Biographies
Shadrach Simons
Shadrach Simons was born 03 Feb 1758 in Virginia, and died 24 April 1801 in Georgetown, South Carolina. He first married Mary Beleine on 30 Dec 1783. Unfortunately she died the following year, 07 December 1784, in childbirth. He married second Elizabeth Ann Britton on 12 Jul 1785 in Rock Point, Georgetown District, South Carolina. She was born Feb 1753 in South Carolina and died 24 Feb 1802 in South Carolina. She had first been married to Lt. Henry Britton, a relation of hers. Therefore, both her maiden name and her first married name were Britton.
When
British forces captured Charleston in 1780, regular American troops pulled
out of South Carolina. Francis Marion (who earned the nickname, “The Swamp
Fox”), however, stayed and organized a small force of poorly equipped men,
training them in guerrilla tactics. Living off the land, they knew the swamps, savannahs, and pine
forests of South Carolina. They fought from tree to tree and advanced under
cover. Marion and his men harassed British troops by staging small
surprise attacks in which they captured small groups of British soldiers,
sabotaged communication and supply lines, and rescued American prisoners.
After these attacks Marion would withdraw his men to swamp country
unfamiliar to the British. They won few
outright victories, but they frustrated British efforts to control the
South.
Shadrach Simons served as a subaltern officer under "the Swamp Fox." He was an orderly sergeant and was one of the scouts Marion often sent out to watch the movements, encampments, etc. of British and Tory forces. His only son, John Joseph, tells the following story:
"I will now give some little account of my father during the Revolutionary War whilst serving under the far famed Francis Marion. These events was retold to me by my father and some of his relations that is now many years ago at rest in the silent tomb. My father was a subaltern officer under Marion. That is he acted as orderly sergeant and was one of his scouts he so often sent out to watch the British and Tories. At one time he was sent by Marion to watch the Far Famed Tory on Black River (I had rather not mention names). Taking some dozen men he proceeded to the river, hid directly opposite to the house of this Tory, he proceeded with caution through the swamp and on reaching the river's side he then espied the Tory within his piazza in from of the river. He procured a boat with which himself and his men crossed the river. On reaching the house he surrounded the house with his men. He went into the house and the Tory's lady was sitting in or near the door. The Tory having espied my father hid himself. My father then addressed the lady with howdy do Madame is Mr. _____ at home, Madame? No sir. Will you allow me to search the house? Yes, Sir certainly. Then he proceeded to search the house in every room both above and below stairs."
Unfortunately, John Joseph doesn’t tell us if his father found the gentleman in question or not.
Following the Revolution, Shadrach occupied a position of some prominence in Charleston society. He lived near the Great Pee Dee River in the vicinity of Britton's Ferry and through grants he acquired some 6,681 acres in the Georgetown District. According to the 1800 federal census he owned thirty slaves. Elected to the House of Commons, he represented the Williamsburg election district in the Twelfth South Carolina General Assembly (1796-1797). Other offices he held included militia captain (ca. 1785-1801), delegate to the state constitutional convention (1790), member of the lower board of commissioners of the Pee Dee River (1791), road commissioner (1797), and justice of the peace for Georgetown District (1798).
Children of Shadrach Simons and Elizabeth Britton were:
1. Mary Simons was born 28 Mar 1786 in Charleston, South Carolina, and died 22 Apr 1809, also in Charleston. She married Samuel Mouzon on 29 Mar 1804. They had two sons who both died in infancy, the year before their mother died. Henry Mouzon, born 28 Feb 1805 in South Carolina and died 15 Aug 1808 and Samuel Simons Mouzon, born 05 Jun 1807 in South Carolina and died 14 Oct 1808.
2. Elizabeth Ann Britton Simons was born 30 Mar 1786 in South Carolina and died 17 Sep 1786. She was Mary’s twin but was born two days later.
3. Elizabeth Aliss Simons was born 09 Oct 1788 in South Carolina, and died 02 Aug 1807 in South Carolina. She married William Leonard White 24 Oct 1805. They had one daughter, Mary Eliza White who was born 12 October 1806 and died in 1853.
4. Charlotte Peninah Simons was born 02 Apr 1791 in South Carolina. She married John Knox 05 May 1808 in Sumter District, South Carolina and died in childbirth on 15 March 1809.
5. John Joseph Simons was born 19 Jun 1793 in Charleston, South Carolina. He married Mary Lynch Coachman 07 May 1812 in Rock Point, Georgetown District, South Carolina, daughter of Joseph Coachman and Margaret Belin. She was born 08 Oct 1792 in Georgetown, South Carolina.
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John Simons