526 SUMTER COUNTY. 



have come to our knowledge. Mr. Wyatt Gates, over 80 ; 

 Mr. A. Godwin, over 80; Mr. R. Satlar, over 80; Daniel 

 Flanigan, 83. 



Religious Sects, Education. — The religious sects are 

 Missionary and Anti-Missionary Baptists, Methodists, Presby- 

 terians, and Universalists. The interest in the subject of edu- 

 cation is daily increasing. In Americus and some other 

 places, there are schools having a high reputation. Number 

 of poor children, 279. Educational fund, $241 95. 



Character of the People, Amusements. — The inhabit- 

 ants of this county are intelligent, hospitable, and frugal. 

 The forests abound with game, and hunting constitutes one 

 among the chief amusements. 



Early Settlers. — Among the early settlers were Mr. 

 L. B. Smith, Mr. J. Tyner, and Mr. W. Brady. 



Value of Town Lots, &c. — According to the Digest for 

 1848, the value of town lots is $13,240. Stock in trade, 

 $20,325. Money at interest, $22,231. 



Name. — The following account of Major General Thomas 

 Sumter, is abridged from a memoir written by William Gil- 

 more Sims, Esq. : 



Thomas Sumter, after whom this division of the State was 

 named, was born in Virginia, in the year 1734. When a boy, 

 he went as a volunteer against the French and Indians, in the 

 " old French war." Not long after Braddock's defeat he camo^to 

 South Carolina, where he was engaged in active service against 

 the Indians. Known to be a warm friend to the principles of 

 those who were opposed to the usurpations of Great Britain, 

 as early as March, 1776, he was appointed by the Provisional 

 Congress, Lieutenant Colonel of the 2d regiment of riflemen, 

 and was engaged in watching the outbreaks of the disaffected 

 on the frontier, and the hostile red men. After the fall of 

 Charleston, Sumter retired to the swamps of the Santee ; but 

 he soon emerged from his hiding place, went to North Ca- 

 rolina to obtain recruits, and stopped at a place known as 

 the " Gillespie Settlement." Of the Gillespie family were nu- 

 merous brothers, all of whom were famous cock-fighters. 

 They were content with the conflicts of the barn-yard, hav- 

 ing in their possession, amongst other famous fighting birds, a 



