The Greenville News from Greenville, South Carolina • Page 38

2-A tllC fttnuiUe NU-PtEDMONT Saturday, July 3, 1976 irKrrr to? Tsfe Rutledge Youngest To Sign Edward Rutledge, at 26 the youngest signer, was one of four South Carolinians who penned their names to the Declaration of Independence. The other three were Thomas Lynch, Arthur Middleton and Thomas Heyward. Here are brief sketches of the men. THOMAS LYNCH At age 27, Thomas Lynch Jr. of South Caroli-na was the second youngest signer of the Declar-tion of Independence.

Son of a wealthy rice planter, Lynch was born at the family plantation in Georgetwon County. He studied in England at Eton and Cambridge, read law in London, and joined his father in political activi- ties on behalf of the colonies. Lynch accepted a captaincy in the First South Carolina Regiment of Continentals in 1775 but serious fever ended his military carrer. He was sent to the Continental Congress to care for his father, who suffered a stroke and was unable to participate in the adoption of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. After his father's death, Lynch retired in ill health to South Santee River estate of Peach Tree.

In 1779 he and his wife sailed for southern France to regain health but the ship dered and sank with no survivors off West Indies. He died at a younger age than any other signer. ARTHUR MIDDLETON Arthur Middleton was sent to the Continental Congress as a replacement for his more conservative father and signed the Declaration at age 34. He was born at Middle-ton Place, the family estate on the Ashley River near Charleston, part of holdings. Middleton went to England for education, graduated from Cambridge University and took law in London.

He spent the pre-Revolutionary years in Europe. In colonial legislature, Middleton urged night raids to obtain arms and the tarring and feathering of Loyalists. During the 1780 siege of Charleston, Middleton was captured by British troops, along with two other signers. He was held prisoner at St. Augustine, for a year and his estate was destroyed.

Middleton served in the South Carolina state legislature after the war. He died at age 44 and was buried at Middleton Place estates. The American Dream Comes True The founding fathers affix their signatures to the Declaration of Independence as depicted in this engraving. The truths put into writing by the Continen tal Congress at Independence Hall, Philadelphia, July 4, 1776, are just as self-evident now as they were 200 years ago. 4 South Carolinians Signed Declaration Two hundred years ago 56 men literally risked a noose' around their necks to sign a provocative and radical document, the Dec- Most Americans can field.

Their conclusion is that the signers were far from "plain" people. Some revelaed falmboyant natures, others a flair for showmanship; but most revealed 1 as "analytical thinkers," according to graphoanalysts. And patriots, a layman might add. Battle Unlikely Revolutionary John Hancock, portrayed in the engraving reproduced here, is an unlikely member of the pantheon of revolutionary heroes but typifies an American dream, the rich man with a heart. An upper-crust captain of commerce, 200 years ago he won election as president of the totally illegal and somewhat treasonous Continental Congress.

And he made history with the boldness of his signature on the Declaration of Independence. It stood alone with the sec what happened to them? Researchers have come up with an approximate composti profile. The average signer would, grousjy, a Jaw-. yer, a farmer, a mechanic, a college graduate, a school drop out, a clergyman, and a family man. Most signers had littfe in common aside from their passionate belief in political freedom and independence from British crown rule.

Not surprisingly, more than half were lawyers, but 13 were farmers, five were doctors, two were mechanics, one was a stonemason and one was a minister. Even by today's stand-ards, most were well edu-catd. Ironically, the best known, Benjamin Franklin, was an elementary school drop-out although he became one of the intellectual giants of his era. One common trait shared by the signers was a penchant for fatherhood. Collectively, they sired 325 children almost six apiece a feat which should rank them among the first Americans to generate the American population explosion even before he became a nation.

Their average age was 44. Edward Rutledge of South Carolina, at 27, was the youngest. Benjamin Franklin was the senior signer at 70. Charles Carroll, who always signed his name "Charles Carroll of Carrollton" to distinguish himself from a raft of other Carrolls around at that time, was the last signer to survive. He died 56 years later.

For the most part the signers were native of the American colonies and of Anglo-Saxon descent. One of the most interesting signers was a man with month before the others Of Freedom More battles were fought on South Carolina soil than in any other colony, and no other state made a greater contribution to the winning of inde- pendence and the founding of the nation than the Palmetto State. Aptly called "The Battleground of Freedom," South Carolina was direct-ly involved in the final surrender by the British. All told, there were 182 battles and skirmishes in the state, many involving guerrilla strikes by native patriots and native loyalists. The single most important reason the patriots were victorious, says Dr.

