[Murphy excerpts from "History of the Old Cheraws", by Alexander Gregg, 1905]
[excerpted 26 Jun 2008, Mark Murphy]

p. 70
...at a point on the east bank of the river, called Sandy Bluff, two and a half miles
above Mars Bluff... The families of Crawford, Saunders, MURFEE, ...and shortly after the
Gibson's, made up this community...

p. 71
Of the settlers at Sandy Bluff, the Murfees, Saunders, Gibsons, and Crawfords accumulated
the largest properties, and became most prominent...
Of the Murfees there were four brothers, Moses, Malachi, Maurice, and Michael.

p. 72
Of these, Malachi became the wealthiest.  He is said to have given one hundred slaves to each
of three sons.  He died before the Revolution.

(His sons were James, Malachi, and Moses.  James, the eldest, died young, leaving three
daughters,- Hannah, who married Moses Saunders, of Darlington; Catharine, who married
Nicholas Bedgegood, and afterwards J.B. Billingsby, of Marlboro; and Mary, who married Jordan
Saunders.  Malachi, the second son, married first a Miss Knight, by whom he had two sons,-
and afterward, Mary Hicks.  The fruits of this marriage were- Nathanael, Maurice, James,
Elizabeth, and Sally.  Elizabeth married a Rawls, and Sally married Wm. Johnson, of
Sneedsboro, No. Ca.  Malachi MURPHY was a captain in the Revolution, and was killed at
Bass's Mill.  Moses, the third son, married a daughter of Robert Williams.  Of the daughters
of Malachi Murfee, sen., Elizabeth married Wm. Pegues, of Chesterfield; another married
the Rev. Nicholas Bedgegood, one of the early pastors of the Welch Neck Church; and Marcia
married Claudius Pegues, of Marlborough.

Malachi Murfee, sen., married the widow of George Saunders.  She was a sister of Gideon
Gibson.  A female descendent, living a few years since in the neighbourhood of the original
settlement, was the only representative left in that region,- such are the sad changes 
which time brings with it, causing the name of the most extensive family connexion, in a
few generations, to pass entirely away, leaving scarce the memory of their former existence
behind them.)

Maurice had a son, bearing his name, who was destined to occupy a prominent place in the
subsequent history of the Pedee.

Some notice of Michael Murfee appears in the records of Council:- "At a Meeting, 13th Ap,
1744, was read the Petition of Michael Murfee, an Inhabitant of the Welch Tract, shewing
that about nine years ago, before the settling of the Welch, he purchased part of a Warrant
of one Howard, since dead, for 300 acres of land in the Welch Tract; but the said Warrant
for running out the same being afterwards lost or mislaid, never was returned into the
Office; notwithstanding which, he built a house on the same, settled there, and made other
considerable improvements, and cleared above 400 acres thereof, and is well liked as a
neighbour by all the Welch Famylies there.  That the Petitioner, having since a considerable
increase of fourteen persons in his family, for whom he has not as yet obtained any land,
nor hath he any other land than as above said within the said Province, Prays a warrant of
survey for seven hundred acres in a Tract or Tracts of vacant land, and then the said
Tract of land whereupon the Petitioner is

p. 73
settled as above, or so much thereof as shall appear, upon a re-survey, to be vacant, to 
be part of the same, which land is butting on or near Col. Pawley's land, and to the west
of John Brown's.

"The Petitioner appearing in person, and swearing to the allegations of his said Petition,
it was ordered, that 500 acres of land only be granted him, and the Secretary was 
accordingly ordered to prepare a warrant for the same."

[There is more on the daughters' marriages and families in the text.-mm]

pp. 87-88
The battle of Culloden, which occurred in April 1746, led to the removal of many families
to America.  Among those who were ranked as rebels in that conflict and afterward, were
several names which appeared about this time on the Pedee.  Of these were M'Iver, M'Intosh,
and Cusack.  The accounts of the battle were received in Charles-town, and published in the
July following.

Among the ladies in custody, the Laird of M'Intosh's wife is mentioned, and Col. and Ensign
M'Intosh were among the rebel officers slain.  The names of Cusack and MURPHY were among
the prisoners.

A correspondent of the Charles-town Gazette, writing from London, May 10, said, "we are
assured that his Majesty has been pleased to order such of the Rebel private men as his
Royal Highness shall think proper objects of his clemency, to be transported to some of his
Majesty's American Colonies."


p. 110
It is related of Malachi MURPHY, who drove many beeves annually to Philadelphia, that on
one occasion was a famous beast, called "Blaze Face," of great size and unusual sagacity,
which he sold in Philadelphia.

