I learned today about a new database – it’s a database of historical signposts that you see all around the place. I decided to make my first search the one for Ft. Barnwell. I remembered having seen this sign there everytime we would go visit when I was younger. And, I found it! I don’t remember seeing it when I was there last in March for my grandmother’s funeral, but looking at the picture, I know now exactly where it is — there is only one Citgo in that place 🙂 I used to go there all the time with my cousin when we would spend summers there.
The site gives the text of what the sign says and also some more history – this is the first paragraph from the essay that accompanied the sign..
“John Barnwell emigrated from Ireland to South Carolina in 1701. By the time of the Tuscarora War (1711-1713), he was a trusted official in the colony. Meanwhile, in North Carolina, in response to the establishment of a Swiss colony at New Bern, the Tuscarora Indians massacred settlers in that area. On September 22, 1711, over 130 colonists lay dead and even more were wounded or captured. When North Carolina called on its neighbors for aid, South Carolina sent Colonel John Barnwell. In January of 1712, he led a militia of thirty soldiers and 500 friendly Indians to attack the Tuscarora fort, Narhantes (also known as Torhunta), on the Neuse River. According to Barnwell, Fort Narhantes was the Tuscarora’s largest and most warlike village. Despite several casualties, Barnwell took the fort on January 30, 1712.”
Then, I had to look up the UNC one that I would see practically EVERY DAY while I attended library school there. This sign is on Franklin Rd.
Information for the essay about this sign was taken from a work written by Kemp Battle, a former university president. I’ve posted about this before, but Kemp may in fact be a slave owner of one of my ancestors. I do hope that one day I can learn if this is true or not!