By Liesha Wessinger-Huffstetler
Gandy’s letter reveals some interesting information. He mentions John Wesley Lybrand, who moved to Aiken County and became rich. His granddaughter, Willa Lybrand Fulmer married Congressman Hampton Pitts Fulmer of Springfield, in Orangeburg County. When Congressman Fulmer (1875-1944) died in office in 1944, she took over his office until 1945. Gandy mentioned that she died at sea, on an ocean liner in 1968, on her way to Paris shopping expedition with her daughter. How about that, a Dutch Fork Lybrand woman in congress in 1944! I did verify this information by using Mr. Google for the research.
Gandy says he interviewed a Mr. Hermes Bouknight, who told him about a man who was part America Indian and worked for the railroad. Mr. Bouknight reportedly said that all the grandchildren were embarrassed because of their darker skin. When this man was older, he came back to the Dutch Fork. Herme’s grandfather was about 5 years old he came back and rented a cabin from his great-grandfather. The man lived four or five years by himself and gave Mr. Bouknight’s grandfather money for his burial. He asked him to bury his gold watch with him, which he received from his years of service at the railroad. Hermes was around ten years old when he died, and the grandfather did honor his request and buried the watch with the man.
Family stories passed down are like good family folk fiction, with a mix of truth and probable exaggeration with creative license. Since these are “family stories” they cannot be substantiated or be taken as fact.
However, I did a bit of research to find some documented facts. To speak last weeks’ article, and the “Lightsey” theory of the red hair being an American Indian, there was a Geroge Lightsey, who received 200 ACRES of Bear Creek. He could have easily had a “red-headed” descendant. Native Americans generally do not have red hair. A Henry Sites received 347 acres on the Broad River and Wateree Creek, in the Spring Hill area. This information was in The Dutch Fork Catalogue of Early land Records, a big thank you to Betty Bundrick ad Dr. Carl Nichols for putting this treasure of a resource together.
Gandy mentions that some of the Sites and Lybrand families immigrated to Arkansas in the 1840’s. A Mathias Weissinger, born 1796, son of John Matthias and Mary Weissinger, (Wessinger), moved to Alabama in the 1830’s then to the Houston Texas area. This information was found in an article from The Houston County Texas History, 1687-1979.
As for the flowing of Native American DNA in the veins of the Dutch Fork, that is quite the mystery. O.B Mayer, in his book, The Dutch Fork, edited by Dr. James Kibler, he says that during the treaty between the Cherokees and King George, in the 1740’s, the Cherokee said, “we freely surrender a part of our lands to the great king.” O.B Mayer, born in 1818-remembered no Indians in the area. Until next week, I say “ Dodadagohvi”, good bye in Cherokee!
If you know anyone who knew the people Gandy interviewed, please contact me at huffstetler.leisha@gmail.com.
