josiah J. Evans, than whom Marlboro has had
few sons more justly honored and revered. Judge Evans was
born upon the Marlboro soil in 1786. He was among the
early students of the South Carolina College, graduating in the
third class in 1808. Three years later he was admitted to
the bar; was made Commissioner in Equity for Cheraw District in
1812, and in the same year was elected a member of the House of
Representatives for Marlboro District. After the
expiration of his term of service he married Miss DeWitt, at
Society Hill, and became from that time a citizen of
Darlington, and soon had a large practice in his
profession. In 1816 he was elected to the Legislature
from Darlington, and in the year following was made solicitor
for the judicial circuit in which he lived. In 1829
he was elected a circuit judge, and continued to preside in the
courts of the State with eminent dignity, courtesy, and legal
knowledge and accuracy, until 1852, when he was elected to the
United States Senate. If wise and pure as a judge, he
was not less faithful and true as a Senator. Senator
Hale, of New Hampshire, widely differing from him in political
opinions, said of him, "that he realized to his mind more fully
than any other man whom he had met on the floor of the
Senate, the ideal of an old Roman Senator." His career in the
Senate was suddenly cut short by the stroke of death on the 6th
of May 1858. His practice as lawyer, his duties as
solicitor and judge, and a large planting interest in
Marlboro, brought him frequently among the sons and daughters
of his old neighbors. So that we never lost our interest
in him, and when death struck him down, Darlington, his adopted
home, was scarcely more bereaved than Marlboro. Since his
death, although for a time none of his sons or grandsons
were residents of the county, yet, their large planting
interests within it has brought some of them into such constant
contact with our people that
they have felt almost like citizens,
while in the late years several of the grandsons have become
citizens, and one of them, Mr. W. DeWitt Evans, has served his
constituents, first in the House of Representatives, then as
Senator, and now as Railroad Commissioner.
Judge Evans had a
brothers, who came to be known as "Col. Tom" Evans, whose name
is entitled to appear among the historic names of
the County. Col. Evans saw active service in the war of
1812, and was for some time in active duty as Major in Col.
John Rutledge's 3d Regiment of State Troops, and upon the
retirement or transfer of Col. Rutledge he was placed in
command of the regiment. He also rendered civil
service to his country, having served a term in the
Legislature.
The name of Samuel Wilds appears among these
early settlers. From Bishop Gregg we learn that he "had
two sons, John and Abel. The latter was known before the
Revolution as old Col. Wilds. His residence was on the
east bank of the river, nearly opposite Long Bluff. John,
the other brother, was the father of John and Samuel. The
latter became the distinguished Judge Wilds, a man of
remarkable character and brilliant talents." "His
brother, John, who died prematurely, was considered even more
talented." Judge O'Neal, in his "Bench and Bar,"
presumes that Judge Wilds was born in Darlington, but Gregg, in
his history, makes him a native of Marlboro." Nor need
our honored sister Darlington grudge us this distinction.
Same did have his residence and brilliant life
- his
accomplished daughter, Mrs. R. D. W. McIver, for some years,
and his noble widow, who afterwards became Mrs. Dr. Smith - to
adorn her best circles as patterns in all that was good.
And if our Darlington cousins will allow it, let them be reminded
that Peter Wilds, a scion of the same stock, transplanted from
Marlboro, a flower that bloomed out for Darlington a precious
fruitage not yet ceased bearing; and that Darlington has been
greatly since honored, in giving birth to another Samuel
Wilds, in the person of that noble, polished, valiant
soldier, who led one of her first companies into the war
between the States, and who rose to be the beloved Major in his
regiment, and, scared and wounded returned, to his hospitable
home, to see his property swept away, and his country reduced
and impoverished; yet lived only long enough to prove that he
had gone through the struggle, and come out, the
same pure-minded, splendid gentleman that went in.
Scorning anything low or wrong, and then while yet in his
prime, like his distinguished kinsman, fell asleep lamented by
all, and by none more than his comrades in arms.
Among the
first members of the old church at Welsh Neck were
three Harry's, Thomas, Daniel and John, with their wives, and
in a parochial election held in 1768, Gregg gives in the list
of voters, Thomas and two David Harry's. It is inferred
therefore that one or more of them lived and reared families on
Marlboro ground. It is known that the late Mrs. Samuel
Sparks was Miss Ann Harry, that her father died when she was a
child, and his widow married David Mandeville; and the first
wife of the late Jesse David, as we have seen, was a Miss
Harry, and a sister of hers was married to Mr. Sam Crosland,
who went to Kentucky, and these latter ladies were not sisters
to Mrs. Sparks. It is therefore likely that there were
more than one of these Harry's among the early settlers of
Marlboro. The name is extinct here now.