Newton Jones of the Furman University history department, was that "they had superior leadership." With courage and loyalty to their principles, the people of South Carolina helped to establish the nation. Many gave their lives so that liberty and independence could be achieved. As the nation celebrates the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, this special edition is presented to emphasize the role of South Carolina in the founding of the nation. Stories deal with how the people lived before, during and following the Revolution, major South Carolina battles of the war, circumstances and events leading up to the conflict, and developments following the American victory. Lewis F.

Brabham quickly Identify John Hancock, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and John Adams as signers, but who where the other colonial patriots who com-. mitted this rask act? And wound ninfon Ms the engaging but misleading name of Button Bwin-nett. Button, however, was anything but cute. Little is known of his early life but there is enought biographical documentation to tab him as the most picaresque but courageous man among his 55 compatriots. From his boyhood in England Gwinnett longed to lead an army as a general.

Impatient to achieve this, he left England at an early age and settled first in South Carolina, making his home in Charleston. Later he moved to Savannah and the owner of a Georgia plantation and merchant. After signing the Declaration of Independence he returned to Georgia and for a brief period was acting governor. He aspired to the post of brigidaire general of troops raised in Georgia so much so that he was killed in a duel with Gen. Lach-lan Mcintosh, resulting from a mutual rivalry over the matter.

Strangely enough, Gwinnett, the least prolific writer among the signers, was most in demand among those who collect historic documents and signatures. His writing brought a collector's price of $50,000. The signers' handwriting has been studied by the International Graphoanalysis Society, the professionals in the Time To 4r I. retary's signature for a nial leaders were busy setting up a colonial constitution, so younger men were sent to attend Congress in Philadelphia. The average age of the four delegates from South Carolina was 29.

Thomas Heyward, educated in England and from a wealthy plantation family, was considered to be an outstanding poet. Heyward signed the Declaration of Independence and stayed on to sign the Articles of Confederation. Returning from Philadelphia in 1778, Heyward became a circuit judge and an officer in the militia. During the seige of Charleston, Heyward presided over the trial of several Loyalitst convicted of treasonous correspondence with the enemy. He caused a sensation when he had them executed in full view of British troops.

In 1779, Heyward was wounded during an attack along South Carolina's coast near his home. The following year the British captured Heyward after ransacking his home and. carrying off his slaves. Imprisioned at St. Augustine, Florida, he celebrated the Fourth of July by changing the words of the song, "God Save the King" to "God Save the Thirteen States." Needless to say, the song became popular throughout the colonies.

The remainder of his life was devoted to agriculture as he helped found, and became the first president of the Agricultural Society of South Carolina. He died in 1809 at the age of 62. Declaration Brought Joy To Carolina Following the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the South Caro-' Una legislature wrote: "It is with the most unspeakable pleasure we embrace this opportunity of expressing our joy and satisfaction in the declaration of the Continental Congress declaring the united colonies free and independent event unsought for and now produced by unavoidable necessity and which every' friend to justice and humanity must not only hold justifiable as the natural effect of unmerited persecution, but equally rejoice in as the only security against injuries and oppressions and the most promising source of future liberty and safety." Decide EDWARD RUTLEDGE Edward Rutledge of South Carolina was the youngest to sign the Decla-tation of Independence. He was 26. Rutledge studied law in England and upon returning home, married the daughter of the colony's richest planter and received a dowry of 70,000 pounds.

He was not eager to break ties with Great Britian and was described as an unpolished speaker. In June 1776 young Rutledge was still undecided about voting for independence and so, at his request, the vote was postponed until July. When the vote was called for on July 1, Rutledge refused to yield and South Carolina voted negatively. Realizing the resolution would probably carry, Rutledge persuades the South Carolina delegates to submit to the will of the majority for the sake of unanimity. The next day the votes were recast and South Carolina voted for independence.

During the war, Rutledge was captured and imprisioned at St. Augustine prison camp. For 10 months he suffered privation and indignities until the exchange of prisoners could be arranged. His magnificent South Carolina estate was devastedl Following the war he served for 16 terms in the South Carolina legislature and as governor. THOMAS HEYWARD South Carolinians weren't thinking about separation from England in the spring of 1776.

Older colo- Signatures as they appear on the Declaration of Independence my inJL omm'ee chosen t0 draft a declaration of Independence for the American colonies is shown at work in this 19th centurv n0vina twnL intent Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Philip Rogir Sherman. 'eft to right, submit- 6Ur firaiftfni 10 Ine wnunemai congress Julv 1. 1776. On July 4 the United States of America was wsiia.