NOTE: This post was delayed a bit because I came down with a nasty bout of Covid. I’d gotten half the post written when it hit, but didn’t feel like typing or anything else. Feeling much, much better now, so here you go…
It had been a long time since our gang of miscreant paddlers got together for a Lowcountry Unfiltered adventure. To get back into the swing of things with our Second Saturday outings we decided to head back to the Edisto for a section we had not paddled. It was also the last major section of the main stem of the river that I had not paddled. On this Second Saturday we would be paddling from Sullivan’s Landing down to Martin’s Landing, about eight miles with history that includes a Revolutionary War battle, escaped slaves, and the launch of a Mississippi style riverboat.
Alan and I met Matt at Bill & Fran’s Restaurant, which has gotten to be our regular stop for breakfast on our way to a lowcountry trip. Then we caravanned down to Sullivan’s Landing where we met Jimmy, Tim, and George. Six of us would be making this trip. We off-loaded the boats then made the shuttle down to Martin’s Landing, then back.
It was overcast and cool, but comfortable. The current was ripping along as we launched.
Sullivan’s is a small landing surrounded by river homes. There isn’t much parking but there is a very decent boat ramp. Over the years this small place has seen lots of activity. From the mid 1800s until the early 20th Century there was a ferry at this location. It was also the site of picnics and church baptisms.
In 1917 the riverboat “Alexander” was launched and christened at Sullivan’s Ferry. According to this article from The Press and Standard, The Alexander was “…one of the largest to ply the Edisto and built on the plan of the Mississippi river boats,” and was designed to carry freight all along the Edisto. The new river boat “went into the water very easily and gracefully…”
Sadly, I’ve not been able to find any other information about The Alexander, such as its term of service or ultimate fate.
We proceeded on downstream. Just below Sullivan’s Landing is a good sized island. There was a prominent beach on the south end that looked perfect for hanging about. I passed the island on the west, while most of the others followed the wider channel to the east.
When I did a virtual scouting trip of this stretch in Google Earth I spotted several opportunities for side quests into channels and swamps. Other smaller streams to the east and west of the main channel were also labeled “Edisto River.” I marked several of these along with some oxbows and other points of interested, then transferred them to my GPS.
Not too far from the landing we found one of these channels. As soon as I entered I realized I’d brought the wrong boat. Normally on the Edisto I bring my Dagger Axis. It’s a shorter boat and very maneuverable in swamps. This time, though, I brought the longer Wilderness Systems Tsunami. While it’s a nice fast boat on open water, it doesn’t do as well in tight spaces. I paddled into the channel a bit and realized that the current was going to be an issue in this boat. I’d have to choose my side quests carefully. I backed out. Matt, Jimmy, George, and Alan went on in to explore, leaving me and Tim out on the main river in our big boats.
Soon I learned that I had not only brought the wrong, boat, but I’d also left a crucial set of equipment at home. When we had larger groups paddling with us we always had FRS radios. I left my set at home this time since there were only six of us and we were experienced paddlers. Plus, we all had cell phones? What could go wrong?
Well, you could get separated when some of your group decides to explore a channel while others are on the main stem. Combine that with poor cell coverage and there’s the potential for at least chaos, if not disaster. Tim and I were on the main stem, but we didn’t know if the others would retrace their steps upstream from us, or pop out downstream. We didn’t want to run away from them, or have them leave us behind.
Finally we resorted to very old technology – whistles. There’s a good reason SC DNR requires them in addition to personal floatation devices. The rest of the gang had taken separate paths through on oxbow and came out at different points downstream. With lessons learned we got back together and stuck to the main stem.
I had marked a significant oxbow in my GPS, one that I thought my boat could handle. It looped from river left and the upstream and downstream entrances were right next to each other. My plan was to take the upstream entrance and exit downstream. However, I could find a clear path when I got to the spot I had marked. The lower entrance was obvious, so I led the group in that way.
The route hugged a higher bank and dipped into a stand of cypress trees.
The oxbow had lots of water due to recent rains. At one point a path opened to the northeast through some large cypress. We paddled that way to admire the trees, including one that you could poke a boat into.
After goofing off in the trees a bit it was time to find a route back to the main stem. According to my GPS and maps, this was in the clear path ahead of us, but through some dense brush behind and to our left. My companions were a bit…hesitant. It took some pushing and scraping, but we got through.
Just around a bend from the oxbow adventure Matt found another channel river right. This led to a point that he figured would make a good lunch stop. We pulled up, then started questioning Matt’s judgement. But, since he had the food and the stove we didn’t give him too much grief about how muddy and “not dry” of a lunch spot he had picked.
Matt set up The Most Photographed Stove in South Carolina™ and got the brats going. Alan and Jimmy broke out hammocks. I had my small chair. Tall tales were told and bratwurst and sauerkraut consumed.
Lunch over, loaded back up and paddled back out of the small channel, then headed on down the main stream.
