Anglican Minister on the Manners and Religion of the Carolina Backcountry

CHARLES WOODMASON, Journal (1766–1768)

Charles Woodmason’s (1720–1789) experiences in the South highlight key themes of this period, not least of which is the cultural diversity of the colonies. As an Anglican minister, Woodmason served at different times two divergent groups: the planter class in Charleston, and then later the religiously diverse and scattered settlements of the South Carolina backcountry. The Church of England (Anglicanism) was the established church in South Carolina, but that hardly mattered to the frontier Presbyterians and Baptists, many of whom resented the well-heeled Anglicans who controlled power and purse. In this excerpt, Woodmason describes his work on the Carolina frontier.

Saturday September 3) Rode down the Country on the West Side the Wateree River into the Fork between that and the Congaree River — This is out of my Bounds — But their having no Minister, and their falling (therefrom) continually from the Church to Anabaptism, inclin’d me to it — The People received me gladly and very kindly. Had on Sunday 4 — a Company of about 150 — Most of them of the Low Class — the principal Planters living on the Margin of these Rivers.

Baptiz’d 1 Negroe Man — 2 Negroe Children — and 9 White Infants and married 1 Couple — The People thanked me in the most kind Manner for my Services — I had very pleasant Riding but my Horse suffered Greatly. The Mornings and Evenings now begin to be somewhat Cool, but the Mid day heat is almost intolerable — Many of these People walk 10 or 12 Miles with their Children in the burning Sun — Ought such to be without the Word of God, when so earnest, so desirous of hearing it and becoming Good Christians, and good Subjects! How lamentable to think, that the Legislature of this Province will make no Provision — so rich, so luxurious, polite a People! Yet they are deaf to all Solicitations, and look on the poor White People in a Meaner Light than their Black Slaves, and care less for them. Withal there is such a Republican Spirit still left, so much of the Old Leaven of Lord Shaftsbury and other the 1st principal Settlers still remains, that they seem not at all disposed to promote the Interest of the Church of England — Hence it is that above 30,000£ Sterling have lately been expended to bring over 5 or 6000 Ignorant, mean, worthless, beggarly Irish Presbyterians, the Scum of the Earth, and Refuse of Mankind, and this, solely to ballance the Emigrations of People from Virginia, who are all of the Established Church. —— 50 [miles]; [total] Miles 2846

It will require much Time and Pains to New Model and form the Carriage and Manners, as well as Morals of these wild Peoples — Among this Congregation not one had a Bible or Common Prayer — or could join a Person or hardly repeat the Creed or Lords Prayer — Yet all of ’em had been educated in the Principles of our Church. So that I am obliged to read the Whole Service, omitting such Parts, as are Repetitious, and retaining those that will make the different Services somewhat Uniform — Hence it is, that I can but seldom use the Litany, because they know not the Responses.

It would be (as I once observ’d before) a Great Novelty to a Londoner to see one of these Congregations — The Men with only a thin Shirt and pair of Breeches or Trousers on — barelegged and barefooted — The Women bareheaded, barelegged and barefoot with only a thin Shift and under Petticoat — Yet I cannot break [them?] of this — for the heat of the Weather admits not of any [but] thin Cloathing — I can hardly bear the Weight of my Whig and Gown, during Service. The Young Women have a most uncommon Practise, which I cannot break them off. They draw their Shift as tight as possible to the Body, and pin it close, to shew the roundness of their Breasts, and slender Waists (for they are generally finely shaped) and draw their Petticoat close to their Hips to shew the fineness of their Limbs — so that they might as well be in Puri Naturalibus1 — Indeed Nakedness is not censurable or indecent here, and they expose themselves often quite Naked, without Ceremony — Rubbing themselves and their Hair with Bears Oil and tying it up behind in a bunch like the Indians — being hardly one degree removed from them — In few Years, I hope to bring about a Reformation, as I already have done in several Parts of the Country.…

I would not wish my worst Enemy to come to this Country (at least to this) Part of it to combat perpetually with Papists, Sectaries, Atheists and Infidels — who would rather see the Poor People remain Heathens and Ignorants, than to be brought over to the Church. Such Enemies to Christ and his Cross, are these vile Presbyterians.…

Thus You have a Journal of two Years — In which have rode near Six thousand Miles, almost on one Horse. Wore my Self to a Skeleton and endured all the Extremities of Hunger, Thirst, Cold, and Heat. Have baptized near 1200 Children — Given 200 or more Discourses — Rais’d almost 30 Congregations — Set on foot the building of sundry Chapels Distributed Books, Medicines, Garden Seed, Turnip, Clover, Timothy Burnet, and other Grass Seeds — with Fish Hooks — Small working Tools and variety of Implements to set the Poor at Work, and promote Industry to the amount of at least One hundred Pounds Sterling: Roads are making — Boats building — Bridges framing, and other useful Works begun thro’ my Means, as will not only be of public Utility, but make the Country side wear a New face, and the People become New Creatures. And I will venture to attest that these small, weak Endeavours of mine to serve the Community, has (or will) be of more Service to the Colony, than ever Mr. Whitfield’s2 Orphan House was, or will be. On which he has [Ms. torn, one word missing] Twelve Thousand Pounds Sterling (by [Ms. torn]) from which Mankind has not been twelve pence benefitted.

The Carolina Backcountry on the Eve of the Revolution, ed. Richard J. Hooker (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1953), 60–63.

READING AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS