The internet at the Marriot in Columbia was not working this morning.  Day Two at the workshop was marvellous.  I took in a seminar on reading colonial and early statehood land plats.  Exciting!  Then I skipped the rest of the seminars and used the time to research and again, goldmines.

I’ve got some pretty good evidence that John Foster of Grindal Shoals was at times also known as Captain John Foster of Colonel Brandon’s Brigade South Carolina Militia during the Revolution.  One thing that the Continental Army did with it’s militia (trained but not professional soldiers) is that regiments elected their own officers.  Regiments were raised locally and Col. Thomas Brandon lived and recruited in Union.  Today I found payment papers for several John Fosters and the eighth one was one I had never seen before – John Foster (Brandon’s Brigade).  Brandon was a neighbor of Foster and Moseley and when Moseley fought he also fought with Brandon.

Lots of other things too, it will take days to sort out and digest.  For now, I am in Charleston and I am going to head out and look around before the sun goes down.

BTW, down here Charleston is pronounced approximately Chawrlstun.