We are all keenly aware of the “Five Minute Rule” for paddlers. This rule states that regardless of where you stop for lunch, five minutes downstream there will be a much, much better place to stop. It wasn’t even five minutes for us. We rounded the bend and came upon Levenson’s Bluff. At this point the river bends close to Parker’s Ferry Road. Houses line the bank, but at one point there is a throw-in access to the road and a very nice rope swing.
We paddled on with the current for many miles, just enjoying full bellies from lunch and not working too hard at getting downstream. At one point I pulled out my harmonica to annoy my fellow paddlers and the wildlife. It probably got to be too much when Tim started singing along with me.
Speaking of wildlife, we saw lots of turtles and birds. I couldn’t tell exactly, but either goldfinches or yellow-bellied warblers were out in abundance, though it seemed too early for warblers. Alan came across a deer on one of those earlier side-explorations. I saw several small woodpeckers and heard a pileated at one point.
A few river miles on down we came to an alternate take-out point. Lowndes Landing is river right heading downstream. In addition to a boat ramp there looked like a nice picnic table and spot to pull out for lunch.
The river straightens out for a bit below Lowndes. There are remnants of places along the river, but not as many houses. One deep bend held the perfect beach for hanging out. We made a note of it in case we wanted to do this stretch in warmer weather.
Further down I came across a fascinating rock house on river left. I have no idea how old it was, but it had modern decking.
About a mile and a half below Lowndes a set of power lines cross the river. This marks the location of another very historical spot, Parker’s Ferry. This spot as served as a river crossing since long before the Revolutionary war. Once there was a causeway on either side of the river leading to access to the ferry. Now the river widens a bit, with dirt roads following the power lines.
Parker’s Ferry was the site of a pivotal Revolutionary War battle in 1781. General Francis “Swamp Fox” Marion ambushed a larger force of loyalists commanded by General William “Bloody Bill” Cunningham at the ferry causeway. It was a turning point in the southern campaign, followed by Patriot victories at Eutaw Springs and other locations.
The ferry was a on a main thoroughfare, and commerce sprang up in the area. By 1807 a “House of Entertainment” was established at the ferry.
The subscriber takes leave to inform the publick [sic] that he has established a good HOUSE of ENTERTAINMENT, for the accommodation of those who travel that road with excellent Stable, Fodder and Grain for Horses. Every attention will be paid to the Ferry and House by the Publick’s most obedient humble servant, Orran Byrd.
Ads in the Charleston Courier could be found for accommodations at Parker’s Ferry on up into the 1820s.
Small ships made regular runs from Charleston along the coast and up the river to Parker’s Ferry. A mail route was established, with a designated post office operating from 1816 until 1915, nearly a hundred years.
Sadly, this area was also the site of human tragedy and suffering. Long before the Revolutionary War slavery made up the main workforce in the plantations that lined the Edisto and other coastal regions. The deep swamps lining the Edisto made great places for runaway slaves to hide. Independent colonies of escaped slaves known as “Maroon” encampments formed along the Edisto. Members of these encampments would participate in the Stono Rebellion of 1737.
Some of these encampments persisted until well into Antebellum times. Along with the ads for shipping schedules and accommodations in the Charleston Courier there were ads for rewards for runaway slaves. Some of these said that the runaways were suspected to be with encampments along the Edisto.
During the Civil War Parker’s Ferry became the site of General Sherman’s crossing of the Edisto. Several engravings from 1865 editions of Harper’s Weekly show Sherman’s troops crossing on a makeshift bridge at Parker’s.
Traffic patterns shifted, and by the early 1900s there were petitions to move the ferry from Parker’s to Sullivan’s. By 1917 ferry service was discontinued at Parker’s Ferry.
The area now designated as Parker’s Ferry is much further downstream, where present day US 17 crosses the Edisto.
But, back to our paddling trip…
It was only another mile or so below Parker’s Ferry when we reached our take-out point, Martin’s Landing. Martin’s is an excellent landing, but is a modern river access point.
We had paddled nearly 10 miles with all of our side trips.
With the completion of this trip I’ve paddled most of the main stem of the Edisto. There’s about a mile below West Bank Landing that I’m missing, as well as the coastal regions. I also still have huge gaps on the North and South branches of the river. Maybe one day…
Of course, I had the GoPro running and created a time-lapse of the trip.
Alan and I loaded our boats onto my trailer and said our goodbyes to the rest of the gang. It was great getting back together with them for an adventure. But our day wasn’t over. We always say that a Lowcountry Unfiltered trip has six Bs – breakfast, boats, beer, bratwurst, barbecue, and bad decisions. The only one lacking so far was the barbecue. We decided to wait until we got further up the road, on the other side of Columbia.
Farmboy’s BBQ in Irmo was hopping like I’d never seen it before. The parking lot was packed and I had to pull my trailer way into the back. There was a long line to get a seat.
The buffet was worth the wait, though.
Once again we had conquered another SC river in style.