Manuscripts Department
Library of the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill
SOUTHERN HISTORICAL COLLECTION
#1103-z
DAVID GAVIN DIARY
Abstract: David Gavin was a planter and lawyer who
owned a plantation near St. George, South Carolina, which
was probably in Dorchester County. One volume, 260 pages,
consisting of a diary, 1855-1871; personal accounts,
1856-1874; and about 150 brief entries giving vital dates
and other information about family members, friends, and
acquaintances. A typed transcription of the volume is
also included in the collection. Diary entries discuss
family members and neighbors, Gavin's political views (he
apparently was a member of the American Party), election
results for the Colleton District, Gavin's legal work,
his work as an appraiser of slaves in estates, his work
as a surveyor, life on his plantation, and other matters.
Included are notations on the daily tasks of slaves,
their illnesses and the remedies used to treat them, and
Gavin's problems with a runaway slave. Social and legal
experiences of women are also occasionally noted.
Index Terms:American Party--South Carolina.
Colleton District (S.C.)--Social life and customs--
19th century.
Diaries--South Carolina.
Dorchester County (S.C.)--Social life and customs--
19th century.
Estates (Law).
Family--South Carolina--Social life and customs--
19th century.
Fugitive slaves--South Carolina.
Gavin, David, b. 1811.
Lawyers--South Carolina--History--19th century.
Plantation life--South Carolina.
Plantations--South Carolina.
Slavery--South Carolina.
Slaves--South Carolina--Medical care.
South Carolina--Agriculture [local heading].
South Carolina--Politics and government--1775-1865.
South Carolina--Politics and government--1765-1950.
South Carolina--Social life and customs--19th
century.
Women--Legal status, laws, etc.--19th century.
Size: 1 item (0.25 linear feet).
Provenance:Received from Mrs. John R. Fawcett of Savannah,
Georgia, in May 1946.
Access: No restrictions.
Copyright:Retained by authors of items in these papers or
their descendants as stipulated by United States
copyright law.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
David Gavin (b. 1811) was the son of John and Ann Gavin.
He had three brothers: Charles (b. 1815), who lived in
Florida; John (ca. 1819-1858); and William (1829-1861).
Gavin lived in the Colleton District of South Carolina,
presumably in the area between the present St. George
(called George's Station in the diary) in Dorchester
County, and Canaday's Crossroads in Colleton County. He
was a planter and a lawyer who made frequent trips to the
court in Waterborough (Waterboro). DESCRIPTION This
collection consists of the original volume (Volume 1) and
a typed transcription of it (Volumes 2 and 3).
The original volume, 260 pages, consists of three
sections: a diary, 1855-1871 (pages 1-197); personal
accounts, 1856-1874 (198-247); and brief entries giving
vital dates, other information, and, occasionally,
Gavin's impressions of about 150 family members, friends,
and acquaintances (248-260).
In the diary, Gavin wrote about planting and plantation
work, the weather, affairs of his neighbors, members of
his family, legal work, current events in the United
States and the world, and his own feelings and health.
Some entries are quite brief, others extensive.
Gavin was apparently a member of the American or
Know-Nothing Party, and, in an entry, dated 9 November
1855, he criticized the Democratic Party for bribery and
corruption. He continued to criticize the government in
entries throughout the diary.
Gavin also was against universal suffrage. In an entry,
dated 4 November 1856, he mentioned the candidates in the
presidential election and stated that, while in South
Carolina the legislature elected the electors, in all
other states "they are elected by the people alias the
mob-oc-ra-cy influenced by the demagogues." In an entry,
dated 8 October 1858, he stated his dislike of popular
self-government and universal suffrage.
Gavin frequently noted information on local politics. In
an entry, dated 31 March 1858, he mentioned the names of
the new sheriff and other newly elected officials in
Colleton District.
Gavin handled numerous estates and frequently made trips
to the court in Waterborough (Waterboro). He mentioned
his own cases and other notable trials that occurred. In
entries dated 14 and 20 November 1856 and 4 November
1857, he mentioned a trial of men accused of murdering a
slave belonging to Colonel Lewis Morris. Gavin believed
that the men were guilty, but that they would not be
convicted. He noted, on 16 November 1857, that they were
acquitted. Gavin frequently attended sales of slaves,
usually involving estates, and noted the prices of slaves
sold. In the entry of 17 October 1859, he mentioned that
he had appraised the slaves of the estate of W. Wamer and
listed the slaves' names and prices. On 8 May 1860, he
noted that he had appraised the value of slaves as a step
in the division of an estate.
Gavin also did surveying and mentioned, 17 April 1856,
surveying and selling a parcel of land.
