I apologize for the
hiatus with the blog. Unfortunately,
life had to take complete precedence over volunteer work for a period of
time. However, I hope this blog entry
will be worth the wait. It all begins
with the Official NSDAR Colonial Bottle Collection. As many of you know, the SCDAR received an
entire mint condition set of these beautiful bottles created by the Franklin
Mint and sponsored by the NSDAR. After
researching this collection, I created a display as well as a power point
presentation.
The bottle collection
emphasizes thirteen roles that women played in the American Revolution. Most of the roles they played, we never think
about but were crucial in aiding the American victory. American history has us studying battles,
important figures such as generals, but we don’t study women much less their
contributions to the American cause. As
I told the students at Lonnie B. Nelson Elementary when I gave the bottle program,
there is more to winning a war than firing a weapon. Did you ever stop and think from where did
the munitions come that supplied the Minutemen during the Battle of Lexington
and Concord? They were from a group of
women led by Miliscent Barrett. From
where did the shirts come when they literally fell off the men’s backs from
wear and tear when the colonists had stopped purchasing items from England and
there was not textile industry? It
started with groups like the Daughters of Liberty spinning thread, then the
thread had to be woven into cloth, and then women such as those of the
Philadelphia Association made shirts.
How did the officers strategize plans for battle, send battle plans without
electricity? The women had to make
candles to supply not only their own homes but the camps as well. The list keeps going.
As you learn the contributions of the women of the
colonies, you realize that without their efforts and contributions, the war
would not have been won. Yet, we only
know the names of a few. How many
hundreds of women worked tirelessly to aid the American’s cause that are
unnamed? Even worse, how many names of
women and their contributions are not considered patriots in the DAR or have
had their lines closed. You will be
amazed! This needs to change. We need to do everything we can to give these
women the patriots status they deserve.
For one female that happens to be included in the program it did. Here is the story of how her service was
proven. If you are from South Carolina,
you may have heard of her. Her name is
Eliza Lucas Pinckney.
Katie Hyman was
researching the life and times of Eliza Lucas Pinckney for a special event for
the SC DAR Junior Doll Project as one of the committee members. The SC DAR Junior Doll is called “Miss Eliza”
and it is based on Eliza Lucas Pinckney.
Two days later, she received a call from a friend and fellow Rebecca
Motte Chapter member, Susan Hemminger.
Susan wanted to submit a few supplemental applications to document the
Pinckney and allied families from which she is descended, and she asked Katie
to research and to prepare supplemental applications for her. Katie was delighted and excited to do so.
Susan Hemminger joined
the DAR under her ancestor, Rebecca Motte.
Rebecca Motte’s daughter, Elizabeth Brewton Motte married Thomas
Pinckney, son of Charles and Eliza Lucas Pinckney. Thomas Pinckney served as a major in the 1st
Continental Regiment and was an Aide-de-Camp for General Lincoln and General
Gates. Katie immediately found Thomas
Pinckney in the DAR’s Genealogical Research System (GRS), but she was puzzled
and bewildered that Eliza Lucas Pinckney was not listed there at all. Katie was really surprised by this discovery,
because Eliza Lucas Pinckney is a famous character of history. Katie thought surely she must have given some
type of aide for the war effort since both of her sons; Thomas and Charles
Coatsworth Pinckney were officers in the Continental Army. There was also the possibility that Eliza
Lucas Pinckney did give aide or provisions yet did not do so officially, but
rather personally.
Katie began her
research at the SC Historical Society in Charleston, SC. The SC Historical Society is in possession of
original letters written by Eliza Lucas Pinckney and other valuable Pinckney
family documents. Katie discovered her
personal gifts to her sons of cloths, blankets, provisions, etc. during their
service as officers in the Continental Army during the war. Eliza Lucas Pinckney’s letters to all of her 3
children shows not only the love and concern as a mother but also the times in
which she lived.
Katie’s next journey
was to the SC Department of Archives and History in Columbia, SC. The SC Archives has Audited Accounts for
service and goods rendered during the Revolutionary War. Katie found an entry for Elizabeth Pinckney
in the index. She was hopeful but not
sure if this was same Eliza Lucas Pinckney.
