Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 2.djvu/178

 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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