The Hare's

Peter Herr came to the province of South Carolina from Germany on the ship named "The Griffin". The ship arrived just before  October 16, 1749, in the Port of Charles Town, SC. The list of paid passengers is recorded in Council Journal Vol. XVII (pages 661-663) and can be found at the archives in Columbia, SC. Lonnie Wayne Hare constructed a more complete list of passengers based on the Council minutes for land grants and bounty. Most of the passengers settled in Saxa Gotha Township. He arrived with Palatinates and Swiss. As of 17 September 2000 no record of him has been found in Steinweiler/Pfalz, Germany. It may be that he came from Niederweiler near Müllheim. A book on manumissions compiled by Werner Hacker refers to a Peter Herr which seems to match ours.
The South Carolina Provincial Governor's Council minutes (page 715) of November 24, 1749 records Peter Herr's land grant.: "The petition of Peter Herr setting forth that the petitioner was a Protestant of Germany and lately arrived in this province in the ship Griffin, Captain Arthur, commander, and had paid his passage as appeared by the receipt annexed to his petition and was desirous of improving some of His Majesty's vacant land, prayed to lay out to the petitioner 100 acres of land in or near Saxa Gotha Township and that he might have a grant for the same free of charge and His Majesty's bounty. Signed Peter Herr. The prayer thereof was granted and bounty for one and a half." (The land can be found on Cannon's Creek which is in the Dutch Fork area.)

Peter Herr wrote a letter to the Council on November 30, 1749, which appears in the Council minutes (pages 732-733) of December 1, 1749. "The humble address of Peter Herr and the rest of his countrymen came in the Griffin from Germany. ... This petition is intended to acquaint you gentlemen [with] the many hardships we have met with since our arrival here and the many untruths that Ramensperger has made us believe in Germany to get us over to South Carolina where he told us that the King and Parliament had provided to pay our passage from London on here to South Carolina and that there would be a contribution made in London to pay our passage there and such a contribution was made as we hear, but Ramensperger has kept all the money and applied it to his own use. ... We were not only obliged to pay our own passage to London, but likewise here and an extravagant price too. We say such a price as was never given before. Not only that, but I, Peter Herr, had the misfortune to lose my wife since my arrival here and find that I am liable to pay her passage which is £42. I have one little child and no body will buy me. Likewise the doctor has brought me in a bill for tending my deceased wife in her illness £12.15 and don't know what to do to get out of my misfortunes. Therefore, we doubt not, gentlemen, but you will ease us all of our burden and put us in away of getting our livelihood for which we shall ever pray. ... Charles Town, So. Carolina, 30 November 1749. The above address being taken under consideration the said petitioner and the other Germans therein mentioned were sent for who accordingly attending with Mr. Spoakel, their interpreter, and Ramensperger being also present, they were asked several questions. ... Thereupon it appeared to the Council that their complaints were frivolous and that Ramensperger had not acted any ways unfairly to them."

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Michael Hare  was born 18 November 1817 in Edgefield Co., SC, and died 29 May 1908 in Saluda Co., SC.  He married Sarah Vaughn.  She was born 1 January 1820 in SC, and died 9 February 1902 in Saluda Co., SC.

He was a Confederate soldier: Co. D, 6th (Meriwether's) Batt., SC Reserves. 

Burial: Nazareth Methodist Church Cemetery, Saluda Co., SC

The estate of Margaret was probated in Edgefield County, Courthouse, Probate Judge Office, State of South Carolina, Edgefield District.

"The humble petition of Michael Hare, respectfully, sheweth that his mother Margaret Hare, departed this life on or about the 29th January 1864, leaving a small personal estate valued at about one thousand dollars, and leaving as her heirs and next of kin, five living children: viz: Mary Smelley, wife of John Smelley, Rosey Rinehart, wife of William Rinehart, William Hare, Miley Duncan, wife of Thomas Duncan and your petitioner: and your petitioner therefore respectfully prays for letters of administration may be granted to him upon the usual terms this Feb. 15, 1864.  Signed: Michael Hare"

.Children of Michael Hare and Sarah Vaughn are:

i. William C. Hare, b. 4 January 1839, Edgefield Co., SC; d. 8 February 1880, Okolona, Clark Co., AR

ii. John Hare, b. 14 December 1841, Edgefield Co., SC; d. 25 December 1915.

iii. Caleb Hare, b. 1842, Edgefield Co., SC; d. 5 May 1863, Chancellorsville, VA. 

Notes for CALEB HARE: He was a Confederate soldier. 