It is said that
the father of Judge Evans married Miss Elizabeth Hodges, who
was a sister of Captain George Hodges, of lower
Marlboro.
There seems to have been a large family of Hodges
upon the Pee Dee. Few families gave more soldiers to the
Revolution than this one. We have already seen that the
maternal ancestor of the present David family in the county was
of this name. Capt. George Hodges married Sarah,
a daughter of George Cherry, who was a prominent citizen of
Marion county, then called Liberty.
The writer
has a distinct recollection of Captain Hodges. He
commanded a company in the same regiment of which Evans was a
major in the War of 1812. My friend, Dr. J. H. Lane, placed in
my hands a manuscript record of court martial and general orders
extending from July 15, to October 22, 1812, in which the names
of Evans and Hodges frequently occur as members of these
courts, and as otherwise connected with the affairs of the
regiment, and in a careful reading of the entire record no mention
is made of either that would indicate the slightest suspicion
of any dereliction of duty; and of the captain, as well as of
his company, which was partly at least of Marlboro men,
no member is named as having been arraigned before a court
martial during these three months; while a good many of the
other commands were tried, convicted and sentenced; and
whatever other sentence of punishment was imposed by the
courts, they seldom failed to order that the "daily grogration"
should be withheld. Was it that Hodges' men so loved
"grog" that no misdemeanors was indulged in lest the precious
ration should be withheld? or are we to infer that the behavior
of his men was superior to theirs or was it that his discipline
and administration of affairs was so sound, that there was no
occasion for punishment? The testimony of tradition says,
that while firm and strict, he was kind and indulgent, and
commanded the respect of affection of his men. If his men
feared his displeasure as the boys did, when he shook his gray locks
at us for any misbehavior in church, good order would reign in
his presence at least. HE was spared to see a large
family grow up to maturity.
Mrs. Hodges and one of the young
ladies returning to their home from a visit in the neighborhood
were dashed against a tree by a frightened horse, and Mrs.
Hodges was killed and the young lady injured. The
"old captain," heart broken, lingered a few months in his
sorrow and joined his companion in the beyond. The young
men in the Brownsville community of this name, and Messrs. P.
A. and J. L. Hodges are grandsons of this excellent pair, and
so, likewise, was R. H. Hodges, who was a member of the recent
Constitutional Convention, and who died while the Convention
was in session.
A daughter of "old Col. Tom" Evans and a
sister of the Judge, Miss Rebecca, married Charles Irby, who
was also a prominent member of the Brownsville community.
About 1826 Mr. Irby was elected a member of
the Legislature. The writer, though but a boy, can
remember the sudden death of the grand, portly old man, and how
the neighborhood was moved in sympathy with his large family of
sons and daughters in their bereavement; and how they were
missed in society and schools of the neighborhood, when,
a few years later, the family removed to Alabama. The
oldest son, John, married Miss Catharine Allison, and soon
after died in the prime of his young manhood, leaving an only
child who grew to womanhood, and became the first wife of the
late Henry Rogers, and mother of Thomas Irby Rogers, of
Bennettsville, and several other sons and daughters.
Mr.
Irby's widow, after some years, became the first wife of John
C. Bethea, of Marion, and the mother of the well-known
excellent farmer, of the Buck Swamp region, Ed. C.
Bethea.
Another sister of Judge Evans married Christopher
Pegues, from whom descended a numerous connection, and whose
influence tended largely to shape affairs on the upper Pee Dee,
in the neighborhood of Cheraw.
The grandfather of Mr. Pegues,
named Claudius, "came to Pee Dee about 1760, and settled on the
east side of the river, not far below the State line; was of
French descent, married a Miss Butler of Charleston,
moved first to Georgetown, and from thence came to this region,
and at once took an active part in the affairs of the
country." His two sons, Claudius and William, reached
manhood. The latter married Miss Elizabeth Murphy and
settled on the west side of the river. His second wife was
a Miss Gardner. He is said to have been a man of
cultivated tastes, and a staunch Whig and suffered much from
Tory hate and robbery. Claudius married Miss Marcia
Murphy and settled on the Marlboro side of the Pee Dee.
He, too, was a man of fine character, active in all that pertained
to the welfare of this country; was a captain in the war
for independence, an ordinary for the district of Cheraw, more
than once a representative in the Legislature, and a county
court justice for Marlboro. This family has, from their
first settlement in the country, been prominent in every
laudable enterprise. Two sons of this name have
been honored ministers of the South Carolina Conference.
Randolph, noble soul, of manly bearing, gentle spirit, in the
prime of his usefulness, was "gathered to his fathers."
While Wesley, an older brother, with silvered locks, stood yet
longer on the heights of Zion and warned men to repent. A
number of young men bearing the honored name live among us, to
yet reflect luster upon their worthy ancestry.
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