On the night of his return home to Pedee, and soon after his arrival, he heard the low of
Blaze Face.  He had escaped and followed close upon the track of his owner, swimming rivers
and distancing all the pursuers.  Mr. MURPHY drove him a second time to Philadelphia, and
again he returned.  Such a spirit was worthy of a better fate, but did not shield the bold
rover.  He was taken a third time to Philadelphia, and came back no more.  This was related
to the author by the late John D. Withirspoon, of Society Hill.

P. 159
List of subscriptions [13 Dec 1770] of the Circular Letter:
...Moses MURPHY...	10 L  0 s

p. 178
....Parish of St. David...Freeholders of the Parish...The following Church Officers were
elected, April 20th, 1772, viz.: ..., Malachi MURPHY, ...

On Easter Monday, April 12th, 1773, were elected,..., Malachi MURPHY, ...

p. 199
Grand Jury [April 1773 Pedee]...Malachi MURFEE...


[Lots of discussion on military troop movement and action during the war follows.-mm]

p. 246
...on the 2nd February [1775], Maurice MURPHY was also Commissioned Captain in the same
Regiment [Colonel Powell's]

p. 301
...The second division, under Col. Hicks, moved in February [1780 to Charles-town]
.... Maurice MURPHY commanded [a company].

p. 303
[23 May 1780]  The dwellings of Nathan Savage at the mouth of Lynche's Creek, of Jordan
Gibson at Little Bluff, or Wiggin's Landing, and of Moses MURPHY in the same neighbourhood,
with many others, were burned.

p. 333
[Letter from Col. Thomas Brown to Gen. Harrington, Camp at the Beauty Spot, 10 Oct 1780]
Dear Sir,- I have, agreeably to your order, marched as far as this place, eight miles
below Hick's Mills....Captains MURPHY and Council, with their companies, are ranging up
and down this river to keep the Tories in awe...

p. 339
... Stephen MURPHY under a guard [Tory?]

p. 341
The South Carolina Gazette and American Journal, Charles-town, of Nov. 15th, contained the
following intelligence:- "We are authorized to inform the public that about 200 of the
inhabitants near Pedee River, over whom Mr. Marion and his associates for some time past
have exercised the most despotic and cruel tyranny, lately collected together in arms,
and fell in with a gang of banditti, whom they routed and entirely dispersed.  The leader
of the rebels, a Col. MURPHY, was amongst the killed...."

Fortunately for his country, the report of Col. MURPHY's death was false.  He survived this 
and many other bloody conflicts, to see both foreign and domestic foes subdued.

p. 371-375
Colonel MURPHY, on the eastern side of the river below, was battling valiantly...[vs.
Cornwallis]... In August of this year [1781], Colonel MURPHY was stationed, with a small
force, near the mouth of Black Creek.  He sent word to Moses Bass, who kept a noted public-
house at the mill on Naked Creek, across the river and about four miles distant, that he
would be there with his men on a certain day, and to have a good dinner, with plenty of
cider, in readiness.  By some means, the Tories in the neighbourhood were informed of the
expected visit, and made preparations for attacking MURPHY at Bass's.  The house stood on
a small island, made by a sudden bend of the creek, formming almost a circle, and a canal 
cut across the neck of land leading out to the main road near by.

On the appointed day, MURPHY and his party went over, suspecting no danger.  While at dinner,
they were suddenly surprised by the enemy's approach.  Two men came rapidly up on horseback,
and were in the act of crossing the creek by a causeway when first discovered.  They were
followed by the main body, under Major Barfield.

Some of the Whigs, who happened to be on the piazza, were fired upon, and for a moment all
was confusion.  By this time, the Tories had approached within fighting distance, and the
conflict began.

The Whigs having the benefit of a cover, soon gained a decided advantage, killing several
of the enemy, with the loss, however, of two of their own number, Harper and Mixon.  Giving
way under the effective fire from the house, the Tories were in the act of retreating, when
one of MURPHY's men, named Daniel, who had a stentorian voice, cried out, "Good Heavens!
what shall we do? the powder is out."  Upon hearing this, the Tories returned to the fight;
and the Whigs, no longer able to keep up an equal fire, were forced to escape in every
direction...

