Journal, 2 Aug.-15 Sept. 1775, documenting Tennent's trek though the back-country of the South Carolina Colony, at times in the company of William Henry Drayton and Rev. Oliver Hart, in an effort to persuade American Loyalists to join the Patriot cause. As an ordained Presbyterian minster, Tennent successfully won support for the Revolution from a population composed chiefly of fellow practioners of dissenter denominations (such as Baptist, Quaker, Lutheran, etc.). Tennent's entries discuss meeting Catawba Indians, difficulties of frontier travel, visiting militia camps around S.C., concerns over committing treason, and securing signatures of support for the rebellion against Great Britain. This volume was transcribed by Tennent's son, John Charles Tennent, who titled the work, "A Fragment of a journal kept by Rev'd William Tennent who was sent in conjunction with Mr. Drayton by the Committee of Safety to the Upper Country of So. Carolina to induce the Tories there to sign an Association not to bear arms against, but for their Country." From the first day's travel in August 1775, when Tennent recorded meeting "about 40 Catawba Indians at the Quarter House on their way to town," to his return to Charleston, S.C. in Sept. 1775, "through the greatest quantity of water I remember to have seen," he relates the experience of frontier travel and the accomplishments of this trip which secured significant support for Revolution in South Carolina. On leaving Charleston, Tennent discussed various settlements of back-country S.C. that included Amelia Township, Saxe Gotha, Long Canes, and elsewhere on a journey that is thought to have passed through areas of present-day Calhoun Co., passing along south bank of the Congaree River, turning north to Chester Co., followed by the Counties of Union, York, Cherokee, Spartanburg, Greenville, Laurens, and Abbeville, then proceeding along the south bank of the Savannah River in Georgia, passing through Augusta, and crossing back into S.C. at present site of Hampton County, before heading due east to return to Charleston. Attempting to counter Royalist propaganda, Tennent "preached in the camp... finding some Disaffected among the Soldiers Mr. Drayton harrangued them... until all seemed well satisfied & we returned to Mr. Chesnutt's"; "met a Company of militia... they signed the Association"; "Reached Captn. Woodard's... his Company signed"; "Rocky Creek Meeting House... The heat almost melted me, but... the People... sign[ed] the Association fully convinced of the Necessity"; "Spent the... day & Evening rallying & desultory talk with... the most staunch of Flechal's Friends. The pamphlet sent up by the Governor has done much Damage here... taught the people that no man from Charleston can speak the Truth." Suggestion of the sparse settlement of the area appears in entry: "Rode 13 miles... to a Meeting House... on Thicketty [Creek] where found... [Mr. Alexander] preaching... When he had done I mounted the Pulpit & spoke near two hours.... Refreshed myself & drank out of a Cow bell... they signed the Association." Evidence of the potential for violence faced by this cleric appears in entry: "Went... to the General Muster at Mr. Ford's on Enoree... met only about 270 men... Leaders armed with Pistols. Mr. Drayton... was answered... by Kirkland... & a terrible Riot seemed on the point of happening"; "Met with... Robt Cunningham's Company... the Centre of the Opposition in the Regiment... it would seem that the force of violence is broke here"; "concluded to go [to] Little River Meeting house where Mr. [Oliver] Hart had appointed a sermon... & did some good." A description of an area later known as Rocky River in western AbbevilleDistrict in a later entry: "Went to a Meeting... on the Long Cane Creek"; "went to Bull Town Meeting House... 15 miles from the Indian Line... & many of those who had signed Flechall's Association now subscribed to ours" [reference to Colonel Thomas Fletchall, (1725-1789) and the "Counter Association" - a document written by Joseph Robinson (1748-1807) at the Fletchall's request, setting forth the Loyalists' opposition to the "Continental Association" legislation that had recently been adopted by the Whig Provincial Congress in Charleston, S.C.] Subsequent entries describe passage through an area that was later an area of many grist mills and loss of his horse: "resolved... to lodge this Night at Patrick Calhoun's.... This Country affords the greatest number of fine Falls for Mills... I have ever seen"; "the horse ran away... we were thrown out & the Chair was torn in pieces"; "Went... to Kings Highway... to take a nap.... I hope his Majesty will not be persuaded to get an Act of Parliament passed to constitute this Treason"; "rode to my plantation... [all difficulties] compensated by the Joy of my dear family and friends on my safe arrival."
