Vlll-PROMINENT PERSONS
Richardson, Richard, was born in New
Kent county, Virginia, in 1704, son of
Charles Richardson. He was a land sur-
veyor, emigrating to Sumter District, South
Carolina, in 1725, where he conducted a
plantation, commanded the colonial militia
in the district, and was elected a member
of the council of safety in 1775. ^^ ^^^
married (first) to Elizabeth, daughter of
Joseph Cantey, and (second) to Dorothy,
daughter of James and Margaret Sinkler.
Upon the revolt among the loyalists of the
state he used the militia in restoring order,
and for his services received the thanks of
the provisional congress and a commission
as brigadier-general. He was a delegate to
the provincial congress that framed the con-
stitution of South Carolina in 1776, and
while defending the city of Charleston
against the British under Clinton in 1780,
was taken prisoner, and sent to St. Augus-
tine, where he withstood the alluring prom-
ises of Cornwallis, conditioned on his
espousing the cause of the Royalists. He
was held by the British a prisoner of war a
few months, when broken in health, he was
sent to his home to die. Colonel Tarleton,
when on a raid through Carolina in 178 1,
burned his house and opened his grave to
be assured of the patriot's death. His son,
James B. Richardson, was governor of
South Carolina. 1802-04. Richard Richard-
son died on his plantation, near Salisbury,
South Carolina, in September, 1780.
Hawkins, Philemon, born in Gloucester county, Virginia, September 28, 1717; served
ill a cavalry troop at the battle of Alamance,
May 16, 1771, as aid to Governor Tryon; in
the same year was a member of the general
assembly, and represented Bute and Gran-
ville counties for thirteen years; he raised
the first volunteer company in Bute county
for the revolutionary army, and was elected
its colonel in 1776; was a member of the
convention that ratified the national consti-
tution, was the last surviving signer of the
constitution of Xorth Carolina, and was fre-
quently a member of the executive council ;
died in Warren county, Xorth Carolina, in
1801, at the advanced age of eighty-four
years.
Harris, Samuel, born in Hanover county, Virginia, January 12, 1724; during his early manhood and in middle life he occupied many public offices, namely : Church warden, burgess for the county, sheriff, justice of the peace, colonel of militia, and commis- sary, in all of which he acquitted himself creditably; while riding through the coun- try in full military dress, he came upon a camp meeting in the woods; two itinerant Baptist clergymen were haranguing the as- semblage, and, on seeing Colonel Harris, at once directed their discourse to him ; so greatly was he impressed with their argu- ments that he was baptized, and became an exhorter among the poor white settlers: in 1770 he was ordained, and the Baptist Asso- ciation to which he belonged invested him with the office of "apostle :' he relinguished his large property, lived with extreme fru- gality, and suffered considerable persecu-
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