Charles Craven
Encyclopedia
Charles Craven was governor of colonial South Carolina
from 19 March 1712 to 23 April 1716. He held the office during the end of the Tuscarora War
and the beginning of the Yamasee War
. He served as secretary to South Carolina's Lords Proprietors before being appointed governor by them.
At the start of the Yamasee War, in early 1715, Craven led a hastily assembled force of 240 militia
troops against the Yamasee
Indians
. A pitched battled fought at Salkehatchie resulted in a decisive victory for South Carolina.
After the initial military victories of 1715, the South Carolina militia had trouble defending the colony and many members deserted. Governor Craven, having declared martial law at the start of the war, disbanded the militia and replaced it with a professional army. This was the first time the militia was disbanded as well as South Carolina's first professional army. Within a year, as the crisis of war ending, the army was dissolved.
Governor Craven founded the city of Beaufort, South Carolina
.
Province of South Carolina
The South Carolina Colony, or Province of South Carolina, was originally part of the Province of Carolina, which was chartered in 1663. The colony later became the U.S. state of South Carolina....
from 19 March 1712 to 23 April 1716. He held the office during the end of the Tuscarora War
Tuscarora War
The Tuscarora War was fought in North Carolina during the autumn of 1711 until 11 February 1715 between the British, Dutch, and German settlers and the Tuscarora Native Americans. A treaty was signed in 1715....
and the beginning of the Yamasee War
Yamasee War
The Yamasee War was a conflict between British settlers of colonial South Carolina and various Native American Indian tribes, including the Yamasee, Muscogee, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Catawba, Apalachee, Apalachicola, Yuchi, Savannah River Shawnee, Congaree, Waxhaw, Pee Dee, Cape Fear, Cheraw, and...
. He served as secretary to South Carolina's Lords Proprietors before being appointed governor by them.
At the start of the Yamasee War, in early 1715, Craven led a hastily assembled force of 240 militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
troops against the Yamasee
Yamasee
The Yamasee were a multiethnic confederation of Native Americans that lived in the coastal region of present-day northern coastal Georgia near the Savannah River and later in northeastern Florida.-History:...
Indians
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
. A pitched battled fought at Salkehatchie resulted in a decisive victory for South Carolina.
After the initial military victories of 1715, the South Carolina militia had trouble defending the colony and many members deserted. Governor Craven, having declared martial law at the start of the war, disbanded the militia and replaced it with a professional army. This was the first time the militia was disbanded as well as South Carolina's first professional army. Within a year, as the crisis of war ending, the army was dissolved.
Governor Craven founded the city of Beaufort, South Carolina
Beaufort, South Carolina
Beaufort is a city in and the county seat of Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1711, it is the second-oldest city in South Carolina, behind Charleston. The city's population was 12,361 in the 2010 census. It is located in the Hilton Head Island-Beaufort Micropolitan...
.