Spartanburg County, South Carolina - Chapter 22: The Foster Family, 1900

Robert Foster emigrated from Amelia county, Va. , in 1783, and settled on the waters of Tyger River within the present territory of Spartanburg county. His wife was Miss Sallie James. He had seven sons, viz. : Thomas, Robert, William, John, James, Ransom and Moses.

William lived and died near Bethlehem church in Spartanburg county. He married Miss Exie Wingo. James married Patience Benson, daughter of W^m. Benson, whose wife was Eleanor Key. He lived near the historic Fort Prince, and he and his wife are buried near by. Mr. Benson died away from home on one of his market trips.

Among the children of Thomas Foster mentioned was Jesse Foster, father of Major A. J. and Jesse Foster. The former served as major of the Lower Battalion, 36th Regiment, S. C. M., before the war, and later, during said war, as captain of Co. B, 22d Regiment, S. C. V.

Among the children of William and Exie (Wingo) was Colonel Robert W. Foster, who resided near Holly vSpring, who was a man of more than ordinary iutelli-

§ence and information, and who from 1848 to '50 was a representative from Spartanburg District in the State legislature, and was also for several years colonel of the 36th Regiment, S. C. M.

Among the children of James Foster was Eleanor,* who married Andy Foster and removed to Georgia, where he died in 1897 ; Jane, who married Zachariah Wingo and removed to Georgia, settling on the Chattahoochee River, Forsyth county, where he died ; Eliza, who married Albert Cunningham; Abner B., who married Oney, a daughter of "Mill Creek" Billy Foster; Mary, who married Thomas A. Rogers, - both lived and died in Pickens county, S. C; Robert J., who married Polly A. Bowdan ; James J., who married Mary, daughter of Garland Foster, and was killed near Petersburg, March 29th, 1865 ; Theresa, who married George F. Steading, killed in the army; and Moses, who married Mrs. Brewton, who was Miss Sarah Alexander.!

The last named. Captain Moses Foster, is well and popularly known to the people of Spartanburg county. He was born January, 1833, and was raised on his father's farm near Bethlehem church. He was educated in the schools of his neighborhood taught by Thomas Scruggs, Wm. Cooper, Elias Stephens, Hampton Posey and others. He connected himself with Bethlehem church early in life, and has been a deacon of said church since 1866 ; is a useful man in his church and community both by precept and example. He has very often been a delegate from his church to the associations to which it has belonged, and is an earnest advocate and

*This was the first lady ever baptized by Rev. John G. Landrum. At this time he was pastor of Bethlehem (Baptist) church. On the same occasion he baptized David Bray, Sr. , and Malinda P'oster, who afterward became Mrs. Asa Cunningham.

Before the civil war between the States he was commissioned by the Governor of South Carolina a captain of the militia (May's old field), the company which he commanded being a part of the 36th Regiment, S. C. M. He served seven years as a commissioned officer, which, under the law, made him muster free, but at the outbreak of said war (or even a few months before) he volunteered in the Spartan Rifles ( Captain Joseph Walker), which was one of the first companies to leave Spartanburg for the army. While serving in Virginia he was transferred (1862) to Co. D, Palmetto vSharpshooters, commanded by Captain A. H. Foster. In both of these companies he held the position of sergeant. He was in nearly all the battles in which his company was engaged. Was always at his post except when prevented by sickness, and was at the surrender at Appomattox Court-house.

After this he returned to his farm, where he has lived for sixty years or more. He has never aspired to public office, but, by reason of his fitness for the position, was nominated and elected by the Democrats of Spartanburg county as coroner for said county, which position he held for four years.

James Alexander, married Miss Emma, daughter of Virgil Rogers; John G. Landrum, single, and Mary Patience, single - a graduate of Limestone College.

Richard Foster, a first cousin of Robert Foster, emigrated from Virginia to Spartanburg District and settled in the Bethlehem neighborhood about the time that Robert came. He was married four times. Among his children were Spencer B. Foster, who was a deacon and prominent member of Bethlehem church. He was also captain of a militia company before the civil war, and was for a time the captain of the old Tyger band which belonged to the 36th Regiment, S. C. M., his favorite instrument being the clarionet, which the writer, in his boyhood, delighted to hear him play. He was the father of Richard and Martin Foster ; the former losing an arm at the battle of Frazier's Farm, Virginia,

William Foster, "Mill Creek Billy," first cousin to the first two, also from Amelia county, Va., lived on Fair Forest Creek. He had nine children, viz. : Moses, who married Polly Hurt ; Ransom, who married a daughter of Robert Foster in Greenville county (uncle of Captain Moses Foster) ; John ; Jinsey, who married Jesse Wingo, father of Wm. J, Wingo, a well-known merchant who died in Spartanburg in 1895 or '96 ; Maiden, who married Paschal Wingo, father of Rev. I. W. Wingo ; Delilah, who married Burrel Wingo, father of Robert Wingo and grandfather of Hon, John O. Wingo, Greenville county, S. C, and Stewart Wingo, merchant at Spartanburg ; Oney, who married Abner B. Foster ; Annie, who married Isham Hurt; and Malinda, who married Asa Cunningham.

The entire families of the Foster connection in Spartanburg county have always been distinguished for their piety and high order of law-abiding citizenship. Nowhere have any people ever been found more patriotic, true and loyal to their country's best interests than the worthy sons which belonged to these families. No brighter example can be produced as an evidence of this fact than the case of Joseph Foster, son of Moses and Polly (Hurt) Foster. In one of the battles in Virginia, during the civil war, he was shot through the head with a Minie ball. The ball ranging below the brain entered near the eyeball and made its exit behind one ear. His recovery was one of the most remarkable occurrences in the history of surgery. From this dreadful wound he recovered in a few months and reentered the service in Virginia, and had not been there long when he was cut in two by a cannon ball in an engagement on Blackwater. He was a member of the company of Captain A. H. Foster, Palmetto Sharpshooters. James J. Foster, whose death we have already mentioned, was killed but a few days before the surrender at Appomattox. George Steading, brother-in-law of Captain Moses Foster, was killed below Richmond in front of Fort Harrison. There were several others of these families killed and a considerable number wounded during the civil war. The last one that could shoulder a musket marched boldly to the front to defend his country's rights in her hour of greatest peril.