In October of 1857, Gavin noted that four banks in South
Carolina had suspended specie payments and gave their
names and the dates they suspended payment. He described
his own theories on the reason for the "Panic of 1857."
Gavin frequently noted in his diary affairs in the lives
of his neighbors. A family named Rumph is mentioned.
Their daughter married Moses West who, Gavin stated,
abused her. On 6 February 1857, he mentioned Mrs. West's
difficulties in obtaining a separation--all the law would
allow in South Carolina--and custody of the children. He
also frequently dined or visited with neighbors and
mentioned their visits to him. Gavin mentioned camp
meetings, meetings of the Sons of Temperance, and his
activities as a Commissioner of the Poor.
Gavin wrote about the management of his plantation and the
planting of various crops such as corn, rice, peas, and
cotton. He described the work of slaves and progress on
improvements to his property. He discussed building a
road across the swamp on his property, and a cornhouse,
which he called the American or Know-Nothing cornhouse.
In 1859-1860, he hired two overseers successively, but
had difficulties with them and let them go.
Gavin wrote about sick slaves on his plantation and
various remedies used to cure them. In the summer and
fall of 1857, there was much fever, and Gavin himself was
very ill.
From 1855 through 1860, Gavin frequently mentioned one of
his slaves, who was named Team, who continually ran away.
On 3 December 1855, he mentioned a search for Team. On
20 December 1855, he noted that Team was home again. On
14 March 1856, Gavin wrote that he wanted to sell Team
because he had run away twice. Gavin wrote that he
originally had sent to Florida and bought Team because he
owned his wife and the rest of his family.
Gavin occasionally mentioned free black families who lived
in his district. On 29 December 1855, he noted that a
free black man was killed by the cars at Branchville. On
26 April 1858, he mentioned a neighbor who associated
with free black men, a practice of which Gavin
disapproved. On 9 November 1855 Gavin noted a court
action making the "Merchant family free Indians."
Gavin mentioned forebodings of the breaking up of the
union on several occasions before 1861. During the Civil
War years, he reported progress of the war and its local
effects, such as the reorganization of the South Carolina
Militia. On 18 June 1863, Gavin wrote that the Yankees
had burned some plantations in the Beaufort District on
the Combahee River. In late 1863 and early 1864, he
wrote out Confederate tax returns for himself and for
some estates. There are only a few scattered entries
after August 1864.
Among those mentioned in the diary, Gavin frequently wrote
about members of the following families: Aberly (or
Averly), Gavin, Hughs (Hughes?), Inabinet, Moorer,
Muckenfuss, Murray, Myers, Pye, Rumph, Shuler, Sistrunk,
Utsey, and West.
The personal accounts section (pages 198-247) lists
"Expenses and money paid out," 1856-1874. Costs are
listed for such items as clothes, food, transportation
and lodging, household and farm equipment, magazine
subscriptions, shipping, horses, and services such as
blacksmithing and carpentry.
The final section (pages 248-260) contains entries for
about 150 individuals known by Gavin. The entries, which
range from a few words to a paragraph, were typically
made at the death of an individual, but occasionally were
written when someone was born or married. These events
occurred 1855-1872. Entries usually list birth and death
dates, and commonly also the cause of death. Gavin often
commented on the life or death of an individual, noting
extraordinary circumstances or characteristics. Gavin
noted, for example, that Eveann Pendaris was a woman "who
has now married twice and never changed her name, a
circumstance I never knew or heard of before," and that
Mary M. Gavin was "murdered Friday evening Nov. the 9th
1866 near her mother's farm ... by two freedmen Caeser
and Owen." Gavin frequently lamented sufferings caused
by "Yankees." Information is included on Methodist
Bishop James Osgood Andrew (1794-1871), Isaac Marion
Dwight (ca. 1799-1874), and Alfred Huger (1788-1872), as
well as on members of the Appleby, Canaday, Firman
(Furman?), Gavin, Horn, Huger, Moorer, Murray, Rowe,
Sistrunk, Shuler, and other families. A few account and
diary entries also are included in this section.
ADDITIONAL INDEX TERMS
Aberly family
Andrew, James Osgood, 1794-1871
Appleby family
Canaday family
Depressions, 1857
Dwight, Isaac Marion, ca. 1799-1874
Furman family
Gavin family
Horn family
Hughes family
Huger, Alfred, 1788-1872
Huger family
Inabinet family
Moorer family
Muckenfuss family
Murray family
Myers family
Panic of 1857
Plantations--Overseers
Presidents--United States--Election, 1856
Pye family
Rowe family
Rumph family
Shuler family
Sistrunk family
Trials (Murder)--South Carolina
Utsey family
West family