BARNABUS'S FATHER, DRURY PACE
I shall now take up the history of my father, Drury Pace. He was born in October, 1745, received a good english education, was six feet, two and one-half inches high, straight built as an Indian, weighing about 180 pounds, strong bodily powers, lean faced, thin Roman nose, complexion a little swarthy, coal black, straight hair, very thin on his head, eyes dark hazel.
In the year 1768 he married Mary Bussey, the daughter of Charles Bussey, who moved from the eastern shore of Maryland and settled on the Savannah River eight miles above Augusta, on the Carolina side. Father, so far as I have been able to learn, located himself 17 miles above the river.
WAR BEGINS
The dark clouds of war began to hang heavy over his beloved country. He long had enjoyed freedom in the true sense of the word, and did not hesitate a moment to inquire what he should do, but took up his gun, leaving mother and the three children in the hands of his God, united himself with the armies of his country, whigs as then called, in the defense of the rights of men.
Almost all of his neighbors, and two of his brothers were tories, and he soon found there was no place of safety for him but in the tented field. Early in the war he was appointed Captain by Governor Rutledge of South Carolina. His neighbors sought his life.
SACRIFICES MADE
Tory officers hunted after him, plans were laid to entrap him, many a hard fought battle was he in, many hair breadth escapes did he pass through, but God, as he often said, brought him safely through them all, never suffered the enemy's ball to touch him only twice, once passing through his hat on his head, at another time cutting him slightly on his shoulder.
It is needless to run over his battles and sufferings. Suffice it to say he suffered hunger, cold, ruined a fine constitution, wasted much of his time and property in defense of his country's rights. Often have I heard Mother tell of his coming home lousy and almost naked, and that the lice had so eaten his shoulders that they were literally raw.
My son, I have often thought, could we, or were we able to make a calculation of the amount of treasure expended, lives lost, blood spilled, and whole amount of human suffering, to plant and water the tree of liberty, as dear as we prize it, has cost as much as it is worth... But Glory to God, the church of the Lord Jesus Christ found a resting place and a home, the gospel had free access in every quarter.
FREEDOM OF RELIGION
Instead of priests or curates collecting tithes and tenths, or collecting their dues in tobacco, as in Patrick Henry's day in Virginia, God was pleased to raise up able ministers of the New Testament, clothed with zeal as with a garment, that did preach the gospel of the kingdom, and many hundreds were brought to the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus Christ...
ENEMIES PLEAD FOR MERCY
The war was about closed, Cornwallis was taken, and it was the received opinion the war was over. Whigs became more bold and daring -- poor tories began to hide in swamps and caves and scatter like sheep without a shepherd. Many of them deserved to die... for much property had they plundered and destroyed. Many poor and unoffending Whigs had they cut to death.
Father was looked for at home when four of his neighbors, poor tories, ... came to see Mother ... begging of Father to ... give his protection, and if possible, keep them from being murdered by the Whigs. Father sure enough came home... Father next morning set out to the place designated which was about eight miles.
When getting in about two miles, he hears a little way before him several guns fired, and believed it was a slogun of war. He galloped on, keeping a sharp lookout. He soon comes up with a scouting party of whigs, and learned from them that they were fired upon by four tories, as they believed, and they had escaped... It was then given up by all it was scheme laid to kill father.
FORGIVENESS
The four men I have seen, and seen in Father's house... You would ask how he could forgive them. God knows, my son, but he did do it, and was long a member of the church with them.
MAY WE NEVER FORGET THE SACRIFICE FOR FREEDOM GIVEN BY THESE AND ALL WHO HAVE FOUGHT FOR IT SINCE THEN. CAPTAIN DRURY PACE WAS MY 5TH-GREAT-GRANDFATHER ~ Ron Vincent