However, the Audited Account at which she was looking had “Mrs. Elizabeth
Pinckney” at the top. Mrs. Elizabeth
Pinckney gave the SC State government a loan of £4,000.00 pounds sterling to
help finance the war effort. There was
also a yearly interest of £400 pounds on the loan. Katie was fairly certain that this lady was
who she was searching, but the best surprise came as she continued reading the
document. Charles Coatsworth Pinckney
was also listed as the loan’s beneficiary. Katie was estatic! This clearly was the lady for whom she was
looking! Katie was still in shock that
no one had ever taken the time to prove her Revolutionary War service,
especially since there was a DAR chapter named Eliza Lucas Pinckney in her
honor.
Finally,
Katie returned home to Charleston and went directly to the SC Historical
Society located on the corner of Meeting St. and Chalmers St. in Charleston,
SC. The Senior Archivist, Mary Jo
Fairchild, who is also a friend and DAR junior member, was very helpful and
just as excited about this project as well.
Mary Jo made copies of some of Eliza Lucas Pinckney’s original
letters. These letters included a very
clear abbreviation example of her name: Eliza. This primary evidence was also invaluable by
documenting Eliza Lucas Pinckney’s residence during the Revolutionary War. Copies of transcribed letters all ended with
either E. Pinckney or Eliza. Katie was also able to get
copies of original parish records on microfilm from St. Phillips Church
register and St. Andrews Parish register listing the marriage of Charles
Pinckney and Elizabeth Lucas and the baptisms of their children. She also found a copy of a transcription of
Charles Pinckney’s will. These documents
helped to prove Eliza Lucas Pinckney’s name and family connections.
Katie
then walked 3 blocks to the Charleston Library Society on King St. where was
greeted by several friends who work there.
Jessica Short, friend and DAR junior member, along with Rob Salvo, Assistant
Librarian for Research and Reference, were able to help Katie locate a copy of
the original marriage bond between Charles Pinckney and Elizabeth Lucas dated
May 25, 1744. Katie says that it was an
amazing experience to hold the original book from the 18th century
that is in the collection at the Charleston Library Society!
At
this point Katie took her copies and went to the Charleston County Public Library. She went straight to the SC Room to find her
cousin, Lish Thompson, SC Room Assistant Manager, and fellow DAR member,
working at the help desk. Lish directed
her to the SC Room’s microfilm collection of early Charleston newspapers. She was able to find an obituary for Mrs.
Elizabeth Pinckney from the City Gazette
& Daily Advertiser dated July 17, 1793.
Katie
was really pleased with the documentation she had gathered on Eliza Lucas
Pinckney and her service as a patriot worthy of the DAR. She then took all of the documents that she
had gathered and compared them. All of the
official documents, such as the will, marriage bond, Audited Account, Church
Parish Register entries, and the obituary all had the names “Elizabeth Lucas,”
“Mrs. Elizabeth Pinckney,” or “Elizabeth Pinckney” written. It was only her private correspondence that
had the following abbreviations: “E.
Lucas,” “Eliza.,” or “E. Pinckney.”
Katie
then turned her attention to documenting the remaining generations and updating
the items with changes. Katie states
that it was truly was a thrilling moment to complete the supplemental application
on Eliza Lucas Pinckney and as well as one on her son, Thomas Pinckney through
a brand new child, Elizabeth Brewton Pinckney who married William Jones Lowndes. Susan Hemminger was happy and delighted to
see this project come together. Katie mailed
the applications to DAR. The wait time
for the approval began.
The notice that these
two applications had been verified came right after Susan had been in the
hospital recently having surgery. Susan
was so excited and could not wait to get home to share this news with her
family. This was a wonderful event that
made Susan’s recovery time much quicker.
Katie was personally excited & happy that she could do something
special for her friend. That in itself
was a blessing for Katie. Katie said
that it was truly a wonderful experience to document a brand new female patriot
in the DAR!
We need more of our female patriots verified! Honor the service of our patriot women!
