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S. 1285

STATUS INFORMATION

Senate Resolution
Sponsors: Senator Jackson
Document Path: l:\council\bills\agm\19363wab18.docx

Introduced in the Senate on June 27, 2018
Adopted by the Senate on June 27, 2018

Summary: United Family Reunion

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
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   6/27/2018  Senate  Introduced and adopted (Senate Journal-page 10)

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VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

6/27/2018

TO CONGRATULATE AND COMMEND THE UNITED FAMILY REUNION ON ITS LAUDABLE EFFORTS TO RECOUNT THE HISTORY AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF ENSLAVED AFRICAN AMERICANS AND THEIR DESCENDANTS OF THE LANG SYNE, OAKLAND, GOSHEN, SANDY LAWN, AND TRUE BLUE PLANTATIONS AT FORT MOTTE IN CALHOUN COUNTY AND RECORD IT FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS AS A LESSON IN THE POWER OF KNOWLEDGE AND FAITH IN FORMING A STRONG COMMUNITY AND STATE.

Whereas, the United Family Reunion Descendants and Related Families of Lang Syne Plantation began in 1992 in an effort to bring connected families of the Fort Motte Community together to share common family and community history; and

Whereas, since its conception, the United Family Reunion, through the tireless efforts of the reunion coordinator Jackie Whitmore, has researched, documented, and preserved lost family and community history; and

Whereas, in keeping with these efforts, the United Family Reunion has sponsored six state historical markers chronicling lost African American History; and

Whereas, the most recent historical markers will be dedicated on July 7, 2018, to reflect the history of The McCord House, Oakland Cemetery, and St. John Good Samaritan Lodge Hall and Good Samaritan Cemetery; and

Whereas, the McCord House, a Greek Revival style, was built in 1849 for David McCord, a lawyer, editor, planter, banker, and legislator, and his wife, Louisa McCord, a writer, by slaves from her plantation, Lang Syne, in Fort Motte. Among the enslaved who built the home were noted carpenters John Spann and Anderson Keitt. The house was later owned by the Oxner-Adams family, which also was connected to the Lang Syne plantation. During the Civil War, the house was a central depot for food intended for patients at the Confederate hospital located on the South Carolina College campus. In 1865, the house was used by Major General O.O. Howard, who later headed the Freedmen's Bureau and was namesake of Howard University, as his headquarters when the United States Army captured the City of Columbia. Although a large part of the city was burned on the night of February 17, 1865, the McCord House survived; and

Whereas, Oakland Cemetery, which was named for nearby Oakland Plantation, was established in approximately 1800, was the home of William Sabb Thomson, a planter and state senator. This cemetery served as the original burial grounds for Mt. Pleasant Church, established in 1867, and New Bethany Church, established in 1914. The people buried there include former slaves who were the organizers of Mt. Pleasant and New Bethany Churches and their descendants. Family names of those buried at Oakland Cemetery include Bartley, Bates, Brown, Buckman, Cheeseboro, Davis, Esaw, Fogle, Ford, Glover, Gold, Goodwine, Govan, Green, Hart, Heatley, James, Keitt, Lomas, Lucas, Major, Miller, Morant, Noble, Pinckney, Reese, Seawright, Smith, Taylor, Wallace, Wolfe, and Wright; and

Whereas, established in approximately 1900 on land sold by Jack Johnson, St. John Good Samaritan Lodge Hall and Good Samaritan Cemetery included prominent State Senator Samuel Duncan, who served during the Reconstruction Era, among its early trustees. Names of African American families buried there include Brown, Duncan, Green, Hanes, Lemon, McDuffie, Patterson, Slaffey, Spann, Stewart, and Stuart. As African American benevolent and fraternal societies grew in number during the late nineteenth century as a way of providing support to members in times of need, many also sponsored church construction, maintained cemeteries, and supported education, an example of which occurred when "The Hall" served as a school through the late 1920s; and

Whereas, due to the exemplary efforts of the United Family Reunion of Descendants and Related Families of Lang Syne Plantation, their members and the community of Fort Motte, the citizens of Calhoun County and the people of South Carolina can reflect on the powerful forces of faith and education in creating their proud and strong history. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the Senate:

That the members of the South Carolina Senate, by this resolution, congratulate and commend the United Family Reunion on its laudable efforts to recount the history and contributions of enslaved African Americans and their descendants of the Lang Syne, Oakland, Goshen, Sandy Lawn, and True Blue Plantations at Fort Motte in Calhoun County and record it for future generations as a lesson in the power of knowledge and faith in forming a strong community and State.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to Jackie Whitmore, Coordinator of the United Family Reunion.

This web page was last updated on June 29, 2018 at 10:52 AM