Peter Bozeman, a valiant soldier of liberty, who afterwards settled and died in Darlington
District, was one of MURPHY's party.  Malachi MURPHY was another, and received a wound in 
the shoulder as he reached the creek, which disabled him for the time.  He fell down the 
bank, and crawling under a large log, remained there undiscovered, though the Tories several 
times passed near him.  Daniel, whose unfortunate exclamation led to the disaster, was a 
man of powerful frame, and carried MURPHY on his shoulders to Black Creek, making some 
amends thereby for his untimely
blunder.

Thus ended their day's frolic for the Whigs, teaching them the lesson which so many have
learned too late, that vigilance is the price of liberty...

Colonel MURPHY, in his active and vigorous movements, was giving much trouble to Major
Gainey and the Tories under his command.  The latter addressed General Marion on the 
subject, as follows:-
"Pedee, September 8th, 1781.
".... I am very sorry, Sir, to acquiant your honor that I am under the disagreeable
necessity of complaining to you of Colonel MURPHY.  I wrote several orders to him to 
restore their plunder, which they refused to do, except such as is of no service to
themselves; all that is of value they keep, so that I found there a stumbling block.
The way, just about the time that MURPHY first broke out and ruined me, and broke me
up, for which reason, I first revolted my constancy to my country, was- he took some
horses from me, one of which he has yet in his possession; then I wrote an order, and
sent to hime for said horse, which he refused to send, without I would hunt up and get
all his horses which he has lost, which was six or seven hear, he says; and I don't 
know his horses; I never saw them; and in like manner, they detain several horses and
negroes, and a number of cows.
"I have no reason to complain of any of your men, save that same regiment of MURPHY's.
The list you wrote to me about, you shall faithfully have given up very shortly to
Colonel Irvin's order....Your very humble Servant, Micajah Gainey."

The truce alluded to in this letter grew out of articles of agreement concluded on the
17th June previous, between Colonel Peter Horry, in behalf of General Marion, and Major
Gainey, commanding officer of the Tories, or King's subjects- inhabitants lying between
Great Pedee River and North Carolina....The terms of the agreement were not strictly
complied with by Gainey, and hence the course pursued by Colonel MURPHY...

pp. 399-400
Colonel Maurice MURPHY, of whom such frequent and honorable mention has been made, 
continued, after the Revolution, to serve his country, as opportunity offered, to the
close of his life.  He was a bad manager, and never possessed much property.  On one
occasion, when in Charles-town, he was arrested for debt, and while in jail-bounds,
met on the streets one Harrison, who had taken many negroes from the region of the 
Lower Pedee during the French and Indian war, and was then a resident of St. Augustine.
Colonel MURPHY rushed on him with his sword, saying that he had taken from him property
to a larger amount than the debt for which he was then confined, and that if he did not
pledge himself to cancel the debt and costs, he would kill him on the spot.  Well
knowing MURPHY's determination, the alarmed and conscience-stricken Harrison at once
acceded to the demand, and forthwith carried his promise into execution.  In passing
Jeffrey's Creek, on his return from Charles-town, it happening to be a muster-day,
Colonel MURPHY saw in the ranks one who had been a noted Tory, and by whom he had
probably been made to suffer.  Excited by the recollections of the past, he leaped from
his horse and made rapidly towards him, the man only escaping from severe chastisement
or death by instant flight.  These instances show that MURPHY was of quick and
ungovernable passion; and yet, notwithstanding the violence of his temper and occasional
dissipation, he maintained a character for generosity and integrity, commanding always
the confidence of the people, and ever retaining a high place in the popular regard for
his active and devoted service throughout the war.  There was no more gallant or devoted
Whig on the Pedee.  In person he was straight as an arrow, rather bald, and of great
physical strength.  His end was a sad one.  Imprisoned for debt, he died in the jail
at Long Bluff; a touching example of the charge often made, of the ingratitude of 
Republics!

p. 411
Records of the Continental Line

MURPHY, Maurice, captain in Hick's Regiment, in 1779-80, major, in 1780-81, and
lieut.-col. commanding, in 1781-82

p. 439
... incorporated society of St. David's...members after 1788,..., Maurice MURPHY,...

p. 453
[15 Jan 1791]
Lower Board [of Commissioners on the Pedee], from the mouth of Black Creek to 
Euhaney Ferry, consisted of..., Moses MURPHY, ...