The following is from the Confederate Abstract: First Name: Caleb Last Name: Hare (Hair) [sic] Rank: Private Company: B (Dearing Guards) Unit/Regiment: 14 South Carolina Infantry Enlisted at: Camp Butler, SC, August 12, 1861, at age 18 or 19 Wounded: 1) Port Royal Ferry, SC, January 1, 1862 2) Chancellorsville, VA, May 1/3, 1863 Died: May 5, 1863, of wounds On Last Roll: May/June 1863 

Remarks: Final pay claim filed by Michael Hare, father. Listed in Adjutant General's General Order 131/3 for medal of honor, October 3, 1863. Captains Pinckney A. West and James Boatwright.

iv. Hillary Hare, b. 1846, Edgefield Co., SC. 

v. Sarah Hare, b. abt. 1846, SC.. 

vi. Samuel Hare, b. 1852, Edgefield Co., SC; d. 1922, Saluda Co., SC. 

vii. J. Pinckney Hair, b. 15 October 1857, Edgefield Co., SC; d. 9 May 1898, Saluda Co., SC. 

viii. Mary Ann Hare, b. 5 October 1860, Edgefield Co., SC; d. 7 September 1944, Leesville, Lexington Co., SC. .

 WILLIAM C. HARE  was born 4 January 1839 in Edgefield Co., SC, and died 8 February 1880 in Okolona, Clark Co., AR.  He married SUSAN E. DUNCAN 20 December 1860 in Itawamba Co., MS, daughter of THOMAS DUNCAN and SARAH NEWTON.  She was born 4 December 1842 in Edgefield Co., SC, and died 21 September 1888 in AR.

** William as a Confederate soldier from Itawamba Co., MS **

William C. Hare enlisted in the Confederate army 4 March 1862 at Richmond, MS. 

He served first in Goldthwaite's Bat. Lt. Artillery. He was transferred from Co. B, 45 Miss. Regt. 9 Oct. 1863 to Semple's Bat. Lt. Artillery by special order #260 by command of General Bragg. He was at Missionary Ridge 31 Oct. 1863. 

The 3rd merged with the 45th and the 33rd. That is why William C. Hare is listed twice here. Page I of I Third (Hardcastle's) Mississippi Infantry Battalion. 

The following information is taken directly from Units of the Confederate Mates Army by Joseph H. Crute, Jr. Published by Derwent Books; Midlothian, Virginia. (c) 1987. 3rd (Hardcastle's) Infantry Battalion was formed during the fall of 1861. Assigned to S. A. M. Wood's Brigade, Army of the Mississippi, the unit fought at Shiloh with about 200 men, twenty percent of which were disabled. Later it merged into the 33rd (Hardcastle's) Mississippi Infantry Regiment. Major Aaron B. Hardcastle was in command.

William C. Hare is listed as belonging to Company F (Leake County) which were known as "Leake Rebels". The Captain was Robert J. Hall, 1st Lieutenant John W. Sharkey, 2nd Lieutenant Jabez L. Drake, and 3rd Lieutenant was Frank M. Edwards. ("Compiled Service Records", National Archives Microfilm, rolls #351 - 355) Mississippi Units in the Civil War (Infantry) Page I of I 45th Inf. Regt. (Redesignation of 33rd (Hardcastle's) Inf. Regt. 1863, Col. Aaron R. Hardcastle; consolidated with 32nd Inf. Regt. during 1863 and 1864; reduced to battalion and designated 3rd (Williams') Inf. Bn. July 24, 1864.

Hare, William C., pvt., B, 3rd Battalion Infan. (Hardcastle's) (See Semples' Battery, Light Art.) Hare, William C., pvt., B, 45th Regt. Infan.

William and Susan moved to Clark Co., AR, in 1870.

He was the first minister at the Center Grove Methodist Church near Gurdon which was organized in 1873. Its chief founders were Tom J. Clark and Josh L. Peters. A photo of William and Susan is hanging in that church still.

 ** Story About William and Susan **  

A descendant of William and Susan Hare, Fern Clark Bowen, provided the following account of the marrige of her ancestors, as told by E. M. Osborn:
 

Edgefield County, South Carolina, sometime before the Civil War, Susan Duncan and William C. Hare grew up and fell in love.  However, when William asked Susan's family for permission to marry her, they refused:  William's people were "Black Dutch" and were therefore not acceptable.  Very soon afterward, the Duncan family decided to pack their belongings, leave their home and join a wagon train heading West.

William was lonely and very depressed, but after a time he decided he must pursue his love.  He bought new shoes and clothes and set out on foot in search of the wagon train, leaving his family behind and facing an uncertain future.  He traveled through Georgia and Alabama, living off the land, gathering berries, nuts, seeds, and sometimes catching a fish or rabbit.  He wore out his shoes, but trudged on undaunted.

When he finally caught up with the Duncan family in Mississippi, he was skinny and barefoot.  His new clothes had become rags, but Susan was overjoyed to see him.  His courage and devotion to their daughter touched the proud Duncans, and they gave their blessings at last to the marriage.

By 20 August 1860, William had found work in Itawamba County, MS.  The following winter on 20 December, William married his eighteen-year-old sweetheart.  Less than two years later William enlisted in the Confederate Army and served through 1863.  Having survived the war, William brought Susan to Clark County, AR.  He became the first minister of Center Grove Methodist Church near Gurdon.

(submitted by Mrs. John B. Coleman to the Clark Co., AR, Historical Association)