Early Black Settlers

Early Black Settlers. . , (side 1) , On this hill from 1795 to 1865 thrived an African American farming community. The first settlers at the bottom of this road in 1798, from MA, were Samuel Peters, Hannah Lensemen and husband Prince Peters. Prince served in Captain Silas Pierce's MA Line (8th Co, 3rd MA Regiment) for 3 years during the American Revolution. Samuel Peters, 2nd volunteered at the Battle of Plattsburgh during the War of 18 12. This pioneering community at the bottom of the hill, at least six related families by the end of the Civil War, cleared the land, joined the local Baptist church, had home manufactories, and exercised their voting rights at Freeman Meetings. Their descendants owned land here and contributed to the local economy of this hill until the late 20th century. (Continued on other side). (side 2) (Continued from other side). Violet and Shubael Clark, from CT, arrived at the top of this hill in 1795. Their farm grew to 175 acres spilling over into Huntington, and one son owned 100 acres nearby. During the 1850s-60s, the home of their daughter, Almira and William Langley, became a place of refuge for those escaping slavery. Three Langley brothers and a cousin fought in the MA 54th Regiment and the SC 33rd during the Civil War. Loudon Langley, born here about 1836, stayed in SC after the war and represented Beaufort at the 1868 Constitutional Convention. He and his brother Lewis are buried there in the National Cemetery. The original Clark settlers expanded to 5 related families just before the Civil War, and many are buried in an abandoned cemetery at the top of this hill.