Little Swamp Plantation – Bamberg County

Basic Information

• Location – Historically in Colleton County but annexed between 1919-1924 into Bamberg County (1)
  

  Highway 362 (1)
  

• Comment – Was once a part of Salkehatchie Plantation

• Origin of name – ?
• Other names – ?

• Current status – Plantation subdivided into 20 sections, each privately owned (1)
  

Timeline

• ? – Earliest known date of existence

  James Goodwin Sr acquired the property (1).
  

• ? – House built

  There was a house of log construction built at Little Swamp Plantation (1).
  

• 1870 – James Goodwin Jr inherited the plantation from his father, James Goodwin Sr (1).
  

• 1916 – After the death of James Goodwin Jr, the plantation was divided into 20 sections and distributed among his children (1).
  

Land

• Number of acres – 2,100

• Primary crop – Cotton and food crop items sold in Charleston (1)

Slaves

• Number of slaves – ?

• The first slave James Goodwin Sr. purchased was named Issac. Goodwin then bought a wife for Issac named Sophia. Issac and Sophia took the surname Goodwin. The slaves worked all three of Goodwin's plantations, Little Swamp Plantation, Great Swamp Plantation, and Salkehatchie Plantation.
  

  Issac and Sophia Goodwin are buried in the Goodwin Cemetery located off Highway 362. Other slaves, and their descendants that were sharecroppers after they were freed, are also buried in the Goodwin Cemetery, many in unmarked graves. Graves marked with headstones include:
  
  – Jimmy Goodwin, 1819-1905
  – Daniel H. Goodwin Sr, 1854-1915
  – Darkis Goodwin, 1864-1914 (wife of Nelson A. Goodwin)
  – Rosa Goodwin, 1869-1965
  – Hattie R. Goodwin, 1893-1929
  – Andrew Ripley, 1877-1892
  

• In 1858, James Goodwin Sr granted his slaves freedom (1).
  

References & Resources

1. Information contributed by descendant Faye Goodwin Kerstetter from Colleton County Clerk Records, the Goodwin Reunion Book of 1968, and Mills Atlas of SC by Leroy Swindell.